Winter Wonderland: An O'Malley Christmas story (The O'Malleys Book 2) Read online

  Winter Wonderland

  The O’Malleys: Book 2

  By Michelle McLoughney

  Copyright © 2015 Michelle Mc Loughney

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under S.I No. 337/2011-European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Universal Service and User’s Rights) Regulations 2011.

  This eBook or paperback is the sole property of the author, and may not be reproduced or transmitted without permission of the author. Please help prevent the piracy of eBooks. This book is a work of fiction. All names and characters are fictional, and any likeness to those living or dead including events, or occurrences, is completely coincidental.

  This eBook or paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook or paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, then please return it to the author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of an independent author.

  This author recognises and acknowledges the following real life names or places used in this book.

  Cover design by Tracey https://www.facebook.com/SoxsationalCoverArt?ref=br_rs&pnref=lhc

  Editing by Emma Mack: https://www.facebook.com/tinkstypos?fref=ts

  Visit Michelle’s Facebook author page

  Dedications

  For Aoife, Kate, Junie, Liam and baby Alex. I love the bones of ye. Merry Christmas.xxx

  Walking down the main street, correction, the only street in her home town of Kilvarna, County Clare, Tess O’Malley pulled her red woollen coat around her body and quickly tied the buttons right up to her neck. It was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey outside and the ground was quickly becoming coated in a light dusting of snow. Tess gazed down at it and smiled widely to herself. Snow in the Midwest of Ireland was rare enough. Usually the winters were more freezing winds, than a thick blanket of the white stuff. She would be grateful if the snow stuck to the ground for a while, instead of being washed away by a layer of sleety rain. A regular occurrence, which would have you looking like a drowned rat after two minutes. Tess could count on one hand the amount of times she had seen proper snow in her twenty-nine years. And nearly Christmas too, she mused, life was looking good.

  Tess loved Christmas; sometimes she thought she should get it tattooed across her forehead for all to see. Ever since she was knee high to a grasshopper Christmas had filled her with a joy like no other occasion. As Tess had aged, the excitement had not abated, in fact her appreciation for all things Christmassy had probably deepened.

  Exactly halfway to Christmas day, every year on June 25th the Hallmark channel would show Christmas movies all day, the cheesier the better. Tess would take the day off work and spend it on the couch drinking coco, eating chocolate and watching the movies, while the turkey and ham roasted in the oven. The smells filled her flat with the joys of the holiday and Tess felt alive and safe again.

  I really should write a thank you email to the channel. It kept her going for the next six months and was nearly as good as the real thing. Oh people had told Tess that she was crazy often enough, and sentimental and overly emotional. Well, the same people, mainly her brothers. Being the youngest of six children and the only girl, her brothers were annoying and over protective in equal measure. But, truth be told, Tess adored each of them for their unique qualities, and understood that she was blessed to be cocooned by a troop of men who always had her back. That didn’t make them less of a colossal pain in her arse at the best of times though.

  As was usual in Kilvarna, the town’s Christmas lights had been turned on with gusto, on November 30th. Tess had rubbed her gloved hands together and marvelled at the strings of icicle shaped lighting that draped from the roof of each house, shop and pub. Reindeer and Santa designs were hung lovingly from one side of the street to the other and the magic of Christmas was definitely in the air. A huge fir tree had been erected in the square outside the town hall, and each family from the town had dutifully placed their family's unique bauble on the tree, as was the town’s tradition. Tess sighed and inhaled deeply. The scent of the huge fir tree mingled with the turf and coal burning warmly in the little houses, dotted across the square. Home is where the heart is, so true!

  If Tess could have wished for anything, it would be that she could give up working in Sloan’s jewellers in the city and move home. Her little flat in the city centre was cosy and safe, but the hustle and bustle of city life was the complete opposite of the peace and quiet she had grown up with and still craved.

  Just twenty-one more days of work, Tess thought. And then she was off for two whole glorious weeks. Most of which would be spent in her pyjamas watching TV and eating and drinking with the lads. Sheer bliss! She would be glad of the break by then, next to Valentine’s Day the run up to Christmas was the Jewellers busiest time of year. So many lucky ladies waking up to a special ring on Christmas morning. She tried to be happy for them, she really did. But, something about their joy made knife-sharp feelings of loneliness bubble to the surface.

  Of course this year she had Jax.

  They had only being properly dating for a month, but Tess was happy. Jax was great craic, if a little bit posh for her tastes. A mature student at the University of Limerick, Jax was originally from Dublin, they had started out as flatmates and one drunken night a sweet kiss had blossomed into something a bit more.

  Tess had nearly died of embarrassment when two of her brothers, Tom and Ciaran, had come to Limerick for a meeting last week and insisted on taking Jax and Tess out to lunch. Lightly veiled as an informal luncheon, Tess knew that it was actually an opportunity for her brothers to get the low down on her ‘new squeeze’ as Ciaran called him. She hadn’t missed the looks that passed between Tom and Ciaran when Jax had started talking about the city traffic in his suddenly annoyingly posh accent.

  “I mean seeeeriously loike, what is the focking storrry with the country folk, coming in from the country lioke and porking loike alllll ooover the place. Oh. My Focking God. Lioke!” When Jax had explained that he was also hoping to break into modelling and had been held up on his way to a casting, Tess had screamed internally.

  Outwardly she pursed her lips as Ciaran’s nostrils had flared with amusement. Tom had sucked in his cheeks to stop the laughter that she knew was a second away from exploding across the table. After half an hour of the most awkward and stilted conversation imaginable, Jax had stood up and announced he had a “pressing meeting loike with a realllly importont client lioke. Super, super rich, super important yaw!” He had kissed her twice on each cheek and put out his hand in Ciaran’s direction for a limp handshake. Worst mistake ever! Ciaran had grasped Jax’s hand so hard Tess thought his eyes were in danger of popping out of his head! The brothers had waited for approximately two seconds after Jax had left the restaurant before they started to imitate him.

  “Oh my focking Gawd loike Tom, serrriously pass the pepper.” Ciaran had looked at Tom, his eyes wide and full of mischief.

  “Reaallly Ciaran, is the pepper super, super important to you loike, I’m super, super busy talking to my sis here!”

  Cue riotous laugher and copious amounts of snorting and table slapping.

  Tess had gritted her teeth, rolled her eyes and stared them out of it.

  “Not cool lads, not cool at all.” Tom put his hands up in submission, “Okay, okay Tess calm down. We’re only having a laugh with you. He seems….nice.” Tess nodded.

  “He’s grand.” When they walked her back to the door of her work, they both made a production out of kissi
ng her twice on each cheek. Feckers!

  Tess raced up the steps of Mac’s pub and pulled the door open, the familiar little chime of the bell over the door made her smile. The ring was still a bit off, a bit tinny and in all the years she had frequented the premises, it had never been fixed. The little pub was decked out in its Christmassy finest. Tess grinned to herself. Seanie Mac the owner wasn’t exactly fond of Christmas. Or maybe just not fond of giving a crap about any occasion that he considered a “kiss me arse of a holiday.”

  Tess had spent three weeks trying to convince him to put some effort into decorating the pub. The results were unimpressive to say the least. A half dead Christmas tree sat plonked in a red sand bucket with ‘fire’ written across it. There were a grand total of nine round pink balls on the sparse branches. Sitting proudly at the top of the tree was a white toilet roll with a smiley face drawn on, and what Tess assumed was some sort of a halo in the form of a yellow bit of string thrown on top. Jesus wept! She looked behind the bar and saw Mac smiling at her. She gave him a thumbs up for at least making an effort, before she scanned the room and quickly spotted her posse.

  Her friend Burke Nason flanked by her cousins Annie and Rían, were sitting in a dark corner by the open fire. Annie looked in her direction and waved grinning. Tess waved back and moved towards the group, dodging chairs and nodding in greeting to other customers that she recognised. Macs was an old pub, often frequented by a myriad of different ages and cultures all mingling happily beside one another. She loved this old place. What it lacked in modern conveniences like wifi or a proper Christmas tree, it more than made up for in ambience and charm.

  If you were alone in Kilvarna you would always find a friendly face, a hot whiskey and a tall tale in Macs. Mac’s wife Molly was sitting at the piano and belting out Santa Claus is coming to Town. Seventy-two and still managing to hold a tune, you had to give the woman her props. For Tess, Macs had long ago come to symbolise everything that was safe and secure in her life. All the memories of her childhood were paged neatly here, in Kilvarna.

  It was here that she had spent every summer running through the fields from her house on Pear Tree farm over to her cousins on Cherry Tree Farm, while her dad worked. Those summers had seemed endless and never a day of rain. It rained all the time now. When had it changed? Was it because in her youth all happiness had been pure and real? All those days of hayrides and swimming in the river, the countless times they had stolen freshly made griddle bread from granny’s kitchen. Hastily dipping it in sugar before running as fast as they could to their granddads orchard, falling beneath the tress laughing. Of course the laughter had died when they spotted granny O’Malley coming around the corner, wooden spoon in hand and a look that would stop an army. Tess giggled aloud at the memory; so fresh in her mind she believed that she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face. Granny never actually did break a wooden spoon off their backsides, but the threat was enough. Until the next time. All these things she had taken for granted as a child. If she could go back, just for a day, just for an hour, just for a moment she would bask in the warmth of that summer sun.

  Even though Tess was a few years older than her cousin Annie, they had always been the closest. Two peas in a pod. Although, in reality, they were as different as chalk and cheese. Annie was wild, always was and always would be. Tess on the other hand was a bit more reserved and prone to red flushes of embarrassment, usually at the most inopportune moments.

  Her cousin Rían stood and pulled out a stool for her.

  “Well girl, how’re ya?”

  Tess touched his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

  “Good Rían, good to be back in Kilvarna.”

  Rían was everything she loved in a man. Strong and tall, with a wicked sense of humour, and honesty that she admired greatly. He was darker than the rest of the O’Malley cousins, in both looks and personality. He had taken more after his mother Louisa who was Italian. An introverted soul, he was most comfortable around those he knew well. Ah he was all outgoing joker to all who crossed his path, but the real Rían had hidden depths that were fathomless. Tess loved spending time with him. There was a quiet stillness to him that she found calming and always felt somewhat refreshed after being in his company.

  “Hey lads, freezing out. Are you here long?” Tess rubbed her hands together and stood with her back to the fire unbuttoning her coat.

  “First drink,” Rían replied raising his half-finished pint to her. Her friend Burke took her coat from her hand and placed it behind him on the back of his chair.

  Tess smiled up at him, as usual struck by the gentleness of him that was in direct contrast to his huge bulk and size.

  “Thanks Burke.”

  “My pleasure, great to see you.” Burke leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  “Well?” Annie was practically swinging back and forth on her stool in excitement. “Did you do it?”

  Tess brought the Dictaphone from her pocket and placed it on the table in front of them.

  “I did,” she said laughing. “Poor Jax, he’s going to be so pissed when he finds out I recorded his snoring.”

  Rían shook his head and tapped a cardboard coaster off the side of the wooden table. “I’m afraid to ask. Who is Jax? And why were you recording him snoring?”

  Annie shook her head and grabbed the coaster. “For feck sake Ri, do you not listen to a word I say to you?”

  Rían looked at Annie sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. “You talk a lot Annie, most of it goes over my head.” Annie gifted her brother an eye roll and blew her long fringe out of her eyes.

  “Oh for the love of God! Jax is Tess’ flatmate. Our Tess has also been dating him for the last month and he snores in his sleep.” She opened her eyes and mouth wide and looked around the table waiting for a reaction.

  “And how do you know he snores in his sleep, Tessie?” Rían scrunched up his face and looked from Tess to Annie and back again.

  “Ooooh,” he nodded slowly. Annie nodded back at him.

  “”Yes Ri, some people are having sex. Neither of us obviously, but let’s not let our lack of humanly pleasures detract from the active sex life of our dear, dear cousin.”

  “Duly noted.” Rían said raising his hands in the air and grinning at Burke who pretended to ignore the entire conversation and took a long gulp of his pint.

  “Actually, we are not having sex,” Tess whispered loudly.

  “We have shared a bed, that is as far at it has got. Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Jax snores like a train and then denies it point blank. Annie thought I should put my Dictaphone on in the room when I left for work and catch him out.” She said as she shrugged at Rían and Burke.

  Rían narrowed his eyes and looked over at Annie. “Of course she did. Full of great ideas is our Annie.” Annie crossed her arms and kicked him under the table.

  “Hey! That was uncalled for?” Rían looked at Annie and feigned shock.

  “Oh Jesus, shut up Rían! If he snores he snores, it’s that simple. The man needs to know, it’s in his best interest!”

  Rían snorted, “Yeah, you’re doing him a real solid by exposing him to ridicule from people he hasn’t even met yet.”

  Annie took Tess’ hand in her own and looked into her eyes seriously. “If he is the one Tess, we need to get this problem sorted before you fall madly in love with him. There are clinics and remedies we can use to stop the snoring before it becomes an issue.”

  “Are you falling in love with him Tess,” Burke asked quietly looking into Tess’ eyes.

  Tess shook her head. “Nah, it’s early days, ya know how it is.” Burke nodded at her silently.

  “Oh for the love of… I’m going to the bar. Do ye want anything?” Rían stood and took out his wallet. Burke jumped to his feet.

  “I’m coming with you, as much as I’ll regret missing it girls.” Annie raised her eyebrows to him.

  “Yeah right Burkey boy, off you run.”

  “
Just an orange juice for me please,” Tess said. Annie rubbed her hand lightly.

  “Ah Tess, it’s nearly Christmas have one drink, it’ll warm the cockles of your heart.”

  Tess looked up at the boys. “Oh go on then, I’ll have a vodka with it.”

  “Make that two Rían and tell him not to scrimp on the measures,” Annie chimed in.

  Rían walked up to the bar muttering. “Two double vodkas it is then, easily know they’re not payin’ for it.” Burke clapped him on the back.

  “Your round it is friend. Make mine a pint of the black stuff.”

  Rían stopped in the middle of the pub and Burke crashed into his back.

  “I got the last round, fecked if I’m getting this one too. You are the tightest Doctor I’ve ever met. And by Jesus, I’ve met some beauties in my time.”

  Burke dug around in his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

  “Fine, you’re a hard man Rían O’Malley.” The men squared up and faced each other. The barman carried on drying glasses as some of the patrons looked around nervously. Rían threw back his head and laughed getting his friend in a headlock.

  “Come on tightarse, order the damn drinks I’m gaspin’ with the thirst.” Burke laughed along with him and punched him affectionately into the gut. Tess watched the exchange with a small smile on her face. Burke and Rían had such a lovely friendship. Then again Burke had a lovely friendship with most people. He was one of the most agreeable people she had ever met. At forty he was a bit older than most of their group, but in the five years they had known him he had proved to be fun and intelligent company. The years since they had met him had flown by and it seemed as though Burke had been part of their gang forever. After losing his wife, Burke had moved himself and his little girl Lily to Kilvarna and taken a job in the emergency rooms of the local hospital in the nearby city. He is such a nice man.

  “Hey.”

  Tess was knocked out of her thoughts by a swift elbow in her side. She turned to look at the source.