Luck of the Irish: Complete Edition by Liz Gavin Page B

address to farm. They promised to send a tow truck to pick the car in under thirty minutes.
    “The tow truck driver will take you to your final destination, miss. Where were you heading?”
    “Waterford.”
    “Are you staying at a hotel there?”
    “Yes, St. Joseph’s B&B.”
    “Very well, miss. Tomorrow morning you can get a new car at our office in Waterford.”
    “Thank you. Good night.”
    “Good night.”
     
     
    Actually, the truck arrived in a little over forty minutes, but her car was already in tow. The driver pulled over in front of the Wilkinsons’ house and the driver climbed off to greet her. He looked young, not much older than Keira, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable.
    “You must be the damsel in distress. I’m your knight in shining armor, milady, but you can call me Paul O’Hallon,” he walked towards her with a big smile on his face and his hand out to shake hers.
    Keira didn’t know why she felt an impulse to ignore it but she wouldn’t be so rude to a stranger.
    “Hello, Paul. I’m Keira Ashe,” she shook his hand briefly and stepped back when he came to stand too close to her. “Can you drop me off at St. Joseph’s B&B in Waterford?”
    Even though Keira had already arranged that with the car rental company, for some reason, she wanted the Wilkinsons to know where he was taking her.
    “My pleasure, milady,” he answered, bowing and winking at her.
    He opened the passenger door for her and Keira turned to the Wilkinsons, “Thank you, again for helping me.”
    “Don’t mention it, Keira.”
    “Have a safe trip,” Mrs. Wilkinson added.
    “Goodbye,” she walked to the tow truck and tried to climb on.
    The cabin was a little high for her, but she didn’t wait for help. Putting a foot on the running board, she started to boost herself up, when a pair of strong hands seized her tiny waist from behind, lifting her in the air and settling her down on the passenger seat. Paul let his hands linger on her a second or two more than necessary. Keira frowned at him but he gave her a wide, apologetic grin and bowed his head.
    “A lady shouldn’t have to do this by herself. I’m here to help you.”
    He closed the door, with yet another wink, and climbed behind the wheel. In no time, they returned to the road, heading for Waterford.
    “So, is this your first time in Ireland, Keira?”
    “Yes, it is.”
    “And are you traveling alone?”
    “Actually, I’m meeting some friends in Waterford.”
    Inexplicably, she felt an impulse to lie. Even though Paul was friendly and very polite, it didn’t seem wise telling a stranger that she was traveling around the country by herself. He nodded and kept his attention on the dark, deserted road. Keira took the opportunity to study his profile. Paul O’Hallon was a good-looking young man whose job consisted of helping people out. She was the one at fault. She should be more grateful and stop acting like a frightened little mouse. He mother had told her so many times to be careful during her adventure in Ireland she was feeling over cautious. Maybe Paul was just another nice, helpful Irish trying to get her out of a bad situation. She sighed and shook her head to get rid of those gloomy fears.
    “What about you, Paul? Are you from around here?”
    “From Limerick, actually. I’ve moved here a few years ago,” he gripped the wheel tighter without looking at her.
    The winding road made slippery by the light falling rain required his full attention and Keira was glad he kept his eyes on the road while talking to her.
    “Is there anything interesting for me to see in Limerick?”
    That was the right question to ask because Paul’s face lighted up, “Oh, yeah! There’s plenty to see, milady! Limerick is the best city in the world!”
    Ask any Irish about their hometown, and they’ll fill your ears with stories about , Keira thought as she observed his enthusiasm.
    Paul spent the rest of their ride describing the sights, the cultural events,