The First Encounter

Author’s Note: This is an exerpt from An Emerald Homecoming, an upcoming novel from A Timeless American Historical Romance Series.

Each day Jackie biked to the beach alone. She sat on the sand, gazing into the infinite golden horizon, searching for the meaning of what happened with her parents’ death by looking into the clouds for answers or solace, she didn’t know which. The trip to Ireland offered a welcome distraction, but the gloom and ache in her gut remained.

One day her contemplation was broken when a shadow stood in her view, startling her.  

“What could be wrong with such a pretty lass to leave her face so down in the dirt,” the voice said.

Without looking up or thinking, she blurted out somberly, “I’m an orphan.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, but I’d still like to know what words of wisdom the clouds and sea are offerin ya?” The voice said.

Jackie lifted her eyes to see the smiling face of a beautiful blond and blue-eyed boy with wisps of curly hair blowing from under his cap. As soon as she saw him, she involuntarily gasped a little and the boy laughed.

“Now then lass, are your eyes liking what they’re seeing?”

Embarrassed and with little experience in boy/girl relationships, Jackie immediately took offense at his arrogance or teasing, as she was unsure which it was.

“All I know is you’re blocking my view,” she confidently snapped.

Not knowing what took hold of her, she was pleased that she could think of that retort so quickly.

Again, he laughed.

“I see that pretty red hair comes with a side of sass. That’s ok. I like that.”

Then he removed his hat to free piles of fair saffron curls to the breeze and tipped his hat in her direction.

“Me manners have left me. Cullen O’Donnell Gallagher at your service.”

Jackie grinned at his carefree manner and waved her hand to invite him to sit next to her.

“I’m Jackie Donegal.”

He sat down and shook her hand.

“How about that, I’m in the presence of royalty, countess.”

Jackie laughed and shook her head.  

“My grandmother is the countess. Besides, I’m American. We don’t believe in that stuff.”

“Ya don’t aye? Then a history lesson is in order. I’ll have you know that the O’Donnells were in charge long before the name Donegal was ever attached to a person. It was a fake name adopted after County Donegal by the Irish lad who married an English lass and used her connections with the English crown to take the castle and lands away from the O’Donnell’s and wave around a fancy Count title.”

“Really. I heard the O’Donnell’s sold the castle and then the Irish lad and his English wife asked the crown for a title to go with the lands. Sounds like a simple real estate transaction to me. But does that make us cousins,” Jackie said assuredly, smiling at her confidence.

Cullen sat back and grinned with delight, surprised at her knowledge and forceful nature.

“Ooo that sass. Me grandmother would say you have a little bit of the devil in ya.”

A lecture? Who did he think he was? She thought, but couldn’t help but reply in kind.

“Well, my grandda might suspect you have the gift of the blarney. And do you always talk to people like this?”

Cullen stamped his foot in the sand and fell backwards laughing.

Jackie couldn’t help but laugh too. He was infectious. She never met anyone like him. He was oddly confident, or maybe it was arrogance. And he was good looking, but maybe he knew it and was too full of himself. She wasn’t sure what to make of him.

But as she glanced over at him laying in the sand she noticed his long cherub-like curls again floating up in the sea air and a few cute freckles around his nose and cheeks. Unlike her sea of freckles, on him, she found them appealing.

Then suddenly he pops up and puts his hat on.

“I thank ya for the chuckle, Miss Donegal. I’ll be hoping to see ya soon.”

Then he got on his bike and pedaled away into the distance, leaving her baffled and speechless at the strange but interesting encounter.

Seeing the orange peek through the horizon, Jackie got up to bike home before daylight left. Riding home, she couldn’t stop grinning, thinking about Cullen’s demeanor and his blue eyes, freckles and curls of hair. She didn’t know when she’d meet him again, but she knew it would be soon, as promised.

(c) Suzanne Rudd Hamilton, 2024