As Luck Would Have It

By Dorothy Wills-Raftery

Cady O’Brien stepped into the kitchen and inhaled the sweet aroma of her Gran’s baking. “Mmmm. Do I smell your soda bread?”

Smiling, Gran handed Cady a warm buttered slice, which she eagerly accepted. “I’m excited to see the Blarney Stone the town has on display. It’s a chip off the real one, and I hear it is to raise donations for local charities. Sure ‘tis a wonderful thing,” she said as she wiped her hands on her apron.

Ever since she was a child, Cady enjoyed listening to her Gran’s beautiful brogue as she told magical stories about growing up in Ireland. It’s what inspired Cady to become a photographer; to tell life’s stories through pictures, and her dream was to go to Ireland one day to meet extended family who lived there, and to photograph all the natural beauty there.

“Cady, you work too much.” Gran hesitated before adding. “I love having you live here, but I do wish you would meet a nice lad and fall in love.”

“Oh, Gran, I am in love…with your bread,” Cady said with a giggle as she popped the last bite into her mouth and gave Gran a quick peck on the cheek. She slipped on her coat, grabbed her camera, and headed out.

While walking to town, a deep voice called out Cady’s name. She turned and came face-to-face with Callum Mulroney, the newly hired—and very handsome—features writer at the newspaper where she worked. He stood tall with a muscular build and a charming smile that set off the dimples on his clean-shaven face. And every time he aimed that smile at her, it made her knees go weak. Like right now. "Hello, Callum. Are you here for work, too?”

“As luck would have it, I am,” he said while raking a hand through his wavy black hair. After a moment, he admitted, “Full disclosure, I knew you’d be here.”

“You did?” A tingle chased up her spine.

“I thought we could cover the festival together,” he admitted. “And maybe grab a bite to eat after?”

Cady smiled. “I’d like that.”

They spent the afternoon sipping non-alcoholic Irish cream coffees and sharing a few laughs over work stories in between visiting the different booths, with Cady taking photos and Callum conducting interviews.

The Blarney Stone chip was a popular attraction. Next to it was the animal shelter’s booth and Cady’s favorite to photograph. Some of the available dogs were there wearing green shamrock bandanas with “Adopt Me” lettered on them. Cady knelt down to greet them and laughed when they bestowed doggy kisses on her.

When the hauntingly beautiful wail of bagpipes sounded, signaling the start of the parade, Cady jogged over to where they were lined up and fired off her camera’s shutter capturing many photos of the uilleann pipers dressed in kilts, and then focused her lens on the next group, a lively troupe of Irish dancers performing a lively jig. After she reviewed her photos in the viewfinder and was happy with what she had, she scanned the crowd for Callum, but had no luck in finding him. Thinking he must have left, Cady’s cheerfulness faded. Disappointed, she crossed the town green and entered the busy pub to take her last photos of the day before heading to the office. She made her way through the throng of folks singing to Celtic music, and just as she was positioning her camera to take a few photos, she felt a tap on her shoulder. As she turned, her heart skipped a beat when she came face-to-face with Callum.

She was breathless being so close to him. “I thought you left.”

“Without you? Never.” He leaned his head down close to hers, his crisp lime scent tantalizing her senses. As he went to whisper in her ear, his lips ever-so-slightly brushed against her cheek, sending her pulse racing faster than an Irish step dance. “How do you feel about a corned beef and cabbage sandwich? My treat.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

After they finished their food, they stepped outside and strolled over to the white gazebo situated in the middle of the town square. When they sat down on the bench inside, Callum cleared his throat. “So, I have a confession to make. I’ve been wanting to ask you out from the first day I saw you, but I wasn’t sure if you were single.”

Cady felt a rush of heat course through her. “I’m single.”

“Well, then,” his warm brown eyes searched hers. “Cady O’Brien, would you go out on a date with me?”

“Absolutely yes.”

Just then a sudden burst of rain poured down and they watched from their dry spot under the gazebo.

“The weather forecast said nothing about a shower,” noted Callum.

“When are they ever right?” chuckled Cady.

When the rain cleared almost as fast as it arrived, a double rainbow stretched out across the clearing sky.

“May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain,” Cady recited part of an Irish blessing then raised her camera to capture the colorful rainbow.

“Ah, I love that one.”

“My Gran says it all the time.” Cady turned toward him. “Callum, do you think seeing a rainbow can really bring a person good luck?” Cady dreamily asked.

Gazing into her eyes, Callum gently took her hand into his. “I’d say so because I’m sitting here under one with you, Cady.”

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A proud mother and grandmother, Dorothy is an award-winning photojournalist and author, who is now focusing on her first love of writing—sweet romances. A lifetime horse and dog lover, she enjoys including them in her slice-of-life fiction stories. Besides five published books of her own, her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including Woman’s World, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Rosie the Riveter, 4Knines, and AmericanPet Magazine. She authors her longtime FiveSibes canine blog, where she writes about Siberian Huskies, working dogs, canine epilepsy awareness, and the occasional fiction story featuring a dog, and romance of course!