Riley

6

RILEY SAT ON A STOOL on the small stage in the pub, plucking out a melody on his guitar. He glanced at the lyrics for the song he’d written, then cursed softly, frustrated with the tune he’d been working on.

Why was it that songs always sounded so much better inside his head than they did once he sang them out loud? There were times when he felt he’d come up with an idea so perfect, there was nothing better. And yet, the moment he tried to work it all out-the lyrics, the melody, the harmony beneath-it wasn’t nearly as wonderful as he’d imagined.

This is exactly why artists self-destructed. There was nothing worse than facing your own inadequacies as a musician and he seemed to face them almost daily. But since Nan had arrived he’d felt even more conflicted about his career. For a long time he’d been perfectly satisfied with his life. And now, he saw his carefree, irresponsible existence for what it was-his inability to take life seriously.

Even if he wanted to fall in love with Nan, he couldn’t. What did he have to offer her? All his possessions could fit in the back of his car. He didn’t hold a proper job or own a home. He didn’t have a college degree or any prospects for a job that offered a regular paycheck. Hell, he wasn’t qualified to do anything but tend bar and sing songs.

His mind flashed back to the previous day, to their encounter in the dressing room at Burkes. Riley stifled a groan. Could he have made more of a bollocks of the gift than he had? What had ever possessed him to pull it out and give it to her then? And why pretend it meant nothing beyond friendship when he knew it didn’t?

The moment he’d seen the ring in the shop window, he knew it was exactly what he wanted to give Nan. It represented all the feelings he had for her, all wrapped up in a shiny bit of gold. There was friendship first and then loyalty. And now, there was this growing sense of something more. He wasn’t sure if it was love, at least not yet. But it felt an awful lot like something serious.

If he knew anything about Nan, he knew she was a practical girl and not the type to believe in love at first sight. They’d met each other on a Monday and today was Saturday. Five days and nights. How was anyone supposed to know how they felt after so short a time?

Hell, he knew how much he wanted her, how her touch drove him wild every time they were together. And how her naked body felt against his as they lost themselves in each other. But that was lust, not love. And he had no doubts at all about those feelings.

After their trip to Bantry yesterday, they’d gone back to the cottage and prepared a dinner of salmon and fresh vegetables. For dessert, they’d indulged in an apple tart that Nan had bought from a baker at the fair. It was a long, lazy meal followed by a slow, delicious seduction. And in Riley’s mind, it was life exactly as it should be lived.

He’d never really thought about falling in love and what it would mean to his life. But he liked evenings alone with Nan. And mornings bringing her coffee. And everything in between. For the first time, he could imagine what married life might be like.

He sighed softly, then turned his attention back to the song he was working on. But a few moments later, the Unholy Trinity walked in the front door, chattering about the recent decision to replace the streetlamps in Ballykirk. They sat down at the bar and Riley set his guitar back on its stand and wandered over to serve them.

“What are you lads up to today?” he asked, dropping a cardboard coaster in front of each of them.

“Streetlamps. What in the name of all that’s holy do we need with new lamps?” Dealy asked. “I’m all for modernization, but I happen to remember when they put those lamps in. It was 1968, it was. Over forty damn years ago.”

“They use too much electricity,” Markus said. “They way I hear it, these new lamps will pay for themselves in ten years.”

“Oh, and then we’ll need new ones because they’ll discover a way to run streetlamps on the lint stuck inside your navel.”

Riley chuckled. “I assume this discussion requires a full pint for each of you.”

They all nodded and Riley turned to pull them each a glass of Guinness. “Say, you lads have been around Ballykirk for a long time. Do you remember a bloke named Carey Findley? Jimmy McPhee says he used to live out on a farm on the way to Glengarriff.”

“Oh, yes,” Johnnie said. “Carey Findley. He’s my second cousin twice removed. He lives near Kealkill now. Moved off the farm after his son was drowned.”

Riley swallowed hard. “Drowned?”

“Tragic story, that,” Johnnie said, shaking his head. “He was a wild boy, hard to control. Got in a lot of trouble, he did.”

“How did he die?” Riley asked.

“He was out with some friends on the bay in a small boat and one of the boys fell in. The water was cold and he had trouble and the Findley boy went in after him. They both went under and didn’t come up again. After that, Carey couldn’t live near the water. Moved to a place just outside Kealkill. Heard his wife died after that. Brokenhearted, she was.”

“Oh, God,” Riley murmured.

“That was years ago. How long, Dealy? Thirty years?”

“Twenty-seven,” Riley said.

“Yes. That’s right,” Johnnie said. “It happened a few months after my youngest girl was born. She was sick with a fever and we couldn’t go to the wake. He was buried with his mother’s family in Glengarriff, if I recall.”

“What’s he to you?” Markus asked.

“There was a photo of him and some of his friends on the wall over there. I was just curious.”

“He used to come into the pub a lot. Was quite a charmer, that one. Always looking for a pretty girl.”

“That’s what I heard,” Riley said. He drew a deep breath and rested his hands on the bar. “Katie’s got a tasty stew going for lunch today. Can I interest you in a bowl or two?”

“Oh, that would be grand,” Dealy said. “And where is the cute little colleen of yours?”

“She’s wandering about town,” Riley said as he walked toward the kitchen. “I’m off to find her right now.” When he got inside the kitchen, Riley found Danny sitting at one of the prep tables, reading a newspaper and drinking a mug of coffee. “Have you come to work?” he asked as he handed Katie the order.

“Right after I eat,” his brother said. “I figured you’d want the day to spend with your girl.”

“She’s not my girl,” he said. “Not officially.”

“Do you want it to be official?” Danny asked.

“Hell, I don’t know. I don’t want her to go home. But I’m not sure if that’s because I’m falling in love with her or because the sex is crazy good.”

“I’m not hearin’ this,” Katie said from behind them both. She put her hands over her ears. “Leave my kitchen with your talk of sin and sex.”

“Katie, girl, you’ve had three children. Certainly you know about how it all works in the bedroom,” Danny teased.

“Yes, but I’m married and you’re not. And I have three daughters, although thankfully, you’ll never get near them. You both need to go to confession.”

Danny picked up his paper and his mug and walked out the back door, Riley following him. They walked around to the front of the pub and sat down on a bench near the front door. “What are you going to do about this girl?” Danny asked.

“I don’t know,” Riley said. “I have to find some way to get her to stay.”

“Have you thought about going home with her? It wouldn’t be a bad way to see America.”

“Yeah. But there’s not a lot I can offer her. You know, women love musicians, but they don’t want to marry them, at least not those of us who spend our weekends in pubs filled with drunken girls.”

“You make more than most,” Danny said, “And if you focused on writing songs and producing, you’d make even more. Hell, how much do you need? You’ve got enough saved to buy a decent house.”

“She deserves more than a decent house. She deserves a grand house and fine clothes and no worries for the rest of her life.”

“Are you even sure that’s what she wants?” Danny asked. “She doesn’t seem like the type to care about things like that.”

“Isn’t that what every woman wants?”

“I think the point of being in love is that you want each other and the rest of it takes care of itself.”

Riley leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Wouldn’t that be nice if it were that simple.”

“Maybe you should just stop worrying about this and let it happen,” Danny suggested. “If she doesn’t love you, you can’t force her to. And you’re not sure how you feel.”

“Don’t you wonder if you might have missed a chance at something good because you weren’t playing attention or you just didn’t give it enough time?”

Danny shook his head. “The way I see it, love shouldn’t be that fragile that it hinges on simple circumstances. It’s tough and resilient and once you find it, it doesn’t go away easily. It’s always there.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“No. But that’s the way I imagine it to be.”

Riley stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I have to go. You’ll keep an eye on the pub? The Unholy Trinity is in there waiting for lunch.”

“Don’t jump the gun on this, Riley,” Danny warned. “The last thing you want is to convince her to stay then realize that you don’t really love her at all. It would be a cruel thing, that.”

Riley started off down the street. Nan had decided to spend the morning exploring Ballykirk on her own, anxious to visit the church and few of the shops. He’d agreed to meet her for a picnic lunch and a drive along the coast before he had to be back for rehearsal.

If the time was right, he’d try again to convince her to stay. It wasn’t that difficult to change a plane ticket, and she still hadn’t learned much about her mother. And there were so many sights they hadn’t seen. Given the rest of the day, he could probably come up with more reasons for her to delay her departure, but for now, that was enough.

THE PUB WAS PACKED with barely enough room to move. Riley had saved a seat for Nan next to Martin, his moody cousin, and the band’s sound technician. Nan felt relieved she didn’t have to try to watch from the midst of the crush and had a nice little elevated perch from which to see the stage.

She had to wonder where the crowd had come from. Ballykirk was such a small village. But everyone in attendance seemed to be familiar with the band, dancing and shouting out names and singing along with the lyrics.

As the evening went on, the crowd became more and more boisterous and the music more raucous. She’d known Riley as the sweet and sexy guy who spent his nights in her bed and his days driving her all over Ireland. But when he was on stage, she got a chance to see a different side of him.

From the moment he began singing, he had the audience under his spell. Like a lover, he teased and seduced them with his songs, making them want more. He smiled and joked and charmed. And with each song, he built toward a frenzy of energy and music that made her want to jump up and dance. The lively tunes, the playful lyrics, the fiddle and the penny whistle, it was all so much good fun.

Though she knew she was probably imagining things, Riley seemed to be singing every song to her, their gazes meeting across the room. When she waved at him, he’d smile. The band finally left the stage after a rousing rendition of a Pogues song that left the audience exhausted, yet satisfied. But Riley stayed on stage, sitting down on a stool with an acoustic guitar.

“This is a song for a beautiful lady from America. It’s a song I wrote especially for her and this is the first time I’m going to play it. I hope you like it.”

Nan leaned forward, her elbows on the sound table, her eyes fixed on Riley as he spun the tale of a man in love with a beautiful selkie. The way he sang the ballad, it was as if he were singing about the two of them, and their fated relationship.

Nan watched him, amazed at the depth of emotion he conveyed to the audience…and to her. She barely knew Riley, and even though they’d been more intimate than she’d ever been with a man before, she didn’t know the tiny details of his life. But, as she watched him, she felt a certain sense of pride in his talent and a fierce attachment.

This was the man who’d chosen to share her bed, this was the man that every girl in the room was lusting after. And tonight, she’d go home with him, she’d take his clothes off and lie naked beside him. A shiver skittered through her body, the anticipation causing an intense physical response.

Riley sang two more songs, both of them sweet love songs, before he nodded to the crowd and stepped off stage, a bottle of beer dangling from his fingers. He headed directly to the control table, but his trip was interrupted again and again by enthusiastic fans-mostly female.

When he finally reached her, he glanced back over his shoulder and took her hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I need some air.” She stood and he leaned closer. “I need some you.”

They walked out the front door, into the cool night, and Nan wrapped her arm around his as they strolled aimlessly toward the waterfront. The sounds from the pub faded and when they were finally alone, she spoke. “You were so good. I was just so impressed.”

“That I can sing?”

“No, I knew you could sing. You sang that song for me the first night we were together. And I loved the song about the selkie,” Nan said. “It was so sad. But you have this way with the audience. You draw them in. And they can’t help but love you.”

“And you?”

“I love you, too,” Nan said, only realizing the meaning of her words after they’d been said.

There were a few people wandering along the quay and they all recognized Riley and said hello. He found a spot for them to sit, then took a long sip of his beer, staring out at the water, his expression turning serious.

Nan felt a nervous twist in her stomach. She shouldn’t have said that to him. He must have misunderstood. It wasn’t that she loved him. She loved the person he was on stage, singing to her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, ready to hear the typical excuses. She shouldn’t get too attached. She’d be going home soon. They were moving too fast. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Said what?” he asked.

“Th-that I…loved you. It came out wrong.”

He chuckled. “That’s not it. I like that you said that.”

“Then why do you look so serious?”

He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Today, at the pub, I asked the Unholy Trinity if they remembered Carey Findley. And Johnnie O’Malley knew a little more about Tiernan.”

“What about Tiernan?”

Riley paused. “As Johnnie remembers, Tiernan died shortly after your mother left Ireland.”

She stared at him, her eyes wide, her expression stunned. “How?”

“He drowned in the bay a few months after your mom went home. He was trying to save a friend. And I called Carey Findley again this afternoon and he’d like to see you. He remembers your mom. And from what he told me, she and Tiernan had a thing.”

Nan suddenly felt as if the world was closing in on her, all the oxygen suddenly sucked out of the atmosphere. Though she tried to draw a deep breath, she couldn’t. “Were they in love?”

“I’m not sure. But considering she named you after him, I think it might be possible.”

“No, no. I don’t want to hear this,” Nan said, covering her ears. “I don’t want to hear that she fell in love and then had to leave him. Or that she fell in love and then he died. I don’t want this to be a sad story. Her life was sad enough.”

“You don’t have to go see him,” Riley said. “You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“Yes, I do. Now that I know where he is, I have to go. I need to find out about the letters he wrote to my mother. I need to know more about her. And about Tiernan.”

Riley shook his head. “Not if it’s going to make you unhappy.”

“Well, sometimes life isn’t all butterflies and daisies. Sometimes life just sucks. Don’t you think I know that? We can pretend that everything is fine between us, but we both know I’m going to have to leave and we’ll never see each other again.”

“You don’t have to leave. I told you that you could stay.”

“That’s not the point!” Nan said. “I came all this way to find out more about my mother and I can’t just let it go.”

“I’m sorry,” Riley said, a trace of frustration creeping into his voice. “Are we talking about us or your mother?”

Nan paced back and forth in front of him. Everything was all jumbled in her head. Was this really about her mother or was it about her feelings for Riley? Nan didn’t want to believe her mother had walked away from the boy she loved, or that she’d be forced to do the same. “I’m not sure.” She plopped down beside him. “Maybe she loved him. And maybe she decided that wasn’t enough, that she had to go home. Maybe she made the wrong decision.”

“She married your father. They must have been in love,” Riley said.

“He was so much older than her,” Nan said. “Almost fifteen years.”

“He was a man, Tiernan was a boy. Your father was at home and Tiernan was here, far away from everything your mother knew. It’s not hard to understand her choice.”

She turned back to him. “I’m going home,” she said.

“To the cottage?”

She ran her hands through her hair, her cheeks rosy from the chilly night. “I need some time to think.”

“Come on, Nan. Come back to the pub. You’ll listen to some music and have a drink and-”

“I’ll see you later,” she said, starting down the street. As she passed the pub, Nan picked up her pace, running toward the road that led to the cottage. Before long, she was breathless, gasping, a stitch cramping her side. But she didn’t stop moving, her retreat the only thing she could focus on.

Why had she even come to Ireland? What kind of naive fool had she been, thinking there’d be some fairy-tale story waiting for her here? Life wasn’t a fantasy, it was real and it was full of pain and disappointment.

And now, she was making the same mistake her mother had made, falling for a handsome Irish man, letting desire rule her heart instead of common sense ruling her head. How easy it was to fall under the spell of this place and to believe in the magic.

After climbing the hill to the cottage, she ran up the garden path and threw open the cottage door, then stood in the middle of the dark room, drawing in deep gulps of air. With a groan, her legs buckled beneath her and she sat down on the floor and buried her face in her hands.

Could she bear to leave him? Riley was the only man she’d ever truly wanted. He’d changed the way she thought about herself and about her future. And without him, she’d go back to being just an ordinary woman. Nan angrily brushed away the tears, refusing to feel sorry for herself.

She got to her feet and strode into the bathroom, then splashed cold water on her face. “Stop it!” she scolded. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she barely recognized the woman staring back at her.

This place had changed her, in less than a week she’d become a different person. She was falling in love with Riley Quinn and all the commonsense warnings she gave herself didn’t mean anything. He’d found a place in her heart and she was willing to turn her life upside down just to believe in the fantasy.

She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose, then wandered out to the sofa. Curling up on one end, Nan pulled a pillow tightly to her body. But then the front door slammed against the wall and she jumped to her feet at the sound.

Riley stood in the opening, his wild gaze fixed on her, his body tense. Then, in a few short steps he’d crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.

She didn’t have time to resist. In truth, she didn’t want to. When his mouth came down on hers, Nan felt her anger melt away and her heart surrender to his touch. His hands skimmed over her body, as if he were reassuring himself that she was still his, that he still had the capacity to make her moan.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, cupping her face in his hands and murmuring his apology against her lips. “I never meant to hurt you and I should never have stuck my nose into this. It wasn’t my place.”

“No, I’m sorry. You were just trying to help and I was ungrateful.”

“Tell me we’re all right,” he said, an edge of desperation in his voice.

Nan nodded. Her feelings for him had grown so powerful that she was willing to ignore her doubts and insecurities. Her mother might have made a mistake leaving Ireland all those years ago. But nothing about her relationship with Riley felt like a mistake. She was in love with him and she didn’t want to deny feelings that felt so right.

He tore at her clothes, exposing bare skin to his lips and his hands. But it wasn’t enough, his need to possess her nearly overwhelming them both. They stumbled into the bedroom and he pulled his shirt off over his head.

Pressing her against the wall, Riley drew her thigh up along his leg, their hips creating a delicious friction that promised more pleasure to come. Nan reached for the buttons on the front of his jeans and undid them one by one, and Riley groaned softly with every movement of her hand.

When she finally freed him to her touch, he sighed softly, leaning into her as she stroked. As he whispered his need, his breath warm on her temple, Riley drew her skirt up around her waist and, pushing aside her thong, found the moist folds of her desire.

For Nan, there was nothing more pleasurable than his touch, and nothing that gave her more exquisite torment. They were still clothed, but that only seemed to make their need more frantic as they searched for places to explore.

“I want to be inside you,” Riley murmured breathlessly.

“Yes” was all Nan needed to say.

He wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her to the bed, then found a condom where they’d left them the night before, on the bedside table. In a heartbeat, he was sheathed and ready, and then slowly thrusting himself into her wet heat.

Nan was so close that it took only a few strokes before she dissolved into shudders and spasms. Riley was with her, his orgasm coming right on top of hers until they were both gasping and groaning together.

It had taken all of four or five minutes from the moment he’d thrown open the door to the instant they both lost control, but it was still one of the most powerful sexual experiences that Nan had ever had.

“I don’t want to go back to the pub,” he murmured.

Nan pushed up on her elbow. “What?”

“Yeah, I left the lads to fend for themselves. But they’re going to run out of songs in another five or ten minutes.” He drew her into a long, delicious kiss. “Do you want to come with me?”

She curled her body into his. “I think I’ll stay here. But you’ll come back?”

“You’d have to drag me out to sea to keep me away,” he said. Riley ran his fingers through her short-cropped hair. “Don’t ever doubt my feelings for you, Nan. They’re as real as they can be.”

“Go then,” she said with a playful pout, “but come back as soon as you can.”

He restored order to his clothes, then gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll be back,” he said.

“And I’ll be naked,” she replied with a playful smile.

Riley groaned as he walked out of the bedroom. “How am I supposed to concentrate on my songs now?”

RILEY ROLLED OVER in the bed, sliding his hand out to search for Nan’s naked body. Rubbing at his sleepy eyes, he pushed up to find her side of the bed empty. “Nan?”

The cottage was silent. The scent of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air. He crawled out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, not bothering with clothes. But to his surprise, he found his brother Kellan rummaging through a cabinet next to the hearth.

“Jaysus, Kellan, what are you doing here? Where is Nan?”

“She’s outside,” Kellan said. “Having her coffee in the garden.” He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. “Put some clothes on, ya lazy git. I don’t need to be staring at all your bits and pieces.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for one of my sketchbooks. I think I left it the last time I stayed.”

Riley shook his head, then walked back to the bedroom to retrieve his jeans. He tugged them on, leaving the buttons open. “There’s a blue notebook in the bottom drawer of the bedside table,” he said, standing in the doorway.

Kellan levered to his feet and strode into the bedroom, brushing past his brother. A few moments later, he joined him at the bedroom door, a smile on his face. “Found it.” He stared at Riley for a long moment, the shook his head. “Look at you. Aren’t you a sight?”

Frowning, Riley ran his hand through his messy hair. “I just got up. I worked late last night.”

“That’s not what I meant. Take a look in the mirror, little brother. You’re upside down over this girl and you don’t even know it. And she’s going to walk out of your life in a few days.”

“So?” Riley shot back. “At least I’m out there looking. You haven’t had a serious relationship since Fiona and that was what-three years ago? That torch you’re dragging around is getting a wee bit heavy, isn’t it?”

Kellan’s jaw twitched and Riley waited for the inevitable sarcastic reply. But then his older brother drew a deep breath and shrugged. “You’re right. You’d be a bleedin’ eedjit not to see where this was all going. Who the hell knows? Maybe she’ll stay.”

“Maybe,” Riley murmured.

Kellan patted his hand on Riley’s shoulder. “I hope she does.” He turned and walked to the door. “I’m headed back to Dublin. I’ll see you next week.”

“Next week,” he said as he watched Kellan walk out the door. Then Riley leaned up against the door-jamb. Next week. Everything would go right back to normal next week. He’d actually liked his life before Nan had stumbled into it. But now, he knew there would be something missing once she left.

So he’d put more effort into convincing her to stay. And if she refused, he’d put more effort into dating. He’d find a girl who was geographically available and he’d go after her. And if he were lucky, he’d find a girl he liked as much as Nan and they’d start a life together. This wasn’t complicated. There were plenty of available women in Ireland.

Riley grabbed a mug of coffee and stepped out the front door. Kellan was chatting with Nan and they seemed to be on friendly terms for two relative strangers. “Sorry to barge in on your mornin’,” Kellan said.

“I’m glad you found your notebook,” Nan replied with a warm smile.

Kellan walked to the gate, then turned around and gave her a wave and a smile. Riley frowned at him, wondering at his brother’s sudden change of personality. Kellan rarely smiled these days. “Get out of here,” Riley shouted. “And don’t be charming my girl.”

“Feck off,” Kellan said, chuckling to himself. “Nan, if you get weary of hanging around with this culchie, you ring me up. I’ll show you a grand time.”

Kellan hopped in his car and roared off down the road toward the village. Riley cursed him beneath his breath. He sat down on the garden bench next to Nan. “You’d best watch out for him. He’s got the manners of a horny goat.”

“He was very nice,” Nan said. She reached out and ran her hand through Riley’s hair, smoothing it out of his eyes. “You’re awake.”

“I had a very long night last night.”

She leaned over and brushed a kiss over his lips. “I liked waking up to a naked man crawling into my bed,” she said. “What time did you get back?”

“It was past two. I had my way with you and you fell right back to sleep.”

Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink. “Sorry.”

“No problem.” Riley met her gaze. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to stick my nose in where it didn’t belong. You’re right. These are your decisions to make and I’ll stand behind whatever you want.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she said. “I just want to enjoy this beautiful morning. Look at that water. Have you ever seen anything quite so lovely?”

Riley smiled. “Every time I look at you.”

This brought a bubble of laughter. “Charm must run in the family.”

He took a sip of his coffee. “We don’t have a lot of these mornings left,” he murmured.

“I know.” Nan drew a deep breath of the clear morning air and smiled. “I needed this trip. I didn’t realize how much until this moment. It’s filled up my soul.”

“What will you do when you get back?”

“Probably go right back to work. I’ve got my maps to catalog. They’re really interesting. They were used in building the railroads, so they’re some of the most detailed topographical maps of the time.”

“Then you like your job?”

Nan nodded. “It’s a good job. I do interesting work.”

Riley forced a smile. No matter how he tried to figure this out in his head, it seemed more impossible with every day that passed. He reached out and took her hand, pressing her fingers to his lips.

She wore the ring he’d given her and he found a certain satisfaction in that. As long as she wore it, she wouldn’t forget him. “I’m going to miss you when you leave.”

“You like me, don’t you?” she teased.

“Yes,” Riley admitted. “I really like you.”

She stared at him for a long moment, her head tipped to one side. “Maybe someday, I could come back. I mean, I don’t expect you to wait around for that day. And I’ll understand if you meet someone else. But if you don’t, then maybe I could visit again.”

“This would be the longest-distance relationship I’ve ever heard of,” he said.

“It’s not that far.”

He shook his head slowly. “No, it isn’t. When would you come again?”

“I don’t know,” Nan said with a shrug. “I get four weeks of vacation each year. Maybe sometime in the spring?”

Riley groaned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck. “That’s too far away,” he said.

“We don’t need to decide now. We can think about it later,” Nan said.

Was that her reaction to every difficult decision she was faced with? She’ll think about it later? When Riley saw something he wanted, he usually went after it without any hesitation. But Nan seemed to be the opposite, carefully considering each decision she made, giving herself time to mull it all over. What had happened to the carefree, spontaneous girl she’d first shown him?

Riley grabbed a daisy from beside the bench, snapping the stem and holding it up in front of her. “Tell me what you want to do today. It’s Sunday so almost everyone in Ireland is in church. We won’t be able to drive anywhere until the afternoon.”

“Why?”

“A lot of times the roads are blocked by cars parked around the churches in some of the small villages. But we could drive to Cashel. It’s an old ruin of a church and abbey set on a high hill. It’s quite beautiful.”

“That sounds good,” she said. “But I’m going to drive. I think I’ve mastered the Fiat.”

“Oh, no, we’re not taking that piece of crap out on the road.”

“Not a week ago you were telling me what a great car it was,” Nan said. “You were extolling its virtues.”

“I was full of shite,” Riley said. “I suppose I have no choice but to let you drive my car.”

“Really?” Nan asked.

“Yes. Really.”

She stood up, quite pleased with herself. “All right. Just as along as we don’t have to stop on any hills. I’m not good at that yet. And I can’t drive in the cities at all. And if I wander on to the wrong side of the road, you have to tell me because sometimes I kind of forget.”

Riley grabbed her hand and pulled her down on his lap. “You are really a giant pain in the arse, Nan Galvin.”

“I know. But you’ll just have to learn to deal with it,” she teased. “At least for a few more days.”

“I am. And it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Really?” she said, arching her eyebrow and looking at him quizzically. “Tell me what you were expecting.”

“The last thing I expected to do was share your bed,” he said. “I don’t know. I had the picture of you in my head. You looked a little bit like my aunt Sally. You wore sensible shoes and little reading glasses that sat on the end of your nose.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint,” Nan said.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t ever think that. You had me the moment you walked out that door.”

She curled up in his arms. “Would you like to know what I thought of you?”

“Before you met me?”

“Yes. I had this picture of a handsome Irishman with dark hair and pale eyes. Kind of scruffy but charming. A little dangerous, but with a kind heart. And I was right. I just never thought I’d be attracted to you.”

“What was it then? The sexy smile or the witty personality?”

“It was your eyes,” she said. “I thought you had the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen.”

Riley cupped her face in his hands, staring at her for a long moment. God, there was no way he could deny it any longer. He’d fallen hopelessly in love with Nan. Sitting here in this garden, his life was perfect. There was nothing more that he needed to make himself happy.

He leaned forward and kissed her, his mouth lingering over hers. Riley wanted to say the words, to tell her how he really felt, but he knew she wasn’t ready. There would still be time to make her want him as much as he wanted her. And he’d take every chance he found to make her see the truth in what he already knew in his heart.

Scooping her into his arms, he stood and carried her back to the cottage. “If you take me back to bed, I’m seriously going to wonder whether you only like me for the sex,” Nan joked.

“I’m taking you to find your shoes, woman. You can’t drive my car barefoot.”