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They walked mostly in silence as the wind picked up, growing stronger with each step. Now she understood why he had given her the hat to wear.
So far, Liam’s backyard was nothing out of the ordinary—large and sparse, with no trees or gardens. Then again, he hadn’t lived there long so why would he have much landscaping?
As for the lack of trees, that was typical of Ireland. She wasn’t much of a history buff, but she remembered her uncle Henry once explaining that many of the country’s forests had been harvested by the English for shipbuilding. Not that the Irish had much say in the matter. It struck her as a cruel fate—to strip an island of its trees, leaving its people with barren land even centuries later.
“What’s up with this wind?” She zipped up her coat to her chin. “You know, you really live out in the middle of nowhere. And you’ve got hardly any neighbors. How did you ever find a place with this much open space?”
“Well, when there’s a storm you would think a tornado was coming through so most people don’t want to live here but I think it’s worth the occasional double wind.”
She couldn’t imagine where this wind came from seeing as he wasn’t near the sea.
Then she noticed it: The wind carried the scent of salt. But his place was far too high in the mountains for that, surely. It wasn’t much further when she finally saw it.
“Holy...” She exhaled, her voice barely more than a whisper. There, at the edge of Liam’s land, she stood gazing out in awe. Far below them, the sea stretched wide and endless. Across the water, the mighty snow-capped mountains rose to the sky, their peaks kissed by the last golden light of the evening. White-capped waves rolled toward the crescent of beach nestled between the cliffs. “Liam, there are no words. You really did buy the house for the view.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to her, the depth of his gaze matching the endless horizon before them. And then, he closed the space between them.
His lips met hers—soft but sure—and Sophie melted into him as if no time had passed at all. The kiss was familiar—achingly so—but different, too. A rediscovery. His hand slid to her waist, drawing her in, and the warmth of him wrapped around her like something she'd forgotten she needed.
Her fingers curled into the thick fabric of his coat, grounding herself against the surge of feeling. His scent—clean and woodsy—flooded her senses. Their connection, even after all these years, was still there. Still deep. Still unshaken. The past hadn’t stolen this from them.
When they finally broke apart, the world around them seemed to still. Even the wind from the sea stopped as if holding its breath.
“Jesus…” Liam sighed.
“Uh-huh…”
“You felt that too, then?”
A little shocked, she nodded slowly, eyes wide.
Liam waited, searching her face. When she said nothing, he glanced away, his voice low. “I’m sorry. I thought you wanted me to kiss you.”
“I did,” she said quickly. “It’s just… Jesus, Liam. No one’s kissed me like that since…”
“Me?”
“Yes! Are you proud of yourself? You’ve ruined me for other men. I was doomed from the beginning. I just didn’t know it.”
“Neither did I, love. Neither did I.” He slipped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, tucking her close. “Just make sure you don’t start avoiding me again?”
She looped her arms around his neck, pulled him down to her, and kissed him—slow, sure, and full of promise. That was a deal she could make.
Chapter14
Time moved on,though no one could say exactly how much—it had a way of slipping by unnoticed when life was full.
Darcie and Connor’s newborn twins were thriving, and Darcie herself was recovering well, easing into motherhood with Connor by her side.
Unfortunately, despite Nan and Shamus’ relentless efforts, the mystery girl in the photograph remained just that—a mystery.
At the pub, progress was steady, much to Sophie and Keefe’s relief. The roof was finished, and to everyone’s surprise, the old place hadn’t needed nearly as much work as they’d feared. They had braced for the worst, but instead, they found themselves ahead of schedule. And now, with the floors newly refinished, and the bar installed, the space was beginning to resemble the pub they had envisioned: something warm, familiar, and full of promise.
Liam had been around often, lending a hand where he could. Slowly but surely, he and Sophie were moving forward. It pleased them both to find that the closeness between them had never really gone away, it had just tucked itself away beneath years of distance and heartache.
Now, it was unfolding once again into something natural, inevitable.
But Sophie needed time. Time to get used to him again. Time to let herself trust what had always been there.
