other fisherman anchored their boats. And up the hill from that was the street where his grandmother had lived. Something heavy pushed at his chest.
“Do you want to go by her house?” Danni asked.
Rory started to shake his head and then he stopped. “Maybe just for a minute.”
She pulled up to the small cottage, and they both got out, but neither made a move for the front door. It would be unlocked, he knew. That much couldn’t have changed. But he didn’t have the heart to cross that threshold. As bizarre as the visit had been, it had awakened other memories inside Rory. His grandmother—step-grandmother, technically—had been the only person who’d ever known who the hell he really was. Himself included. And he’d loved her unconditionally.
The children continued to nap in their car seats, heads padded by soft doughnut-shaped wedges, but the weird dog bounded out and raced to Nana’s porch, where it curled up on the Welcome mat with sad eyes and a sorrowful groan.
“Bean loved Nana at first sight,” Danni mused, watching the dog. “It was the strangest thing the way they took to one another.”
The news didn’t surprise Rory in the least. She’d been as prickly as the little dog.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, afraid they might shake as they had last night. “She came to see me,” he said softly.
Danni gave him a sharp look. “When?”
“Night before last.” A part of him couldn’t believe he was saying it out loud. A part of him wanted to laugh even as he remembered how it felt when he’d realized who was sitting in his car. “When I got off work, she was waiting for me.”
Danni made a sharp sound of amusement. “Bet that scared you out of your knickers.”
He forced a stiff smile.
“And what did she say?” Danni went on as if they were discussing the price of milk and eggs. “I’ve died, so come home?”
“Something like that.”
“She wanted something, didn’t she? She called you home to find the Book. Is that the way of it?”
He shouldn’t have been surprised she’d know that detail, too, but he was. Reluctantly, he nodded.
“I can see there’s no point in telling you not to do it, but it’s dangerous seeking something that shouldn’t be found. What did Aunt Edel say when you told her?”
“I didn’t tell her. Why would I?”
Danni looked at him in shock. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Edel has used the Book, Rory. Did you never notice her eyes? How queer they are?”
Rory stared at his sister, open-mouthed. Edel had used the Book? Edel, who he’d lived with until he was old enough to move out on his own?
Suddenly it made so much sense. Suddenly he understood why his parents had sent him to his crazy aunt with her flat, dark eyes. Why she alone had been able to put fear into Rory’s heart. They were kindred in more ways than blood.
“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?” he asked, angry.
She shook her head, clearly as surprised as he by this giant hole in his education.
“Who told you ?” he demanded.
“I don’t know. I’ve just always known.”
If he hadn’t hidden himself so far from home, perhaps he would have known, too.
“Rory,” Danni said, and something in her voice had changed. He looked at her, found himself staring into those luminous eyes of hers—gray and stormy, like the Irish Sea itself. For one weak moment he’d wanted nothing more than to embrace his sister and tell her how much he’d missed her. How much she meant to him. How sorry he was for hurting her along the way to his liberation. But he didn’t move and he didn’t speak.
“I have something for you,” she said. “In case I don’t get the chance to talk to you alone later.”
She pulled a small green box from her pocket. He stared at it curiously but made no move to take it.
“Nana wanted you to have this, and she knew Mum would keep it from you if she could, so she made me promise that I would give it to you.”
She thrust the
“Do you want to go by her house?” Danni asked.
Rory started to shake his head and then he stopped. “Maybe just for a minute.”
She pulled up to the small cottage, and they both got out, but neither made a move for the front door. It would be unlocked, he knew. That much couldn’t have changed. But he didn’t have the heart to cross that threshold. As bizarre as the visit had been, it had awakened other memories inside Rory. His grandmother—step-grandmother, technically—had been the only person who’d ever known who the hell he really was. Himself included. And he’d loved her unconditionally.
The children continued to nap in their car seats, heads padded by soft doughnut-shaped wedges, but the weird dog bounded out and raced to Nana’s porch, where it curled up on the Welcome mat with sad eyes and a sorrowful groan.
“Bean loved Nana at first sight,” Danni mused, watching the dog. “It was the strangest thing the way they took to one another.”
The news didn’t surprise Rory in the least. She’d been as prickly as the little dog.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, afraid they might shake as they had last night. “She came to see me,” he said softly.
Danni gave him a sharp look. “When?”
“Night before last.” A part of him couldn’t believe he was saying it out loud. A part of him wanted to laugh even as he remembered how it felt when he’d realized who was sitting in his car. “When I got off work, she was waiting for me.”
Danni made a sharp sound of amusement. “Bet that scared you out of your knickers.”
He forced a stiff smile.
“And what did she say?” Danni went on as if they were discussing the price of milk and eggs. “I’ve died, so come home?”
“Something like that.”
“She wanted something, didn’t she? She called you home to find the Book. Is that the way of it?”
He shouldn’t have been surprised she’d know that detail, too, but he was. Reluctantly, he nodded.
“I can see there’s no point in telling you not to do it, but it’s dangerous seeking something that shouldn’t be found. What did Aunt Edel say when you told her?”
“I didn’t tell her. Why would I?”
Danni looked at him in shock. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Edel has used the Book, Rory. Did you never notice her eyes? How queer they are?”
Rory stared at his sister, open-mouthed. Edel had used the Book? Edel, who he’d lived with until he was old enough to move out on his own?
Suddenly it made so much sense. Suddenly he understood why his parents had sent him to his crazy aunt with her flat, dark eyes. Why she alone had been able to put fear into Rory’s heart. They were kindred in more ways than blood.
“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?” he asked, angry.
She shook her head, clearly as surprised as he by this giant hole in his education.
“Who told you ?” he demanded.
“I don’t know. I’ve just always known.”
If he hadn’t hidden himself so far from home, perhaps he would have known, too.
“Rory,” Danni said, and something in her voice had changed. He looked at her, found himself staring into those luminous eyes of hers—gray and stormy, like the Irish Sea itself. For one weak moment he’d wanted nothing more than to embrace his sister and tell her how much he’d missed her. How much she meant to him. How sorry he was for hurting her along the way to his liberation. But he didn’t move and he didn’t speak.
“I have something for you,” she said. “In case I don’t get the chance to talk to you alone later.”
She pulled a small green box from her pocket. He stared at it curiously but made no move to take it.
“Nana wanted you to have this, and she knew Mum would keep it from you if she could, so she made me promise that I would give it to you.”
She thrust the
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