“The tourists wouldn’t care,” Kellan said. “They come to Ireland because of all the magic.”

“So, what would I do?”

“He and the tourism committee are hoping you’ll stay and maybe buy Maeve’s shop from her. She’s had it for sale for a few years now.”

Gelsey crumpled the empty wrapper from her sandwich, then pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. “I-I really don’t know what my plans are,” she said. “I’m not sure I could make a commitment like that right now.”

“A commitment to Ballykirk or a commitment to me? You can tell me the truth.”

“If I tell you the truth, you’ll want me to leave,” she countered. Gelsey raked her hands through her wavy hair, sighing softly as she tipped her head back. “I just need to have a moment to myself, a chance to take a breath without someone expecting something from me.”

“Are you married?” Kellan asked.

“No!” Gelsey looked surprised. “No, there’s no one. Not anymore.”

“But there was?”

“It’s over. Completely over. I swear to you.”

A long silence grew between them. Gelsey reached out and took his hand, carefully lacing her fingers through his. “What difference does it make who we were?” she asked. “We began when you found me on the beach.”

Kellan’s gaze fell to her mouth, and without a second thought, he slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her into a long and languid kiss. She was right. He didn’t care about anything beyond what they’d shared together. And though he knew she wasn’t an amnesiac or a mermaid, that didn’t matter, either. She was here with him now and that’s all he cared about.

5

THE HILLS WERE SHROUDED in a dense mist as Gelsey navigated the battered Fiat toward Winterhill. She’d spent her last four or five Christmases skiing, surrounded by snow and plenty of twinkly lights. It was a bit odd to be staring out at fog.

Kellan had invited her to accompany him to Cork to pick up a set of plans he’d been waiting for and do a bit of Christmas shopping, but Gelsey had decided to take the morning for herself.

Everything was moving so fast in Ballykirk. Her feelings for Kellan were growing deeper with each day and night they spent together. And though he still questioned her about her past, he seemed to take her evasive answers with less frustration. So, had the time come to just be honest with him?

Their nights in bed were proof of his desire and their easygoing way with each other outside the bedroom marked a growing trust and friendship. But passion and friendship didn’t necessarily add up to a future together. Gelsey had been through enough “relationships” to know how easily they fractured. And how quickly she grew bored.

She slowed the car as it neared a curve, sighing softly. How nice it would be to believe in love. To know that there was a man out there who could ensure complete happiness for the rest of her life. She’d been chasing that dream her entire life, but had never really believed it would come true.

At least she could make a real life for herself, a life with a job and a place to live, important things to occupy her day.

She’d stopped at the shop that morning, just to chat with Maeve about her job responsibilities. Though Gelsey couldn’t offer any retail experience, she could offer enthusiasm and she saw incredible potential in the business that Maeve had started. When Maeve mentioned she was interested in selling the shop, the foundation of a new life had begun to take shape in her mind.

Why not make a life in Ballykirk? She could live at Winterhill and turn the shop into a thriving business. There was a huge market for unusual boutique skin-care products, especially those made of natural ingredients. She knew women who paid thousands of dollars for a small jar of sheep placenta.

But until her problems in Italy were solved, until she faced the consequences of what she’d done, there could be no future for her in Ballykirk and no future with Kellan. The thought of jail, for something as silly as a punch in the face, was almost more than she could bear. She wasn’t a criminal, but she’d done something that had broken the law.

Six months had passed and it still loomed over her like a big black cloud, obscuring any sunshine or hope she had. Antonio had been there and up until their fight, had promised to testify to what had happened. But now, she wasn’t sure he’d hold up his end of the bargain.

The stone pillars flanking the driveway at Winterhill appeared out of the fog. A feeling of relief washed over her at the sight of the old stone house. This was the only home she’d ever really known. Every summer, she’d arrived still dressed in her school uniform, ready to throw aside the rules and regulations for a summer full of fantasies.

Her grandmother had died six years ago, and since then, she hadn’t been back. But three months ago, it had been the only place left to her, the only place in the world she could hide. Gelsey still expected her to be waiting at the door when she drove up to the house, her arms thrown wide and her eyes filled with tears of joy.

This would be a good place to start again, Gelsey mused. She could be happy here. She honked the horn, then smiled as the front door opened. Her grandmother’s housekeeper came rushing out, her hands clutching her apron. Gelsey stepped out of the car only to be enveloped in Caroline’s embrace.

“Oh, I should be livid, I should,” Caroline said in her thick Irish brogue. “Why haven’t you phoned more than once? I’ve been worrying myself sick.”

“I told you I was safe,” she said.

“Safe? Look at this car you’re drivin’! It’s an accident waitin’ to happen.”

Gelsey looped her arm through Caroline’s. “Come on, then. Let’s have a cup of tea and I’ll tell you all about my adventures in the real world.”

“I’m not certain I want to hear,” Caroline teased. “Are you driving without a permit?”

“No, I have a Spanish driver’s license. I think it’s good here.”

“And where does that car come from?”

The housekeeper knew all of Gelsey’s problems. Confession had been good for the soul and Gelsey had needed at least one person who understood what she’d done to her life. But no she couldn’t wait to tell Caroline about her job and all the possibilities for her future in Ballykirk.

“Your mother and father have been calling,” Caroline said. “They’ve been keeping up with the news on your case and they’re worried.”

“It’s my problem,” Gelsey said. “I’ll deal with it.”

Caroline gave her hand a squeeze as they walked to the front door. “Now, I want you to know that I haven’t finished yet.”

“Finished what?” Gelsey asked.

The housekeeper threw the door open and Gelsey stepped into the spacious foyer. “Christmas.”

Gelsey gasped as she saw the beautiful pine garlands and twinkling lights. “Oh, look at this.” Slowly, she took it all in, then stopped in front of a Christmas tree that sat just inside the parlor. It was decorated in an old-fashioned style, with faded blown-glass ornaments and tinsel and real candles on the tips of the boughs.

“Your grandmother used to insist that we do it up well,” Caroline explained. “Christmas was her favorite day of the year, except for the day that you arrived at Winterhill for your summer holiday.”

“I remember these,” Gelsey said, reaching out to touch one of the candles. “I spent Christmas here one year when I was-”

“You were seven. I wasn’t sure that you remembered.”

“Oh, I do,” Gelsey said. “It was magical.”

“I thought, since you might be spending the holiday here again this year, I’d do it up, like your grandmother did.” She gave Gelsey a quick hug. “Come, let’s have tea. I want to hear all about this man you’ve met.”

“Man? I didn’t mention a man,” Gelsey said.

“What else would have kept you away?”

Gelsey groaned as she walked back to the kitchen. “All right, there is a man. But it isn’t want you think. At least, not entirely what you think.”

She followed Caroline back to the kitchen, then sat down on one of the stools that surrounded the huge worktable in the center of the room. Cupping her chin in her hand, Gelsey watched as the housekeeper placed a plate of shortbread biscuits in front of her, then fussed with the preparations for tea. When the pot was filled and the tea steeping, she set it down on the table and joined Gelsey.

“Where have you been?”

“Ballykirk,” Gelsey replied. “I’ve been staying with…with-a friend. His name is Kellan Quinn.”

“Quinn? My cousin Aina married a Quinn from Ballykirk. Jamie Quinn.”

“I haven’t met him, though I’m sure there are a lot of Quinns in Ballykirk.”

“Oh, they don’t live in Ballykirk anymore. They moved to Galway years ago. I wouldn’t think you’d have found Ballykirk very exciting.”

“There’s something in Ballykirk that I’m very interested in.” Gelsey explained her hopes for Maeve’s Potions and Lotions, describing the shop and Maeve’s merchandise and the potential to turn the business into something special. When she finished, she looked at Caroline, waiting for her opinion.

“What is it?” Gelsey asked at the odd expression on the housekeeper’s face. “I know it’s silly to make plans with everything hanging over my head as it is. But I want to think positively. I need to believe that everything will work out.”

“Oh, it’s not that. You look…different.” Caroline reached out and smoothed her hand over Gelsey’s cheek.

“I do?”

Caroline nodded, her silver curls bobbing. “You look happy. Relaxed.”

“I am,” Gelsey said. “So do you think I should do it?”

“Let me ask you one question. How much of your interest in staying in Ireland has to do with this Quinn bloke?”

“I suppose some,” Gelsey admitted. “But I’m not really counting on that for the future. I think it’s time I begin to plan my life for myself and not whatever man I happen to fancy at the moment.”