Page 49 of The Irish Goodbye

“Not sure what you mean,” Niall said. “The extent of my photography skills is pull out iPhone and press button.”

“I was talking about the pressure you put on yourself,” she said. “I mean, forget finding the perfect balance or whatever. Say you were cooking dinner for me and Róisín. What would you make for us?”

“I’d make colcannon the way Róisín likes it. So she wouldn’t be able to complain.”

Cordelia laughed. “Excellent, because I’ve been wanting to try this colcannon now that I’ve heard so much about it. What else?”

“That depends,” Niall said. “What kind of meat do you like?”

“Lamb,” Cordelia said at once.

“All right,” Niall said. “So we’ve got colcannon and lamb. We need a veg.”

Cordelia wiggled on her seat and thought for a moment. Niall liked this game. It was far more fun than stressing about what his father would and wouldn’t approve of.

“What about carrots?” she said. “Róisín has tons of carrots in her garden.”

Niall could feel the menu coming together. Make a rub for the lamb—something spicy, maybe Indian inspired. Glaze for the carrots. Balsamic? That was too basic. He could do better.

“Oh my god, I can literally see the wheels turning in your head,” Cordelia said. “Do you need me to write this down or anything?”

He shook his head and tapped his temple. “It’s in the vault,” he said. Then he wondered if she’d get the callback to their morning at the Black Fort.

“Does this mean I’m part of the Fellowship now?” she asked.

Niall shot her a wry look. “For someone who claims not to be a nerd, you seem to know an awful lot about The Lord of the Rings.”

She blushed. “My brother was really into the books.”

“Niall!” Shauna called from the other end of the bar. Cordelia picked up her book again.

Lamb chops, colcannon, and carrots, Niall thought to himself.

He’d have to ask his mam to invite Cordelia over for Sunday dinner.

14

Cordelia sipped her tea and reveled in the weak sunshine streaming in through her front windows.

As she waited for Toby to FaceTime her from their vacation home, she sat at the table editing some of the pictures she’d taken at the Black Fort. The one she liked best was of Niall with a pebble in mid-throw, his arm in an arc-like motion, the clouds swirling behind him, a spray of seawater crashing up against the cliffs. There was so much movement to draw the eye. She really wanted to put it on her Instagram.

She still hadn’t posted anything. She was worried that once she did, everything would change. The lightness she had begun to feel, the freedom and ease of her photography, would all get strangled by the pressure of expectation.

She picked up her phone and texted Liz.

So I want to put this shot I took of Niall on my Instagram, she wrote.

Instantly, a typing bubble appeared.

YES! I’ve been telling you to put your pics up, they’re AMAZING. Send it to me!!! I’ve been dying to know what Niall looks like.

Cordelia had been specifically avoiding sending any shots of Niall to Liz. But in this shot, you could only see part of his face. So she texted it to her. Then she waited. And waited.

Finally, Liz responded.

W O W

Cordelia let out an embarrassingly high-pitched giggle.