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“Jesus,” Colin said as Niall poured him some coffee. “Are we expecting the whole town this morning?”

Niall shrugged. “Felt like cooking.”

“Look at you and that big dopey grin,” Colin said. “What happened yesterday after you left the pub? I thought Cordelia might still be here when I got home, to be honest.”

“I fell asleep.”

“I know. It was me who dragged you up those bloody stairs to bed. So.” Colin slid onto one of the stools, rested his chin in his hands, and batted his eyelashes. “That was quite a performance on the pier.”

“It wasn’t a performance,” Niall said, moving to serve up some eggs.

“Fair enough, but it was like something out of a movie. And then you two go making out in your da’s back room—what are you, seventeen?” Colin hooted with laughter.

Niall flushed. “Who said we were making out in the back room?”

“Please, brother. She came out with her jumper all wet and I thought she was going to melt into the floorboards, she was blushing that hard.” He got up and threw his arms around Niall. “This is grand, mate, just grand. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Colin,” Niall said. “I’m happy too.”

“Course you are, can’t get that damned smile off your face. Right.” He sat down again and started cutting into a sausage. “This looks fecking fantastic. Oh, what a joy and wonder it is to be so right. I knew it. The moment she walked into O’Connor’s and called you an arsehole I thought, that’s the woman for Niall.”

Niall rolled his eyes. “You did not.”

“I did!” Colin popped some sausage into his mouth. “I told you she was easy on the eyes.”

“Not the same thing.”

“Well, if I had said ‘Here now, Niall, that’s the girl that’s going to be mending up your broken heart in a month’s time,’ I think you might have chucked me through the window.”

Niall grinned. “I might have,” he admitted.

They finished their breakfast and left the house together. All traces of yesterday’s cold and wind had vanished and Inishmore shone like an emerald. Niall inhaled deeply, grass and ocean scenting the air in an intoxicating combination. God, he really was going to think everything was sunshine and roses today.

“I’ll just pop up to the cottage then,” he said to Colin, but Colin pointed behind him.

“No need,” he said. Róisín and Cordelia were coming down the road in the cart.

Cordelia smiled at him so big and bright that Niall was struck dumb—she was sunlight incarnate, she was everything good and green in the world. She wore a white sundress with a gold print under a pale yellow cardigan.

“Aren’t you looking mighty fine this morning, Niall O’Connor,” Róisín said as Cordelia hopped down off the cart. Niall had wondered if she’d perhaps want to keep some polite distance, but she skipped over and threw her arms around his waist like she had been waiting for this same as he had.

“And a good morning to you,” Niall said, pulling her even closer.

“Sleep well?” she asked.

“I did. For, like, twelve hours. Sorry for passing out on you.”

“You needed it. Hey, Colin.”

“Morning. Ready for the Guinness races today?”

“The what?”

“We’ve got to be watching the hookers first,” Róisín said.

“The what?” Cordelia yelped as Niall helped her into the back of the cart, Colin climbing into the front.

“They’re boats,” Niall explained with a chuckle.