Series: Rose Hawthorne #2
Publication date: March 16th, 2022
Synopsis:
Rose Hawthorne is a celebrity author in her early seventies, who dislikes the spotlight but has a penchant for Hermes scarfs, round violet sunglasses, and old colonial hotels.
One day, she receives a strange letter asking her to visit Newgrange, Ireland and look for something that has been hidden there for a thousand years.
She asks her granddaughter to accompany her, but she hadn't expected Samantha to continually be posting photos of their progress on her Instagram account. An encounter with an old love and an unexpected discovery leads Rose further and further into the past, and she finds must make a hard decision about her future.
Don't miss this second book in the Rose Hawthorne series!
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Excerpt
She linked her arm around his as they walked, a natural move. She was allowed to do it. It felt right. Rose was drawn towards Bill. He was like a giant magnet pulling her and she couldn't help but move closer to him.
They walked together, drunk and happy. She didn't engage him in conversation. She knew the flow was right. He talked and she listened.
When they got to the next pub, he bought her another pint, and they sat down to listen to a lone fiddler. She sipped the Guinness. It was dark and warm, different from any other beer.
He'd leaned over her, and then--the kiss. The kiss came as a surprise to her. His soft lips were on hers. She could smell the beer on his breath.
After the kiss, he put his forehead against hers. They sat together, joined like that for a long time, letting the music wash over them, throbbing in time with their heartbeats.
At first, the music the fiddler played was lively, his fingers deftly danced across the strings, and a few couples got up to spin around the floor. Towards the end of his set, he played exquisite notes that washed over the pub, making the dust dance, and it rose in the air like magic. The cheering and conversation quieted down for his last song. It was a slow piece that most of them recognized. the fiddler hit the final note with such poignancy that it echoed throughout the pub. When the music stopped, the whole pub went quiet. They cleared their throats and blinked back tears, and then took a few swallows from their pints.
"Nothing like a bit of Irish music to bring out the tears," Bill admitted wiping an eye.
"It's something so special," Rose agreed with a small sniff.
And all around the pub, they raised their glasses to the fiddler and his music.
As people began to leave the pub, Rose realized that it was getting late and neither of them had eaten yet.
"Shall we eat something? Maybe grab some fish and chips?" Bill said, reading her mind.
"Perfect," she replied in a low, quiet voice.
They bought some greasy fish and chips at a nearby takeaway. It was wrapped in brown paper and covered with the Dublin news.
Then, they walked the streets until they found a bench under the stars away from the shouts, laughter and the lights. Beside the river, they were alone. They unwrapped the greasy paper and ate the cod hungrily, stuffing the vinegar smeared fries quickly into their mouths.
"Do you want the last chip?" Bill had said softly, holding it up in his greasy fingers.
Rose raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I certainly do."
Bill placed it gently in her mouth, looking deeply into her eyes. She kissed his fingers slowly.
Then he kissed her again. She'd clung to him and let him kiss her.
They were both tired. Bill took her hand and led her up a narrow laneway not far away.
Shannon is originally from Winnipeg, Canada but has had the great fortune to have traveled and lived in several countries. After graduating with a degree in English literature she focused on travelling for a few years and eventually found herself teaching English in Japan. After more than a decade in Japan, she returned to teach ESL in Canada and convinced her husband and daughter to join her. These days she lives in San Jose, California, and enjoys coaxing her dog to train for a Camino.
