by Sophie Moss
“Were you scared?”
“Maybe.”
“I heard they had spears, and really sharp scales.”
“They did.”
Ronan looked down, scuffing his shoe over the deck. “I’m a pretty fast swimmer…but maybe you could teach me a few tricks sometime.”
Owen’s eyebrows shot up. He turned to face Ronan. “Seriously?”
Ronan nodded.
“Okay,” Owen said slowly. “But only if you teach me how to play football so we can beat the girls.”
Ronan’s face lit up. He pushed off the railing, trotting back toward the stern of the boat. “I think Finn’s got some buoys we could practice with now.”
Owen set down his plate down on the table where Kelsey and Ashling were cutting the cake.
Kelsey smiled sweetly up at him. “You’ll still never beat us.”
Ashling grinned. “Never.”
BRIGID HOOKED HER arm through Sister Evelyn’s. “I’m so glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Sister Evelyn smiled, plucking a bite of cake from Brigid’s plate. “I think I might need to ask your granddaughter for this recipe.”
Brigid beamed at Kelsey. “Can you believe I have grandchildren? Two of them?”
“I can, and I do.” Sister Evelyn wiped her fingers on a napkin, lowering her voice. “Have you heard anything back from Aidan yet?”
Brigid shook her head. They’d tracked down her youngest son—the one who’d been given up for adoption without her consent. His name was Aidan O’Malley and he lived in the States. They’d attempted to make contact weeks ago, but they hadn’t heard anything back yet. “Sam said it might take some time.”
Sister Evelyn patted her hand. “I know it’s not easy to be patient.”
“No.” Brigid gazed out at the sunlight sparking over the surface of the sea. “It’s not.”
“He’ll come around when the time is right.”
Brigid looked back to her friend. “But there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” She took a deep breath. “Why did you take me in, when you knew I could never be one of you?”
“When I see someone in need, I help them,” Sister Evelyn said simply. “You needed shelter, protection, and friends. I knew I could offer you that.”
Brigid searched her friend’s kind brown eyes. “Did you know…what I was?”
“I had my suspicions,” Sister Evelyn admitted. “You were very fond of that river.”
Brigid laughed, looking across the deck at Liam and Dominic clinking glasses and joking with each other. “What do you think of my sons?”
“I think your sons are two of the handsomest men in Ireland,” Sister Evelyn said, her eyes shifting to Glenna and Sam. “And your niece looks very happy.”
They watched Sam lean down, pressing his lips to Glenna’s. “They belong together,” Brigid said, glancing sideways at Sister Evelyn. “And as you know, I have a knack for knowing where things belong.”
Sister Evelyn laughed. “Speaking of belonging together…” She nodded toward the man standing with Brennan and Finn at the helm. “I think you have an admirer.”
Neil Leary looked away quickly, blushing. Neil’s construction crew had been helping the islanders rebuild the village. As it turned out, Brigid had found a use for his business card after all. “He seems like a good man,” Brigid said wistfully. “But I’ve already had my love.”
“So has he,” Sister Evelyn said quietly. “From what I understand, he lost his wife several years ago.”
“I don’t think—”
Sister Evelyn squeezed Brigid’s hand. “There are many different kinds of love in this world. Sometimes, the ones that burn brightest are the most fleeting. But a love that grows slowly, building on trust and companionship, can be just as powerful if you give it a chance.”
SAM DRAPED HIS arm around Glenna as they gazed out at the sea, sparkling in the sunlight. “Have you had any more ideas about how you want to rebuild your house?”
“Actually,” Glenna said slowly, “I was thinking I might like to live in the village.”
“In the village?”
“I’ve always lived on the outside. Even here, on the island, I separated myself. I didn’t believe that I belonged.” She looked up at him. “I do now.”
Sam tugged her gently to him, laying his lips on hers. They’d been dancing around the subject for weeks as they’d split their time between Sam’s cottage and Glenna’s flat in Dublin. But the rest of the homes on the island were almost rebuilt now. It was time to consider what their future together might look like.
She pulled back, tucking her windblown hair behind her ear. “What about you?” she asked, trying to act casual. “Are you still comfortable in the caretaker’s cottage?”
“Sure.” Sam lifted a shoulder. “It suits me. I have everything I need.”
Glenna looked up at him and when he smiled innocently down at her, she narrowed her eyes. “You’re going to make this difficult for me, aren’t you?”
His eyes twinkled. “Have I ever made anything easy for you?”
“No.”
“Well…?” Sam asked as the ocean lapped at the hull of the ferry. “Do you have something you want to ask me?”
“I’m starting to rethink my decision,” Glenna muttered.
“That’s too bad.” Sam’s shoulders shook with laughter as she glared up at him. “Because I’ve been working with Caitlin on plans for our cottage for two months.”
“What?” Glenna pulled back. “Our cottage? When were you planning to tell me?”
“When you asked me to move in with you.”
Glenna shook her head, but she couldn’t help smiling. “You drive me crazy. Do you know that?”
“Good.” Sam brushed her hair aside and started nibbling his way up her neck. “Because I plan to continue driving you crazy for the rest of your life.”
The Selkie Spell
Book one of The Seal Island Trilogy
The Selkie Enchantress
Book two of The Seal Island Trilogy
Thank you to my mom and dad for supporting my dreams and believing in me. Thank you to Juliette Sobanet for your friendship, for always being there to listen, and for planning spur-of-the-moment trips to France. Is there anything better than brainstorming ideas for a new book at a riverside café in Lyon? A huge thank you to all of my readers; your support means the world to me. Thank you to Hans Christian Andersen for writing The Little Mermaid, and sparking my fascination with the magic of the sea. Thank you to Margot Miller, Martha Paley Francescato, and Kristy Atkinson for reading early versions of this story and providing valuable feedback. And thank you to my amazing design team, Blue Harvest Creative, for transforming the cover and layout of this story into a work of art.
Sophie Moss lives in the Mid-Atlantic, where she is currently at work on her next novel. When she’s not writing, she’s fiddling in her garden, hunting for four-leaf clovers, or trying to convince a friend to have a Guinness with her at lunch. Sophie loves to hear from readers. Email her at [email protected] or visit her website sophiemosswrites.com to sign up for her newsletter.
Table of Contents
Acclaim for the Seal Island Trilogy
Books by Sophie Moss
Title Page
Copyright Information
Dedication
The Selkie Sorceress
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty<
br />
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Purchase Links
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Be Swept Away
Table of Contents
Acclaim for the Seal Island Trilogy
Books by Sophie Moss
Title Page
Copyright Information
Dedication
The Selkie Sorceress
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Purchase Links
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Be Swept Away