Prologue

Prologue

Fifteen Years Ago

“ F or fuck sake! Are ya hungover?” I roll my eyes behind the black sunglasses I’m wearing, trying but failing to block out the low evening sun.

Getting married on the cliffs at sunset is a gorgeous view, but it isn’t helping my headache.

“Aye, Da.” He knows damn well I am, and I’m annoyed he’s not as well.

We were out all night for his stag party, yet he looked in good health even at his ripe old age of fifty. I glanced down the aisle as the music changed.

Red Shirley temple curls bounce down the rows of chairs set up, carefully dropping one rose petal at a time. Jade mumbles as she counts her steps, and when she forgets to drop a petal, she runs back to correct her error.

Despite my hangover, I smile at my new baby sister.

“Precious, isn’t she?” Da asks to my right, making me nod when the six-year-old finally makes it to the flower arch we’re standing under.

I stretch out my hand for her, and she shifts the white wicker basket to her other hand to take mine. Her little eyes look up at me with a frown.

“Ciarán, why are you wearing glasses? Are you blind?” I try to hide my laughter.

“Your brother is suffering from too many pints of ale,” Da adds helpfully.

“Ew,” Jade’s voice drifts up at me.

“When you’re twenty one will revisit this conversation. Now look, here comes your Ma.” Her head whips around with a huge smile.

“She’s your Ma now too!” I nod as the bride walks to my Da and takes her place.

“Trust me, baby sis. I know.” I try to keep the bitterness out of my voice because my new stepmother is great.

The love my Da has for her is something to be envied, but she could never replace my own Ma.

We lost her to cancer years ago, and my Da was miserable without her until Fiona entered his life with a little hurricane of a daughter on her hip. It was love at first sight for him.

He gained a new wife and daughter to spoil which I thank the good lord for daily.

The newlyweds kiss, and the on-lookers clap as they walk back down the aisle to a flurry of bird seeds being thrown on them.

“No, my hair!” Jade cries out, trying to protect the red curls around her cherub face.

“Up you go,” I reach down and pick her up, trying to shield her from it.

“Big brother will protect you.”