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When she reached Sorcha’s tree, she wanted to put her head against the trunk and go to pieces. She looked down at PROUD GRANDMA, hoping it would knock her back into her happy place, but she continued to utter hiccup sobs. She was going to have a grandbaby. A little person she could play with and make cookies with and chase around. They could make cool stuff together. God, if it was a girl, they could make stuff with glitter. And glue. She sucked in more breaths as she cried.Why glitter?She didn’t know. She only knew it had to be a deep pink.
“You’re having a proper meltdown, aren’t you, Bets?”
She uttered a loud shriek as Sorcha appeared beside her, her long brown hair blowing in the wind while her bright green eyes glittered with happiness.
“I’d hoped you’d come!” She gave another sob. “You look different. Your dress—”
“I got an upgrade,” Sorcha said, gesturing to her formfitting silver clothes. “I had to make some amends for what I did, but the village’s tribute helped. Your Bruce also put in a good word for me, and since we last met, I’ve more or less been on the guardian track.”
Bets scrubbed her wet face, sucking in breaths to calm herself. “Your clothes are like Bruce’s too! That means… God, I’m talking like I know what it means, and I don’t. Care to enlighten me?”
Sorcha touched the trunk of her favorite tree, and Bets swore she saw the bark shift momentarily into a grandmotherly face. “We protect the land and the people who respect it. We right wrongs. Battle along with those who would bring more love, kindness, and goodness into the world. It started out for me as matchmaking, but my duties expanded. Largely because of you, Bets. I’m here to thank you.”
This was all too much. She wiped at more tears. “Butyouhelped bring us all the best gift. Our soulmates. Sorcha, I have Linc because of you, and Liam has Taylor, and—”
“Yes,” she said proudly, “I’m more than satisfied with our dear couples. It’s going to be my privilege to watch over their lives. There will be so many good things to behold.”
Maybe it was wearing a PROUD GRANDMA T-shirt, but Bets wanted a preview of coming attractions. “Tell me what I can expect.”
Sorcha only raised a brow before laughing heartily. The tree branches whispered then, and she smiled as if it had spoken something special to her. “It seems I have special dispensation to tell you, Bets O’Hanlon, in thanks for all you have done for this land and the people of Caisleán, although your work will extend far beyond this village. Who should I start with?”
“Angie and Carrick!” She was suddenly breathless. “They were the first couple, after all.”
Sorcha glanced off, and Bets wondered if she was looking in the direction where they stood. “They already have two beautiful children, and they will have two more. Three girls and one boy. Two of the girls will continue in their parents’ professions while the other two will go their own way.”
An artist and someone in sheep. “Wonderful. Next?”
“Kade and Megan already love Ollie and their other two children to pieces, but they will also have twenty-six more horses and thirty-nine dogs—”
“Sorcha!”
The ghost—ahem guardian—laughed. “You don’t want to know about the animals? Bets, I think you’d love hearing that the Kindness Sheep tradition will continue in Ireland for another three hundred years. You know how we Irish love our traditions.”
That was one of the things she most loved about them. “Tell me about Ellie and Brady.”
Tapping a finger to her smiling lips, she leaned forward conspiratorially. “Three girls. All publicans. Although only one will stay at the Brazen Donkey… Because this pub is one for generations.”
“I’m glad for that. The whole village loves it.”
“Yes, it does. Moving on to Kathleen and Declan. They will also have three children. All boys. One will go back to Boston to work in Kathleen’s family pub. But the best news, perhaps, given my former duties, is that one of Brady and Ellie’s girls will marry one of Declan and Kathleen’s sons. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
“I can’t wait!” She went to clutch Sorcha’s hand in excitement, only to touch air. “Forget I tried that. We’re on Sophie and Jamie.”
“We are.” Sorcha somehow managed to lean against the tree despite not having a solid form. “They already have Greta and their lovely little boy. They will have another girl, and she will outrival her mother in glass. One day, her work will be seen in the museum you and this community have built. Shall we go on to your Liam and Taylor, Grandma?”
She gave an indelicate sniff. “Yes…”
“They will have three children as well, the girl Taylor is carrying now and two boys to come. Twins. The girl will have Liam’s green eyes and ever-calm demeanor while the boys will want to decorate every wall in your home with paint and pink glitter.” Her brow furrowed. “Bets, there is a lot of pink glitter in your future.”
“The boys like the glitter?” She bent over laughing. “And here I thought—”
“Never make assumptions, Bets,” Sorcha said, her lips twitching as she straightened. “The boys call it fairy sparkles—a turn of phrase from Eoghan before he passes—at the ripe age of one hundred and seven, I might add.”
She gave a big sniff at that. “I’m glad we’ll have him for so long.”
“Sandrine as well.” Sorcha drew a heart in the air. “Love keeps the mind, heart, and body young, but back to the glitter. A plus for you is… Linc is going to love it. He’s even going to glue those fairy sparkles on their cowboy boots one Christmas and teach them how to lasso Kindness Sheep.”
That got her. She blew out a breath. “So Linc is good, huh? Healthy—”
