“That doesn’t help me at all, dude. I’ve never been to Ireland. Tell me what it’s like.”

“Oh, sorry. Hmm, okay, it’s a beautiful city close to Dublin. Lots of green like you’d expect, but we have a nice village filled with quaint shops and restaurants. We live close to the Curragh racetrack, so we’re big racehorse fans.”

“That’s cool. I’ve only seen the Triple Crown on TV, so I don’t know much about it.”

“I like to go out to the farms and watch the young horses train—see the new colts when they’re born. Watching a race always gives me goose bumps. There’s something wild and free about watching a horse run the track.”

“Do you own a horse?”

“No, I wish I did. We have dogs and cats, though.”

Rosemary turned around again. “He brings home all the rescues to take care of. My goodness, the boy will pick up any homeless stray with no thought. And that includes people.”

“Rose, leave them alone. Here, listen to your Kindle. I thought you were at the good part,” his dad said.

“Oh, I am. Beau and Daisy are pretending to be married, but I think they’re going to shag tonight.”

Ian turned his gaze upward. “Lord, please help me.”

I giggled. “Rose, can I borrow that book when you’re done?”

“Absolutely, love. Men just don’t understand.” She winked and put her earbuds in.

The bus turned a sharp curve, and suddenly it felt like we were hanging in a free fall, the cliff drop hugging the wheels. I relished the sight of jagged rocks, blue sea, and tiny dots of houses scattered along the hillside. It was straight from a postcard. Ian’s skin tone turned slightly greenish, so I amped up my plan. “Where are your rosary beads?” I asked him.

“Huh?”

I pointed to his backpack. “Your talisman. Rosary beads. Do you have them?”

“Oh, yeah.” He reached down and pulled out a simple brown set of beads with a cross hanging at the bottom. “What if another car passes? It could bump us right over.”

The idea made my chest tight, but I needed to be the strong one. “The drivers know what they’re doing. I’m surprised you don’t have roads like this in Ireland.”

“None that I’ve been on.” He gripped the beads and rolled his fingers around them. “You must think I’m such a nerd.”

“I know you’re a nerd, silly. And we’re all afraid of something. Tell me about your animals at home. I always wanted a dog, but my mom refuses. Says animals are messy and too much work.”