Page 31 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
“Hey, Kasia, how’s things? Did you get the flood damage fixed?” She tried to sound as upbeat as she could. There was no way she’d let it show that her life was a chaotic mess.
“Everything is fine here. We’ll be able to honor the Christmas bookings, so you won’t lose any income.” Kasia’s voice was as tight as a wound-up spring.
“That’s good news. Thank you for your hard work.” Did that sound sincere? Kasia was so intimidating, it was hard for Tierney to act natural.
Kasia didn’t reply.
“Anyway, I know we have a few things to talk about, so the good news is I’ll be coming back.” She hoped Kasia saw it as good news. “Dad has given the go ahead for some repairs, and he’s open to looking at a business plan for the bigger changes.”
Still no response.
“So it’s a chance to share some of our ideas. I’ll be on the last ferry Tuesday afternoon.”
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll make sure the cottage is ready for you.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’ll see to it when I arrive. See you soon.” She hung up. She hadn’t expected Kasia to be thrilled to hear from her, but a little enthusiasm would have been nice. They wanted the same thing, didn’t they? A future for the Waterside. Tierney wondered, though not for the first time, what else she really wanted in life. What she did know was the thought of returning to Inishderry made her feel happier than she had in weeks.
FIFTEEN
Kasia trotteddown the slip as quickly as she could to avoid the slow entrance into the sea. She couldn’t build up the nerve to jump off the quay. She quickly submerged and set off, swimming for the ruined stone tower on the other side of the harbor. The drop in water temperature was already dramatic from her dip just a week ago. It would only continue dropping as winter set in. Her swims would become dips, but she and Joey would keep up the routine. The feeling of well-being she carried for the rest of the day made up for the shock of the cold water.
She’d need all the well-being she could get from the sea now that Tierney was on her way back. She wished Joey was here so she could talk it through, but they’d gone to the mainland to talk to a restaurant chain about a potential lucrative contract. The call from Tierney had taken Kasia by surprise, and she wondered now if she’d been too abrupt, but Tierney was used to her business-like manner and most likely hadn’t been paying attention.
After she dried off, she detoured to the Walsh holiday cottage. She’d been so annoyed with Tierney’s sudden departure, and so exhausted after the big group stay, the cottage was still as Tierney had left it. She hoped Tierney hadn’t left foodor milk in the refrigerator, or Kasia was going to have to try to get the place smelling nice in a hurry. She picked up the key from under the stone and let herself in, bracing for the smell of rotting food.
To her surprise, the house looked ready to receive new guests. Everything was clean and neat. Tierney had remade the bed with clean linen and left her sheets in a laundry bag. Kasia set the heating to come on later in the day, opened a couple of windows for fresh air, and left the house as it was. Perhaps Joey was right, and people could change for the better. She could try to deny she was looking forward to Tierney’s return, but much as it annoyed her, the thought of being around her bouncy energy was attractive. She hoped the novelty wouldn’t wear off too soon.
Kasia’snew positive attitude toward Tierney was put to the test almost immediately when she bounded around, looking at the flood damage.
“It’s not as bad as I thought.”
“That’s because Kasia’s spent the last few days cleaning, and painting, and pulling in a lot of favors to get it habitable again before the Christmas visitors start to arrive.”
Kasia could have hugged Joey for the support but instead, she left them both to it and busied herself in the kitchen. Their voices floated in occasionally, and she strained to listen in.
“This room is fucked.”
“Yeah, these were Kasia’s quarters. A load of her stuff got ruined.”
“Oh, shit, really? Why was she sleeping down here?”
Kasia didn’t hear Joey’s low response but the next comment from Tierney was, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll talk to her later.”
After that, their voices were too quiet to hear, so Kasia concentrated on not cutting off her fingers as she continued with the food preparation. She wished Tierney would do something useful, like go up and prepare the rooms needed for this weekend’s guest. Cleaning and redecorating the dining room and kitchen had put her behind her usual schedule, but she wasn’t going to ask her boss for help unless it was offered.
As if hearing Kasia’s thoughts, Tierney appeared at the door, with Joey behind her. “I’m sorry your stuff got trashed in the flood. Why were you still in those cramped quarters when the rooms upstairs have been free all summer?” Tierney asked.
“Peggy’s rooms? They’re still full of her belongings, Tierney. Desmond and Anthony came after the funeral and took her jewelry and some papers. But otherwise, it’s still as she left it. I’ve kept it clean, but it’s not my place to remove all of her things, and I certainly wasn’t going to move into her home without someone telling me it was okay.”
She was surprised to see the sheen of tears in Tierney’s eyes. She’d never asked her why she hadn’t come to the funeral and just assumed she hadn’t bothered to make the long trip.
“I’m sorry. She was your granny. It must be hard for you.”
Tierney rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. “No,I’msorry no one in the family stepped up to take control. I’ll empty her rooms, and you can move in. You shouldn’t be stuck down here.” She indicated the uninhabitable tiny room off the kitchen.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll head up there now and see what we’re looking at.” Joey ran up the stairs with long strides, and they were left alone.
