Page 48 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
When Tierney’s breathing evened out, Kasia caught Joey watching, a small crease between their eyes. They flashed her a quick smile before turning their attention back to Fergus. Resting her head back against the arm of the couch, Kasia focused on the sense of peace and belonging. But deep down, she knew one day soon this would be over. She couldn’t deny it would hurt like hell.
TWENTY-THREE
“I don’t knowwhat you mean. Kasia and I talk all the time. We know what we’re getting into.” Tierney was starting to regret taking up Joey’s offer of a ride to the mainland. She needed to collect a large order of bathroom furnishings before the plumber started work next week. She’d asked for a quote from the Walsh Ferries cargo boat, but the price was extortionate. It seemed her uncles weren’t satisfied with refusing to help. They had now moved on to willful obstruction. She’d asked Christy about it, but he’d scuffed his boots and said he couldn’t change the price. Her uncles were still irked her dad hadn’t personally come to visit the hotel.
The cost would have limited the scope of renovations she had planned, so she’d welcomed Joey’s offer to do as many trips as needed with Queen Maedbh. Tierney only had to cover the cost of fuel.
Now, with Joey nagging her all the way across the channel, she was starting to wish she’d paid out the money for the boat.
“I know I encouraged you to get together. I thought you’d just screw each other’s brains out and get it out of your systems. But you were so cozy the other night, like a real couple.” Joey swung the boat around the headland to head for the harbor at Portrinnand turned from the wheel. “But you’re not a couple, are you? You’re two lesbians stuck on an island through winter.”
“Hey, Kasia means more to me than a convenience shag, and you know it. Why does it matter to you, anyway?”
“I care about both of you. But it’s Kasia who’s going to be the one left sitting here alone when you head back to your life in Boston.”
“I haven’t made plans to go back.”
“Maybe not yet. But you’re not planning to be here for the whole summer, are you?”
Tierney rubbed her neck. How did she want to answer this? “I’m hoping to go back to talk to my dad about bigger plans for the Waterside, but I haven’t booked anything. I’m committed to seeing this through, Joey.”
“You’re committed to the hotel, and that’s good, but what about your relationship with Kasia?”
“We talked about it at the start. We said we’d enjoy it while we’re together. There were no expectations.”
“And what about now? Nothing’s changed between you?” Joey slowed the boat as they drew in to the quay.
Tierney breathed an internal sigh of relief. She almost misjudged her jump in her eagerness to avoid any further questioning, but she scrambled onto the quay and tied the boat at both ends. “Right, I’ll give you a call when I’m ready. Don’t hang around for me; it might be a while.”
Joey shook their head. “Yeah, just remember you’ve gotta get back on this boat to get home. You’re not escaping that easily.”
Tierney waved and ran down the quay to the shabby hotel van. Once inside, she looked around. The battered interior was clean and tidy, and a Saint Christopher medal hung from the rear-view mirror. She spun it on its chain, wondering if it was a legacy from when her granny drove the van, or if Kasia was more religious than she knew.
The journey into town was slow as she got used to driving on the left. She’d never needed to use a car in Ireland. She’d always been on the island, or with someone who would offer to ferry her around on the mainland. On their many trips to Europe, Megan had always insisted on driving. Tierney hadn’t objected, always happy to be a passenger so she could gawk at the sights, looking for good photo opportunities.
God, she wished Megan was here. She missed her no-nonsense advice and her ability to see the truth. Joey was a good friend, but whether Tierney wanted to admit it or not, they were closest to Kasia and had her best interests at heart. If Megan was here, Tierney could get advice about what was best forher. She really needed that right now. But Megan hadn’t replied to any of her texts since Christmas. She tried not to bombard her, but had kept trying, determined to remind her she wasn’t going anywhere until Megan was prepared to talk.
She pulled up at the plumbers’ merchant and opened the list Kasia had shared to her cell phone. Dreary jobs like this weren’t her favorite thing. She honestly didn’t care if the fittings in all the bathrooms were identical. But Kasia cared, so she’d do her best to get it right. If only everything else was as easy to get right.
“It all seems to be there.”Kasia ticked things off on a pad.
Tierney loitered nearby in the yard, desperately hoping she could get away to the Emerald Bar soon. “I double-checked it on and off the boat. Not that there’s anywhere for things to get lost on Queen Maedbh. It was a tight fit.”
“I hope you thanked Joey and paid for the fuel. It was very kind of them to help.”
“Of course I did. I said I’d buy us all a pint in the pub. Shall we head up there now?”
Kasia was making notes and shook her head absently. “I’m going to go back over the plans, so I’m ready for when the O’Connors arrive in the morning. I don’t want there to be any reason for delays.”
Tierney had only gotten through the tedium of the day with a promise to herself of a couple of pints. “Do you mind if I go? It’s been a long day.”
“Of course.” Kasia waved her away without even looking up.
A “thank you” would have been nice.She shook her head at her own petulance. Kasia’s commitment was admirable, and her drive was getting the hotel into shape.
Tierney trotted down the hill to the pub, eager to get out of the cold, but her enthusiasm suddenly deserted her when she saw her uncles entering. She’d been happy to avoid them for the past weeks—they were rare island visitors in the middle of winter—and she’d made a point to steer clear of anywhere on the mainland she might bump into them. But it was nearly March, so inevitably, they’d be around more.
She considered going back to the hotel and waiting for Kasia to finish fussing with the bathroom supplies, but Joey had said they might come down for a drink after Tierney had made them promise they wouldn’t interrogate her any further about Kasia. She straightened her shoulders and pushed open the bar door more confidently than she felt. Her uncles were taking off their coats at their table.
