Page 60 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
“You’ll need to talk to Kevin about repairs. Face-to-face might be the best way to convince him. Come back, even if it’s just for a few days.”
Megan was right. Tierney couldn’t make the changes she needed to while sitting here, and Kasia clearly didn’t want her around. “Okay, I’ll book my flight today.”
“Send me your travel plans, and I’ll pick you up from Logan.”
Tierney hung up and looked down at her phone, wondering at Megan’s reappearance in her life just when it was falling apart. She stood, pulled on her coat, and grabbed her camera bag. She needed to get a clear picture of the damage and take some photos for the insurance claim. Her dad would want to see them too, before he made any decisions.
When she reached the hotel, Joey was hard at work with a couple of other fishers and Jacky from the ferry was up a ladder, securing plastic sheeting over the holes in the roof. She was so grateful for the community spirit on the island, everyone stepping up to help when someone was in trouble. The wider world would feel a little colder now she was used to being a part of island life.
“Hey, Tierney.” Jacky was perfectly audible from the top of the ladder. “Looks likely you’re going to get that new roof after all.”
She waved up at him and forced a smile. Not if her dad wouldn’t part with the cash. She took some close-up photos of the roof and then braced herself to go inside and inspect the damage.
Downstairs wasn’t too bad. The ceilings and walls had some water damage, but mostly everything was intact. The upstairs was a different matter. The three sea-view rooms on the front of the house were damaged. The one closest to the gable end of the building where the window had imploded, had lost its ceiling and she looked up through the rafters at the gray sky. “Oh, God, this is such a mess.”
She sat down on the bed, which squelched under her weight, snapped off a few pictures as quickly as possible, and moved on. The next two rooms were nearly as bad, but as she got farther down the corridor, the damage was less. She knocked on Kasia’s door. When there was no answer, she creaked it open to check on the damage. These rooms at the opposite end of the building hadescaped unscathed. That was something. She wandered back outside where Joey and the boys were finishing up. “Thank you all. I appreciate this.”
“No problem at all. You’re family.” Jacky folded his ladders, and the other men waved and left.
She was left standing with Joey. “Kasia’s not at the cottage. Is she at your house?”
Joey pulled off their hat and ruffled their sweat dampened hair. “The pain in her shoulder got too bad for her to bear, so she called me.”
A rushing sound filled Tierney’s ears. “And no one thought to wake me?”
“You were exhausted and traumatized, and you needed to sleep.” Joey scuffed the toe of their boot in the gravel. “And she insisted we didn’t disturb you. I took her across to the mainland, and Dr. Scott sent her straight to the hospital to have her shoulder checked out.”
“Is it bad? Should I go over there to be with her?” Tierney’s stomach turned at the thought of Kasia alone and in pain.
Joey put a hand on her shoulder. “Seán’s with her. I’d just give her some space for now. She’s heartbroken about the hotel and with the pain from her shoulder, she’s not really thinking straight.”
“Does she think it’s my fault?”
“Give her some time. She’ll come around when she’s feeling better. Dr. Scott thought she might have torn her rotator cuff.”
The nonanswer answered her question. “That sounds painful. How did she end up in the water, anyway?”
Joey checked the men were far enough away. “Tony Tyrell was drunk when we got to him. We were trying to secure a line to tow him back, but he kept getting in the way. Then he nearly went overboard, and Kasia pulled him back but fell in herself.”
“What an idiot. Do the Garda know? That’s an offense, right?”
“Oh, yeah, a hefty fine, or even prison. But Kasia insisted we kept it quiet. She’s worried about his family. He barely makes enough to feed them as it is. Mainly because he spends most of it in the pub.”
“She could’ve been killed.” Tierney didn’t often get angry, but she wanted to punch Tony Tyrell in his stupid drunken face.
“So how about we see what we can do to clean things up before she returns? She’ll have to rest that shoulder for a few weeks.”
She followed Joey inside, and they inspected the kitchen and dining room. The latter had been damaged by falling slates but was watertight. Joey switched on the kettle, and they sat at the table while Joey checked the weather forecast.
“I’m thinking about heading home, so I can talk to Dad in person.” She got up to make the tea and maybe to distance herself from Joey’s disapproval.
Joey lifted their head. “Now? While Kasia’s injured?”
“I don’t know if there’s a realistic possibility of getting this”—she waved at the unseen devastation above them—“fixed before the start of the summer, but if there’s any chance, I need to get my dad on board first. Speaking to him in person will be the most effective way.”
When she placed a mug in front of Joey, she asked, “You’ll look after her, won’t you?” Her heart ached at the idea of leaving Kasia when she was hurt, but she didn’t think her help would be welcome.
“Of course, but I’ve got a job. The storm damaged some of my creels, and I need to get out there.”
