Page 73 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
“She deserves to know.” Joey lifted the plates and went into the kitchen.
Kasia got up and sat out on the porch. There was a fine drizzle, so she pushed her chair back under cover and picked up her phone. She stared at the blank screen for a long moment. She couldn’t do this with a text or an email. It would be the middle of the day in Boston. She had no idea what Tierney would be up to, but she could try calling.
The call picked up on the first ring. “Hey, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Tierney’s voice brought a crashing wave of love, but following it in on the tide were resignation, regret, and an ever-present fear of being let down. “I got your card, thank you.”
“How’s your shoulder doing?” Tierney asked.
“It’s much better, thanks. I can even sleep lying down now. Who knew that would be something to appreciate?” She was rambling slightly, but she wanted to listen to Tierney’s soft voice a little before she told her she was leaving.
“I’m glad to hear it. I was worried, but I didn’t want to bother you if you were with your family. I so wanted to talk to you.”
“You don’t need to check up on me.” It came out harshly, but she couldn’t bear to think Tierney was worrying about her. And worse, one day soon she wouldn’t care at all.
“Yeah, sorry. I mean, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s good to hear from you anyway. I’ve got so much to tell you.” There was an intake of breath on the line. “So much I want to say.”
Whatever she thought of how Tierney had handled things, she was a good person, and she didn’t deserve to be messed around. “I rang to tell you I’m accepting a job in Dublin. I’ll stay for my notice, but you may want to make arrangements for someone to be here after that.”
The silence at the other end seemed to go on for hours. “But I told you I have a plan, Kasia. I just need to confirm a couple of details, and we’ll be free to make our dream of the Waterside come true.”
Kasia kicked at the wooden slats under her shoe. "I’m glad you want what’s best for the Waterside, and I wish you all the best. But…” What did she want to say? “I need more than dreams, Tierney. And I don’t think you can give me that.”
“You’ll have anything you want. We’ll make it happen together, like we planned.”
“Your plans don’t depend on me. Plenty of people would jump at the chance to manage a newly renovated hotel. You’ll make it work, if you’re that determined.” Her chest felt as if it would burst. Her heart wanted that shared dream, but her head couldn’t trust it to be real.
“Kasia, please don’t make any decisions until we’ve talked properly. I’m leaving Boston today, but I need to talk to you face-to-face.”
This was what she wanted to avoid: a chance for Tierney to convince her to stay. It would be too painful. “I need to give them an answer by tomorrow. I messed them around before, and I’m not going to risk that again. I’m really sorry this didn’t work out differently.” Her breath shuddered in her chest, and she fought every urge to give in.
“Please wait until we’ve talked.”
The pleading in Tierney voice was too much for her, and she hung up before a sob could escape. She let the tears fall. How could she have allowed herself to get into this position? She’d spent her life protecting herself from people who would let her down, yet here she was at nearly forty with nothing but a broken heart.
Eventually, Joey’s strong hands on her shoulders helped her calm down, and she dried her eyes on the fluffy blanket they’dwrapped around her. “Sorry.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the chair.
“Will you hear her out?”
“Yes, if she’s back before I give the hotel my final decision. But I’m not messing them around. Once I’ve given my word, I’m not going back on it. I can’t afford to get a bad reputation in the industry.”
“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Joey burrowed their face into Kasia’s shoulder.
She wished things could be different. She wished she could trust Tierney. She wished the storm had never happened. She wished Peggy was still here to guide her.
But she wasn’t.
If Kasia had learned anything about life, it was people left, or worse, pushed you away. Dreams and wishes were nice, but stability and hard work were what mattered.
“Maybe later when I’m settled into the company, I’ll look at chances to move to one of their hotels in the west so I can be closer. But for now, a whole fresh outlook is the only way I can get through this.”
“I know. And I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Not just because of our friendship; I’ve never seen you so happy as you were with Tierney.”
“And that’s why I’m where I am now. Sobbing on your porch. Sometimes you have to give up on the idea of a perfect life and just go with what you can get.”
“And sometimes you have to believe in someone and trust them not to hurt you.”
“Can we talk about something else?” Her heart couldn’t take any more talk about the things she couldn’t have.
