Page 29 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
Live music and Melissa. “Let’s try somewhere else.”
Joey pulled her to a halt. “It’s okay to have some fun, Kasia.”
“I don’t have time for fun. And it was starting to feel more than casual the last time I saw Melissa.” But maybe it wasn’t right to avoid her. “Right, we’ll go, and I’ll say hi. We’ll have a drink and leave.”
The bar was quiet for a Thursday night, and a note on the door announced the music wouldn’t start for another hour. That meant Melissa would have plenty of time to talk. She gritted her teeth and walked to the bar.
“Why, hello stranger.” Melissa’s beaming smile almost lit the dark bar on its own, though it dimmed slightly when her gaze took in Joey, following close behind. “And who’s this?”
“Hi, Melissa. This is my friend Joey.”
Melissa’s smile returned to full wattage. “Joey. Kasia talked about you, but she never told me how good looking you were.”
Joey only half hid their eye roll. They ordered their drinks as quickly as they could and escaped to a booth. “Is she that flirty with everyone?”
“Who knows? Perhaps I should worry less about her missing my company.” Somehow that was both a relief and a little disheartening.I’m such a mess.
“I’m guessing Melissa gets plenty of company.” Joey sipped their drink then blinked their eyes tight shut and gave a wide yawn.
Kasia covered the hand clutching their glass. “You’re wrecked. Let’s get back.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to see if Melissa’s free after work?”
As if hearing her name, Melissa came from behind the bar, stopping at a nearby table to collect a solitary empty glass. She strolled over and leaned on theirs. “How long are you in town?”
Joey excused themself and headed for the bathroom. Melissa slid quickly into the seat across from Kasia.
“I missed you.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch, but things have been very busy, and I’ve got a lot to do to get the hotel ready for Christmas.”
“Still busting a gut for someone else’s profit?”
“It’s what we all do, isn’t it?” She gestured to the bar.
“Oh, I do the bare minimum and get the healthy bonus of meeting gorgeous women.” Melissa winked. “Spend the night with me, for old times’ sake.”
“I don’t think we’ve reached the nostalgia stage.” She finished her drink. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”
“Did something happen? Have you met someone?” Melissa didn’t look upset, just curious.
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Technically, she’d met someoneandslept with her. But that wasn’t what this was about. Was it? “I just don’t have the energy at the moment. We had a good time, and I’d like to stay friends.”
Melissa pushed herself up. “Yeah, friends. Sounds fun. You know where I am if you change your mind.”
Kasia watched Melissa walk back to the bar, wondering why she had cut off her main source of stress relief. It was true she didn’t have time. She would have to rely on cold water swimming and complaining about the Walsh family as her main relaxation methods for now. She had to get the hotel in a state to receive guests, and Christmas would keep her busy. Where would the new year take her? All she could do was wait and see.
FOURTEEN
“Is this a good time to talk?”Tierney dropped into the leather chair in front of her dad’s desk. He’d made no attempt to catch up with her since the funeral, and despite her aversion to confrontation, she couldn’t bear it any longer. The whole situation had been eating her up, and Megan wouldn’t return her calls.
He looked up with a long sigh and closed his laptop. “If we must.”
She wanted to sweep his laptop off his desk and make him pay full attention to her. “Dad, this is massive. You could’ve talked to me about it long ago, instead of me having to hear it from Megan, and for Megan to hear it from her mom on her deathbed. The least you can do is answer my questions now.”
She clutched the crumpled paper in her pocket. She’d wound herself up so much about this conversation she’d been convinced she wouldn’t remember to ask the right questions. She’d never pull it out in front of him, but it felt better to know they were written down somewhere.
He pulled off his reading glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you or Megan, but I thought the best thing to do was leave the past firmly in the past. I lookedafter her and gave her a home. I made sure her mother was taken care of. I thought that would be enough.”
