Page 51 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
Joey looked up. “Technically, everyone’s on call.” They were first helm, so no matter who else turned up, Joey would be going out if there was a shout.
“I wish you’d allow me to help. I’m a more experienced sailor than some people who’ve lived here all their lives.”
Kasia wondered if Tierney had any idea what it was like going out in the kind of heavy seas the lifeboat got called out into. She’d been utterly terrified on every call she’d been on, but she’d taken her turn.
“It doesn’t work like that.” Joey shook their head. “You need training, and we can’t waste those opportunities on people who aren’t here all year round.”
“But I’ve been here all winter. You and Kasia have been out on dozens of calls, and I hate that you both have to risk your lives, and I can’t help.” Tierney slung a broken creel so hard it slid across the quay and almost slipped into the water. “Shit.” She hurried across to retrieve it.
“You didn’t ever say how long you were staying. If you’re gonna be here all summer, talk to Seán. But it’s a commitment.”
Tierney glanced sideways at Kasia. “I don’t know if I’m going to be hereallsummer.”
“Exactly,” Joey muttered, and resumed their work in silence.
Kasia tried to focus on the job, but her thoughts kept drifting to Tierney’s admission she may leave the island before the summer was out. It was the first time she’d heard Tierney say it out loud, although that was probably because Kasia herself had avoided asking directly, dreading the answer.
When they were done, they helped Joey load the broken pots onto Queen Maedbh.
Joey threw the last pot onto the boat. “Now I just need to add them to the pile behind my house. I wish there was a way of recycling them.”
Tierney sniffed at the fabric of her hoodie, and her nose wrinkled. “I don’t think anyone could possibly find a use for them.”
Joey nudged her. “For someone who claims to love the sea, you’ve got a real problem with the smell of the things that live there.”
Tierney elbowed back. “They smell just fine in the sea. It’s when you tear them away from their homes that the trouble begins.” She sniffed herself again. “Right. I’m off to get a shower. And to burn these clothes.” She jogged off up the quay.
Kasia couldn’t shake off the sadness she’d felt at Tierney’s talk of leaving. She needed a distraction. “Do you want me to help you take those off at the other end?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s been good to helpyouout for a change.”
“I mean about Tierney. Sounds as though she might head home over the summer. How do you feel about that?”
Kasia sat down on the end of the quay. Perhaps it would help to talk about it. Who better to talk to than Joey? “I knew she wasn’t staying forever. But I hoped she’d stick it out for the summer. We work well together, it turns out, and once things start to get busy, it would be good to have her here.”
Joey sat down alongside her. “They’re yourthoughts. I asked how you werefeeling.” They wrapped their arm around her shoulder. “If you want to talk about it.”
She leaned into the embrace, ignoring the smell that pervaded their clothing. She wasn’t going to bottle up her emotions anymore and let them eat away at her. “I hate it. The thought of her leaving makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide under the bed forever.” Eyes burning, she let the tears fall. “I’ve known for a long time that I love this island and running the hotel, but now that I’ve seen what that would be like with Tierney, that’s the future I want.”
She couldn’t help the sob that escaped, and Joey squeezed her tighter.
“I really tried, Joey. I knew it wasn’t forever, and I just tried to enjoy it while I could. But she slipped through my defenses with her thoughtful little gestures and her excitement about things I’d forgotten were meant to be fun. She’s changed me for the better, and I don’t want to go back to being the old version of me.”
Joey loosened their hold and turned to look at her. “And how much of this have you told her?”
Kasia looked away. “She knows how much I like her. But I doubt she sees her future here on this little island.”
“She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. Don’t underestimate how much you’ve done for her too.” Joey stood and pulled Kasia to her feet. “How do you know where she sees her future if you don’t ask her? Go and get cleaned up and tell her how you feel.”
Kasia wiped her tears with the sleeve of her hoodie, then jerked the garment away from her face. “Ugh, Tierney was right about one thing.”
Joey laughed. “Go on, I’ll finish up here.”
Kasia gave them a final squeeze and trotted up the quay toward the hotel. Finding no sign of Tierney, she headed straight for the shower. As the hot water flowed over her body, she wondered how she could tell Tierney what she meant to her. What if it made her run? It didn’t matter. If Tierney was headed out of her life, it wasn’t going to be because Kasia was too afraid to be honest about her feelings.
TWENTY-FIVE
