Page 65 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
He leaned across his desk. “One day you’ll benefit from all the wise decisions I’ve made over the years. This one included. And when that day comes, you can spend my money in any way you see fit.” He prodded his finger against the polished oak surface. “But until then, I’ll decide where to spend my money, Tierney.”
Damn.If she couldn’t appeal to his business brain, she only had his heart to try. “And the fact it was your childhood home means nothing? That Granny passed it into your care? Of all the members of your family she could have left it to, she clearly thought you’d be the one to care for it.”
He leaned back in his chair and laughed. “It means a lot, but not in the way you seem to think. My childhood was spent avoiding my bullying older brothers and dreaming up ways to escape. Why would I cherish the place where I was left to fend for myself?”
She was sick of this narrative being thrust at her every time the hotel or Inishderry was mentioned. “Uncle Gabriel’s retelling of that story is a little different. He says the two of you ran away from chores at every opportunity to make up jugs of orange squash to sell to the tourists on the beach. You pissed your brothers off because they had to do your share of the work. Isn’t it time you pulled your weight now?”Fuck, where did that come from?
Her dad raised his eyebrows. “I’ll decide where my priorities are. As I said, when you get your payout, you can choose to throw it all away on sentimental dreams if you wish. You were never a realist.”
There it was. The reason he wasn’t prepared to invest any further was because he didn’t trust her judgment. Was he right? She’d never really made a success of anything.
“Who will buy it?” That was the only question she could think of. It might make a difference for Kasia, or perhaps give her some hope.
“It’ll be a steal in its present state. Someone will snap it up for the location. It would make a beautiful private holiday residence.”
“For some fat cat like you who’ll fly in from his mansion in Dublin or London. What benefit will that be to the island?”
“That isn’t my concern. And as far as benefiting the island goes, half of the households on that island, and the mainland, are supported by money sent back from my employees or company pensions.”
It was pointless trying to explain to him money wasn’t the answer to everything. The island needed enterprises that supported each other and provided employment so people didn’t need to go to America to earn money.
“Speaking of employees, what about Kasia? I promised her we’d pay her to stay and oversee the repairs until the hotel can reopen.”
He frowned. “And why did you do that? You didn’t have my authority to do so.”
“Because it was the right thing to do. And because we need her to stay.”I need her to stay.
“We don’t need a hotel manager if we don’t have a hotel.”
“But, Dad…” She was prepared to beg, but she wasn’t sure what to say to change his mind.
“My mind is made up. Your manager will get two months’ notice at full pay, and she can stay in the hotel until it’s sold if she wishes. I think that’s more than fair.”
Tierney left her father’s office without another word. She found Megan at her desk glued to her laptop screen.
She looked up and closed the laptop with a snap. “It didn’t go well, then?”
“You can tell just by looking at me?”
“Sorry, but yes. You look miserable.” She squeezed Tierney’s hand.
Tierney dropped into a chair, feeling as though all the air had been drained out of her. “Dad’s going to sell the Waterside. I totally failed. As always.”
“Why do you think that about yourself? You’ve never failed at anything.”
“What about Dad’s graduation challenge? When you doubled your money, and I barely broke even?”
“Tierney, you built a worthwhile project with social value. I followed the remit and maximized profits. Being better at making money doesn’t make me a better person. Quite the opposite some might say.”
Tierney shook her head. She wasn’t going to believe Megan envied her lack of interest in financial success.
“Maybe you were just looking for the right project. You seem pretty interested in money right now.” Megan leaned back in her chair, her hands folded.
“To keep the hotel running, not to line my pockets with.”
“But that’s what I’ve always told you. If you have some money put aside, it’s there when you need it.”
“I didn’t listen, though, and now I’ve got nothing to bargain with. Dad’s always had power over me because I’m financially reliant on him. And now, when I really want something to work out, and for the right reasons, I’ve got no power at all.”
