Page 66 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
Megan glanced past her and then leaned a little closer. “Yup. But there’s something I wanted to talk about that might help you. I would’ve mentioned it last night, but you were whacked.”
“You might as well get it out there. This day can’t get any worse.”
“Since I’ve been back in town, I’ve been living at the house with Al.”
“That’s cool. There’s plenty of room.”
“I know, but it’s your house too, and I kind of felt guilty we were living there while you were away.”
“There’s no need. I feel bad when it’s empty, and there are people with nowhere to sleep. And it isn’t as though I’ve been around.”
“Well, I love our house, and so does Al. But I know you love it too. You chose it to begin with when I wasn’t so sure.” Megan stared at her intently.
“And?” Tierney wondered if this was going in the direction she wanted it to.
“So we’re gonna need somewhere to live now that we’re engaged, and I was wondering if there was any chance you would want to sell us your half of the house?”
Her last few words came out in a rush, and Tierney was surprised that Megan was nervous about asking.
“No pressure. I understand if you don’t, but I’d gotten the impression you might be staying in Inishderry for longer, and maybe you could do with the money. In fact, maybe you could find a way to invest it…”
A side of Tierney grieved the end of her life in the house with Megan, but that was over now, anyway. Having some funds could change everything.
“House prices are at a record high. Have you had it valued?”
“Obviously.” Megan rolled her eyes. “It’s not an ideal time to be buying, but Al and I need to start our lives together, so eitherway, we’ll be buying in this financial climate. How about I give you a figure, and you can take some time to think about it?”
Tierney’s mind was spinning. She’d never thought of the house as an investment; it was just a nice place to live by the sea. But it turned out she’d used her deposit wisely. For once, she’d be able to say she had some money of her own. “How much do you think Dad will want for the hotel?”
Megan’s roar of laughter was so loud, she leaned back in her chair and pushed the door closed.
“I thought you might ask that, but I didn’t expect it to be your first question. You could just go and ask him?”
Tierney shook her head emphatically. She needed to know how much money she had to bargain with before she confronted him.
Megan nodded. “If his mind is made up, he’ll work quickly so you need to be quicker. Get someone in there to value it now before he has a figure set in his head. If you want any help, let me know.” She took Tierney’s hand. “You’ve never believed in yourself, buddy. But now is the time. I believe in you, and I know better than anyone what you’re capable of. If you want this, go for it.”
Tierney jumped up with a new sense of purpose. Heart swelling with Megan’s words, she didn’t know how realistic it was to think she could rescue the hotel single-handedly, but she was sure as hell going to try. Would Kasia want her back if she could prove herself? There was only one way to find out.
THIRTY-ONE
Stefan was waitingat the arrivals gate when Kasia stepped through the doors. He looked older in person than on their video calls. She was sure she must have aged too, in the near decade since they’d seen each other. She embraced him silently.
“It’s been too long, Kasia,” he whispered.
She pulled back, surprised to see his eyes wet. “Hey, I’m here now. I’m sorry about Babcia.” She was sorry for her family’s grief if nothing else. When Stef had called with the news her grandmother had passed, she’d felt nothing but a vague sense of relief.
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and turned. “Girls, come and meet your ciocia.”
Two children standing at a vending machine turned and ran over. The taller girl arrived first, her pigtails swinging as she ran. “Czesc, Ciociu.”
“Hi, Anna, it’s good to meet you at last.”
The smaller niece, Beata, made a dramatic arrival by crashing into her sister, who didn’t so much as flinch, clearly accustomed to the chaos.
“Welcome home, Auntie Kasia.”
Her English was slow and carefully delivered. She wore her hair in a short blond bob, and her grin could only be described as cheeky.
