Page 69 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
“My invitation to you and Magda and the girls stands. They could do with seeing a bit more of the world than this city.”
He shrugged. “Have you invited them to a home where you may not have a future?”
She regretted sharing that with him, but she didn’t want to think about it yet. Her phone remained switched off in her bag. She could only deal with one life event at a time.
“Even if it doesn’t work out with the hotel, you can still visit. There are plenty of other islands.” She said it casually, but she knew nowhere else in the world would ever have the pull she felt to Inishderry.
“I’ll see what I can do. If I save all my holidays for next summer, it could be possible.”
She squeezed his hand on the gear stick just as he pulled into the airport drop off area. “Please try. I don’t want it to be another nine years. I miss you, and I want to see my nieces again soon.” She gave him a small smile. “But I’m going to live my life out and proud, so be prepared for that if you come.”
He pulled up outside departures. “I want you to be a part of our lives.” He took her hand. “Fully, not in secret or half lies. I love you, Kasia, for who you are. I’m sorry I’m not stronger in showing that. I’ll work on it, I promise.”
With tears stinging her eyes, she entered the departure hall after their farewell. She got through security quickly and found somewhere to order a coffee, then she sat down and pulled out her phone. She wondered if she’d missed anything in the last week. The repairs to the roof and damaged rooms would have continued in her absence, but what other news might await her? If there was no future for her on Inishderry, she’d be starting once more from scratch.
Visiting her family had been a reminder she could leave everything she knew and still survive. But it also reminded her how painful and heartbreaking that could be. She drew breath through her teeth as the phone screen lit up. She would get through this.
THIRTY-TWO
“Uncle Gabriel, I need your help.”Tierney tapped her fingers on the table as she waited for his camera to activate.
The screen flickered, and her godfather’s handsome face appeared.
“The words I’ve always wanted to hear from my beloved goddaughter.”
His voice was full of laughter, but she knew he’d listen to her proposal. He’d always taken her seriously.
“Do you think I’m capable of running a business?” It felt a bit lame to be asking that question, but it was a good place to start. She needed to hear it from someone other than Megan.
He laughed even harder. “You’ve had the best education money can buy, you’re smart, and you’ve got a good heart. You could be a success at anything you put your mind to, if you cared enough about it to stick with it and see it through.”
She recalled Megan’s comments about having found the right project. “I’ve not always been given that impression by my dad. He thinks I’m a loser.”
Gabriel sighed. She wished they were having this conversation face-to-face, but she didn’t have the time or thefunds for a trip to the other side of the world. She was done using her dad’s credit card.
“That isn’t true, but you confuse him…and maybe make him question his values. And we all know Kevin doesn’t like to be questioned.” He steepled his fingers. “Are you proud of your dad?”
“I don’t know. When I was younger, I worshipped him and didn’t understand why I couldn’t be more like him. But his disappointment wore me down over time. I admired how he looked after his employees, but with the revelations about Megan and her mom, I’ve not even got that.”
“This is a conversation you need to have with him, not me.” He held his hand up as she started to object. “I know you’ve tried. But he treats you like a child; he always has. You need to confront him as an adult and get some of this out in the open.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’ll try. I’m not happy about how things are with us.”
“So was the help you needed just a listening ear? Or is there something else?”
She’d nearly forgotten the whole purpose of her call. How could she succeed if she couldn’t keep her focus on the endgame?
“I want to buy a property. I’ve got the money to make the purchase, but there’s a lot of renovation work to do. We’ve got most of the quotes in place and a projected income for the first five years. I think the bank will loan me most of it, but I’d be in a stronger position with an investor.”
He laughed. “You want my money.”
“No, I want you to invest. This is a business proposition, Gabriel. We can talk division of profits and find something that suits you, but I’m looking for a partner, not a handout. We’ve got a great business plan. Megan has looked it over, and she agrees.”
“Is this property the Waterside Hotel?” All laughter had left his voice. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. You’ve spent months there, and when you talk about it, you light up.”
“Dad’s putting it up for sale. He doesn’t want it, and he doesn’t understand how important it is.”
“Why is it so important?”
