Page 75 of Where the Waves Kiss the Shore
Tierney guessed she deserved that reaction. “I’ve got a lot to do and a woman to convince to stay with me. No time to lose.” There was a long pause. “Can I come in?”
Kasia stepped back from the door. “Yes, of course. It’s your property.”
For the first time that was truly correct, and Tierney felt a rush of pride.
“Will you be staying at the cottage? I’ll need to go and make it up.”
Kasia kept her distance, but Tierney couldn’t handle the distance in her eyes. She moved closer, desperate to wrap her arms around Kasia, but she sensed it wouldn’t be welcomed. “I was hoping I could stay here. With you.”
“Of course. I’ll have to make up one of the budget rooms. The deluxe rooms are still uninhabitable.” Kasia turned for the stairs.
Tierney rushed across and grasped her hand. “Kasia, please.”
Kasia stopped on the first step, giving her an even bigger height advantage. She didn’t pull away, but her face was unreadable. Tierney knew her well enough now to understand she was trying to protect herself, rather than not feeling anything.
“I said I needed to talk to you. That’s why I’m here. Mainly. Please give me a chance to explain.” She felt so out of control. A small part of her wanted to run and get away from it all. She dug her nails into the palm of her free hand. She was never running away again.
Kasia gently freed her hand. “Come up. I’ll make coffee.” She turned and continued her ascent, leaving Tierney staring after her.
She shook herself, retrieved her bag from outside the front door, and threw it onto a nearby sofa. Then she took the stairs two at a time in a rush get everything out in the open. She should’ve prepared better for this moment. Should she lead with the practicalities? Or should she open her heart and tell Kasia how she felt about her?
She burst into the room loudly enough that Kasia looked up from the coffee pot. Now she wished she’d taken her time on the stairs. She looked around, trying to get her thoughts in order.
“Why don’t you open the doors and let some air in? There haven’t been many days so far when we’ve had warm weather.”
Tierney stumbled gratefully to the doors and swung them open. The fresh air, salty with a hint of seaweed, relaxed her immediately. She pulled two chairs up to the small table, even though she was far too restless to sit. She backed up against the balcony rail and watched Kasia prepare her coffee just as she liked it.
When Kasia came out onto the balcony, she glanced at Tierney’s fingers, drumming an impatient tattoo on the wooden rail. She stilled them immediately.
Kasia sat, sipped her coffee, and looked up with raised eyebrows.
“I need to tell you…” Whatever order of revelations she had decided on went out of the window when she saw Kasia’s blank expression. It conveyed so clearly how vulnerable Kasia felt.
Tierney dropped to the other chair and pulled it close to Kasia’s. “I need to tell you I’m so sorry I let you down. I love you, Kasia, with every inch of my being, and I never want to let you down again. I’m sorry I made you feel unsafe or unloved. I’ve been floating through life, lost and so self-involved that I couldn’t move in any direction without doubting myself. And because of that, I ran from anything that could matter. I ran from you, even when I knew I was in love with you. I should have told you ages ago, but I was scared.”
Kasia blinked. “I was afraid too, but I toldyou.”
“I know. I don’t think we’re in any doubt about who’s braver.” She took Kasia’s hand. She needed physical contact to get this all out. “But you give me courage, Kasia. You made me believe I could do this.”
“To tell me how you feel?” She looked confused, but she didn’t pull her hand away.
“Well, yes, the thought of you leaving me was so much more terrifying than facing my feelings. But also, to buy the hotel from my dad and secure funding for the redevelopment. All of it. You made me believe in myself and in the dream we started creating together.”
“You own the hotel? Are you telling the truth?” Kasia’s eyes widened.
Tierney winced a little at the thought that Kasia doubted what she was saying. “I convinced my dad to sell. And I’ve justsigned a business loan that will allow us to do all the work. Properly this time. The self-catering apartments, the camping domes, everything we planned for. Everything you imagined. I love you, and I believe in what we can create together. If you’ll stay.”
Kasia smiled tentatively, and her eyes shone. “And you did all of that for us? And for Peggy?”
Tierney nodded. “And for myself, because this is where I want to be, Kasia. With you on Inishderry. And together, we can find a way to make everything else work out.”
The brightness of Kasia’s smile faded a little. “Even after the way I spoke to you? I’m sorry I pushed you away. I made it easy for you to leave, and then resented you when you did.”
Tierney shrugged. “I know. It’s okay.” It still hurt, but if she’d done more sooner, the hotel would still have a roof.
Kasia put her hands on Tierney’s shoulders. Looking into her eyes, Tierney saw love and a small bit of regret.
“It’s not okay. I told you before that you needed to stop believing your family every time they said you were a failure, and then I did exactly the same thing. I promise I will never treat you like that again.”
