Page 29 of Changing Tides
Tierney turned to them. “But your back’s not enjoying the couch, is it? So, let’s make this work.” She turned back to thereception desk and opened her laptop. “Gotta get on, now. Let us know if you need any help moving in.”
Kasia stepped forward and held out a hand to shake Marianne’s. There was a touch of steel to her grip. “Welcome to the team. I have high hopes this can work well for all of us.”
Marianne didn’t try to match the grip. “Thank you. When do I start?”
“Tom leaves on Friday. How about we give you today to settle in and you start with him tomorrow for lunch service? Will you be able to find childcare by then?”
Marianne hesitated. Would she? She’d hardly left Joey’s cottage since she arrived. This place was unknown to her.
Tierney looked up from her laptop. “Would you like me to put you in touch with Bridie? She minded all of my cousin Aoife’s kids before they started school.”
“Oh, yes, please.”
Tierney picked up her phone. “I’ll text you her number.”
“Thanks to you both. I’d better get going and start moving in, then. Thank you again for the opportunity.”
Joey moved to follow her to the door, Denny settled on their hip.
“We’ve not had our delivery today, Joey.”
They looked up, blinking in the face of Kasia’s sharp tone. “It’s on the boat. I’ll bring it up shortly.”
“Thank you.” Kasia turned away as they left.
“I don’t think Kasia likes me much.” She watched Joey buckle Denny into the truck as if they’d been doing it all their life.
Joey ducked back out of the cab. “Oh, she does, sure enough, or you wouldn’t have a job at all.”
“She doesn’t show it.” For all her pleading and promises, Marianne couldn’t suppress the feeling her skills and reputation had been put aside in favor of needing a general dogsbody.
“Tierney, the hotel, and the island are her priorities. She just wants to make sure you fit.”
They got into the truck. “Well, I don’t, do I? I’m a fancy chef who’s down on her luck, and she thinks I believe I’m too good for this place.”
“She’s kind of correct, isn’t she?” Joey grinned as they reversed out of the hotel car park and took the track to the east end of the island.
“Oh, Joey, don’t you start. I’ve prostrated myself before her and promised to wash the dishes. They should be grateful I’m here.”
Joey frowned and kept their eyes on the road. “I’m sure they are. Hey, are you sure you want to move into the accommodation until you’re sure about the job? I can stay at Dad’s a while longer.”
“You told me you had a bed. Now your friends think I’ve thrown you out so I can have the place to myself.” Why the hell was she taking her frustration out on poor Joey? She held a hand up as Joey’s mouth moved wordlessly. “I’m sorry, that was mean. You’ve given up your house for me, and you knew I wouldn’t allow that if I thought you didn’t have a bed.” She squeezed their solid arm.
Joey blinked, started to speak, then stopped. She wondered what they had been about to say. They cleared their throat. “It’s been a pleasure to help you, Mari. Anytime.”
They pulled up at the cottage. Mari leaned her head back onto the headrest. “I think I’m sure about this. I need something different; I don’t want to go back to Dublin, and I like it here.” She didn’t add “for now.”
“Your friends need a chef. I’m a chef. It should work, shouldn’t it?” She had meant it as a rhetorical question but there was an underlying need for reassurance.
“You’ll be wonderful. I’ll bring you the best seafood and you’ll do amazing things with it. Kasia will be happy, Denny can go on the beach every day, and we’ll have a grand summer.”
She laughed. “Thanks, you’re a good friend.”
Joey led the way into the cottage, holding Denny by the hand as he ran inside. “Boat.”
“I represent one thing for this kid. He wouldn’t know I existed if I didn’t have a boat.”
Marianne laughed. “Oh, he loves you for more than your boat, I’m sure. He likes your bedtime stories.”
