Page 74 of Changing Tides
“There’s plenty of space in the van on the mainland. It’s all good.”
Marianne came around the truck and tucked her hands into Joey’s back pockets, shifting their hips close to her. “I’m so pleased you’re coming with us.” Her eyes shone and Joey dipped in for a taste of her lips. Marianne responded and pulled them even closer.
They broke away. “Denny’s in the cab.”
Marianne leaned into their chest and laughed. “I don’t know what it is about your truck that gets me so horny.” She stood back. “Let’s get this over with.”
When they got off the ferry, Joey loaded the trays of lobsters headed for Galway into the refrigerated van. Then they moved the bags, and Denny’s toys.
Denny was beside himself when he realized he would be sitting on the front seat between Joey and his mum.
“Denny driving.”
“Yes, you are, sweatpea.” Marianne pulled on her seatbelt. “This van is much more comfortable than your island truck.”
“It’s new. I only got it a couple of years ago.”When I had a moment of ambition to expand the business and deliver nationally.But then the Waterside had relaunched, and Joey had got plenty of business from there. Alongside Batiya, that had been enough. “It’ll be useful for the extra oyster deliveries in a few years.”
After their detour to Galway, they got on the road to Dublin and Joey enjoyed listening to the constant flow of conversation between Denny, who had questions about everything he saw, and Marianne.
Marianne reached behind Denny and squeezed Joey’s arm. “I can’t believe how much his speech has come along.”
“Will Amira see a big difference in him, do you think?” They couldn’t help asking, even if they didn’t want to think about it.
“Oh, God, yes. He wasn’t speaking at all before we came to Inishderry.”
“Not even ‘boat’?” Joey flashed a grin at Denny.
“Joey boat?” Denny looked at Marianne expectantly.
“Not today, sweetpea. We’re going to see Granny and Mummy and Nana, remember?”
“Mummy?” Denny screwed his nose up.
“Tomorrow, Mummy’s going to have a big party for you, and you’ll have a wonderful time.”
“Denny eat cake and chocolate?”
“Yes, sweetie, lots of cake.”
A small, very sticky hand rested on Joey’s arm. “Joey eat cake?”
They flashed a glance at Marianne, who blinked and scrunched her nose in a very similar way to her child.
“I can’t come with you to your mummy’s house but after, we’ll all have cake together, okay?”
Denny’s dark eyebrows drew together. “Want cake with Joey.”
Marianne took his hand and wiped it with a cloth. “If you’re a good boy while we’re away, when we go home, we’ll eat cake on Joey’s boat, okay?”
Joey half paid attention as Marianne continued to chat to Denny, her voice getting lower and more hypnotic. The other half of their brain was asking how they’d got into this position where they resented Denny was spending his birthday with his own family, instead of an adult he’d known for a few short months. But itdidhurt. Whether it was appropriate or not, they’d developed a bond with Denny that felt real. Their feelings for his mum were a whole other problem. She’d just described Inishderry as home. Did she really think of it that way? Theyjumped when Marianne’s cool hand touched their arm, a damp cloth wiping off the sticky fingerprints.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have given him those berries.”
Denny’s head was lolling against the side of his car seat. Marianne placed the cloth on the dashboard. “At least we’ll get some peace for a while, now. The motion of a car always settles him.”
Joey kept their eyes on the road. “And how do you feel now about seeing Amira and her family?”
“It’s starting to feel a little real.” Marianne let out a long breath. “But I need to make it work, Joey. For Denny’s sake.”
