Page 58 of Changing Tides
“And how are things with Marianne? Have you got close?”
“No. Yes. I guess.” They took a breath. “I kissed her a few weeks ago. It was a mistake.”
“Was it?”
“It felt like a disaster. I thought I’d invented the whole thing. I had a few bad days, but I swam, and I forced myself to get back to work.” They ran their damp palms across their knees. “And I eventually talked to Mari, and we’re all good.”
“Good, or ignoring how you feel?”
“We talked it through. It’s not right for either of us. She’s got to rebuild her life and it’s not going to be on Inishderry, is it?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t party to the conversation.”
“You know who Marianne Browne is. What do you think?” Joey folded their arms.
“Is it all about her career? I heard she has a very young child in tow.”
“You hear a lot, don’t you? His name’s Denny and he’s the best kid ever.”Why did I have to say that?
“So, it’s not just the hot chef you’ve fallen for?”
“I haven’t fallen for anyone. Yes, Marianne is very attractive but she’s also a wonderful, kind, clever person. Being around her makes me happy. Ditto her kid. And even if I wanted to avoid them completely, I’d never be able to do that while they’re living in Inishderry. I’ll be okay.”
Doc stood and moved over to the laptop in the corner. Somewhere out of sight, a printer whirred into action and Doc reached under the counter.
“Here you go. In case you need it.” She slapped the slip of paper onto the desk. “Now we’ve covered the professional part, how about we go and get some lunch, and you can tell me more about Marianne? As a friend.”
Joey wasn’t sure how much talking about Marianne they wanted to do. “I’m supposed to be getting back.”
“For what?”
Their mind went blank and they stared silently at Doc. They must stock up on excuses for when they needed them.
“I thought so. I’ll buy and you don’t need to answer any of my questions if you don’t want to.”
Joey sighed. They were hungry and Doc would appreciate the company. “I can spare an hour.” They got up and headed for the door. “And you’re definitely paying.”
By the time they crossed the bay toward the Inishderry lighthouse, Joey had to admit they felt more relaxed about Marianne. Outside of work, Doc was good company, and her gentle teasing had made Joey rethink their approach.
Most importantly, Doc had told Joey they should do what felt right, and not get too hung up on the long term. They knew that made sense. If they went through life always looking for reasons something might fail, they’d never take a chance on anything. Not that they thought taking a chance with Marianne was on the cards. But it would do them good to stop obsessing about the whole situation and just enjoy life a little.
TWENTY-THREE
Joey was grillingfish while Marianne relaxed in the hammock, drinking wine and watching them cook. For all their other insecurities, cooking for a chef didn’t seem to bother them at all. It was a welcome change for Marianne. People had always used the excuse that they couldn’t possibly cook for her as she’d be disappointed, so she’d frequently ended up entertaining others on her nights off. So tonight felt like a real treat.
“That smells amazing.” She swung in the hammock and looked out at the darkening sea. Joey’s cottage truly was in a beautiful spot. Marianne’s rented cottage was spacious, and she’d been gradually painting it to be more cheerful, but she missed being this close to the water. Which seemed ridiculous on an island where you were never more than a fifteen-minute walk from the sea. But she loved being lulled to sleep by the waves at Joey’s place.
“Hopefully, it’ll taste just as good.” Joey turned, spatula in hand, bare feet sticking out from their faded jeans. They’d swapped out their usual sweater for a well-worn plaid shirt with the sleeves cut off, and their hair was brushed and shiny and hung down to their collar with a bounce. Marianne was taken once again by how attracted she was to them. She’d alwaysbeen drawn to outgoing, sophisticated women; Joey O’Hara was none of those things. But she no longer wanted to ignore the connection, physical and emotional, she felt in their presence.
Grinning, Joey waved the spatula. “Are you still here?”
“Oh, yeah, just enjoying the view.”
Joey turned and looked out over the bay. “I never tire of it.”
They were so oblivious to how good looking they were. Marianne had seen tourists subtly flirting with them after a shellfish safari. Sometimes not so subtly. But as far as she had seen, Joey always escaped as quickly as possible and avoided them until they left on the ferry.
She tipped herself out of the hammock and approached Joey from behind as they stood distracted by the view. She slid her arms around their waist and their whole body tensed.
