Page 44 of A Change of Heart

“Yes. You were brilliant.”

She put her hands together in a prayer-like gesture and pressed her index fingers to her lips. “Does that mean I can have a job?”

“I guess so.” He nodded slowly.

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic. If you don’t want me to give me a job you can say so.”

Kit sank onto the passenger seat, sitting sideways so he faced Keira, who stood beside the train. “Sorry,” he said, raking his hands through his hair. “When we first talked about you working with me, I thought taking a couple of days off each week sounded pretty nice … but with everything with Seren …”

“Work’s a good distraction?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He’d even been thinking of adding another tour into the daily schedule to keep himself busy.

“It’s totally fine,” Keira said in a rush, smiling through her evident disappointment. “I understand. At least I know what I’m doing now, so I can jump in if you ever want time off or if you’re ill or anything.”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Her smile looked forced, and he was slightly worried she might start crying. “I had fun today anyway,” she said firmly. “I got lots of tips too.” She pulled a bunch of notes and coins from her pocket and held them out to him.

“That’s yours,” he said, when he registered that she was waiting for him to take the money.

“All of it?” she asked. “Don’t we share it?”

“I didn’t do anything. Why should I take your tips?”

“It’s quite a lot of money.” She looked down at it thoughtfully. “Do you get tips like this every time you take a tour?”

“It varies, but that looks pretty standard.”

Keira dropped the coins into her pocket, then straightened out the notes. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m probably going to spend a lot of time hoping you get ill. Nothing serious, of course, just a head cold that forces you to spend a few days in bed.”

Kit shook his head in amusement. “Sod it, you can have a job.”

“But you just said you want to work more.”

“I know, but I’d already offered you work. It’s pretty crap of me to go back on it after you’ve spent so much time memorising facts about the island. Working seven days a week isn’t going to help me get over Seren anyway. I’d be better off finding something else to do with my time.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged as he stood up. “I volunteer at the lifesaving club and I’m always saying that if I had more time I’d help out more. They’re desperate for swim instructors and for people to help run the kids’ clubs over the summer.” He pondered the idea for a moment and decided that would keep his mind much more occupied than just doing the train tours. Teaching local kids about water safety always felt fulfilling too – like he was doing something worthwhile.

“You’re a swimming teacher?” Keira asked in surprise.

“Yeah. I got certified when I was eighteen and offered classes for a while before I bought the train. Sometimes I give private lessons if someone specifically asks, but it’s not something I do regularly any more. Which is a shame. I enjoy it.”

“So, it would be useful for me to help with the train?”

“Yeah. Would it be okay for you to work every morning from Monday to Friday in August? That would free me up to help with the kids’ club.”

“I’d love to. My other work is flexible. I can do that in the afternoons.”

“Perfect. We’ll have to figure out a schedule for the rest of the time. See what’s best for us both.”

Keira beamed from ear to ear and smothered Kit in a hug. “Thank you so much. I’ve never been this excited about a job before.” She released him and took a step back. “I’ve worked in marketing for the past eight years, so if you need any help with the advertising and marketing side of things just let me know.”

“I’ll bear it in mind.”

“When should I start?”