Page 10 of Harbor Lights (Inishderry Island Romances #3)

SEVEN

The sound of the drill made Con grit her teeth. “Sorry, Bridie, I didn’t catch that.”

She’d been surprised when Shiv had turned up for her appointment with a bag of tools. While she appreciated the gesture, the noise was a little off-putting while she had patients at the surgery.

“Excuse me, I’ll just be a moment.” She closed the surgery door behind her and rolled her eyes at Maura as she passed the reception room.

With her back to Con, Shiv hefted a drill that looked almost half her size. The front door lay outside, resting against the garden wall. She watched for a moment as Shiv’s arms, bare beneath a sleeveless plaid shirt, rippled with muscle. How could someone so small be that strong?

“Shiv.”

Shiv turned, a screw between her teeth. She rested the drill against her leg and removed the screw. “Everything okay, Doc?” A droplet of sweat rolled down the shaved side of her head and Con wanted to wipe it away with her finger.

She blinked. Was she really having inappropriate thoughts about this woman young enough to be her daughter? A patient, no less. And she couldn’t be any less her type.

“It’s a little noisy while I’ve got patients. I thought you said it probably just needed a little oil?”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Shiv put down her tool and scratched at the side of her head.

“It was much worse than that. The wood of the doorframe was rotten and had made the hinge drop. The more you kicked it, the worse it was getting. I’ve had to replace the wood and rehang the door.

” She indicated the new piece of wood in the frame.

Con failed to hide her look of horror at the repairs Shiv had undertaken without her consent.

“Hey, it’s okay. I found the wood in your shed. And the paint for the door, right at the back. It looks a little old, but it’ll be okay to patch it up.” She put her hand on Con’s arm. “Are you okay?”

No, she wasn’t okay. She was reliving the moment when she’d discovered Majella painting the front door purple.

Her initial shock had been replaced with laughter watching Majella dance about with a big streak of paint decorating her cheek.

She had never finished the job, and eventually Con had got the paintbrush out and done it herself.

She clenched her fists and relaxed them. “I would’ve appreciated you asking before you started dismantling my house, but it’s done now.”

Shiv’s brows met over her pale, feral eyes. “You had patients with you all afternoon, and I kinda thought having a working front door was a non-negotiable.”

Con took a long, calming breath. What was her problem? “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just… Could you wait until surgery’s over to do the drilling?”

Shiv checked the military style watch on her wrist. “Yeah, I guess. I could fix that loose paving stone outside and cut some of the vegetation back from the path.”

Con blinked. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

Shiv hoisted her drill back into the case. “You said you were concerned about your patients’ safety.” She turned to Con. “And you helped me. I need to pay you back.”

Con nodded. “I must get back to Mrs. Dwyer. Help yourself to anything from the kitchen.” She turned on her heel. “And drink plenty of water.”

“Yes, Doctor.” Shiv’s muttered comment had a hint of laughter to it.

She was still wondering if Shiv was laughing at her, or with her, when she sat back down.

“I am so sorry about that, Bridie. Now, tell me more about these funny turns.”

She successfully put thoughts of Shiv Walsh and her tawny eyes out of her mind for the remainder of her working day, apart from a moment when she caught a glimpse of her, shovel in hand, outside on the path. She’d stood and lowered the blind a little and continued with her consultation.

She stood again, now, relieved to be finished with her last patient. “That’s good to hear, Pat. We’ll keep on with the medication and I’ll see you in another two weeks.”

He followed her to the door, which she held open in anticipation.

“Good to see you’re getting some work done on the house, Doc. It was some place in your dad’s time.”

It had been pretty impressive in her time, too, until she’d stopped trying. “Thanks, Pat. There were some things that needed to be done urgently.”

“Could you not find anyone local to do it, though? That scrawny little American doesn’t look like she’ll get much done in a hurry.”

Con led the way to the opening where the door should be, and outside to what was now a newly laid path, the paving stones even and surrounded by compacted sand.

The wilderness of her garden had at least been hacked back clear of the path.

Con was amazed at the progress Shiv had made in a few short hours. Imagine what she could do in a week.

“The scrawny American appears to have done just fine, Pat.” She waved him off and watched as he walked down the path, unimpeded by trip hazards and vicious brambles.

It opened her eyes to how bad it had got.

She really needed to up her game and make sure her workplace was fit for purpose, no matter how accepting her regular customers were.

Shiv was nowhere in sight, so she checked Maura had left for the day and headed for the kitchen.

Shiv stood with her head in the farmhouse sink, rubbing her face under the flowing water. When Con entered, Shiv turned off the tap and reached for a towel.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t be doing this in the kitchen.” She rubbed at her face and dried the shaggy front of her hair, which had been caught in the flow. Her arms were streaked with dirt and her hoodie was dusty.

“It hardly matters.” Con waved at the clutter. “I can’t believe how much you’ve got done out there. I’ll never be able to thank you.”

Shiv pulled her phone from her pocket. “That’s Joey asking if I want a ride back.

” She checked her watch. “I’ll need to say no, and try to make it to the last ferry.

” She finished typing and looked up. “I can’t leave you without a front door, can I?

” Her smile was trying for cocky, but Con saw the vulnerability behind it.

“How about you get finished and I treat you to dinner at the Harbor Lounge? If you don’t make the last ferry I’ll pay for Christy to come and get you. It’s the least I can do.”

Shiv’s smile faded a little. “I’m good, thanks, I’ve got a bar in my pack. It’ll keep me going till I get home.”

“To what?” Shiv’s point-blank refusal of hospitality was a little annoying.

Shiv blinked.

“A tin of beans heated on your camping stove?”

“I don’t like eating in company.” She looked away quickly, and Con wondered what memories were going through her head.

“That’s okay. Get finished and I’ll fix us up something here.” She winced as she remembered she’d yet to go shopping.

“Good luck with that. I went looking for milk. Your refrigerator’s almost empty.”

Con smiled with more confidence than she felt. “I have a freezer, too. What do you fancy?”

Shiv shrugged as she walked toward the door. “Anything. Vegetarian, preferably. Thanks.”

Con watched her go, then went to the cavernous pantry the size of most of her patients’ kitchens.

She dug around in the big chest freezer until she found a packet of vegetarian sausages and a pot of homemade tomato sauce one of her patients had brought her during the summer.

She reached for the pasta jar. This level of cooking she could manage, and doing it for someone else motivated her.

She wondered why she so seldom did the same for herself.

She left the ingredients to thaw while she went in search of Shiv, following the intrusive drilling noise.

“That’s the hinge back on.” Shiv stood back and eyed her handiwork. “Now I’ll get the door re-hung and we’ll be done.” She looked out at the darkening sky. “It’s getting a bit late for painting, though. Do you mind waiting until I can get over on another dry day?”

Con folded her arms. “Do I mind that you’ve transformed the front of my house in a few hours? I think I can live with a little missing paint.”

She stepped away, then turned back.

“Do you need help with the door?”

Was it rude to ask? Shiv looked as though she could handle most things, but it was a very large door.

“Uh, yeah that would be helpful while I get the hinges lined up.” Shiv looked her up and down. “Do you want to get changed first?”

She looked down at the still crisp shirt under her tweed waistcoat, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Did Shiv think she was ridiculous to dress like this every day when her very surroundings were falling down around her?

“That’s a really cool suit. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for it getting damaged.” Shiv’s steady gaze held her. “The hinges are pretty oily, though I’ve cleaned them.”

Con hesitated. Her clothes were her armor against the world. She rarely went out without a suit or a smart blazer. Her casual clothes were not for wearing in public.

“This is a work suit. I never know what it might get covered in. It’ll be okay.” That Shiv liked her suit mattered for some reason. Was it because someone younger didn’t think she was an unfashionable old dinosaur, or something else?

“Let’s get to work, then.” They lifted the door together until it was close to the hinges.

“Can you hold the weight while I lift it into place?” Shiv looked across, her biceps flexing with the effort.

Con managed a nod, her own muscles screaming from lack of use. How had she got to this? Her rowing had always given her good upper body strength, and shoulders that made her suits jackets hang well. But those days were long gone.

She grunted as she took the full weight of the door, but managed to keep it stable while Shiv got down low and hoisted it onto first one hinge, then the other. Con relaxed.

Shiv swung the door, and it moved freely above the flagstones. It closed with a satisfying click. “That’s more like it. I thought I might have to plane a little off the bottom, but it’s all good.”