Page 13 of Harbor Lights (Inishderry Island Romances #3)

“Yeah.” It wasn’t Shiv’s place to reeducate people on their GP’s name. “She said there’s a track near the cabin down to a little beach I might enjoy, but I’d find it difficult to locate without being shown.”

“Yeah, it’s easier to find if someone shows you.” Tierney unfolded herself from the chair. “Wanna go now?”

“Oh, no you don’t.” Kasia appeared in the doorway, Peggy toddling along behind her. “You said you’d watch Pegeen while I finish the laundry.”

“We’ll take her with us.” Tierney leaned down and held out her hands. “Want to go for a drive, sweetie?”

Pegeen let out a stream of babble that sounded like nonsense to Shiv, but Tierney swung her around. “Clever girl, that’s right. Brum brum.” She carried the child on her shoulders to the door.

Kasia rolled her eyes at Shiv. “How are you getting on? I heard you did some work at the surgery in Portrinn.”

Of course you heard. “Yeah, I’ve finished the work my granddad’s prepared to pay me for, so I’m picking up jobs where I can.” No one need know she’d done the work for Con for free.

“Well, we struggle to find people to do work here, so if you’re happy to turn your hand to anything, I’ll give you a call.”

“Yeah, thanks I’d appreciate it.” A few days ago, she’d been worried about how to feed herself. Looked like soon she’d be beating off work offers with a stick.

A car horn sounded from outside.

“That’s Tierney out front. Please don’t let her get distracted for too long. We’ve guests arriving tomorrow.”

“I’ll send her straight back when she’s shown me the beach. Thanks, Kasia, see you soon.”

Shiv ran outside to a tiny white car with a blue kayak strapped to a rack on the roof.

“Do you carry a kayak everywhere?” She slid in next to Tierney and waved to Pegeen, who chattered back.

“No. Well, yes, sometimes. But this one’s for you to borrow, if you want.”

Shiv was speechless for a moment at the kind and thoughtful gesture.

“I can take it back if you don’t like paddling. It was just a thought.” Tierney glanced at her. “Sorry, Kasia says I’m too enthusiastic sometimes. That not everyone shares my passions. But it’s great paddling up there at the cliffs if you know what you’re doing, and I just thought?—”

“No, it’s a great idea, Tierney, thank you. I’ve done some technical river kayaking, so I’d love to give it a try.”

“Cool.” Tierney beamed as she pulled up outside the cabin and they got out.

“I brought you a helmet and a life vest as well.” Tierney lifted them from the back seat, along with a paddle broken down into two parts.

“How far is the walk down to the beach?” Shiv wondered how they were going to navigate a kayak and a small child down a cliff path.

“Not too far, but there’s somewhere you can tie it up safely, so once it’s down there you can leave it.

Don’t worry, I come fully equipped.” Tierney pulled out a set of wheels for the kayak, then together they lifted it down from the roof and attached it.

Tierney then pulled out a backpack with a stand attached.

Shiv wasn’t quite sure what it was until she lifted Pegeen out of the car seat and slid her in.

She added a couple of water bottles, then hoisted the pack onto her back and strapped it on. Pegeen waved from over her shoulder.

“You’re pretty good at this baby thing.” Shiv lifted the end of the kayak and wheeled it toward the cliff path, Tierney walking alongside.

“I guess so. I always enjoyed activities that required a lot of equipment, so I was well prepared for the biggest adventure of my life.”

Pegeen giggled and pulled at her ear.

“Some of the other stuff was a shock to start with. The sleep deprivation especially.” She passed a teething toy back to Pegeen, presumably to distract her from removing any body parts.

“But we worked through it together. And it does get easier.”

Pegeen banged the toy on the top of Tierney’s head, and she winced. “See?”

They laughed together as Tierney guided them toward a large, diamond shaped rock. Behind it, a grassy track led diagonally down the side of the hill.

“It’s the only way to get down and you can’t see the beach from the top, so you kinda need to know it’s there.”

The cliffs rose, sheer and rugged on either side as they descended.

“It can be dangerous up there. There have been a few fatalities over the years. Visitors who got lost, and even the occasional islander caught out by the weather.”

“Yeah, I was warned to stay well away in bad visibility.”

“High winds, too. Same goes for paddling out here.” Tierney indicated the small beach they’d reached.

It was a glistening stretch of white sand, enclosed by the towering cliffs.

“It looks beautiful here, but never go out if you can see waves further out. You’re sheltered up close to the cliffs, but once you get out into open water, it can be brutal.

If you’re ever unsure, give me a call and I’ll give you a weather report. ”

“Thanks, I appreciate all of this.”

“No problem. It would be a shame for you to have this on your doorstep and not be able to enjoy it.”

Tierney pointed out the stone ledge at the back of the beach where Shiv could store the kayak. “The sea never comes up this far except in a really bad storm, but you can secure it there.” She indicated a metal ring embedded in the rock.

Shiv tied up the boat and, as she walked back up the shingle at the top of the beach, a splash of blue among the grays and browns drew her gaze.

She reached down and retrieved a piece of sea glass, almost heart-shaped, with stripes of various blues.

It was beautiful. When she’d been trying to take her mind off the pain of the sutures in her arm that first night at the doctor’s office, she’d focused on a glass display shelf on the wall.

Along it had been a row of sea glass; greens at one end, through turquoise and ending in deep blue.

She’d wanted to ask about it, but it hadn’t felt appropriate, and then it had slipped her mind.

Now she wondered if this piece would be a welcome addition to Con’s collection.

She shoved it in her pocket and hoped she’d remember to deliver it.

When she returned to Tierney, they hiked back up the path, Tierney keeping up with Shiv’s challenging pace all the way.

They got to the top, both slightly out of breath.

“I’d better get back. Enjoy your paddling.”

Shiv walked her back to the car and helped get Pegeen buckled back in before she waved them off. She picked up her new paddling kit and took it into the house. Why did she feel more at home here with every passing day, when all she’d been looking for was a temporary escape?

She packed the kit away. Her enthusiasm for getting to know Con better had a lot to do with her settled feeling, she decided, though that was unusual for her.

She made connections easily enough, and she was friendly with the people she worked closely with.

But she wanted to really get to know the compassionate—if slightly brusque—doctor, and that surprised her.