Page 1 of Harbor Lights

PROLOGUE

Blinkingin the hazy autumn sunlight, Siobhán Walsh stepped out onto the wet street in boots that felt too heavy. The thud of the solid door closing behind her resonated in her skull. It didn’t help with the headache she’d had almost continuously for the past twelve months.I’m finally on the right side of the bars.

She dragged her feet toward the bus stop further down the street and dropped onto the bench. A shuffle through the meager possessions in her pockets produced the disposable plastic money card that would get her to the city. Her cell phone was dead, of course. She could’ve agreed for her mom to come pick her up, but she didn’t want to share this humiliating day with anyone she cared about. And if the rumors Bernie had shared were true, she couldn’t afford to be anywhere near her mom. She could explain later, once she’d put some space between them.

“Ugh.” She banged her head back against the metal of the bus shelter. How had her life gotten into such a mess? All she’d ever tried to do was the right thing.

The bus trundled toward her. Shiv pulled herself to her feet and waved her hand. She ignored the driver’s judgmental stare as she boarded. He probably saw plenty of women like her waiting at this stop. Pale from spending too much time indoors, itching in clothes they weren’t used to wearing, and clutching a shopping bag with their few meagre belongings.

She dropped into a seat, momentarily surprised at the cushioning. It was just a simple bus seat, but it was still the most comfortable thing she’d sat on in twelve months.

She ran her fingers along the rough pile of the fabric and gathered her thoughts. If Bernie was true to his word, he’d be waiting for her in the city. The gate money card would get her a phone charger, a change of clothes and hopefully a night in some dive of a hotel. More importantly, Bernie had promised he’d find the money for an airline ticket to England. So that she could get out of here, far away from her mom, and lay low for a while. She was relying on him bringing the bag she’d left behind when the cops had raided her RV. The vehicle would’ve been quickly claimed by other activists after she was sent to jail, but she hoped someone had kept her documents safe. Her mom had always drummed into her that it was useful to have all the passports she could qualify for. She’d thought it a little excessive, but she’d kept every one of them valid in case she ever needed them. Now, her British passport gave her the means to leave the country indefinitely.

She hunched down in the seat, squeezing her fists until her nails almost drew blood. How the hell had she ended up so out of options? Making powerful enemies had been fine when she could stay under the radar, drift from place to place, and pick and choose her fights. But one incident she couldn’t walk away from had led her to this. She’d sacrificed a year of her life. There was no going back to her old one. But if she had to make that decision all over again, even knowing what the last year had brought, she’d still do the same.

The bus pulled up outside a shopping mall. A digital display flashed between the temperature and the date. Listlessly, she stared at it. October eighth. In another version of her life, she’d be celebrating with her friends. Her mom would’ve baked her a cake. But instead, here she was. Out of luck and on the run.Happy fortieth birthday, dumbass.

ONE

“What the hellis wrong with this house?” Constance “Doc” Scott kicked at the base of the door, where it caught on the flagstones. “It’s got it in for me.”

She finally dragged it open and dropped her luggage inside the hallway. When she tried to close the door, it stuck fast. She gave it another kick and left it ajar. Her immediate priority was a cup of tea.

She filled the kettle from the antique faucet. “At least that’s still working.”

She appreciated the efforts of her friend, Joey, who tried to help with the maintenance of the house, but it was a never-ending struggle. No sooner was one thing fixed, something else broke. But Joey had a demanding job fishing the local waters, and they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship with their girlfriend, Marianne. She couldn’t keep asking.

Con knew she could do some repairs herself. When her hot flashes kept her awake at night, she made a mental list of the tasks she could start the following morning. Then she’d wake up unrested, and in the cold light of day, the scale of repairs seemed insurmountable. So, she’d move the list to the back of her brain, promising she’d pick it up again soon.

She took her mug and collapsed onto her favorite couch in the lounge. The lack of view from the window was yet another reminder of jobs that needed doing. The beautiful sea vista had been obscured for the past few years by shrubbery that hadn’t been trimmed since Majella left. Majella. She had to stop agreeing to all these visits her ex asked of her.

The buzzing of her phone diverted her thoughts. She pulled it from her blazer pocket and smiled to see Joey’s name.

Are you back? Just returning from deliveries. We could grab a coffee at Tina’s in twenty minutes if you’re free?

Con typed out her response immediately.

Would love that. See you there.

She finished her tea and stood, a weight lifting from her shoulders. She’d been happy beyond words to see her best friend finally find their soulmate. Joey was too good and kind to be without the love they deserved.

She’d fretted that an already overstretched Joey would have even less time for their old friend. But to her surprise, if anything, they’d become closer. Joey had decided Con, with her experience of a long-term partner, was the perfect person to share their worries and concerns about their own first serious relationship. Not that it wasn’t going smoothly, but Joey tended to overthink things, and Con knew exactly how to tease them back on the right track. She wished she could do the same for herself, but if Joey’s relationship worked out better than her own had, that would bring her some happiness. She was very grateful to have Joey in her life.

She washed out the mug in the farmhouse sink and hauled her bags to the bedroom. She could unpack later. She checked her appearance in her full-length mirror. A little wax to fix her hair back in place and a drop of cologne on her wrists made her feel more presentable. She straightened the crumpled linen of her green blazer and was content enough with her appearance to face the village.

She hauled on the door as she left and was relieved when it ground across the tiles and closed behind her. She’d ask down in the Harbor Bar, next time she was there, if anyone could spare the time to fix it. She didn’t like to ask because the locals felt obliged to help her out, and then she’d have to insist on paying. But she had to have a door her patients could open.

She glanced at her battered Land Rover sitting in the yard, and turned away toward the cliff path that passed below her house. She’d spent too much time today behind the wheel or crammed into a budget airline seat. A brisk walk down to the village would do her good.

As the path wound below her uncultivated garden, the undergrowth thinned and the harbor of Portrinn came into view. The afternoon had brightened after a rainy morning and the sun glinted off the waves in the bay. The harbor itself lay snugly within the stone walls, the water calm and protected from the ocean. Joey O’Hara’s small white fishing boat, Queen Maedbh, sat bobbing near the quay.

Con was fond of her village. Aside from studying, and a short time traveling, she’d lived here all her life. As had seven generations of her family before her.

Majella had considered it too simplistic, inconveniently placed for commuting to the university at Galway, where she’d found a lecturing job after Con came home to join her father’s practice. But she’d seemed to settle, putting her mark on the rambling house Con’s father signed over to her upon his retirement, and hosting parties for her academic friends. It had been enough.

Until it wasn’t.

Spending the weekend with Majella, her wife Audrey, and Audrey’s family had brought all the old regrets back to the surface. Con hadn’t wanted to go to the wedding, but Majella had convinced her it would do her good, and Majella would have a much better time with her oldest friend by her side. But they weren’t friends, were they? Friends didn’t have a painful history; a day one of them could remember like it was yesterday. A day when everything changed, and the world became a darker place.

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