Page 25 of Harbor Lights

“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.

NINE

Con couldn’t hideher joy at the sound of footsteps coming up the side of the house. It could only be Shiv, since she had no appointments for another hour.

“Hi, Shiv.” She swung open the door before Shiv had even come up the path. “Good to see you. Would you like a cup of tea?”

Calm down. Let the poor woman actually get in the door.

Shiv smiled a wide and open smile that reached her amber eyes.

“Hey there.” She slung her work bags down inside the porch. “Do you have any coffee?”

Con nodded. She’d forced herself to switch to tea to help with her hot flashes, and Tierney, the only other coffee drinker she knew, had avoided caffeine during her pregnancy, and never really took it up again. So, Con’s coffee caddy had sadly been relegated to the back of the pantry.

“I might need to grind some more beans.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m good with my water.” Shiv held up a bottle large enough to serve as a weight in a punishing gym class.

Con pushed away the disappointment that arose from not getting a few minutes to chat with Shiv over a hot drink.

“Do you want to show me some of the other work you need doing, or will I just get on with finishing the door?”

The pleasure of spending time with Shiv was tempered by the embarrassment of revealing the sorry condition of her house. “I’ll show you the problem areas if you like. Then you can fit jobs around the other work you get.”

Shiv nodded and she swung open the front door. “We may as well start with the obvious.” She stepped out into the garden. “You’ve made a wonderful start with the path, but the whole garden needs taming.”

Shiv led Con to the back of the house where two levels of lawn were overgrown and filled with weeds. “It looks like someone used to tend these lawns. I’m guessing that wasn’t you?” Her mouth quirked in a little smile and, to her surprise, Con’s lips responded in kind.

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