Page 40 of Harbor Lights

Shiv’s brows drew together. “Uh, I dunno.”

“I can ask Kasia for a table out of the main restaurant.”

Shiv blinked. “No, don’t. I’ll be okay. Let’s do this.” Her smile was shaky.

Con wondered how bad things had been in jail to scar her this badly. “If you’re sure?” She stood and rubbed her belly. “I’m starving.”

“Me too.” Shiv smiled more widely. She turned, grabbed an old coat from the back of the door and pulled it on.

“You cut your hair.”

Shiv glanced at her. “Just shaved the sides with some old clippers I picked up in the community center yard sale.”

“It looks… good.” It wasn’t a hairstyle Con could really relate to, but it worked well on Shiv.

Shiv grinned as they stepped out into the cold evening air. “Thanks?” She pulled up the collar on her baggy old coat.

They strolled down the hill in comfortable silence and took a left to walk the long way through the village. Her inner voice told Con to slip her arm through Shiv’s. She resisted it, though, and chased the voice to the dark recesses of her mind.

“What’s your favorite part of living on the island?” She was genuinely interested in the way Shiv had adapted from a life on the open roads of the US to this tiny community. Although she guessed the intervening year without any freedom may have reset her wandering itch.

Shiv turned and regarded her. “There’s a lot I like. The people are pretty cool. They look after each other, which is something I’ve always had in my life. I don’t think I could live in a city or even a town where no one knows you.”

“The island community is very special.”

“And I love the wildness of it. The wind and the sky. At night the stars are like they were in the desert.”

“Sounds like you’re getting fond of this little island. Maybe it really is in your blood.”

“My grandfather is gonna kick me out of the house come spring, so he clearly doesn’t think I belong here.”

“Doc! Siobhán!”

They turned to see who was calling. Aoife Walsh was getting out of her car in front of her house, her older daughter, Gracie, following behind.

“Hey, Aoife, how’s life?” Con was always pleased to see the red-haired ferry captain, but it had been her twin, Christy, working the ferry today.

“Hey, Siobhán, we’ve not met properly yet. I’m Aoife, and this is my eldest, Grace.”

Shiv took her proffered hand and tipped her head toward the sullen girl.

Aoife turned back to Con. “Not so bad. I had to take a day off to go to a meeting at Gracie’s school because she’s been bunking off, but other than that, we’re all good.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “I was bored, and I went to the park. Everyone’s making a big deal of it.”

Con hadn’t seen her for a couple of months and was surprised at the change from sweet little girl to gangly twelve-going-on-seventeen-year-old. She jammed her fists in her jeans jacket pockets in a way that reminded Con of Shiv. Well, theywererelated.

“School’s important, Gracie. You’ll soon be finishing for the Christmas break, and then you can spend all the time in the park you want.”

“Yeah, stuck on this island. All my friends are in town.”

“At least you’ve got some contacts in the ferry business.”

Gracie did a fake laugh and wandered into the house.

“Sorry, Doc. No one warns you about this when you’re carrying a tiny cute little newborn.”

Con smiled. “We’re off for dinner at the Waterside.” Her stomach rumbled to emphasize the urgency.

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