Page 53 of Harbor Lights

It was less of a suggestion than a command, and Con grinned at Shiv and held up her hands. Shiv rolled her eyes.

“Okay, but we’re only here for coffee.” Shiv tramped toward the stairs, making a squishy noise as she went.

When she’d disappeared upstairs, Kasia turned. “She doesn’t look after herself properly. Bigger things on her mind, I guess.”

“She’s okay.” Con felt uncomfortable talking about Shiv when she wasn’t there. “Can we get coffee in the lobby, please? We only came in to get out of the rain.”

Kasia grabbed a mop from the corner and started to clean up the puddle Shiv had left behind. “I think you left it a little late. Sit down, and I’ll ask the kitchen to bring some coffee.”

Con took the mop from her hands. “How about I clean up the mess we made?”

Kasia smiled gratefully and returned to her desk. She picked up the phone and asked for a pot of coffee for three.

“Mind if I join you?” She regarded Con from over the desk.

“Not at all.” Con returned the mop to its corner and flopped onto one of the comfortable fabric sofas in the lobby. She did mind a little. Time alone with Shiv felt precious. But she couldn’t keep her all to herself. Shiv needed other friendships, too.

Colette, the head chef, appeared a few minutes later with a jug of coffee. Kasia smiled as she passed her en route for the main staircase. “Thanks, Colette. Doc, I’ll be two minutes. Problem in room three.” She took the stairs two at a time.

“The head chef serving coffee?” Con winked at Colette.

Colette laughed, perched on the back of the chair, and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She wasn’t in her chef’s whites yet. “I just arrived for work and heard Kasia calling for coffee. I thought I’d pop out and see who was visiting.”

“It’s only me and...”

Footsteps sounded on the stairs above.

“This is Tierney’s cousin, Shiv. Have you met?”

“No, not yet.” Colette straightened as Shiv arrived at the foot of the stairs. She was dressed in an oversized purple Walsh Watersports hoodie and some borrowed sweatpants rolled up at the bottom. She looked adorable, apart from the scowl on her face.

“Tierney made me change everything and then insisted on washing—” She blinked at Colette. “Hi.”

“Siobhán Walsh, meet Colette O’Leary, the Waterside’s head chef.”

Colette’s smile was dazzling as she approached Shiv, and Con could see her defensiveness melt under its glare. Shiv grasped her outstretched hand and nodded with a shy smile.

“Sorry we’ve not met. Kasia keeps me chained up in the kitchen.”

“I heard that.” Kasia’s voice sounded from the top of the main staircase as she quickly descended. “You’re early. Stay and have coffee with us. I’ll get another cup.” She left again in the direction of the dining room.

“Sometimes, just watching Kasia is enough to tire me out.” Con moved up as Shiv settled on the couch next to her.

“Imagine working for her.” Colette poured a mug for each of them, then straightened as Kasia returned. She took the extra mug and filled that, too. Kasia added a jug of cream and a bowl of sugar to the table.

“Help yourselves.”

Con watched Shiv add a splash of cream and two sugar lumps to her coffee. She was caught out on her observation when Shiv turned, jug in hand. “Cream?”

“I take mine black, thanks.”

She tried to remember if she’d offered Shiv sugar when she’d been at the house. She wasn’t sure there was any sugar in the larder. She would make sure she had some for next time.

“Doc?”

She blinked and turned to Kasia. “Sorry?”

“Shiv is telling us you have secret plans for the shed on the lane.”

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