Page 39 of Summer in Sunset Harbour
Something was wrong, Josie could feel it.
19
The Need to Bury Oneself
‘You look hungover.’
Tiffany gave Josie a bleary-eyed smile and tucked a strand of loose hair up under a tall woollen hat that resembled a tea cosy. ‘Don’t you know, hangovers only affect people over the age of thirty. I prefer to call it “lack of the required amount of sleep”. Had I not been so dedicated to my work, I would still be hiding under the covers.’
‘Good night at the pub?’
Tiffany grinned. ‘What happens in The Horse and Buoy, stays in The Horse and Buoy. You know that, Mum. But let’s just say that when you add farmers to fishermen and sprinkle a little cider over the top, you get mayhem.’ She gave an emphatic swipe of her brow. ‘And I thought Fresher’s Week was a wild party. Ain’t no party like a Cornish fishing village party.’
‘I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Nice hat.’
‘Cool, isn’t it? I got it in a craft shop just up the road from the pub.’
‘Don’t you have enough hats by now?’
‘There’s no such thing as too many hats.’
‘Are you sure it’s actually a hat? It’s got holes.’
‘They’re artistic.’
Josie smiled. ‘If you say so. What’s on the schedule for today?’
Tiffany’s smile dropped. ‘Oh, the drama. Someone from the council’s coming in to check the septic tank and the sewage pipes from the shower and toilet block. Got to get that form stamped, Mum.’
‘How are we paying for this?’
‘I secured us a small loan.’
‘Really?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ve used your half of the sale of our house for collateral. It’s all good.’
‘What? Aren’t I supposed to sign for something like that?’
Tiffany pulled a sheet of paper out from under a pile of other sheets of paper, a seemingly jumbled mess. She poked a finger at a box at the bottom of the scrawl of legal jargon.
‘Yep. Right here.’
‘Tiffany—’
‘It’s all good. We just need the collateral. Nat said you’re good to clear it out of the profits, Hilda’s offered to cover it if necessary, and … drum roll?’
‘Huh?’
‘Wave your hands about a bit, please.’
Josie flapped her hands in the air and made a drum sound that made her feel like a performing turkey despite the chuckle it brought from Tiffany.
‘And … from September I’ll be making the big medical bucks. I’ve applied for a residency spot at a place in Plymouth. William—Rachel’s fiancé—said he’d put in a good word.’
Josie let out a little squeal. ‘Oh, that’s lovely. So, you’re going to go back?’
‘I can’t waste five years of studying, can I? Although I might be going pro rata. Not sure I can handle the full-time hours. Plus, I’ve also got an eye on one of those international positions, you know, helping out kids in Africa, something like that.’
