I decide to say something before he does. ‘I take it that you don’t want me to stay on, what with me not liking oysters?’
‘On the contrary.’ He wipes the back of his wrist across his mouth. ‘The job’s yours if you want it.’ He brushes some bits of shell off the table. I’m confused and begin to say so, but just then Grace jumps up and starts barking. There’s a car pulling in through the gates. Sean frowns, slides off the kitchen table and goes to investigate. He opens the door to let Grace out, whooping and howling. Sean groans. I stand and reach on tiptoe to see round him. Then it’s my turn to groan.
‘Morning, both.’ The Garda from yesterday smiles as he climbs the haphazard steps. Grace’s barking stops and she’s sniffing at his shins now.
‘What can we do for you, Eamon?’ Sean practically growls as he grabs up the bag of oysters, puts them on the work surface and stands in front of them while the Garda steps into the cottage.
‘Garda Eamon,’ the man corrects, touching the brim of his hat. Sean ignores him, which makes me smile. The Garda is very full of himself, just as he was at the scene of the accident when he asked me if I was attempting to take part in the National Camper Van Diving Contest.
At the time I was still in shock. I’d just received a text from Kimberly at TheCoffee House. Brian was back in work. Kimberly had served him and he’d changed his order. Brian never changed his order. Instead of his skinny latte and Caesar salad he’d had a bacon buttie and a cream horn. I felt like I didn’t exist in that world any more. The tears had come thick and fast. I’d thrown the phone into the passenger seat and driven through the blurry vision. I hadn’t seen the road come to an end, or the sea wall that I hit.
The Garda looks around the cottage, then back at me.
‘Just keeping an eye on the defendant.’ He gives me a stern look. I look from him to Sean.
‘I’m not the defendant. You let me off, remember?’
‘Still, it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye,’ the Garda says. The only reason I’m not in court is because he was at the end of his shift when I crashed and he didn’t want the paperwork. He made me pay the camper van reps for the damage when they came to retrieve the ‘stolen vehicle’, and that was that. I’d used the very last of my money, which was why I was taking a job that in a careers interview would be at the very bottom of the list of suitable posts for me, given my fear of water, dislike of oysters and lack of experience with the countryside.
‘So, I see you’ve taken responsibility for the defendant?’ he says to Sean.
‘I’m not the defendant!’ I want to shout, but don’t.
‘Fi’s considering working for me, yes.’ Sean’s leaning against the work surface with his arms folded. ‘Isn’t that right, English?’ He puts the ball firmly back in my court and tucks the corner of the oyster bag behind him, as if he’s trying to hide them.
‘That’s right,’ I nod, a bit puzzled.
‘Good,’ the Garda says. I feel like I’m on probation, but I’m not – I paid for the damage!
Sean looks irritated too. It was the Garda who put me on to Sean and I was grateful at the time, but now I thinkit’s just because he likes to know where his local ‘criminals’ are staying, to keep an eye on them. I can just imagine Betty and Kimberly’s faces if they heard I was considered to be a local crimewave. I put my hand over my mouth to make sure I’m not smiling. The Garda gives me a hard stare which makes me nervous and makes me want to laugh at the same time, so I try and frown and squeeze my cheeks with my thumb and forefinger. Sean catches my eye and gives me the swiftest of winks. He’s smiling too, in the corner of his mouth.
‘Hope you’re not thinking of taking that boat out in weather like this,’ the Garda says bossily.
‘Garda Eamon, is there anything I can do for you? Or did you just come by to tell me when I can and can’t sail my boat?’ Sean unfolds his arms.
‘No, like I say, just a friendly visit.’ He takes off his hat and pulls out a chair. ‘I’ve probably time for a quick coffee before I need to get back on duty.’ He goes to sit down and my heart sinks.
Sean grabs his coat.
‘We’ve no time for coffee drinking here. We’ve work to do, now if you don’t mind …?’ Sean stands up straight but doesn’t move. Garda Eamon looks taken aback. Then, with a slight nod of his head to Sean and another stare that tells me he’s watching me, he leaves. Sean lets the door slam shut behind him and we both let out our smiles. The tension between us seems to have lifted.
‘Don’t mind him, ideas bigger than his station, literally,’ says Sean, pulling on his wax jacket. We smile again and he grabs the bag of oysters.
‘Must get these back in the water,’ he says softly.
‘Thank you,’ I say, and stand up. Behind me another pile of paperwork spills over in the draught.
‘So you’ll stay?’
I nod, a lot more firmly than I mean to.
‘How about we call it a month’s trial? See how we likeeach other? We should have had the inspection by then. Then we’ll both know where we stand. Deal?’ He puts out his hand for me to shake.
‘Deal,’ I say. I shake his hand firmly. ‘I’m a hard worker,’ I feel the need to tell him. He holds on to my hand, as if making sure he’s got my attention.
‘I may live here on my own …’ He stares straight at me with those dark eyes, as if the curtains were drawn on them a long time ago, ‘… and you may hear things about me in the village. Most of it will be untrue. But you have my word I’m only interested in having you here to help out with my workload. I am certainly not interested in you in any other way.’
My stomach nervously flips over. ‘And to help with Grace, of course.’ I give a little laugh, trying to find a way round my embarrassment.
