Chapter 12
Tierney woke with a start and took a moment to realize her phone was ringing. She checked the time as she picked up Megan’s call. It was before eight. There could only be one reason for her calling. “Meg?”
The sound of sobbing came down the line, but there were no words accompanying the anguish.
“Oh, Megan, I’m so sorry for your loss.” She wished she could be there to hold her.
The sobs took a while to subside. Megan gave a loud sniff. “She went in the early hours. It was peaceful, and I was with her. I got to say goodbye. That’ll have to be enough.”
“I’ll check flights and be with you by afternoon.”
“Please don’t. Al is here, and we’ve already made initial inquiries about a quick funeral. I want to stay till it’s done, so I’d appreciate if you could come for the service instead.”
Tierney fought down the hurt that Megan would choose support from the man she’d known a few weeks over her lifelong friend. “Of course. As soon as you’ve got details, let me know, and I’ll book a flight. Is there anything you need me to do here?”
“Just tell your dad, okay?”
“I will do. Take care and call me if you change your mind. Or if you need anything at all. I’m here.”
Megan hung up, and Tierney dialed her dad. He would have been working for an hour by now, and she instinctively stood up in case he somehow figured out she was still in bed.
“Tierney. It’s unusual to hear from you at this hour.”
She ignored the snipe. “I’ve got some sad news. Megan’s mom passed in the night. I think she’s going to be away from work until after the funeral.”
“Of course. Not everything is about work with me, Tierney.” His voice sounded strained.
“I’ll let you know when there’s a date in case you want to send flowers.” She hoped he would. Megan was his prize employee.
“I’ll attend the funeral. Let me know when you hear. We’ll take the jet; it’ll save time. Goodbye.”
Tierney stared at the phone screen. There was something odd about her dad’s behavior. Maybe she was just surprised he would be attending the funeral. Those who’d moved from Inishderry and the surrounding area to work for Walsh Properties had remained a tight-knit community, but Megan’s parents had been out of the picture for a long time. Her dad had gone back to Portrinn, where he'd slowly drunk himself to death, and her mom had spent the last two decades in a series of mental health facilities. But Tierney’s dad had taken on responsibility for Megan, so Tierney guessed his attendance made sense. Perhaps she could get him to talk about those times on their journey. There were stories she’d only ever heard from other families about their early days as immigrants, and how her dad had built his business. She’d given up asking him when she was younger, but now she wanted to know what it had been like for him, how he’d known this was what he wanted in life. Perhaps if she understood him better, it would help her find her own direction.
The sound of the engines made any attempt at conversation impossible as Tierney followed her dad to his private jet. She didn’t often fly in it as it was strictly for business use. She’d been banned from borrowing it in her twenties when she’d flown to a party that had gone on longer than expected, and the pilot had been forced to spend the night in the cabin. She’d apologized profusely afterward, but her father instructed all his staff that Tierney’s requests should be run past him. They were never approved, so she stopped asking.
She climbed up into the cabin behind him and belted in. They were already dressed for the funeral, and her dad had made it clear the itinerary was to attend the service and then leave. Screw that. She’d packed a small bag so she could stay behind and spend some time with Megan after the funeral. She could make her own way back if Megan wasn’t ready to return yet. She hoped she wouldn’t rush back into work without giving herself some time to heal, but knowing Megan, that was unlikely. When the cabin door closed, she was immediately grateful for the silence. Her dad’s appetite for the flashiest toys sometimes had its benefits.
“Let’s go, Larry,” her dad said into the intercom.
“I can’t remember the last time we traveled anywhere together.” It sounded lame as she said it, but she was desperate for the journey not to pass in silence.
Her dad’s posture was rigid, and his expression was impassive even by his standards. “It’s a funeral, not a trip to the beach.”
She winced at the sharp tone. “But we can still make use of the time together to talk, can’t we?”
“Sorry, I have emails to read.” He pulled out his laptop, ending the conversation.
Tierney tried not to take it personally, but their relationship, never easy at the best of times, felt stretched taut as a bowstring. She’d been on her best behavior lately, offering to do any property photo shoots that might be needed. She shrugged and pulled out her cell phone. She reminded herself this was for Megan. She could cope.
After an hour of silence, they landed at an airport close to the cemetery and were picked up by a car that drove them down a long, narrow lane to a small church. As soon as she saw Megan, she ran and drew her into a long hug. She had to pull back confused when Megan’s body remained stiff, and she didn’t return the embrace. “Hey, how are you holding up?”
Megan’s swollen, red eyes didn’t meet Tierney’s gaze. “I’m okay. Al has been wonderful.” She indicated a tall, good-looking man in a perfectly tailored suit hovering nearby. “I don’t know how I’d have gotten through this without him.”
Tierney clenched her jaw. “I’m glad you have him for support.”
Megan swallowed hard and took a shuddering breath. “You’re not rushing off, are you? I’d like some time with you and Kevin.”
“No, of course not. I’m here as long as you need me, but Dad’s not staying, so I’ll let him know.”
“Thanks. I’ve booked a room at a restaurant in town. Please ask him to come for an hour.”
Tierney nodded; Megan turned away to greet a group who were likely staff and residents from Brenda’s care home. Megan’s distant greeting confused her. Was she so full of herself she had imagined Megan waiting to fall into her arms and cry? All she knew was, in the same situation, there was no one she would have wanted beside her more than Megan.
She was still pondering when they left the chapel an hour later. Megan had arranged a service that celebrated the mother she loved without glossing over the lows of her life. Any parent would have been proud of a child who honored them in such a way. As she turned to tell Megan just that, she moved to a waiting car and gestured to Tierney and Kevin to take the one behind. Once again, the unsettled feeling made Tierney’s stomach turn.
“I hope this won’t drag on.” Her dad arranged his expensive wool coat as he sat opposite her. “I do need to get back.”
“Meg said she wanted to talk to us. I’m sure it won’t take long.” A thought occurred to her. “Hey, Dad, she’s been through a lot. If she wants some time away from the business, you won’t fire her, will you? Please let her have some space.”
Her dad continued to fumble with his coat and didn’t look up. “I know how to look after my employees, Tierney. If I did need HR advice, you wouldn’t be my first point of call.”
Wow. “She’s my best friend, Dad. More like my sister, really. I’m entitled to have some concern for her well-being.”
Her dad’s glance flicked to her and away again. “She can have all the time she needs.”
“Thank you.” The small sense of victory was testament to the lack of credibility she held in her father’s eyes. She wanted to feel the warmth of achievement more, instead of this numbness of just wandering through life. She made a decision about the idea scratching away at the back of her mind over the last few days. “Dad, after I’ve had some time with Meg, I’ll go back to Inishderry for a while. I’ll work on a business plan with Kasia and get some estimates of how much the work will be to upgrade the place. I’ll stay until the hotel has a clear future.”
Her dad looked her over. “If you’re serious, and you won’t change your mind the moment you get offered something more exciting, that would be useful.”
“I mean it. I’m in.” If she was honest with herself, she missed Inishderry, the close-knit community and her easy friendship with Joey. If she notched the honesty up another peg, she also wanted to spend more time with Kasia. Her enthusiasm to make the Waterside a success had been more infectious than Tierney had realized at the time.
This was the perfect opportunity to work together and get to know each other, if she hadn’t blown it already. Calling Kasia to give her the good news about her return would be a good way to start, and they could talk things through when she was back. She smiled to herself at the thought of returning.
They pulled up at the restaurant behind Megan and Al’s car and followed them inside. They were ushered to a curtained area at the rear, and staff rushed over with glasses of wine and orange juice. Tierney was on her second white wine before she realized her dad and Megan had opted for soft drinks. Her dad’s eyes moved to her nearly empty glass, and his disapproval passed through her like a cold breeze. She downed the dregs and looked around. The few people from the care home were eating snacks and chatting. Other than that, it was just Megan and Al, Tierney, and her dad: a sad turnout for any funeral. Tierney had given up trying to talk about memories of Megan’s mom and picked up another glass to numb the unease sloshing about in her stomach.
After a while, Megan sounded a fork against her glass, and the quiet conversation ceased. “I want to thank you all for coming.” She smiled at the residents. “My mom found herself in a facility earlier than most people would want to, but the blessing was that she had such a wonderful home. She was truly happy in her last few years with the friends she made and the people who looked after her. So, thank you. From Mom, and from me.” She lifted her glass to them, and they raised their drinks.
Megan turned. “And thank yous wouldn’t be complete without recognizing my boss, Kevin, for financing my mom’s place at Saint Anthony’s. A truly generous gesture to an employee’s family.” Megan raised her glass to Kevin, her expression unreadable.
Tierney blinked, her mind doing somersaults. Not for the first time in recent days, she felt something happening she didn’t understand. “Dad? Is that true?” Her voice rang out in the suddenly silent room.
Her dad’s face was impassive as he stared at Megan, ignoring Tierney as usual. Why would he not have talked about it? He liked to boast about his philanthropic deeds, but he’d never mentioned taking care of Megan’s mom.
The carers from St. Anthony’s picked up on the awkward vibe and quickly wheeled their charges toward the exit.
“Thank you for the food. It was a wonderful service,” a kind-looking woman in a blue uniform said with a practiced smile.
Tierney couldn’t catch anyone’s eye. Al was staring at Megan, Megan was looking at the table, and her dad seemed to be staring at nothing at all. But Tierney couldn’t think of a single thing to say to break the icy atmosphere, so she reached for another glass.
“Yeah, Dad. Thank you.” Megan’s voice was low, but her words crashed like thunder across the room.
Tierney’s world tipped sideways, and it became hard to breathe. Suddenly everything was so obvious. How had she missed it all? She looked from Megan to her dad, staring at each other with identical eyes. How could she have never seen it?
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.” He turned slightly so Tierney was in his eye-line. “Both of you.”
Tierney opened her mouth and closed it, not trusting herself to speak. Time slowed to a crawl.
Finally, Megan slowly shook her head. “That’s all you have to say?” She pulled her coat from the back of a chair. “I need some time away. We’re going to Al’s parents’ cabin. I’ll be in touch when I’m ready.”
Her dad nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll be ready to talk when you are.” He moved toward the door. “Let’s go, Tierney.”
“I’ll stay, thanks. I’ll catch a flight back tomorrow.” She raised her eyebrow at Megan, who shrugged.
Her dad barely turned as he left. “I’ll see you at home.”
The iciness in the room remained after he left. Tierney shuddered and turned to Megan. “No wonder I never stood a chance. You were right there in front of me. His perfect child.” It may not have been the best line to open with.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Megan stood, looking down at her. “Are you truly such a spoiled little brat that you can stand here as I bury my mother and find out that my father has lied to me my whole life and make this about you?”
Tierney had never seen Megan so angry. Her face had gone pale, making her red eyes stand out even more. She wasn’t sure she deserved to be the focus of the fury, though. “He lied to me also, Meg. I can’t believe neither of us ever figured it out.”
“I shouldn’t have had to. I’ve lived with him since I was thirteen years old. Why didn’t he just come clean then?” She gripped Tierney by the elbows. “If my mom hadn’t told me before she died, against his wishes, would I ever have found out the truth about who I am?”
“I don’t know.” Tierney tried to round up some of the thoughts racing wildly around her brain. “He destroyed my relationship with my mom with his moral superiority. If it was all based on a lie, he dug himself pretty deep.” She pulled herself free of Megan’s tightening grip and took her hands in hers. “He fucked us both over with his bullshit, Meg. We’re in this together.”
“We were never in this together. You had all the privilege of being his only heir while I’ve worked my ass off just to try and have some stability in my life, hoping if I pleased him enough, he’d keep me around.” Megan’s voice had lowered to a snarl.
“Hey, Megan, this has been a really hard day.” Al placed his hand on Megan’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should get some rest and you two can talk in the morning before we leave.”
“I don’t have anything to talk about,” Megan said. “Tierney will just turn it into her problem anyway.”
The derision in her voice hurt, and Tierney’s eyes prickled. “Meg, we’ve been through everything side by side. We can do this. It’s a lot, but we need to stick together.”
Megan laughed. “Like sisters? I don’t think so, Tierney. I need some time away from the entire self-serving Walsh family. Why don’t you get on with working out your own life, and leave me to mine.” She turned and threw on her coat. “Come on, Al. I need to wash this day off me.” She marched out of the room.
“Give her some time. She’s feeling really hurt at the moment.” Al gave Tierney a half smile before following Megan.
Alone, Tierney’s tears dripped onto the remaining sandwiches. A tray of wine glasses still stood by the door. She downed a couple while she called a cab to take her to an airport hotel. How had her day turned into this nightmare? All she’d ever done was take her life at face value. Isn’t that what everyone does? She hoped Megan would come around. She was so used to sharing problems with her, and she desperately wanted to talk everything through.
The hollow ache of betrayal hurt her chest. She’d never seen eye-to-eye with her dad, but she’d accepted his version of the truth. All these years, she’d been seeking approval from a man who turned out to be the biggest hypocrite of all. What the hell was she going to do now?