Page 4 of Lora

Chapter Three

Lora

The day has been manic. Everything was ticking over at its usual pace until I got a call about an oil spill off the north side of the island. The number of times big companies have been called out on coming too close to shore with their tankers. It isn’t called Rugged Bay without reason. The sea is shallow and the rock beneath it is sharp. But they insist on cutting corners to shave an extra fifteen minutes from their journey. It’s ridiculous and dangerous and now we have a load of damaged coastline and dying wildlife.

‘Noah, bring any birds you find straight up to the sanctuary, I’ll try to find volunteers to help with the clean-up at my end.’ I still need to talk to him about mum, but with no other options on the island other than the home care we’re already paying for, I’m not sure what I’m expecting.

He nods his head and turns back to help Rhys try to control the spill. The company has already sent out spokespeople to try and calm us down, but so far it isn’t going very well for them.

I’m surprised to find Justin has already returned when I arrive at the clinic. ‘Can’t keep away from us?’ I ask as I place the crate of birds on the counter and begin running the warm water, digging out the dish soap and pulling on gloves.

‘What the hell has happened?’ he asks, looking at the seabirds with a crinkle in his brow. I love that crinkle. It’s the compassion for animals but angry at humans crinkle that says more than words could ever convey.

‘Oil spill. Tanker got too close to shore, again.’ He begins assessing the birds, placing them in the spray of the water one by one and I begin to massage the soap into their feathers. Thick oil begins to break down, leaving brown smudges on the stainless-steel sink and our gloves and arms. We work without talking, a rhythm that works for us, I soap them up, he rinses, I soap, he rinses. Over and over until we have as much oil off as possible. The risk now is that they ingest any remaining oil when they preen. Rhys arrives with another crate of birds just as we are finishing up. Justin and I look at each other before he turns and takes the crate from Rhys.

‘There’s another four of these at least. We are bagging the dead ones up to be incinerated.’ Sadness pulls at the corners of my mouth, but I push it down. Sadness won’t save the birds. ‘Noah has given the woman from the company the biggest mouthful I’ve ever heard him part with. He is rampaging down there and threatening to take the big companies to court.’

‘If only it were that simple,’ I say as he heads back out with a shrug.

Justin

By the time we have finished cleaning up the birds, have fed and walked Jessop and rearranged the appointment book to cover everything we missed today due to the spill, it’s nearly eight in the evening and we are both lagging from lack of food.

‘Let me take you for dinner as a thank you,’ I say to Lora. I’m surprised the suggestion has come out of my mouth, but I can’t say it hasn’t been something I’ve been thinking about for a while. More so since visiting the grave today. But working in such close quarters with her for seven solid hours, methodically working at cleaning the birds, seeing her gentleness and compassion…it was enough to tip me over the edge of want and straight into need.

I need to be with Lora.

But the thing about living on an island is that out of season, restaurants don’t stay open past seven-thirty for sit-in guests.

‘Or order take-out for us, at least,’ I offer in a bid to keep her here with me.

She looks at me, surprise widening her eyes before she finally says, ‘that would be nice, thank you.’

That’s how we end up eating pizza in the sanctuary while we watch over all the animals that are calling this place home for the night.

‘Did you do what you needed to while over on the mainland?’ she asks, watching as cheese slides off the pizza base.

‘Yes, thank you.’ Should I tell her? She doesn’t know about my past because I came to the island and made sure my reputation of being surly and quiet got out quicker than anything else. ‘I went to visit my wife’s grave.’

She coughs on her mouthful of pizza, and I offer her a napkin. ‘I’m so sorry,’ her voice is strained from coughing and shock. ‘I had no idea.’

‘Why would you? I’ve never told anyone.’ She doesn’t press for more information, just watches me over her glass of water as she takes a long drink. ‘It was a car accident; she was pregnant at the time. Neither survived.’ Something feels right about telling her but as I lift my eyes back to hers after selecting another slice of pizza I can see they are full of tears.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she says again the sadness lace through her words is palpable. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s okay, I mean it isn’t, but you weren’t to know.’ I shuffle in on my stool, waiting for the feeling of discomfort and sadness to overwhelm me. ‘I wanted you to know because when I was there today, there was a sense of closure. A feeling that it was okay for me to move on now. That maybe it’s time.’ I can’t bring myself to look at her in case my words have the opposite effect of what I’m hoping for and realise what I’ve revealed with my bluntness. ‘I’m sorry Lora, there was a better way of phrasing all of that.’

‘No, it’s okay.’ She picks at the uneaten crusts of pizza. ‘I thought you weren’t interested me,’ she blushes. ‘I mean, I’m so attracted to you it’s unreal,’ her eyes lift, meet mine, and my heart leaps. ‘But I never got the feeling that you were attracted to me.’

‘That’s because I’ve been ignoring the attraction ever since the day I met you.’

‘Oh.’

Oh, indeed.