by Jordan, G R
"But you lost your toes. You seem to have paid more than anyone for what happened."
"Nonsense, Kiera, nonsense. I now write to McCreedie in prison, and I'm visiting him in a fortnight. When would I ever have had the chance to be a friend to that man without all this? When? And look at your Donald. And you. So much good came from it. If there's been a price, it's been worth paying. As they say, don't cry for me, Argentina!" Laura stood and hobbled off towards Alyssa to coo over the children.
Kiera brooded over Laura's losses until she remembered about the war between the insurance company and Laura over the damage she had caused racing to the rescue. With the insurance company refusing to pay out because of her reckless driving, it had taken a local car sales company to come in and settle the accounts in return for Laura promoting the free driving lessons they were giving away with every new car. It had taken Laura some time and a forced arm to accept, but James had found it all hilarious. He hadn't accepted a lift from Laura since that day. Kiera smiled at the idea.
"Hey, what's got you smiling?" Tommy sat down beside the fire and started poking at the fish. He received a slapped hand for his efforts.
"Get off, they're not ready." Kiera giggled at him. "Anyway, I thought someone was back to slate your appetite."
Tommy stared down the beach at Hayley. Sitting right where the sea was coming in, she was allowing the water to run over her as it ebbed and flowed. Her hair was hanging loose and her bikini allowed for her back to be all but exposed, showing her curves. Tommy drank in the view.
"Well. Has it?"
"Has it what?"
"Been sated. Your appetite."
"It's been a while, I'll grant you that. When she got that job offer from the American university to the research the mermaids, I could see it was what she wanted," said Tommy with his head hanging low.
"Well she did take the lead in making sure they were protected. The whole protection program for the two months following the incident until they left, that was all her. And she learned so much. It's no wonder they went for her. I mean, everyone wanted a piece of the mermaid action."
"I know, Kiera. But America was so far away. I mean look at her. She was over there for a year. With that figure and her mind, she must have been in demand. And not just in lectures."
"But she convinced them to do research here, Tommy. She drove that. Hayley wants to be here. She wants to be with you."
"But things must have happened?"
"Why? Did anything happen with you? No, it didn't. And you know why. Take a leaf from Donald's book and get hold of her while you can. Stop pissing about, Tommy, before you lose her."
As if, thought Kiera. Hayley was daft on the guy.
Tommy looked straight at Kiera, but his attention was elsewhere as if he was thinking out a problem. Then he just stood up and walked directly to Hayley to sit down beside her in the water. Donald was splashing about in front of them so Kiera, asking Laura to mind the food, shouted down to Donald. He waved and started towards her. She met him halfway to the water.
"What's up? Is it food time?"
"Donald, that stomach's going to grow." Kiera took his hand. "I just wanted to give them some space," she said, nodding at the couple at the sea's edge. Donald stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, setting his chin on her shoulder. Together they looked out into the choppy expanse of water and both wondered the same thing.
"Where do you think she is, Kiera?"
"Tink'll be out there somewhere, some merman on her arm. Probably got a brood following her."
"Was weird when they left. Two months, all that media, and then just gone. Nothing really since. Not even a night time wave to the ferry."
"Someday they'll be back. And Hayley will be there to keep them safe. Work out how they live, how they get it on and where they keep the wee ones. They'll be back."
"And there'll be the same fiasco over them again. Are they human like us? Are they sentient? What can we do with them? It's never just beauty for beauty's sake, is it? We never appreciate, never wonder, just plan and use."
"How do you mean?" asked Kiera.
"Well, take Alyssa, gorgeous girl, but we want to objectify her. Same with the church. Never glory in it but instead use it for our purposes. And same with the mermaids. Make them a commodity, or make them a threat, for rallying people to our selfish ideas. I think Tink's better off out there."
"Probably. And besides Donald, I don't need you bringing any more naked women into my house." Donald laughed. "Do you think the fish smell will ever go from that bathroom?"
"I swear the pool still has a tinge and it's chlorinated," answered Donald.
"It turned out good, though Donald, didn't it? I mean there was a lot of nasty things happened but it did turn out okay?"
"Well, it could have been worse. All I know is I found my mermaid, who lured me in through the rocks, nearly broke my body on the way and who isn't going to give me up either." He kissed Kiera's neck and held her close.
"Looks like Tommy's been grabbed by a siren too." They watched Tommy on one knee staring up into Hayley's face. She nodded and the rest of the group, who had been secretly watching the couple, cheered.
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I hope you enjoyed Donald and Kiera’s mermaid adventure. If you have enjoyed it then please leave a review so that everyone else can know about it. It doesn’t have to be an epic, just a quick note but please do leave one.
Much appreciated,
G R Jordan
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More from the Author
Hopefully you dig these characters as much as I do in this window on island life. If I have intrigued you, mystified you, tickled you, or even offended you, then please check out my website and other author pages where all my scribings are laid out for your pleasure. Thanks for reading!
Website: www.grjordan.com
Twitter: @carpetless
Facebook: carpetlessleprechaun
Goodreads: G R Jordan
Email: [email protected]
Also check out the Austerley & Kirkgordon series, two misfits saving the world from mischievious paranormal intentions.
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Or try the free origin story “Footsteps” by clicking here.
Acknowledgements
To Janet for her enthusiasm for my writing and giving me space to keep on knocking out the weird notions in my head.
To my wonderful children who let their Dad have some space and letting me be in their story.
To Chrisella, for your support and kind words!
To everyone who comments and feeds back on the initial workings I hand out, it makes it that much easier.
To Adrijus for the most excellent artwork. Check him out at rockingbookcovers.com.
To Kathleen and the Stornoway Writer's Group. Thanks for all the encouragement and honesty.
To God who gave me this creative talent, may I also use it to elucidate your world.
Author Bio
G R Jordan is a self-published author who finally decided at forty that in order to have an enjoyable lifestyle, his creative beast within would have to be unleashed. His books mirror that conflict in life where acts of decency contend with self-promotion, goodness stares in horror at evil and kindness blind-side us when we at our worst. Corrupting our world with his parade of wondrous and horrific characters, he highlights everyday tensions with fresh eyes whilst taking his methodical, intelligent mainstays on a roller-coaster ride of dilemmas, all the while suffering the banter of their provocative sidekicks.
A graduate of Loughborough University where he masqueraded as a chemical engineer but ultimately played American football, Gary had worked at changing the shape of cereal flakes and pulled a pallet truck for a living. Watching vegetables freeze at -40'C was another career highlight and he was also one of the Scottish Highlands "blind" air traffic controllers. These days he has graduated to answering a tel
ephone to people in trouble before telephoning other people to sort it out.
Having flirted with most places in the UK, he is now based in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland where his free time is spent between raising a young family with his wife, writing, figuring out how to work a loom and caring for a small flock of chickens. Luckily his writing is influenced by his varied work and life experience as the chickens have not been the poetical inspiration he had hoped for!