We both turned at the sound of a car horn as a silver Nissan pulled up at the garage. My mother’s friends, colorful in the loose, gaudy clothing they’d chosen in preparation for the cruise and an unlimited buffet, spilled out and hurried along the path towards us.
‘Brace yourself,’ my mother said, smiling brightly at them.
‘Taylor!’ Angela said, ignoring my body language and pulling me in for a hug. My mother’s perfume was joined by hers, something bold and in your face, a bit like she was. She pulled back and held me at arm’s length. Looked me up and down. ‘You’re too thin.’
Mom nodded, pleased to have it confirmed. ‘That’s exactly what I said. Give me a second, girls, I just need to say goodbye to Ray and grab my things.’
‘OK, Moira,’ Margaret said, with the look of someone who knew my mother and her timekeeping all too well. ‘But don’t take too long. We have a long drive ahead of us and you know I like to check in early.’
‘Yes, Margaret,’ my mother replied, rolling her eyes at me before running up the stairs at the side of the house. ‘While you wait, help me convince Taylor she needs to move back here.’
I gaped after her, open-mouthed, although really, I shouldn’t have been surprised she’d thrown me under the bus. When it came to getting her own way, my mother could be ruthless.
‘Youshouldmove back here,’ Ellen said. ‘They clearly don’t have proper food in the city, and men like a bit of meat on a woman.’
‘Not Adam,’ I told her. ‘His new girlfriend lifts weights. She’s very… sinewy.’
‘It’s terrible what happened there,’ Margaret said, shaking her head. ‘Just terrible.’
‘I mean, it wasn’tgreat,’ I agreed. ‘But I think there are probably worse things that happen in the world every day.’
‘Don’t give up hope,’ Angie said. ‘He still might come back to you.’
It was my turn to snort. ‘I bloody hope not.’
‘You don’t mean that.’
‘Hell yes, I do. Why would I want him back?’
‘Because he’s your husband, and because you two were always so good together.’
‘People really need to stop saying that.’
‘Why? It’s true.’
‘You guys have no idea.’
‘So tell us.’
I squeezed my eyes shut, decided it was time to play a little dirty myself. ‘You know Mom hasn’t actually finished packing, right?’
It worked. As Margaret squealed indignantly and headed inside to corral my mother, followed by the others, I took a deep breath, stared up at the house and braced myself.I can do this,I told myself. But the nerves were back in full force.
4
JACK
Less than ten minutes after locking up the restaurant, my truck was bouncing down the driveway that led to the cabin where I’d been living the last five months, the smell of pine filling the cab through the open windows. When I first moved to Pine Harbor eight months ago, I’d lived in a room above the restaurant. There was a whole apartment up there. Two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, a kitchen, large living area with a deck that gave incredible views over the town and harbor. The whole building belonged to Hannah, and even though she wasn’t there full-time, flitting between the city and the bay as needed, it didn’t feel right sharing the apartment with her.
‘You’re abandoning me now too?’ she’d accused me with tears in her eyes when I’d informed her that I was moving out.
‘That’s not fair,’ I’d chided her. ‘The only reason I’m here in Pine Harbor is for you, remember? You’re still going to see me every day. I just think we could both do with our own space.’
‘You’re not even going to ask me howIfeel about it? You’ve already made your mind up?’
I’d nodded. ‘Signed the lease today.’
‘I don’t want you to go.’
