Half an hour later she stood, poured a glass of water, caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror — and barely recognised the woman looking back. Hollow-eyed and strung tight.
The doorbell rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She pressed the intercom and heard Jen’s voice and buzzed her up.
‘Lucy,’ Jen called as she knocked gently on the door. Anyone else she could have told to go away, but not Jen. So she opened the door.
Jen inspected her face as if she had all the answers she needed there.
‘You left the café early.’
‘Yep.’ Lucy walked into the kitchen, grabbed the half-finished bottle of wine. ‘Drink?’
Jen hesitated. ‘Have you drunk all that today?’
‘No,’ Lucy snapped — then immediately regretted it as Jen’s expression tightened. ‘Sorry. No. That was last night. I’m not… spiralling. Just needed something to get me through.’
‘Oliver,’ Jen said softly.
Lucy nodded, lips pressed together.
‘It’s today he’s leaving, isn’t it?’
Lucy nodded again.
‘You were really expecting to hear from him again?’
Lucy winced. ‘I know it’s stupid, but…’
‘But your heart won’t listen to your brain.’
Lucy gave a grim, helpless shrug. ‘Something like that.’ She stared into her glass. ‘He’s never said he felt anything for me, but I know he does.’ She tapped her fist against her chest. ‘I just know it, Jen. Sometimes you don’t need the words.’
Jen nodded. ‘And yet you wanted them.’
‘Yes.’ Lucy swallowed. ‘Because I trusted my instincts once, years ago, and that ended badly.’
‘You were younger,’ Jen said. ‘Maybe then you saw what you wanted to see.’
‘And maybe I am now.’
Jen shook her head. ‘I don’t think you believe that.’
Lucy let out a rough breath. ‘I don’t. I’m just saying what people would say.’
‘By “people” you mean Mum.’
Lucy gave a reluctant half-smile. ‘Yep.’
Jen’s eyes softened. ‘Well, you’re wrong there. Mum asked me to come and talk to you.’
Lucy rolled her eyes. ‘To get me to see sense and snap out of it, I guess.’
‘No, actually, she thought you should get in your car and go and see him before he leaves. Because she said she could see how much he cared for you.’
Lucy’s mouth dropped open. ‘She said that?’
‘She did.’ Jen sipped her wine. ‘And I agree. Last night — you didn’t see him when you weren’t looking. But I did. He watched you with this…’ Jen searched for the word. ‘Tenderness. Unmasked. It was nice. Any reservation I had about you bringing him to MacLeod’s Cottage disappeared. I think Mum must have noticed, too.’ Jen sipped her wine thoughtfully. ‘I think Mum’s right,’ she said placing it carefully on the table. ‘You should go and see him.’
Lucy jumped up and paced the small living room. ‘He’s practically gone already. His flight leaves later on today.’
