“How’s the renovation coming?” Penny sipped from her glass of water.
“It’s slow and I’m wrecked. But I think it’ll be good when it’s finished.”
“I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“The main problem, of course, is that it won’t be finished for months.”
“Oh, no!” Penny’s eyes widened. “Really? Can you manage for that long without an income?”
“I’ll scrape by. I’ve put aside a little nest egg. It’s not a lot, but it was meant to be for my retirement. I don’t want to use that to live on. I’m going to die homeless if I’m not careful.” Her hollow laugh and attempt to make light of the situation only made her sound more pathetic to her own ears.
Penny rested a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know what you mean. I’ve done something similar — I’m grateful my parents gave me the beach house, or I don’t know what I’d have done.”
Their food arrived—a steaming-hot beef massaman with meat so tender, it fell apart when Evie stuck her fork in it, and a plate of Pad Thai noodles dotted with peanuts and pieces of chicken. Evie spooned coconut rice into her bowl and then a serving from each of the dishes. Her mouth watered at the sight and scent of the food.
“How’s your sister?” Penny asked around a mouthful of rice and curry.
“She’s good. I still don’t know what’s happened, but I think it’s something to do with her marriage. She was staying with Mum and Dad for a while, and they seemed to think she needed a break from her life. But I wonder if it’s something more serious than that because she’s been staying with me for a couple of weeks now and she hasn’t mentioned anything about returning home.”
“Maybe they’re struggling,” Penny offered.
Evie shrugged. “It seems likely. I’m not surprised—my sister can be difficult to live with. I should know. We lived together for years.”
“Marriage is hard,” Penny said, her voice soft.
Evie set down her fork. “Are you okay, honey?”
Penny’s eyes filled with tears. “Not really.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Rowan isn’t happy. I was worried this might happen, and now that it is, I don’t know what to do about it. He left his high-powered career as a journalist to work with me in the office at the animal refuge. And now he’s dissatisfied.”
“Has he told you that?”
“No, not in as many words. He pretends that he’s fine, but he’s not. He’s grumpy and irritable. He shouts at the staff and stares into the distance. He doesn’t have any patience with me. I don’t know what to do. We’re at each other’s throats all the time. And we haven’t celebrated our first anniversary yet. What if my marriage is over before we pass the year mark?” Penny pressed both hands to her face, covering her eyes.
Evie patted her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. I know it will. The two of you love each other so much. You can’t give up.”
“I’m not giving up,” Penny sobbed. “But I don’t know what to do. We got that big government grant, so we have more responsibilities than ever. I’m working all the time, but I can’t take time off. He says he’s bored and lonely. He’s probably feeling the stress of everything that’s happened with Buck going to prison and then being let out on parole, although that’s another thing he refuses to talk about.” She sighed and reached for a napkin to blow her nose.
“Has he thought about going to see a doctor? Maybe he’s depressed.”
“Ha!” Penny spat. “See a doctor? I can’t get him to take a multivitamin. When I suggest the doctor’s office, he laughs and walks away.”
Evie’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t sound like Rowan at all.”
“I know. He’s not himself.”
“The arrest and parole have effected all of us more than we realise, I’m sure of it.” Evie gulped a mouthful of wine. “I’m on edge all the time. Bea has lost weight from being so worried she’ll run into Buck in the street or that he’ll come looking for her because of the evidence she found against him in the cave.”
“I saw him,” Penny said.
Evie gaped. “What? When?”
“I was walking to Bea’s, and he was headed in the opposite direction. I stopped and spoke with him. He was nice, quiet. I was upset and probably yelled at him—I can’t remember what I said. But he looked sad. I felt horrible about it. He says he’s innocent.”
“Do you believe him?”
