‘Right.’ Alison clutched the twins’ project tightly to her. ‘I’m going to take the girls home with me and make sure they get this finished. I suggest you take the opportunity to send lover boy packing and then spend the evening having a good long think about your future. You have responsibilities, Jenna. My God!’ She shook her head. ‘Your dad would be so ashamed of you.’
She didn’t wait to hear any more of her daughter’s feeble excuses but ran down the stairs and out of the front door, slamming it shut behind her.
Hallie and Ada waved cheerfully to her, and she swallowed down the lump in her throat. Jenna could blow these little girls’ lives apart. What on earth was she thinking? Her heart broke as she contemplated the very real possibility that her granddaughters might soon be part of a broken family, with a mother and father at each other’s throats. She couldn’t bear it.
‘Did you get it, Grandma?’ Ada asked as Alison sat in the driver’s seat and stuck the key in the ignition.
Alison forced herself to smile, for their sake, as she dropped the project in the passenger seat. ‘Sure did. Now, let’s get back home and get this finished, shall we? And I’ll make you a lovely mug of hot chocolate as a reward when you’re done.’
The girls cheered and she drove steadily out of the road, despite her racing heart and trembling hands, then turned towards home. It was the final straw. She couldn’t carry on being taken advantage of by her daughter any longer, and she could see now that by allowing herself to be manipulated she’d enabled Jenna to start whatever this relationship was.
She needed to withdraw her help so that her daughter would be forced to spend more time with her family. Only then would Jenna realise what she was endangering. Maybe, with any luck, Alison would be in time to save the marriage from collapsing and ensure her granddaughters didn’t have their hearts broken.
8
‘I can’t believe it! Our Jenna?’
‘All right, keep it down!’ Alison cast a furtive glance around The Driftwood Hub to make sure no one was listening. Not that there were many people who’d have heard her conversation with Rosie anyway. Apart from the two of them and Emmy, who had disappeared into the kitchen, the cafe/shop/information centre was empty.
‘Are you sure? I mean, it just doesn’t sound like her, does it?’ Rosie frowned and shook her head before taking a sip of tea. ‘She’s not the type.’
‘Clearly she is.’ Alison was still smarting from the fact that her daughter had not only pulled the wool over her eyes, who knew how many times, but that she’d jeopardised her marriage and her children’s happiness for what might well have been some cheap and meaningless fling. Judging by what Jenna had been wearing, Alison would put money on it being purely based on lust. ‘I’m just grateful I made Hallie and Ada stay in the car. Imagine if they’d walked in on their mother looking like that?’
‘Bloody hell, it doesn’t bear thinking about.’ Rosie sighed. ‘I thought her and Joel were set for life. It’s disappointing really, isn’t it?’
‘That’s one word for it,’ Alison said grimly.
‘So what did you do? That was what? Ten days ago. Have you seen her since?’
Alison cradled her mug of tea, still seething. ‘No. I dropped the twins at school the following morning and sent Jenna a text message telling her not to forget to collect them when they’d finished because I wouldn’t be doing it again for the foreseeable. I also told her she’d better make some alternative childcare arrangements because I had a life to live and would no longer be available.’
Rosie gasped. ‘You never did!’
‘Do you blame me?’ Alison demanded.
‘No, of course not. I just never thought you’d actually do it. You’ve been threatening to tell her for long enough, but you always find a reason to back down.’
‘Well, not this time. Like you said, it’s been ten days now and she hasn’t bothered to reply, so it looks as if I’m free at last.’ Alison massaged the bridge of her nose, feeling far less happy about her new freedom than she’d expected to. ‘This has really upset me, Rosie,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t believe any daughter of mine would behave like that. I don’t understand her, I really don’t.’
Her sweet little girl. She’d always been so steady and responsible. Solemn even. Alison couldn’t believe what had happened.
‘Maybe she and Joel aren’t as happy as we thought they were,’ Rosie said thoughtfully. ‘What a shame.’
‘Perhaps if they spent more time together, they’d have a chance of making it work,’ Alison said. ‘Honestly, Jenna’s always saying that she hasn’t got time for Joel or for the girls, yet she’s got time to seduce some creep from work.’
‘You think he’s a teacher?’ Rosie asked, surprised.
‘Well, she never goes anywhere to meet anyone else, does she?’ Alison frowned suddenly. ‘At least, I don’t think she does, but what do I know? This proves that, actually, she could be going anywhere and doing anything while I’m looking after her children. And I’ve only got her word for it that this is the first time. She could have been having a torrid affair for months for all I know. Or a whole string of lovers!’
‘Lucky bugger,’ Rosie said, her eyes twinkling. ‘Aw, don’t look like that, Ali. You know I’m only messing. I wonder who’s got the kids today then? Or is Jenna actually going to spend her Sunday with them for once?’
‘Not my concern,’ Alison said.Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Ali. God, she hoped they’d be okay without her. She blinked away tears at the thought.I’m doing this for them, too, she told herself fiercely.They need their mum and dad to spend time with them. What else can I do?She took a long swig of her tea and looked towards the counter. ‘Might get Mam and Dad some of those blueberry muffins. They deserve a treat.’ She smiled at her cousin. ‘I’ll get you one, too, as a thank you for listening to me ranting.’
‘It’s always a pleasure.’ Rosie reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘Aw, it’s great to see you. You’ve missed that many weekends lately I’d nearly given up on you. Apart from that Sunday dinner in The North Star you’ve hardly been here.’
‘I know. Don’t make me feel more guilty than I already do.’
‘I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. You mean about your mam? Honest to God, there’s no need. It’s like I told you, we’ve all kept an eye out and Seb’s lad Sam has been smashing.’
