‘Sorry.’
‘Why?’
‘I shouldn’t have done that.’
I leaned forward, trying to recapture the magic of moments ago. Seb shifted back in his chair, and with the gentlest of pushes, moved me off his lap. I took his hand and pressed it to my lips. ‘I’d better make that call.’ Without looking back, I jumped down from his deck and set off into the woods.
It wasn’t until the farmhouse came into view that my heart rate returned to normal, and I felt able to make the phone call I was dreading. I sat on a tree stump and pulled my phone from my pocket. Marion answered on the third ring.
‘Marion, it’s Olivia. I need to speak to Rob.’
‘I’m afraid he’s not available.’
‘Then give me his mobile number.’
‘I can’t do that.’
‘I’ll tell you what, Marion. I’m going to ring your house every five minutes from now until Rob finally agrees to speak to me. There are things we have to discuss, and he can’t keep putting it off forever. What about his son? Doesn’t he want to see Bertie, even if he’s cut all ties with me? Now, either he is genuinely out, in which case you can give me his mobile number, or he’s hiding in your house. If it’s the latter, please fetch him for me and reassure him I won’t bite.’
With a loud sigh, I heard a click as Marion rested the receiver on her telephone table, and then the faint sound of her high heels on the polished floor. Just as I was about to give up hope of ever getting hold of my husband, his voice came down the line.
‘Olivia.’
‘Rob, at last, the wanderer returns.’ I waited for some sort of explanation for his prolonged absence in our lives, but none was forthcoming. ‘We need to meet. There are things we need to discuss.’
‘Tell me where and when and I’ll be there.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, you’re right. I can’t keep hiding forever.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Iwiped my sweaty hands on my jeans and took a deep breath. Warm orange light spilled from the pub windows and the noise of lively chatter met me through the door. It was silly to be so nervous; I was meeting the man I’d shared my life with for eight years, and yet I had no idea what version of him would greet me.
But I had to do this. How could I possibly move on without ending the previous chapter?
It was easy to find Rob in the busy bar. All I had to do was follow the direction of the hungry female eyes, which kept straying towards him. I couldn’t blame them, you couldn’t fault Rob in appearance, but if they knew what he was like, they might not be so keen.
‘Olivia,’ said Rob, standing to greet me and kissing me on both cheeks.
‘Rob. Are you OK for a drink?’
Rob downed the third of a pint he had left and handed me his glass. ‘A pint of lager, please.’
I kicked myself for my generosity. Rob may have gone bankrupt, but I doubted he was working two jobs to make ends meet. A far more likely scenario was that he was withdrawing regular amounts from the bank of Mum and Dad. I should have made him pay for his own beer.
After disentangling myself from a conversation with the over-friendly barman, I carried our drinks back to the table. I’d opted for lemonade, the safest bet if I wanted to keep my wits about me.
‘You look well,’ said Rob, his eyes scanning me, a frown crossing his face as he took in my natural hair.
‘So do you,’ I said. He did look good. His flawless skin had turned the colour of demerara sugar, the same colour it always went after a holiday. His hair shone, flopping down from his side parting, and his crisp white shirt and chinos looked freshly pressed. The last thing he looked like was a man who had lost everything.
‘So,’ I said, ‘where have you been for the past three months?’
Rob dismissed my question with a wave of his hand.
‘I’m serious, Rob. As your wife and mother to your child, the least you owe me is an explanation.’
