Pippa ended the call as politely as she could, her head spinning. She had to grip the sink to remain upright. She had been something of a wreck at that interview, hadn’t she? The need for a home and a job had probably radiated off her like a small screaming sun. Could it be that Wolfie, with all his baggage, had recognised her pain and that was why he’d offered her that lifeline? Something occurred to her, then, something Wolfie himself had remarked on when they were hunting for Juniper out on the moors.
She pulled out her phone again.
“Hello darling!” Eileen Munro was sunning herself, wet hair raked back into a scraggly topknot. “This is a nice surprise.”
“Hi Mum,” Pippa said. “Not disturbing you, am I?”
“Not at all!” Eileen pulled on sunglasses. “Just had a dip in the pool. We’re hosting the neighbours for a potluck this evening so I’m relaxing before the chaos starts.”
“Sounds fun.” Pippa missed her mum’s dinner parties.
“Should be. So, what can I help you with?” Eileen asked tenderly. Pippa’s eyes unexpectedly filled with tears and Eileen bolted upright in alarm. “Oh God, what’s wrong? Is it Alex? Are you pregnant?” Her face became infinitely more hopeful at the last sentence.
“No, it’s not Alex and calm down, I am definitely not pregnant.” Pippa swiped at her eyes. “I’m not sure why I’m crying, it’s only that…” She took a deep breath. The moment felt strangely significant. “I have a question for you.”
“Ohh.” Eileen pursed her lips in intrigue. “Go on.”
“What made you move to Florida?”
Eileen let out a sharp laugh. “Why do you ask?”
Pippa felt as if her entire future hinged on what her mother said next. “Can you just tell me?”
Eileen smiled softly. “It’s quite simple. I love your dad.”
“But you loved Hurst Bridge,” Pippa said.
Eileen’s eyes moistened. “True. I mean, still do. I miss it. As I miss you. But … from day one your dad told me his absolute dream was to retire in Florida. I always knew it was part and parcel of being with him.”
“And you didn’t even try to convince him to stay?” Pippa asked incredulously.
Eileen laughed gently. “Of course I tried! But at my core, I knew what would make him happy and, honestly, when the time came, it felt right.” Her warm eyes reached across the miles as she looked into the camera. “Let me tell you, when you love someone enough, you can make big sacrifices like that and still be blissfully happy.”
“You loved Dad enough to leave,” Pippa said.
“Quite simply, yes.” her mum beamed. “We had the means and the freedom. You were – or so we thought – settled, so our job was done when it came to you. Ultimately, my home is with that man, which means wherever he goes, I follow. It’s the same for him. If I’d put my foot down about living somewhere, if it was for some reason important to me, Pete would do it.”
“And you were always sure of that?” Pippa asked.
“Surer than anything in this world,” her mum said firmly. “Apart from loving you, of course.”
Pippa blinked away fresh tears. That was it, right there. It was clear that certainty had never been there with Alex, not when it mattered. She heard footsteps in the hallway.
“I’d best go,” she murmured.
“Is everything all right?” Eileen demanded.
“Absolutely,” Pippa smiled mistily. “I’m just working some things out.”
“Well, I’m always here if you need me,” her mother told her, face shining with adoration.
“Love you,” Pippa said.
“Back atcha.” Eileen waved and the call blinked off.
Exhaling slowly, Pippa lowered the phone. In the reflection of the window, Wolfie appeared, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Pippa returned to her task of cleaning the sink, reeling from the powerful emotions that raged through her. Finally, she felt brave enough to speak.
“I know that call earlier sounded bad,” she said, her words tumbling over each other, “Alex calling melove, but he isn’t … if it hasn’t been clear this entire time, he and I aren’t together anymore.”
