1
‘Do we really have to go home?’
Jenna smiled and ruffled her daughter Ada’s hair. ‘I’m afraid we do. We’ll get home just in time for supper, then it’s bath and bed for you two.’
Ada pursed her lips, and her twin sister, Hallie, hugged the little Jack Russell she was holding even tighter, as if daring anyone to take him away from her. They both looked thoroughly mutinous, which made Jenna’s mum, Alison, laugh out loud.
‘Look at their faces! It’s all right, girls. You’ll be able to visit often, especially when the summer holidays start.’
Hallie reluctantly put down the dog, and gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘But there’s still a week before we break up, Grandma. That’sages.’
Jenna rolled her eyes. Oh, for the days when a week seemed a long time! It was funny because her dad had always told her that the older you got, the faster time seemed to pass. She’d thought he was having her on. How could that possibly be true? She still didn’t know how, but he’d been right.
As her mum’s partner, Mac, put his arm around Alison’s shoulders, Jenna felt a sudden pang of grief for her dad. Not that she minded Mac. She liked him a lot, and it was clear that he was making her mum very happy, which Jenna would always be grateful for. It was just… She wished her dad could have been alive to spend his golden years with the wife he’d adored. It didn’t seem fair.
Then again, life seldom was.
At that thought, her stomach churned and she felt the familiar mix of nausea and despair.
‘Right,’ she said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. ‘Time to go. Say goodbye and get in the car, girls.’
Grumbling, the twins patted the dog and promised him they’d be back soon. They cuddled their grandma and kissed her goodbye, then gave Mac a shy wave, still not entirely sure how they should react to this newcomer in their lives.
Mac smiled and waved back as they clambered into their car seats. They sat patiently while Jenna fastened them in and checked they were secure. At least they seemed to have accepted it was really time to go home.
Satisfied that they were safe, Jenna stepped back and turned to her mum and Mac.
‘Thanks so much for having us,’ she said. ‘It’s been a great day.’
‘We’ve really enjoyed it,’ Mac assured her. ‘And the twins seem to love being around the animals, which is good.’
‘They adore them,’ Jenna said. ‘If you knew how many drawings of those cows and ponies there are at our house, you’d be amazed. As for this little fella…’ She bent down and patted the head of the little Jack Russell, who went by the grand name of Robert Carne, although he was almost always called Carne unless he’d been particularly naughty. ‘Well, he’s the star of the show as far as they’re concerned. Don’t be surprised if he disappears one day after we’ve visited. I’m just amazed they haven’t tried to hide him under the car seat or something.’
Mac laughed and she gave him a light hug, which he returned in kind.
She embraced her mum tightly. ‘Thanks, Mum. Give my love to Rosie and everyone, won’t you?’
‘I will. Your gran and grandad will be sorry they missed you, but it’s not often they get invited to afternoon tea at a country house and you know your grandad wouldn’t turn down the offer of food – especially when it’s your Uncle Christopher who’s paying.’
Jenna laughed. ‘No, definitely not! You’ll pass my birthday card to Aunt Elaine, won’t you? Tell her I’m sorry it’s a bit late in the day.’
‘Of course, no worries.’ There was a short pause, then, ‘Youareall right, Jenna? Everything’s okay?’
Jenna wondered how her mum always seemed to pick up on her mood, even when she’d done her level best to be as bright and chatty as possible all day.
‘Why wouldn’t it be?’ she asked lightly. ‘Everything’s fine, Mum. Stop worrying. We’ll be down to see you again soon. If you don’t mind?’
‘Of course we don’t mind,’ her mum said immediately.
‘You’re always welcome,’ Mac told her firmly. ‘Any time you like.’
Jenna smiled and nodded, then got into the car. It was time to go before she gave herself away and started blubbing. They were too kind. She couldn’t cope with kindness right now.
She was grateful that the twins distracted her mum and Mac by calling and waving as the car rolled out of the driveway of Watersmeet, Mac’s lovely home on the banks of the Humber. What with their din, Robert Carne’s frantic yapping, and the calls of goodbye from the two figures standing at the gate, Jenna managed to quieten the noise in her own head and calm her thoughts once again.
They drove along the road that ran alongside the river, passing The North Star pub and several little bungalows, including her gran and grandad’s home, Sanderlings. Noticing how quiet it had suddenly got, Jenna glanced in the rear-view mirror. ‘Well,’ she said cheerfully, ‘that was a lovely day, wasn’t it?’
Two pathetically sad little faces stared back at her.
