‘Can we go again next weekend?’ Hallie asked hopefully.
‘Er…’ Jenna bit her lip, not sure how to answer. The odd thing was, she’d love to say yes. It was amazing how much calmer she felt in Kelsea Sands, which always seemed like another world to her, even though it was only twenty-eight miles from her doorstep to Watersmeet. ‘We’ll see. We don’t want to impose, do we?’
‘What does “impose” mean?’ Ada asked.
‘It means – well, I suppose it means take advantage of someone. Just because Grandma and Mac have made us so welcome, it doesn’t mean we should land on their doorstep every five minutes, does it? They’re busy people, after all.’
‘Grandma’s not busy now. She’s given up her job,’ Hallie pointed out.
‘And she doesn’t look after us any more,’ Ada added. She sighed. ‘I miss Grandma. We used to see her every day but now she wants to be with Mac, not us.’
Jenna gave her daughter’s reflection a sharp look. ‘It’s not that at all. Grandma loves you both very much. You know that, don’t you?’
There was a slight hesitation, then they chorused, ‘Yes.’
‘S’pose so,’ added Ada.
‘And you like Mac?’
‘Oh yes, he’s really nice,’ Ada said, and Hallie nodded in agreement.
‘Well then. Grandma does have her own life to live, after all. I’m just glad she’s found someone she wants to live it with, aren’t you? Mac’s a very kind man. And isn’t Watersmeet lovely?’
‘I wish we could live at Watersmeet,’ Ada said wistfully. ‘Just think, we could see Jamie Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie, and Heatherstone and Jacob Armitage, and the Dickensian Ducks and the Bennet Sisters every day.’
‘And Carne!’
‘And Mrs Beddows,’ Ada added.
Jenna gave a wry grin. No mention of her mum and Mac then? No. Just the two Highland cows, the New Forest ponies, the three ducks and the five hens that had won their hearts. Not forgetting the much-adored dog and the enormous cat who was missing in action half the time.
‘It would be lovely to live there,’ Hallie said with a sigh. ‘With Mummy and Grandma and Mac.’
Jenna felt a tug of shock as it struck her that there’d been no mention of Joel.
‘And Daddy,’ Ada prompted her twin sister.
‘Oh yeah,’ Hallie said with a shrug.
The twins turned their attention to the view from the window, whooping with excitement as they passed the little farm on the bend of the lane where alpacas grazed in the field. It was always the high spot of their journey, and Jenna deliberately chose that particular route home, so they’d get to see them. She barely noticed their delight this time, though, as she mulled over how distant from their lives Joel had become. An afterthought.
Not so long ago, she’d probably been something of an afterthought with them, too. She’d spent so much time at work, and even when she was at home, she’d palmed her daughters off on her mum so that she could get on with more work, or make sure she kept on top of keeping her house spotlessly clean and tidy, as Joel liked it. She’d been so focused on pleasing him and furthering her career that she’d all but lost sight of these two precious girls. If her mum hadn’t finally rebelled and moved to Kelsea Sands, forcing Jenna to take care of them herself, maybe she’d never have realised what she was missing out on until it was far too late.
At the time she’d bitterly resented her mum for cutting off the childcare. Now she was grateful beyond words. Her mum had made her see the truth. There was far more to life than teaching and housework.
Family. Her children meant everything to her, and she was so glad she’d realised that before it was too late.
She just wished their father saw things the same way.
No matter how many times she’d tried to talk to him about it, Joel didn’t seem to get it. He still hated her mother for stopping the childminding and considered her selfish. He’d even tried to persuade Jenna not to have anything more to do with her own mum.
‘You don’t need her,’ he’d pointed out. ‘And neither do the twins. You’ve got me.’
She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Nearly seven o’clock. He’d have been home from the conference for almost two hours now. She wondered if he’d fixed himself some dinner or if he was waiting for her to get back and cook for him. Maybe he’d have ordered himself a takeaway.
That’s if he was at home at all.
Her stomach churned again and she gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter.
