How could he walk away from their comfortable family home, chosen in such excitement and hope, and furnished and decorated with love over the years, to live in one of those new flats he’d always dismissed as soulless boxes just becauseNettielived there?
Most terrible of all, how could he leave behind his two beautiful, bright daughters, who deserved a father who loved them more than life itself and would never dream of abandoning them?
She wasn’t sure how much of all that she’d said aloud, but she suddenly realised she was babbling and her mum was saying gently, ‘Hush now, hush. It will all be all right. It will be okay.’
Jenna pulled herself together, realising the twins could walk in at any moment. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, and her mum gave her a tissue to mop up the rest of her tears.
‘I’m sorry,’ Jenna whispered, her voice hoarse and her throat sore.
‘You don’t have anything to be sorry for. We’ll talk properly later when the twins are in bed. For now, I’ll make you that cup of tea and then you should go up and get some rest. Maybe have a nice warm bath? I’ll look after the twins.’
‘I’ve got work tonight,’ Jenna said, wiping her nose on the tissue. ‘I can’t let Sam down.’
‘I can speak to him. Tell him you’re under the weather…’
Jenna shook her head. ‘It wouldn’t be fair.’
‘I’m sure Mac would do the extra shift for you.’
‘Honestly, Mum, I’ll be?—’
‘—fine,’ her mum finished flatly. ‘You always are, aren’t you? Until you’re not.’ She gave Jenna a searching look. ‘This has been going on for some time, hasn’t it?’
‘Wewilltalk later,’ Jenna said. ‘I promise. But right now, I have to make sure the twins are okay. They’re my priority. We’ll talk when I get back from the pub if you’re still awake, and if not…’
‘Oh,’ her mum said, reaching out to stroke Jenna’s hair, ‘I’ll be awake. Don’t you worry about that, sweetheart.’
Sam was pretty sure that Jenna had been crying. She arrived a little late for the shift, full of apologies but not really meeting his eye. Even so he could see redness and swelling around her own eyes that told the story.
He mentally shook his head. Bloody Joel, no doubt!
She threw herself into her work, but he could tell she wasn’t herself. She gave the wrong order to the kitchen, took a plate of rib-eye steak and chips to a table full of vegetarians, and dropped a glass behind the counter, sending a shower of best bitter everywhere and leaving shards of glass all over the floor.
‘I’m so sorry! I’ll clean it up,’ she said, obviously mortified.
Sam noticed the looks she was getting from various customers. She sounded on the verge of hysteria, and it was clear she wasn’t fit for work.
‘Look, why don’t you go home?’ he said gently. ‘There’s obviously something wrong and you’re in no state to work tonight.’
‘No, it’s okay, honestly. I really didn’t mean to mess up so much. I’ll do better,’ she said breathlessly.
Sam frowned, not sure what to do for the best. ‘Right, go upstairs and make yourself a cup of tea,’ he said at last. ‘Dad won’t mind. Have a sit down at the kitchen table, drink your tea and clear your head. If you don’t feel ready to work again, it will be okay. Just tell me. I won’t mind, honestly.’
‘I just…’ Jenna paused. ‘Okay, a cup of tea. Just five minutes to get my head straight. Thank you.’
Sam nodded and watched her leave, a worried look on his face. Then he got on with cleaning up the mess behind the bar before returning to serving.
About ten minutes later he looked up, astounded to see his dad heading towards him. He couldn’t even remember the last time his dad had come into the bar, and as a few heads turned in their direction, he knew that some of the customers were thinking the same thing. There were some delighted smiles and a bit of murmuring, and a few of them drifted over to the counter to say hello.
Seb didn’t even seem to notice.
‘She’s in a right state up there,’ he said bluntly.
Sam’s stomach tightened in dread. ‘Jenna?’
‘Who else? Sobbing her little heart out, she is. Heard her even overEast Riding Round-Up. Had to give up watching it, but I didn’t go into the kitchen. She might be embarrassed, and why would she want to talk to me anyway? But I think you need to see to her, lad.’
Sam looked helplessly around. ‘But the pub!’
