Joel blinked. ‘What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘How dare you spend time with her when you’ve got our children to look after? How dare you go to work when you’ve got our children to look after?’
‘Now you’re just being stupid!’
‘No, I’m not. You’ve never been there for them. Never bothered with them. You’ve spent most of their lives busy at work – or pretending to be. What gives you the right to dictate to me what I can and can’t do? Our children are safe and happy and loved here. What I do is none of your business any longer. You’ve made that perfectly clear. Your priority now isAnnette.’
Joel’s eyes glittered with malice. ‘Well,’ he said, a slight smirk on his lips, ‘while we’re on the subject of Nettie, she wants to meet them.’
Jenna’s jaw dropped and all the fight left her. She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. ‘She… she what? Are you joking?’
‘Why would I do that? She’s wanted to meet the girls for a while, and I think the time is right. I’m sure they’ll love her. It’s impossible not to,’ he added spitefully. ‘We thought they could stay with us next Friday night. Sleep over and return here on the Saturday. We’ve got a spare room, and it’s nicely done up and ready for them.’
Jenna had no words. She felt sick at the thought of her precious children going to spend the night under the same roof as Joel and his new girlfriend.
‘I–I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ she said faintly. ‘It’s far too soon. You can’t just introduce them to some strange woman. They don’t even know you’re seeing someone!’
‘Yes they do,’ he said calmly. ‘I just told them. And they’re very excited about staying the night at our place. I’ve promised them a popcorn and movie night, and on Saturday morning we’ll take them swimming. They’ll enjoy that.’
‘You’ve already told them?’ she gasped. Wasn’t that just like him? She should have known. Her gaze lingered over his shoulder to where Sam had edged away. Judging by the way his jaw pulsed and his eyes glinted with disgust, he could hear every word. She thought he was doing well to keep his mouth shut. ‘Joel, you can’t keep doing this! You’re using our children as weapons – tools to get your own way every time.’
‘Says you, who took them off to this dump for the entire summer holidays without even consulting me. Not so nice when it happens to you, is it? Well, one way or another we’re going to have to learn how to manage this, so we’d better get used to it. I don’t like the twins being at Kelsea Sands. I don’t like the fact that their mother is working in some grotty pub while they’re passed from pillar to post. You don’t like that I’m honest with my children and prefer to tell them the facts, rather than weave a story for them. I guess we’ll both have to learn to compromise.’
Jenna had never felt so much hate for another person before, and it shook her. Love and hate, they said, were two sides of the same coin. Well, right now the coin had flipped. She wanted to slap Joel so hard that she had to force herself to keep very still.
‘Well, I’ve said what I came to say, and I’ve delivered the presents,’ Joel said, ‘so I think I’ll be going home now. I’ll text you during the week to make final arrangements. Don’t look so worried. Nettie will make them very welcome. You’ve nothing to fear. I expect they’ll adore her as much as I do.’
He gave her a wide smile and headed out of the gate to where his yellow car was parked on the grass verge. She watched him reach for the handle on his door and heard him utter an exclamation of fury.
‘Bloody seagulls!’ he shouted, clearly disgusted.
‘Seagulls one, Joel nil,’ Sam said behind her.
Jenna turned to look at him and saw the laughter in his eyes. ‘Couldn’t happen to a nicer person,’ he said. ‘My God, what a prat he is. How you didn’t thump him, I can’t imagine. HowIdidn’t thump him, I can’t imagine. Not that I would, of course,’ he added hastily. ‘Not unless I had to anyway…’
Joel drove off, no doubt still seething that some gull had dirtied his beautiful car.
Jenna turned away, arms folded, head down.
‘What if they really like her, Sam?’ she asked heavily.
‘Who?’ He sighed. ‘Oh, you mean the lovely Annette. Well…’ He hesitated then said, ‘Isn’t that better? I know it’s hard, but you don’t want them to be stuck with someone who’s awful to them, and who they hate, do you?’
He was right of course. It was the last thing she’d want for her beautiful daughters. But the thought of them being cared for by Joel’s lover was hard to stomach. What if they liked her too much? What if…?
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said softly. ‘It won’t happen, Jenna. You’re their mum. Their absolute favourite person in the entire world. And that will never change. You really think popcorn and a film will make up for all the love and care you’ve given them over the years? You only have to look at them to know how much they adore you.’
‘I haven’t always been the best mother,’ she admitted, bitterly ashamed. ‘I was too busy working, too busy trying to please Joel, be what he wanted me to be.’
‘And now you’re agreatmother,’ he said with a shrug. ‘One who loves her kids and wants to be with them and would do anything to protect them and make them happy.’
She sighed and leaned against him, and after a moment’s hesitation he put his arm around her shoulder.
‘I’m sorry if working at the pub made things harder for you,’ he told her.
‘It didn’t. It hasn’t. It’s been brilliant for me.You’vebeen brilliant for me.’
He squeezed her gently. ‘Jenna?—’
