‘What,’ said Mac in surprise, ‘is that all about?’
‘Looks like Stella’s persuaded him to give bar work another go,’ Mum said, delighted.
‘Either that or he’s so desperate to escape her, even working in the pub is preferable to another minute alone with her,’ Aunt Elaine said, before remembering that Mac was Stella’s brother and blushing furiously. ‘Only joking,’ she said hastily.
Mac nobly didn’t rise to the bait. ‘Either way,’ he said, ‘it’s got to be a hopeful sign, hasn’t it?’
‘I wouldn’t get your hopes up just yet,’ Uncle Christopher advised. ‘Pouring a glass of lemonade for his friend isn’t the same as taking the pub over again, is it?’
They all watched as Seb did just that and handed Stella the glass.
‘I’d better be getting back to work,’ Jenna said with a sigh.
‘Ooh, and try to find out what’s going on,’ Aunt Elaine said eagerly.
Jenna managed not to roll her eyes and headed back towards the bar, where Sam was talking to his dad and seemed quite surprised about something.
‘But are you sure?’ he asked, and his dad nodded.
‘Of course I am. I’m perfectly capable of running this place alone for fifteen minutes. Go on. Take a break.’
Jenna gave Sam a sideways glance as she walked back towards the kitchen. A few moments later, he joined her in there.
‘Can you believe this?’ he asked. ‘Dad’s just come downstairs, as if nothing’s happened at all in the last three years, and told me he’ll stay for the rest of the shift. He’s just said I should go on my break because I look knackered.’
‘To be fair,’ Jenna said, ‘you do. But what’s brought him back to the bar again?’
‘I have no idea,’ Sam admitted. ‘I can only assume it’s something to do with Stella. Whatever it is, I’m glad of it. It will do him good to get out of the flat, and besides, you’re right, I’m shattered. I’m ready for a strong coffee. Do you want one?’
Jenna opened her mouth but had no chance to reply, as Kenny snapped, ‘No she bloody doesn’t. She’s been missing for fifteen minutes, and I’ve got orders building up. Jenna, two chocolate cheesecakes and two cappuccinos to table twenty.Now!’
21
‘So how did you cope?’ Kendra asked, pouring tea into a rather cheerful blue and white nautical cup. ‘Handing over the girls to Joel and his femme fatale, I mean.’
They were sitting at a small table by the window in the cafe inside The Driftwood Hub – a large building on the corner of Kelsea Road, a rural lane which led all the way to Kels Point. As well as the cafe, the Hub housed the small village shop, a section of which was given over purely to souvenirs, tourist information, and nature and birdwatching packs for the many visitors fascinated by the wildlife at Kels Point.
‘I dealt with it,’ Jenna said cautiously, adding a drop of milk to her own tea. ‘I tried not to think about it, really. But the feelings kept flooding back. I was imagining them all together like a proper family. I thought, what if the twins really like her? What if they decide it’s more fun at their house than it is at ours? What if they want to live with them?’
Kendra hooted with laughter. ‘Yes, because that’s really likely, isn’t it?’
‘You never know,’ Jenna said darkly. ‘If we lived at Watersmeet all the time I’d say Joel and Annette were no competition, but when we go back to real life in a fortnight’s time it will be completely different.’
‘Oh, Jenna, you do talk bollocks sometimes,’ Kendra said with a sigh.
‘Lovely language from a vicar’s wife, I must say,’ Jenna said, pretending to be shocked.
‘You’re enough to make a saint swear,’ Kendra told her. ‘Here, have one of Mrs Miller’s scones, quickly.’
‘To stop you eating them all?’
‘No, to shut you up!’ Kendra grinned. ‘You do know you’ve got nothing to worry about, don’t you? As if the twins would rather live with those two than you! It’s insane. This,’ she said, leaning forward and fixing Jenna with a stern look, ‘is simply your insecurities speaking.’
‘Is it any wonder I’m insecure?’ Jenna asked miserably. ‘My husband is a serial cheat and now he’s left me to live with his secretary. I can’t?—’
‘Serialcheat?’ Kendra’s eyes narrowed. ‘Are you saying he’s done this before?’
Jenna took a gulp of tea. ‘You didn’t know? I assumed Mum would have told you all after I finally confessed the truth about my pathetic marriage to her. I know what this family’s like.’
