His dad nodded, seeming unable to say anything more.
‘Well, now that’s settled,’ Stella said, climbing off the stool, ‘I think I’ll bid you both a goodnight and head home. Don’t forget to call the estate agent’s first thing Monday morning to tell them to take it off the market, Seb. You’ll remind him, won’t you, Sam?’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ Sam assured her. ‘I’ll remind him all right.’
After they’d waved Stella off, Seb turned to Sam, his eyes full of anxiety.
‘You don’t mind, do you, lad? About Stella stepping in to help, I mean?’
‘Why should I? I’m delighted. Takes some of the burden off you, for a start.’
‘And off you,’ his dad said heavily. ‘I really am sorry, Sam. I don’t know where to start apologising. If it hadn’t been for you…’
‘There’s no need to say anything, Dad. I’m just glad you’ve finally made up your mind where it is you want to be.’
‘Here,’ his dad said, smiling as he looked around the busy bar. ‘Where I belong.’ He cleared his throat. ‘You don’t have to worry, you know. Me and Stella – we’re just friends. There’s nothing else to it.’
‘Oh, Dad.’ Sam shook his head. ‘I really wouldn’t mind if there was. In fact, I’d be delighted. So would Mum.’
‘No, no. Nothing like that,’ his dad said, shaking his head determinedly. Then he grinned. ‘Mind you, she does have some cracking ideas. A carvery, eh? Now you’ve got to admit, that’s worth thinking about, isn’t it?’
Sam managed to hide his laughter. ‘Yes, Dad. It really is. Why on earth didn’twethink of it ourselves?’
25
Having left the cafe well behind her, Jenna had driven slowly down the road towards her house. She was surprised to realise that her heart wasn’t thumping and she didn’t feel sick. Instead, she felt a grim determination and just hoped that Joel was indeed waiting for her at home.
As she neared the property, she saw that his car was parked on the driveway, which meant she had to park her own car on the street. He’d clearly decided he was back for good and could do as he liked.
She walked past his car, with half a mind to scrape her keys along the bright yellow paintwork. It would serve him right, after everything he’d done, but she knew she was better than that. He really wasn’t worth the effort.
The front door was unlocked, as if he’d been expecting her. She pulled a face as she saw his bags of clothes lying in the hallway. No doubt she’d be expected to wash and iron them for him before putting them back in the wardrobe.
She went through to the living room, but he wasn’t in there. She found him sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, a resigned look on his face.
‘I heard you met up with Annette,’ he said without any preamble.
So she wasn’t Nettie any more then? Jenna dropped her keys on the table and sat opposite him. ‘I did. She wasn’t at all what I expected.’
He gave a bitter laugh. ‘She wasn’t at all whatIexpected either. Talk about slovenly. And that house… The Addams Family would have felt right at home there. Did she tell you I’d left her?’
Jenna’s lips twitched. ‘Not exactly,’ she said. ‘She did say that she’d kicked you out, though.’
‘Kicked me out?’ Joel sounded outraged. ‘I lefther! I couldn’t stand it a minute longer.’ His tone softened and he gave Jenna one of his winning smiles. ‘I’ve been such an idiot, haven’t I? I don’t know how you put up with me. You said it was just a fling, and you were absolutely right. I should have listened to you from the start.’
She waited for the apology, but naturally it never came. Instead, Joel got up and walked round to sit next to her. He put his arm around her, not seeming to notice as she flinched away from him, repulsed by his touch.
‘I’m home now,’ he said soothingly. ‘I know it must have been hard for you, these past few weeks, but it’s over. Let’s put it behind us, shall we? We should do something to celebrate before you have to go back to work.’
Jenna couldn’t stand it any longer. She pushed back her chair and stood, glaring down at him.
‘Listen to yourself! You’re talking as if you’ve done nothing wrong. Do you really think I’m just going to welcome you home with open arms? Have you any idea what you put me through? And what about the twins?’
Joel’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Well, like I said, I know it must have been hard for you – all of you – but I’m back now. I can make it right.’
‘How? How do you think you can put this right? How do you expect us to trust you ever again? What makes you think I even want to try?’
Joel opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He sighed and slumped in his chair, looking completely defeated.
