A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing Crossing (Pelican Crossing #3)
One
It was a glorious morning, the first of July, the middle of winter, but winter in Pelican Crossing was like a British summer day. Gill Dickson powered across the bay as she did every morning, her arms slicing through the waves like a well-oiled machine. It was only here in the ocean she was able to forget her worries, forget Max’s ridiculous demands, forget the fact her daughter refused to talk to her, forget the tiny blister on the underside of her tongue which had appeared several days earlier.
She had discovered this group of women who participated in what they called wild swimming soon after Max left, and the idea appealed to her. Now, it was the one time of the day when she could be herself, before she donned her work persona and became Gillian Dickson, divorce and family lawyer.
These days she felt her life was a joke. How had she, who helped other women navigate the hazards of divorce, become embroiled in such an acrimonious dispute with Max? Her ex, not content with leaving her, claiming she spent more time with her clients and the various local organisations she belonged to than with him, had instituted a legal battle to not only stake a claim on half of their mutual assets but to garner a proportion of her future income.
When they met and married, Gill had been in her early twenties, madly in love with Max and unable to imagine life without him. Freya had been born soon after, and life had been good. It had all started to go wrong when her law practice had taken off, and her income exceeded his. As a high school teacher, he was on a fixed salary while she was able to set her own fees.
Gill turned on her back to float for a while before returning to the shore, unsure why this morning the ocean had failed to bring her its customary solace. She gazed up at the sky, turning pink and gold as the sun rose over the horizon. How she loved this place.
She had grown up in the city and only moved to Pelican Crossing when she and Max married. He’d been offered a position at Pelican Crossing High School, and they’d jumped at the opportunity to move to the coastal town. Max had started at the school, and Gill had joined a local solicitor’s practice. Their daughter, Freya, had been in her teens when Gill was made a partner in the firm and decided to specialise in divorce and family law, after realising how difficult it often was for women to deal with a male lawyer at such times.
She gave a sigh and, turning over, headed back to the shore. She had a busy day ahead.
‘Thought we’d lost you,’ one of her companions called, as Gill walked up the beach to grab her towel. Olivia had become a good friend over the years. Her experience as a counsellor had helped Gill when Max left, and when Freya stopped communicating with her.
‘Sorry, I was lost in thought.’ Gill shook her head as if by doing so she could shake away her worries. ‘All good now,’ she lied as she towelled herself dry.
‘See you at book club tonight?’
‘Wouldn’t miss it.’ But as she spoke, Gill realised she hadn’t made time to read this month’s book. Maybe she could get away with reading the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. She always felt it was cheating to do this and vowed never to do it again. Then work got in the way…
Perhaps Max had been right when he said she didn’t make time for him, but her clients needed her too. How much she was beginning to realise; she was in touch with her own solicitor almost every day as Max’s demands grew. Then there were the organisations she belonged to, crucial to maintain her professional standing in the town, and which proved so useful in networking.
Driving home, Gill pondered again when things had started to go wrong. Was it only when Freya left for university, when they purchased the townhouse on the far side of the marina? Or had it started long before that, when Max was turned down for the principal’s position around the same time as her practice started to flourish?
Arriving at the townhouse which she was determined to keep in whatever settlement could be agreed on with Max, she threw off the tee-shirt and shorts she was wearing, before stepping into the shower. As the water flowed over her, Gill automatically itemised what she had to do today.
First there was the weekly conference with other partners in the firm, then a meeting with her PA. The rest of the day was filled with client appointments, leaving her little time to grab a coffee or lunch. It was to be a typical Monday, and she should feel rested after the weekend, but she’d spent most of it wrestling with the latest missive from her solicitor and hadn’t got much sleep. At least she had a day off on Wednesday when she’d be lunching with the three friends she’d met when they were all new mothers. It was thirty years ago now, but sometimes it seemed as if it was only yesterday. What if she could go back? Would she do anything differently?
Dismissing the thought before it could take root, Gill stepped out of the shower. A few minutes later, dressed in one of the four pants-suits she kept for work, today the navy one with a bright pink shirt, she applied the subtle makeup she deemed suitable for the day ahead and pulled a comb through her cropped black hair. As she did, she frowned at the streaks of grey which had appeared recently – maybe she should ask her hairdresser to take care of them. But, although she hated the signs she was getting older, she remembered how elegant her mother had looked with silver hair.
*
Gill was tired when she arrived home that evening. It was almost seven, and all she wanted to do was pour herself a glass of wine, defrost one of the frozen dinners which packed her freezer and drop into bed. She used to enjoy cooking, but these days she had neither the inclination nor the energy after a busy day.
But it was book club night, and she’d promised Olivia she’d be there. So, taking a quick shower and changing into a pair of casual pants and a linen shirt, she made herself a cheese sandwich, and browsed reviews while she ate. This month’s book choice, Happy Place by Emily Henry, didn’t seem to be her sort of book. She couldn’t imagine spending time with Max and being able to fake they were still a couple. The reviews were varied too, but she liked the one which referred to the author’s sarcastic wit. She sounded like Gill who often found herself making sarcastic comments – though they might not be witty. It might make for an interesting discussion.
Before leaving, Gill checked her phone – something she hadn’t had time to do all day – but as she’d expected there was nothing from Freya. How long was her headstrong daughter going to continue ignoring her? She’d tried calling too, only to reach her voicemail. She’d given up leaving messages there, suspecting they only succeeded in irritating Freya.
Did Freya feel Gill had spent too much time at work too? Was that why she sided with Max when they separated? If only she’d reply or answer her phone, Gill could ask her.
Tonight, the book club was meeting at Olivia’s, and the others were already there when Gill arrived. Olivia handed her a very welcome glass of wine, and she took a seat in the comfortable living room of Olivia’s renovated fisherman’s cottage. Like many such buildings in Pelican Crossing, the house had gone through several makeovers before now, when the original small rooms had been opened up to make one large living/dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows which during the day let in lots of light.
‘Glad you could make it,’ Olivia whispered, as she handed her the wine. Gill smiled. She always kept her word. It was something her mother had instilled in her as she was growing up and it had served her well.
The others were already chatting among themselves, suddenly falling silent when Olivia held up the book and asked, ‘What did we think?’
Comfortably ensconced in one of Olivia’s deep armchairs, Gill relaxed for the first time that day. She took a sip of wine, declined a refill since she was driving, and let the discussion flow over her, feeling pleased when she managed to make a comment about the author’s sarcastic wit, before drifting off again, her eyes beginning to close. She came back into the present to discover Olivia had asked each of them to close their eyes and describe their happy place. Gill supposed she should have expected something like that given the title of the book. When it was her turn, Gill closed her eyes. She immediately visualised herself floating weightlessly in the ocean, the only sound the lapping of the waves and the shriek of the seagulls, the pink and gold of the sunrise, the…
‘Is that where you were this morning?’ Olivia’s voice broke through Gill’s thoughts.
Had she spoken out loud?
‘When you took so long to swim back,’ Olivia said.
‘I guess.’ Embarrassed, Gill picked up her glass and drained it. What had she said? But everyone was nodding, so it couldn’t have been too bad. She sat up straighter, determined to listen to what the others had to say. How awful if she’d actually fallen asleep.
‘Your turn next month, Gill,’ Olivia smiled at her, waiting for her to name the book she’d chosen.
Completely unaware it was her turn next – she should have checked the list stuck on her fridge – Gill was lost for words, then remembering a book she’d enjoyed recently said, ‘ Time’s Prisoner by Linda Gillard. She’s a Scottish author. The book’s available on Amazon.’
As the others noted down the title, Gill breathed a sigh of relief. She’d be able to talk about this one, and it should engender a discussion about belief in ghosts. She looked forward to it.
Driving home, she reflected how little she had in common with most other women. While she belonged to a number of local groups and organisations – mostly for business or professional reasons – she had few close friends. She could probably count them on one hand. There was Olivia and the friends she met for lunch each month, and… She couldn’t think of any others. Had she become so focussed on her work, she’d cut everyone and everything else out of her life? Was it too late to change? Perhaps once things with Max were settled, she could turn over a new leaf?