Chapter 6 #3
‘Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing?’ Rowan’s father folded her into his arms the moment he opened the door.
Although he and her stepmother still lived in Rowan’s former family home, it hadn’t felt like a place she could just stroll into since she’d followed her mother to London.
She still had a key and always had done, but it was her father and Marion’s home, not hers, despite them reassuring her many times that wasn’t the case.
Whenever she’d stayed there in the holidays, she’d had to force herself not to knock on the front door before coming in.
It had upset Marion when she’d done that, and her stepmother had told her it made her feel as though she’d pushed Rowan out, and that was the last thing she’d wanted to do.
Marion had cried and Rowan had promised she wouldn’t knock any more, but the rules no longer applied once she’d left home and she couldn’t possibly have walked into the house without knocking now.
‘I’m good, Dad. How are you?’
‘No complaints from me, sweetheart, but are you sure you’re okay?
It’s hard to believe you can be, after… everything.
And you look thin, too thin.’ Her father’s concern was touching.
He knew that James’s actions had put an end to their marriage, but he had no idea about Euan and, for now at least, Rowan was determined to keep it that way.
Her father was far more likely than her mother to let the truth slip out in front of the children before she was sure they were ready to hear it.
After all, he didn’t have Katrina’s track record for keeping secrets.
‘I’m fine Dad, honestly. I feel much better since I got home.
’ It was the first time Rowan had used the word and really meant it, but after today Port Agnes suddenly felt much more like home than it had done before.
She was excited about starting at the school and reconnecting with Bex had made her miss Pippa and Odette a bit less too.
She was starting to imagine a life here, and now that her parents were genuinely friendly it should make spending time with them far easier.
This was a fresh start for them all it seemed.
‘I’m so glad to hear that, sweetheart. Now come in before the neighbours start talking about the dodgy-looking woman hanging around on my doorstep.’ Her father grinned.
‘Is that our girl I can hear, Tony?’ Marion called out from the lounge as Rowan followed her father down the hallway.
‘It is and she’s far too skinny. Have we got any cake?’
‘We’ve always got cake.’ Marion smiled as they walked into the lounge. ‘We’d never have stayed married for this long if I didn’t always have cake, and biscuits. I know the way to your heart.’
Rowan’s father dropped a kiss on his wife’s head. ‘I knew I married you for a reason. You two have a catch up and I’ll get the cake.’
‘I’ve already had the biggest slice of carrot cake you’ve ever seen in your life.’ Rowan knew that her protests were going to fall on deaf ears.
‘Ah but this is pistachio. Your favourite.’ Marion raised her eyebrows. ‘And it’s Charlie’s too, but seeing as I can’t bake anything for him for at least another six months, you need to eat his share too.’
‘Oh God, moving home is going to do scary things to my insulin levels, isn’t it?’ Rowan grinned and turned towards her father. ‘Have you heard much from Charlie lately? I’ve been getting most of my news from his stories on Instagram, although he does occasionally remember to send me an email.’
‘You and me both, although getting an Instagram account so that I could follow him has been an eye-opener. I waste far too many hours watching other people’s videos these days and Marion keeps looking at photos of Hugh Jackman.’ Her father laughed. ‘I’ll get the cake and be right back.’
‘Okay, Dad.’ Rowan sat on the sofa, opposite where Marion was sitting with her leg resting on a footstool. ‘How’s the foot? Mum said you hurt it at your line dancing class?’
She’d done her best to keep the note of surprise out of her voice, but she hadn’t succeeded and Marion raised her eyebrows again. ‘Do you find it hard to believe that me and your mum go dancing together? Because I do.’
‘Let’s just say that you all continue to surprise me.
The last couple of years have been a bit of a turnaround.
’ It was a hell of a lot more than that, but she wanted her stepmother to know how pleased she was that the situation had changed.
‘I’m delighted, though, and it’s obvious it’s made Mum happy to have her old friend back. ’
‘Me too. I missed her a lot more than I ever missed my ex-husband, and I think your dad felt the same about Dean. Your mum and I were friends before everything happened, and so were your dad and Dean. It took us far too long to go back to that, but we’re there now.
’ Marion had more or less echoed the same sentiments as her mother, which proved just how in tune they were.
‘I’m so glad.’ Rowan reached into her bag and took out the jar, handing it to her stepmother before kissing her briefly on the cheek. ‘Mum sent this. She bought it for your foot.’
‘She’s so thoughtful.’ Marion beamed.
‘I think she has an ulterior motive.’
‘Oh really?’ For a moment her stepmother looked troubled, but then Rowan shook her head.
‘Oh, it’s nothing bad, she just can’t wait for you to get better and go back to dancing.’
‘Me neither.’ Marion smiled again, her relief obvious. ‘But it won’t be long now that I’ve got this from your mum, and your dad has been looking after me really well too.’
‘Wow, I can’t believe how much things have changed lately.’ Rowan’s dad had always been a workaholic and she had a feeling it was one of the things that had come between him and her mother, to a point where they’d grown so far apart that there was no coming back together.
‘He’s realised that he needs to slow down and he’s found a company he’s happy to sub-contract to.’
‘Really? I never thought he’d do that. Who is it?’ Her father’s inability to delegate or pass work on to sub-contractors, out of fear of losing control, had been one of the major causes of him working too much. And after what had happened with Dean, he’d never trusted anyone else.
‘The Lark brothers.’
‘The Lark brothers?’ Rowan widened her eyes. ‘Is that a good idea, given that, well…’
She couldn’t finish the sentence, so Marion did it for her. ‘Are you talking about Nathan’s prison sentence?’
Her stepmother fixed her with a look and she couldn’t have lied if she’d wanted to. She hated herself for doing the very thing she’d criticised other people for, and not allowing Nathan to move on from his past. ‘I just don’t want Dad to be taken advantage of, that’s all.’
‘Me neither, sweetheart, but he won’t be.
’ Marion sighed. ‘Whatever Nathan did, I’m sure he regrets it and knowing the family as I do, I think he must have had a good reason for it.
Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter, he deserves a second chance, but you know what this village can be like.
There are gossips who love to keep scandal going long after it would be over otherwise and we know the damage that can do better than anyone. ’
‘We do, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.’
‘There’s no need to be sorry, sweetheart. I know you’re only looking out for your dad, but Nathan’s a lovely lad, both the Lark boys are.’
‘Are you talking about my new business partners?’ Her father asked the question as he set a tray on the table, a slow smile spreading across his face. ‘At least I know these two won’t run off with my wife.’
‘Dad!’ Rowan couldn’t help laughing. Her father had always been a bit of a joker, but this wasn’t a subject he’d ever have found funny in the past. Things were definitely changing for the better.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. After twenty-odd years you’re still on probation.’ Marion put a hand on the back of her husband’s head, pulling him towards her and planting a kiss on his lips to prove she was only joking.
‘Can you believe your stepmother?’ Rowan’s father shot her a smile, as he pulled away.
‘I’d say you’re a lucky man to only have had twenty years’ probation.’
‘I should have known you two would gang up on me.’ He was still smiling. ‘I messaged your brother to let him know you’re here. He’s going to FaceTime us in twenty minutes and he’ll be on my side.’
‘I can’t wait to actually talk to Charlie. He’s been away for too long and it’ll be so nice to see him in December.’
‘I was thinking we could have a big family Christmas this year.’ Tony gave Rowan a hopeful look. ‘And I thought that maybe your mum and Dean could join us too.’
‘I’d like that.’ Rowan nodded. It still seemed strange imagining her parents choosing to spend time together, let alone sharing a big family celebration out of choice rather than duty, but she was ready to embrace it.
Marion was right, second chances were important and sometimes they came when you least expected it.
After seeing the difference it had made to her parents, Rowan was determined to be as open to them as possible in the future, whenever they might arise.