Chapter 6
Chapter Six
‘Spag bol!’ said Lucy appreciatively.
‘Jen insisted,’ said Kate with a grin.
‘It’s my signature dish,’ said Jen with mock indignation. ‘Mum practically forced me.’
Kate shot her an amused look.
‘Brilliant!’ said Lucy. ‘I remember it even though I must have been all of ten years old. I thought my big sister was a fabulous cook.’
‘You were deceived,’ said Jen. ‘I peaked with that dish. Now it’s salads for summer and one-pot slow-cooker meals for winter.’
‘You couldn’t do any wrong in your little sister’s eyes,’ said Kate.
‘Yeah.’ Lucy shot Jen an embarrassed grin. ‘I guess I did kind of heroine worship you a bit.’
‘You used to trail after her all the time,’ said Kate.
‘OK, Mum!’ remonstrated Lucy. ‘Now you’re making me sound like an idiot.’
‘It makes you sound as if you’re an excellent judge of character,’ said Jen. ‘Although, to be honest, I don’t remember.’
‘Well, she did,’ said Kate, topping up her wine. ‘If you didn’t let Lucy hang out with you, she followed you anyway.’
Lucy grinned. ‘OK, guilty as charged. I even followed you and Sam to the sand dunes, way up in the reserve. You thought you were alone.’
Jen blushed. ‘Oh, my God! What did you see?’
Lucy smirked. ‘Mother’s here, so I’ll spare your blushes.’
‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Kate, piling some dishes and cutlery onto a tray.
‘It was bad enough worrying about you all as children. The less I knew about what you were getting up to as teenagers, the better as far as I was concerned. Although your father didn’t share that view.
’ She nodded towards the verandah doors.
‘Will someone open the doors, and we’ll eat outside tonight.
It’s such a lovely evening. So warm considering spring hasn’t officially arrived yet. ’
As Jen opened both French doors, the salty sea breeze swept over her. She watched as Lucy curled up on what was obviously her favourite seat, looking out to the sea. Lucy closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure.
‘Ah, this is nice. It’s been a busy day.’
As Lucy moved a cushion to make herself comfortable, the evening sun shone on her platinum blonde hair.
Cut in a bob, which made her cheekbones and jawline sharper, Lucy was striking.
There was something effortlessly cool about her — like she didn’t need to try, and so never did.
Her direct, intelligent gaze was restless and didn’t land long on things, but you got the feeling it didn’t need to.
It didn’t take her long to figure people out.
Lucy was different in her clothing and jewellery choices, too. Her earrings weren’t precious jewels but some kind of striated stone, like a fossil. As she leaned forward, a necklace swung out. Like her earrings it was unusual, its striking stone set in silver and gold.
‘That looks familiar,’ said Jen.
Lucy lifted the stone. ‘This? It’s my favourite. I nagged Mum until she gave it to me. I love fossil-like things, and I’ve never seen anything like this coral pattern before.’
‘What stone is it?’
Lucy shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. One of our regulars told me once, but I’ve forgotten.’
‘Can you clear a space?’ asked Kate as she stepped out onto the verandah, carrying a laden tray.
‘Sure!’
Jen shifted some pots containing newly planted seedlings and a collection of coffee cups, and Kate deposited the tray of food.
‘You’ve chosen a job that has you always on your feet,’ said Kate, glancing at Lucy, who was resting among the cushions, her eyes closed. ‘I worry about you, Lucy.’
‘I own the place, mum,’ she said, her eyes still closed. ‘I delegate. It’s fine.’
Jen brought out the pot of sauce and spaghetti and placed it directly on the driftwood table, alongside a generous dish of Parmesan cheese.
‘Mum, can I help you to some?’
‘Lovely darling. Not too much.’
‘Sam was surprised to see you this morning,’ said Lucy with a smirk.
Jen nearly dropped the dish and glanced at her mother.
‘Sam?’ asked their mother. ‘Jen, you didn’t say you’d seen him.’
‘There wasn’t much to tell,’ Jen said defensively. ‘We just said hello.’
Lucy scoffed. ‘You mean he did. Before he joined you at the table, you mumbled a response, which could have meant anything. In fact, he asked me what you said, and I made something up.’
‘What do you mean, you made something up? What did you say?’
‘I said that you’d just taken a bite of that croissant I gave you and you’d said “it was good to see him”.’
Jen went beetroot. ‘But I didn’t say that!’
Lucy shrugged. ‘Maybe not. But you should have done. And I’m sure you would have done, if you’d had your wits about you.’
‘What else did you say?’
Lucy shrugged. ‘Nothing much. Oh, only that you’d asked whether he lived around here still.’
‘What?’ spluttered Jen. ‘Lucy MacLeod! You’re making this all up!’
Lucy shrugged and calmly spooned Parmesan cheese over her spaghetti. ‘Before he came into the café, you asked if he lived around here.’
‘Yes, but it sounds like I was asking because I wanted to see him around.’
‘Weren’t you?’ Lucy’s eyes twinkled.
‘Well, I… don’t not want to see him around, of course. But… Oh, you know what I mean!’
‘Not really, darling,’ said Kate. ‘MacLeod’s Cove is a small place. You’re bound to run into one another.’
‘Sam lives in MacLeod’s Cove? But he said he didn’t.’
‘He doesn’t officially live here,’ said Lucy. ‘But he’s here most days since he started work on his beach house.’
Jen’s heart sank. She’d returned home to get away from her immediate past, and it looked like she’d dived headfirst into her distant past. Things between her and Sam hadn’t ended well all those years ago. And she really wasn’t in a state to rake over old coals.
‘Well, that’s nice, dear,’ said Kate, smiling. ‘I’ve always liked that boy.’
‘He’s not a boy now, Mum,’ said Lucy.
‘And there’s no reason whatsoever for you to like him after what he did to me,’ said Jen.
‘What did he do?’ asked Lucy. ‘I mean, he was there one minute and the next you’d both gone. For a long time I thought you’d gone away together.’
‘No. Not together. He’d accepted a job in Sydney without talking it through with me and simply assumed I’d follow.’
‘It was a good job, if I remember right,’ said Kate.
Jen shrugged. ‘That wasn’t the point.’
‘What was the point?’ asked Lucy after a long pause. ‘Tell me, because I feel I need to catch up on fifteen years of family history.’
‘The point was…’ Jen tried to remember exactly how she felt fifteen years earlier.
It was like trying to recall the actions of a stranger.
‘That he’d shown no signs of loving me. He wasn’t bothered if I went off somewhere without him and with other boys; he wasn’t bothered about whether I went to Australia with him or not. He just… wasn’t bothered.’
‘And you wanted someone who was bothered.’
Jen swirled her drink around her glass and watched it settle before answering. ‘Yes. Ironic really. I got someone who was so bothered I ended up a virtual prisoner.’
‘Hm,’ grunted Lucy, taking a sip of wine. ‘Be careful what you wish for.’
And hadn’t Jen thought the exact same thing over the years? Sam had always wanted her to be free, and she’d thought that had been a sign of indifference. Maybe it had been, maybe it hadn’t; she guessed she’d never know now.
‘Anyway,’ she said quickly, trying to change the subject. ‘He’s the past, and it’s not as if I’m likely to bump into him, is it? Eating out is a luxury I can’t exactly afford these days.’
‘Who said anything about eating out?’ Lucy grinned, her eyes alight with mischief. ‘You need a job, and I have one for you at the café.’
A ripple of apprehension passed through Jen.
‘Thank you, Lucy. I appreciate the thought, but I can’t cook, and I’ve never had a customer service job.
I write stories. Full stop. I’d be of no help to you whatsoever.
’ Plus, she really didn’t want to risk bumping into Sam, or anyone else from her past who might give her the third degree about why she’d returned home.
‘You’d be loads of help. Come on, it’s not rocket science,’ Lucy answered with an easy shrug. ‘Just steer clear of the kitchen, and you’ll be sweet.’
Jen chuckled despite herself, the idea beginning to take root in her mind. ‘But I’ve no experience.’
‘I’ll teach you everything you need to know. You can start by washing up. My dishwasher is broken at the moment, and we’re still waiting for a part.’
‘Well, it’s true I can do that.’ And it also meant she’d be out of the way of customers — customers like Sam.
‘Great!’ Lucy clapped her hands with satisfaction. ‘You start tomorrow. Just a short shift in the mornings. I don’t want to tire you out,’ Lucy said with a grin.
‘Hang on a minute. I’ve Liam to think about.’
Kate waved her hand dismissively. ‘Don’t worry about Liam. He and I will have a great time until he goes to school.’ Kate raised an eyebrow in question at Jen.
Jen shook her head. ‘I don’t know, Mum.’
‘I think we should discuss it as soon as possible. A family meeting, including Liam. What do you think?’
‘Great idea,’ said Lucy. ‘Anyway, back to Jen. I’m not suggesting full-time, only a four-hour shift in the mornings, if that suits.
It’ll get me out of a spot, but it will mean early mornings, I’m afraid.
You’ll have the afternoons free though. And if you’d like extra hours, I could always add you to my list of casuals. ’
Jen looked from her mother to Lucy and knew she wasn’t going to win. And besides, despite her concerns, she liked the idea. It would be a new beginning. She’d be with her little sister, in her home village. What could go wrong?
‘OK. When do I start?’
‘How does tomorrow sound?’
‘Tomorrow it is,’ Jen echoed, a flutter of anticipation stirring within her. ‘Thanks, Lucy. I appreciate it. In fact, I’d love it.’