Chapter 18
Alison and Rosie were walking arm in arm along the beach.
Alison had just finished cleaning the caravan, while Rosie had spent the morning cleaning the pub, and was due to head off to the chippy in Millensea after tea for the evening shift.
They were making the most of their free time and, rather than slobbing out in front of the television, Rosie had insisted that they go for a walk instead.
‘Walking on the sand burns off twice as many calories as walking on the pavement. That’s got to be a good thing for you, hasn’t it?
’ She squeezed Alison’s arm. ‘You’re doing ever so well,’ she said proudly.
‘I still can’t believe you resisted those thick, chocolatey biscuits Mac offered us at Watersmeet.
They were absolutely yummy. Do you think he believed you when you said you didn’t want to spoil your tea? ’
‘He must think I’m a paragon of virtue,’ Alison said with a laugh. ‘When he took me out for tea at the pub that day, I only had chicken salad. I didn’t even have the dressing that should have gone with it. He must think I eat like a bird.’
‘I’m really proud of you,’ Rosie told her. ‘You’ve got more willpower than I’d ever have. Have you heard anything from him, by the way?’
Alison nudged her. ‘Why would I? No, as a matter of fact, I haven’t.’ She sighed. ‘And I haven’t heard anything from Jenna either, which is more worrying. I hope she’s okay. What if she’s struggling? What if she hasn’t found anyone to mind the twins?’
‘If she hadn’t,’ Rosie said firmly, ‘she’d have been in touch with you by now, believe me. Stop worrying about her. It’s not your problem. Especially not after what that prat Joel said.’
‘I do miss her and the girls, though,’ Alison admitted. ‘I’m not used to going so long without seeing them. I feel as if a part of me is missing.’
Rosie squeezed her arm sympathetically. ‘It won’t be like this forever,’ she told her. ‘You wait and see. Jenna will be in touch before long, I’ll guarantee it.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘I’ll bet Mac is, too. I mean, he wants his garden sorting if nothing else.’
‘Yeah, thanks for suggesting that.’ Alison shook her head. ‘Like I said, subtle as a brick.’
‘What’s wrong with that? He’s got a garden he doesn’t know what to do with, and you’re a person with a passion for gardening but no garden to work on. You’re a match made in heaven, if you ask me.’
‘Hardly.’
They’d been walking quite a way, and as if of one mind they stopped and turned around, heading back the way they’d come.
‘What did you think of him? Really?’ Rosie asked. ‘He seemed nice to me. Calming. Gentle. I really liked him, did you?’
‘He’s very nice,’ Alison said hesitantly. She didn’t want to give Rosie any more daft ideas, after all. ‘I think he’s been very lucky though, don’t you? Had a charmed life really.’
Rosie frowned. ‘I don’t see how. His mam’s just died! Also, he’s fallen out with his sister, and he’s divorced. Hardly sounds like a charmed life to me.’
‘Yes, his mum died but look at the house she left him! And it’s not like he saw her regularly, is it?
They were hardly close. And Stella’s got good reason to be angry with him, although it does seem as if she wasn’t left out of the will, even though she gave that impression.
I’m sure they’ll make it up eventually – though again, he can’t have seen much of her, can he?
How much does it really bother him if she’s not speaking to him? ’
Rosie peered at her, surprised. ‘Doesn’t sound like you, Ali! Thought you’d have more sympathy for him.’
‘I do! But… I don’t know. He told me himself he got a great job after university, set up a business with his mate which did really well, made loads of money, had a good marriage—’
‘Which ended in divorce.’
‘Yes, but he doesn’t seem bitter about that.
He said he doesn’t regret it. He’s got two kids who, no doubt, are as charmed as he is.
They’ve grown up in Oxfordshire with a wealthy father, so I’ll bet they’ve done all right for themselves.
Same as Mac. His parents were loaded, he was teacher’s pet at school, probably got a first at university, never known what it’s like to be broke or go without…
I don’t know. I like him. I think he’s a nice man.
I just think he’s been very lucky, that’s all, and I wonder if he realises that. ’
He’s never known loss and grief. Not real loss and grief. Not like I have.
‘Didn’t his dad leave when he was a kid?’ Rosie asked. ‘And didn’t you say he was bullied at school?’
Alison’s heart sank. Her cousin was right, of course. She wondered why she was looking for reasons not to like Mac. He’d done nothing to upset her, after all.
‘I suppose,’ she said, ashamed.
Rosie reared away from her, studying her face closely.
‘What on earth are you doing?’ Alison demanded.
‘Checking you’re really you and you haven’t been replaced with an alien. The Alison I know and love would never be so bitter and uncharitable, especially about someone who’s done nothing but be kind to her.’
‘All right, all right. Don’t go on.’
‘I reckon you like him a lot more than you want to,’ Rosie said. ‘And I reckon it scares you to death. I reckon you don’t want to like him so you’re telling yourself a whole lot of reasons why you shouldn’t.’
‘You reckon a lot, don’t you?’ Alison said.
‘And you’re talking rubbish. I haven’t given him much thought at all.
I’ve got more important things to worry about, don’t you think?
Like trying to stick to this bloody diet and worrying about Jenna and the twins.
Oh, and I’m taking Mam and Dad to the supermarket in Millensea later to do a late-night shop, which is always fun.
Not. They want to go late so they can grab the reduced bargains, so we might pop in and see you at the chippy. ’
‘Just don’t give in and order anything,’ Rosie said, ‘because I’ll refuse to serve you.’
‘Thanks very much.’ Alison wasn’t sure if she was glad or sorry about that. ‘Oh, I got the invitation from Niall, by the way. Mam gave it to me when I popped in to see them on my way home from work. Bit random inviting adults to a kid’s birthday party, isn’t it?’
‘It is a bit,’ Rosie agreed. ‘Maybe it’s because it’s Poppy’s thirteenth so it’s special.’
‘Even more reason to just invite her friends, surely?’
‘Maybe she doesn’t have any,’ Rosie said. ‘Can’t be easy when your dad’s the local vicar.’
‘Oh well, I expect it will be nice for her, although when I was thirteen, I’d have been mortified if my mam and dad had invited the rellies to my birthday party.’
‘Yeah, me too,’ Rosie admitted. ‘But that’s Niall and Kendra for you. It’s a different world. And our Poppy’s a sweet kid. She’s probably happy to have us all round there.’
‘There’s an invitation for Jenna and Joel and the twins, too,’ Alison said.
Rosie pulled her to a halt and stared at her. ‘Are you going to tell them?’
‘I don’t know,’ Alison admitted. ‘I’m scared.’
‘Scared? Of Joel and his big mouth?’
‘Of being rejected, I suppose.’ Alison gazed out at the sea, shivering as a blast of cold air hit her, and digging her hands into her pockets, wishing she’d thought to wear gloves.
‘I could post it on to them, but it would be better to call Jenna, wouldn’t it?
What if the invitation gets lost in the post?
But if I call her and she hangs up on me, or doesn’t even pick up the phone, or tells me she’ll only take the twins to the party if I’m not going to be there, or—’
‘Blimey! Talk about worst-case scenarios!’
‘I know. But she’s ignored every text I’ve sent her so what am I supposed to think? It was half-term last week, and usually I’d have had the twins at my house most of the week, but this time there wasn’t a peep from Jenna.’
‘Even so…’
‘I’ll think about it.’ Alison shivered. ‘It’s bloody freezing out here, Rosie. Let’s go back to the caravan and warm up before my toes turn black and drop off.’
‘I had no idea you were such a drama queen,’ Rosie said, tucking her arm through Alison’s once again. ‘I’m learning a whole other side to you, Alison Parker. Who knew?’