Chapter 10
‘I don’t care what anyone says,’ Rosie said, smothering sun cream on her arms and giving a satisfied smile, ‘on a hot, sunny day like this, the beach here at Millensea’s as good as anywhere.’
Her brother grinned down at her as she lay on a beach towel, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. ‘Are you saying it matches the ones in the Caribbean? Or the Seychelles? Or—’
‘All right, shut up, Niall!’ Rosie waved him away. ‘Got a better beach than Sheffield, anyway.’
‘And having lived in Sheffield for twenty years, she should know,’ Mum said, laughing.
‘Well, I think she’s right,’ Grandad said, nodding eagerly. ‘Mind you, there’s a whelk stall at Burlington-on-Sea that would give this place a run for its money. Can’t get whelks here, can you?’
Gran rolled her eyes. ‘Do you ever have a conversation that doesn’t revolve around food?’
Uncle Christopher, who was sitting – like his brother, wife, and sister-in-law – on a deckchair, shook his head.
‘I’ve known him all my life, and I can state categorically that he doesn’t.’
Jenna smiled affectionately at her grandparents and great-uncle and turned to watch the twins, who were with Niall and Kendra’s daughter, Poppy. She was helping them make a sandcastle and they were clearly very absorbed in their mission.
‘We’re back! Hurry up, they’re melting!’
Everyone turned as Mac and Kendra called to them after visiting the nearby ice cream shop to treat everyone.
There was a general scramble to rescue the ice creams before they melted, and a bit of an argument when Grandad insisted he’d asked for a double 99, and this was surely only a single-sized one, while Mac said the man at the counter had never heard of a double 99 and did he want this one or not?
It had been a last-minute decision to go to Millensea for the day.
The weather was glorious and Jenna had wanted to give the girls a day out by the sea and take them somewhere where they could go on fairground rides and the amusements.
Kelsea Sands had nothing like that to offer them, so she’d wondered if Kendra was available, since the two of them got on so well.
Being a Sunday afternoon, Kendra wasn’t working, and what’s more she said Niall would love to come, too, fitting it in between the morning’s Holy Communion and the later Evensong services.
No one expected their son Ryan to join them, and so it proved, as he’d caught a bus into Hull and was hanging out with his mates in the shopping centre. But Poppy had been eager to tag along, and when Mum and Mac heard about it, they suggested they also join them.
Then Auntie Elaine had rung up and said she’d just spoken to Niall on the phone, and he’d told her of their plans and was it all right if she and Uncle Christopher came too, because they could really do with some fresh air and it would be nice to catch up with everyone.
So of course, Rosie was immediately invited, and then Alison popped across to Sanderlings and asked her mam and dad if they wanted to join them, and Grandad had said absolutely, providing they were getting fish and chips while they were out.
Then, just before they’d set off, Mac’s sister, Stella, had rolled up at Watersmeet.
She was clearly embarrassed when she realised she’d arrived just as they were all going out, but Mac asked her to come with them, and although she said no, everyone could see she’d really love to, so they all badgered her until, finally, she gave in and looked very pleased about it.
So now the whole family (minus Ryan) was sitting on the beach at Millensea and it was turning out to be a lovely day.
Even so, Jenna couldn’t help feeling pensive. After all, she had a big favour to ask her mum, and given their recent history she was understandably nervous about it.
It wasn’t that long ago that she and her mum had fallen out because Alison felt that Jenna was taking advantage of her, asking her to babysit the twins far too often, to the point where she felt she had no life of her own.
Jenna still felt hot with shame when she remembered how she’d asked her mum to take the twins to school, pick them up afterwards, give them their tea, let them have sleepovers at her house…
She couldn’t imagine why she hadn’t realised how badly she’d been behaving and didn’t blame her mum in the slightest for making a stand.
In fact, her mum had been so fed up that she’d moved to Kelsea Sands for three months, living with Rosie in her cousin’s caravan, and had left Jenna to deal with her childcare problems.
But now here she was, about to ask her mum to take on childcare duties again. And just when things were going so well between them.
Why, she wondered, had she been stupid enough to offer to help out at The North Star? It wasn’t as if she needed a job. She was on holiday, for goodness’ sake!
But Sam had looked and sounded so fed up, and he was clearly rushed off his feet, and besides…
Jenna realised ice cream was running down her fingers and hastily licked it away.
She knew, deep down, that she hadn’t offered to help at the pub for Sam’s sake, but for hers.
Joel’s phone call had really upset her, and she couldn’t face the endless evenings sitting in Watersmeet while the twins slept upstairs and her mum and Mac watched TV or pottered about in the garden or read or whatever it was they usually did after dinner.
She felt like a spare part, and while she was glad for her mum that she’d found love again after all those years of widowhood, Jenna couldn’t help feeling sad for herself and the relationship she’d never really had.
At least working in the pub would take her mind off her dire situation. It would give her something to focus on. A perfect distraction, in fact.
But what, she wondered dismally, was her mum going to say?
‘You’re looking very pensive,’ Alison observed, with her usual perfect timing. She shuffled along the sand and sat closer to Jenna, watching her worriedly. ‘Are you sure everything’s all right?’
‘Fine, Mum. I’ve told you. Stop worrying.’
Alison nodded and scooped the last of her ice cream from the cornet with her tongue.
‘Have you heard from Joel lately?’ she asked casually.
Jenna, having finished her ice cream without really tasting any of it, made her expression deliberately neutral and hoped her voice came out the same way.
‘Last night actually,’ she said. ‘He’s… fine.’
‘Will he be visiting any time soon?’
Jenna shrugged. ‘Who knows? He’s very busy.’
Her mother frowned. ‘But surely he’s not working every day? Besides, he’s not that far away. He could drive over one evening after work.’ She added hesitantly, ‘He’d be very welcome.’
Jenna had no doubt that her mum was only being polite.
After her refusal to look after the children, Joel had visited Alison and told her what he thought about her.
To say he’d been rude would have been the biggest understatement of the year, and not only that but he’d lied to Alison about Jenna, putting words in her mouth that she’d never even thought, let alone said.
‘It’s okay,’ she responded gently, thinking how unselfish her mum was being to still offer to welcome him to Watersmeet. ‘I doubt he’ll be visiting anytime soon.’
‘Jenna, what’s going on? I think—’
‘Mum,’ Jenna said hastily, desperate to cut off that line of conversation, ‘I need to ask you a favour. A big favour.’
Her mum nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘I know this is a bloody cheek, given what happened earlier this year, but I need you to watch the kids for me.’
Alison frowned. ‘Of course. When?’
Jenna gave her an apologetic look. ‘Tonight at six. And – well – probably most other nights while I’m here.’
Alison stared at her. ‘What?’
‘I’m sorry, Mum, I really am.’
‘Where are you going, Jenna?’ Rosie, who’d been lying on the beach towel, frantically gulping down ice cream to stop it dripping on her face, had clearly been eavesdropping. Now she rolled over onto her side and fixed Jenna with a stern look.
Jenna realised that Kendra and Niall were now also watching her, as was Mac.
Even Stella, who’d been lying on her stomach, absorbed in the daily newspaper and apparently oblivious to the conversation, looked up and began to pay attention.
At least the ‘oldies’ were nestled comfortably in their deckchairs, chatting about the glory days of Millensea and taking no notice of her whatsoever.
She blushed and shifted on the sand, scooping up a handful and letting it run through her fingers.
‘The thing is,’ she said awkwardly, ‘I sort of accepted a job.’
‘A job?’ Rosie squeaked.
‘Oh, Jenna, no! You’re supposed to be on holiday, spending time with the twins,’ her mother said, clearly disappointed.
‘I know, and I am. I mean, I want to. That’s why I said I could only do nights, so I can be with them every day. I just felt sorry for him.’
‘Sorry for who?’ asked Mac.
‘Sam Hughes,’ she mumbled.
They all looked at each other, then back at her.
‘Seb’s lad Sam?’ Rosie asked.
Jenna nodded. ‘He’s really short-staffed.
I popped into the pub last night after I left Sanderlings – only for a lemonade,’ she added hastily, omitting any mention of the vodka and Coke.
‘It was so busy and he was rushed off his feet. He told me that two members of staff have gone on holiday, and another has quit without notice, so he’s really been landed in it.
It was chaos in there last night, and he looked so stressed, and…
Well, before I knew it, I’d offered to help him. ’
There was a moment’s silence, and a few looks were exchanged. Jenna held her breath.
‘Well,’ Mum said at last, ‘I think that’s really kind of you. Of course I’ll look after the twins. It will be no bother at all, will it, Mac?’
Mac smiled. ‘Of course not.’
‘They’ll be in bed by eight or half past every night,’ Jenna said eagerly. ‘So really it will just be for a couple of hours or so.’
‘I don’t mind having them,’ Rosie said. ‘They can stay at the caravan with me some nights. They’ll like that.’
‘And we’ve a spare room at the vicarage,’ Kendra said, glancing at Niall, who nodded in approval. ‘They could always have a sleepover with us. It will be fun.’
Jenna felt sick with relief. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked, gazing steadily at her mum, even as she asked the question of everyone.
Reassuring voices came straight back at her.
‘It’s no trouble at all.’
‘We’d love to have them.’
‘They’re such nice children.’
‘Besides,’ Rosie added, ‘Sam needs you, and he’s done enough for us over the last couple of years. Least we can do is chip in to help him out now.’
‘What about Seb?’ Stella asked quietly. ‘Is he still not working in the bar?’
Jenna shrugged. ‘Sam didn’t mention him, and he wasn’t working last night.’
Mac shook his head. ‘It’s not right, is it?
The North Star’s his responsibility, not Sam’s.
It’s time he started to come out of his shell and back into the real world.
I mean, I know he’s grieving, and I sympathise with that, but Sam’s his son.
He needs help, and Seb needs to join the living again.
’ He considered the matter a moment then turned to Alison.
‘How would you feel if I offered to do a few shifts there, love? Would you mind?’
Everyone stared at him.
‘Oh,’ Jenna said happily, ‘I think that would really help Sam out!’
‘And hopefully,’ Stella added, ‘you can have more contact with Seb. Help him see things in a new light. I think it’s a great idea.’
‘What do you think, Alison?’ Mac asked anxiously. ‘I don’t want to abandon you. It will only be till he’s solved his staffing problem.’
‘Of course I don’t mind. I think it’s a great idea,’ Alison told him, nudging him. ‘You do day shifts, Jenna can do the nights, and the rest of us will take care of the children.’
‘That’s that sorted then,’ Kendra said happily. ‘Poor Sam. He’s had a right time of it these past few years, hasn’t he?’
‘And you couldn’t get a nicer man either,’ Rosie said. She gave Jenna a sly look. ‘As I’m sure you’ve noticed.’
Jenna barely heard her. She was so swamped with relief that she hadn’t had an argument with her mum and that the rest of them hadn’t turned on her that she felt quite drained.
‘Mummy, do you want to paddle with us?’
She glanced up, smiling as the twins hurried over to her. In T-shirts and shorts, with sunhats perched on their heads, they looked happier and healthier than she’d seen them look in weeks.
‘Do you know,’ she said cheerfully, ‘I think I do.’
Jumping up, she grabbed their hands, and together they ran laughing and shrieking into the cold North Sea.