AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Yep.’
‘Classic.’ Sean shook his head. ‘So what are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know. I’m applying for jobs and I was hoping that Gran’s house could be sold so I’d have enough for me and Maisie to rent somewhere in London for a while. But Isla wants to stay there. And so does Paul.’ A shudder of distaste crossed Sean’s face. ‘What is it?’
‘Nothing, really. It’s just…like I said, I’m not that keen on Paul.’
‘Me neither.’
‘I’ve seen him and Isla out together around the village. He can be very dismissive of her.’
‘And controlling. I’m worried about her but she won’t let me in.’
‘Have you told her what’s really going on in your life?’ He frowned when Caitlin shook her head. ‘That’ll be why, then. She thinks you’re still living the perfect life in London that you left her for.’
‘Whereas, in reality, my life has imploded, which means that not only was I a total cow to her, I abandoned her for absolutely nothing.’
‘You moved away, yes, but you didn’t abandon her.’
‘As good as. There’s no point in sugar-coating any of it. I’ve behaved appallingly and I’ve got my just deserts: no family, no husband and no home.’
It sounded so stark laid out like that, but it was the truth. And there was no one to blame but herself.
Caitlin sighed. ‘I’d be grateful if…’
‘You’d be grateful if what?’
‘I was going to say I’d be grateful if you didn’t tell anyone else what I’ve just told you, but I realised that I don’t need to ask.’
‘I always was boringly trustworthy.’
‘Wonderfully trustworthy,’ corrected Caitlin, ‘and a very decent man. Thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder. Literally.’
Sean stared into her eyes for a moment and then leaned forward and briefly kissed her cheek. His lips felt as if they burned her skin.
‘Thank you for telling me the truth, at last. And I’m sorry for the troubles you’re having. I really think you should tell Isla.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘I know you’re right, and I will. It’s just hard to find the words.’
‘Just tell her what you told me.’ He did up another button on his jacket. ‘I’m sorry, Cait, but I really need to go. One of our best customers rang earlier and asked if he could drop his car in to the garage today, in about twenty minutes. Do you want to walk down with me?’
Caitlin shook her head. ‘No, thanks. I’ll sit here for a while and enjoy the view.’
‘You’re not going to do anything daft, are you?’ He glanced nervously at the cliff edge. Loose stones, dislodged by the wind, were tumbling down the cliff face and into the churning sea hundreds of feet below.
‘No, I think I’ve done quite enough daft things already.’ She smiled up at him. ‘But thank you for caring.’
He shrugged. ‘Don’t leave it too long before you go back to Rose Cottage and get warm. I’ll see you around, Cait.’
He started making his way down the path and Caitlin watched him go. His walk was the same – long strides with a swing in his shoulders – but he was no longer the teenaged boy she’d fallen in love with fifteen years ago. He was a man now and, as she touched her cheek where his lips had brushed her skin, she realised that she still had feelings for him.
27
ISLA
Isla wasn’t the best of cooks, as Paul often jokingly remarked, but there was something about baking a cake that she found profoundly soothing. Perhaps it was the rhythmic beating of the eggs, or the memories it invoked of Gran, who had the sweetest tooth of anyone Isla knew. Jessie loved cake – any sort of cake – and could often be found in this kitchen, following a new recipe, with flour dusting her clothes. She always wore an apron but still managed to make a mess.
Isla folded flour into the Victoria sandwich she was making, so engrossed in her memories that she only realised Ben had come into the kitchen when he cleared his throat behind her.
