Page 101 of The Summer That Changed Us

Grace shook her head. ‘I’m teasing; you had enough on your plate.’

‘He’s such a lovely man,’ Katie sighed dreamily.

‘I thought so, too.’ Robyn grinned. ‘And I get the feeling it’s mutual.’

‘Hmm, I’m not sure about that,’ Katie sighed. ‘It’s obvious he really loved his wife and then there’s Amber to consider as well. How will I ever know when it’s appropriate to make my interest known? God, listen to me; I sound like something out of a Jane Austen novel.’

‘I suppose you’ve got to be prepared for the fact that he might compare you to his wife,’ said Robyn gently. ‘That could be tough, trying to live up to someone like that, especially if they’d had a good relationship.’

‘Sorry for being blunt, but at least she can’t come back into his life,’ Grace added. ‘So you have nothing to worry about on that score. Not like in my case. Julia was the mother of Myles’s children, so consequently she was always rearing her bloody head. It took me a good five years to fully accept that she was in his past and there was no going back for him.’

‘Good advice, thank you,’ said Katie, taking it all in. ‘I think I’ll let him take the lead and if he shows any sign of interest, I’ll encourage him to act. What?’

Robyn and Grace were trying not to laugh.

‘Sorry,’ said Grace. ‘It’s just that you’re making it sound like the mating ritual of a penguin. Just try and relax and be yourself.’

Katie pulled a face. ‘That’s the thing. My old self would have kept him at arm’s length and ruined it all by pushing him away if he tried to get too close. But if I’m ever going to have a serious relationship, I’ve got to get over that and be more confident. I like Barney a lot; this time I really want to make it work.’

‘Then I wish you luck,’ said Grace warmly. ‘And maybe, if you’re feeling confident, you might want to think about wearing something on Thursday to show off that fabulous figure of yours instead of hiding it away.’

Katie’s heart thumped. She knew Grace was right, but the thought of having her body on show …

‘And now enough about me,’ she insisted, putting her hands on their shoulders as they ambled along the edge of the water. ‘We’ve all had busy weekends. I’ll shut up and let someone else do the talking.’

Grace shook her empty can. ‘I might need another before I spill any beans.’

Katie obliged and produced another one for her.

‘OK, well I’ll go next then,’ Robyn let out a dreamy sigh. ‘Suffice to say, Finn and I are back on track.’

Grace lifted an eyebrow. ‘And in the sack?’

‘Still got the knack,’ Robyn winked.

‘What are you on about?’ Katie demanded to know as the other two hooted with laughter.

Robyn crushed her can in her hand and Katie swapped it for a new one.

‘We talked,’ she said simply. ‘Properly talked. Neither of us have dared to tell each other the truth for so long that we’d got out of the habit. Turns out we both wanted the same thing all along.’

Robyn told them about the mix-up about wanting a baby and the feelings of guilt they’d both had but hadn’t felt able to voice. And about how they’d made love for the first time in months.

‘And afterwards we talked and talked. Now it feels like a fresh start for us both. We’ve promised not to keep secrets anymore. Finn wasn’t just worried about me; he’s been worried about the rumour that the boatsheds might be for sale. If he and Callum lose theirs, it’ll be the end of the family’s fishing business. And then Finn admitted that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a fisherman for the rest of his life; he’d love to do something with food.’ She widened her eyes. ‘And I had no idea! Tomorrow is my first sea glass workshop at the cancer support centre and Finn is taking the day off to help me. And then we’re going to make some plans for the future.’ Her eyes sparkled with tears. ‘I’m just glad we’ve got a future.’

‘Me too, lovey,’ Grace said in a wobbly voice. ‘You make a lovely couple. I’m glad you’ve found your way back to each other. Life’s too short to be anything but happy. Like Myles and me, we were so happy once. And now that’s all gone.’

Tears began to run down her face.

‘What is it?’ Robyn asked. ‘You seemed to be having a nice time with Zoe and the baby yesterday.’

Grace nodded. ‘I was. Until I found out that Zoe was the woman who Myles had the affair with.’

‘No!’ Katie clapped a hand over her mouth.

Grace met her eye. ‘And it gets worse.’

Robyn and Katie hugged her while she told them what her sister and her husband had done and how her world, and her family, would never be the same again.