Page 73 of The Summer That Changed Us

‘I’m not handing over any money.’ She jutted out her chin defiantly. ‘I’d rather spend my money on my cottage, which I’m renaming Mermaid Cottage by the way.’

‘Cute,’ said Grace. ‘And that’s a wise move. Don’t feed the trolls, I say.’

‘Are you going to the police?’ Robyn asked.

Katie swallowed, recalling the threat in the letter to expose her to the press if she dared go to the police. She nodded. ‘I have to. It’s a crime and whoever’s behind it needs to be stopped in case they do it to someone else.’

‘And if the blackmailer carries out their threat of sending the pictures to the newspaper?’ Grace raised an eyebrow.

Dread trickled through Katie like icy water; it was quite literally her worst fear. She imagined Barney opening the envelope and taking out naked pictures of her. He might cut off all contact with her. Her voice trembled as she answered. ‘I’ll have to take that risk.’

‘I think you’re amazing,’ Robyn marvelled.

‘Me?’ Katie shook her head. ‘All I’ve done is run away, scared of what other people might think of me. When I got the first letter, I was so shocked, I thought my head might explode. That’s when the three of us met for the first time, remember?’

‘Remember?’ Grace spluttered. ‘I was doing the splits on my patio. As first impressions go, that one will take some beating.’

Katie gave a snort of laughter. ‘I love your body confidence. It’s something I need to work on. Partly because I’ll never manage to hold down a relationship if I don’t, but also for work. We have lots of ladies come into the shop for post-surgery bras. I know what they need in the way of comfort and support. But I’ve never stopped to think about the ripples that losing such an intimate part of your body can cause on the rest of your life. Robyn, you’ve opened my eyes to that. I’ve got a healthy body, which I’ve hidden away under baggy clothes for a decade because of that one day in a photographic studio. How can I ensure women leave Auntie Small’s feeling proud of their bodies if I’m doing the exact opposite myself? And Grace,’ she continued, not giving Robyn a chance to argue, ‘you face up to whatever life throws at you. I’m taking resilience lessons from you.’

‘That’s incredibly sweet,’ said Grace wistfully. ‘But I’m not feeling resilient at all. And my body confidence has taken a tumble this last week. I keep imagining a gorgeous tall, skinny woman with cascading dark hair.’

‘Why?’ Katie and Robyn asked together.

‘Because that’s the polar opposite of me.’ Grace gave a half smile.

‘But you’re gorgeous!’ Katie argued.

‘And vivacious and clever… ’ Robyn protested. ‘He can’t have been right in the head.’

‘Thanks.’ Grace rubbed the pad of her thumb over her wedding ring. ‘Myles was the first man who I genuinely believed loved every inch of me, and after a while I started to love every inch of me too. Now when I look in the mirror all I see is faults. I imagine him studying me and finding me lacking in some way compared to mystery woman.’

Katie was cross on Grace’s behalf; how dare Myles make this wonderful woman doubt herself? And now her memories of him would be tarnished forever.

‘It doesn’t matter what shape we are, does it?’ said Robyn darkly. ‘Crises about our bodies can strike anyone at any time.’

‘How are things with you and Finn?’ Katie asked.

‘Such a nice guy,’ Grace said. ‘I got a coconut flapjack and a potted history of fishing in Merle Bay when I met him.’

‘You’ve met Finn?’ Katie asked.

Grace told Katie how she’d taken shelter from the rain in the boatshed and been treated to his hospitality.

Robyn smiled proudly. ‘He liked you too. Things are still not great between us, to be honest.’ She pounced on a shell and placed it carefully in her bucket. ‘We cuddled up together last night in bed and it felt just like it used to, so I thought I’d slide a leg over his and see what came up.’

‘And?’ Grace asked.

‘Absolutely nothing,’ Robyn said with a sigh. ‘He just wanted to go to sleep. Claudia asked him to make three christening cakes and he started them when he got in last night after a long day fishing. He was probably stressed.’

‘I have nothing useful to add to this discussion,’ Katie said. ‘My sex life would make a giant panda look like a nymphomaniac. That’s another thing I have to take in hand.’ A sudden image of Barney and his aubergine popped into her head and her face flooded with heat.

‘Same,’ said Robyn, thankfully not noticing Katie’s blushing cheeks. ‘And I know I need a proper conversation with him. I’m going to wait until after the christenings and talk about how I feel and get him to do the same.’

‘Ooh, a blue bit!’ Katie cried, bending down, only to retrieve a piece of plastic from the beach. She dropped it into her bucket to dispose of later. ‘By the way, I’ve made another decision. I’m setting up a charity to send bras to women who can’t afford them.’

‘Love it!’ said Grace. ‘My sister went through about five different sizes when she was pregnant with Ruby, and then there are feeding bras and sleep bras. It cost her a fortune.’

Robyn nodded. ‘And some young girls struggle, too. After Mum died and I went to live with Dad, I ended up with Claudia’s cast-offs.’