Helena had seen to that.
Kirsty thundered over to their table and stood beside it.
Hugh clocked her first, standing up to greet her. “Kirsty! Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
Helena jumped to her feet, a worried expression on her face. “You look like you need a drink. Hugh, go get her a wine.”
Kirsty held up a hand to stop him. “I won’t be drinking with you, tonight or any night.” Her words curdled on her tongue. She still couldn’t believe she was having to say this to Helena. “How could you do what you did? To me? To us? Maybe my mum was right all along.”
Kirsty’s raised voice made a few people nearby turn their heads.
Helena frowned, holding up a palm to Kirsty. “Slow down, what’s happened? Why are you shouting at me?”
“Like you don’t fucking know.” Venom rattled through her. “I just want to know why? You can’t bear me to be happy, is that it? All that guff about thumping Saffron if she came in the shop. I should punch you instead.”
“Please, Kirsty.” Hugh stepped between them. “No punching Helena.”
That blew the lid off Kirsty’s anger.
“This is between us, Hugh.”
He stepped back as Kirsty edged forward.
“Although, you should know what a Judas your wife is. Betrayal doesn’t even cover it.” She stared at Helena so she got the point. “Using Saffron’s name to promote the shop after everything I said, everything that’s happened.”
“I didn’t!” Helena’s voice scratched the air. “I would never do that to you!”
The pub hushed as Kirsty and Helena’s voices scaled the octaves.
A collective intake of breath waited for the next verbal blow.
“Nice try, but you already did. Snapping covert shots, using personal ones of us. Even from the day I ate an oyster. I didn’t think you’d stoop so low.” Every word sounded like a slap. “Saffron and I have split up, so if that was your aim, job done.” Kirsty pointed a finger as if it was loaded. “Just know that as soon as the bank opens tomorrow, I’ll be asking about a loan to buy you out of the business. I can’t work with partners I don’t trust. You fall into that category.” Kirsty shook her head, her anger still fizzing through her like a firework.
Helena was shaking her head, her eyes wide. “I didn’t do whatever it is you’re saying. There must be some mistake.”
“You’re not wrong there. My mistake was trusting you. I’ve been defending you, singing your praises to anyone who’ll listen. Fuck you, Helena.” She hoped her gaze burned her friend. Scrap that,ex-friend.
Kirsty turned and walked out of the pub, passing a few locals with open mouths.
She didn’t look back.
Chapter 28
Kirsty dragged her kayak up the stony beach, the lone person on this part of the beach at 8am. It was heavier after her ride, but she didn’t mind. She hadn’t been able to sleep, so she’d decided to commune with nature. Kayaking had been the perfect remedy for that. The smell of the sea in her lungs, the supreme tranquillity calming.
Her wetsuit clung to her body. Kirsty shivered. She needed to get into dry clothes. She abandoned the kayak at the top of the beach, then sprinted across the path and up to their hut. Within 30 minutes, she was hosed down and changed. She sat on the porch in her favourite shorts and T-shirt, coffee in hand, staring out at the beautiful vista, the lighthouse regal as always.
Greg and Rufus walked past and gave her a wave. It took everything Kirsty had to wave back andnottake it out on them. To everyone else, she probably looked like she had the world at her feet. To some extent, she did. She had her health, her family, her hut, a fresh mug of coffee. However, everything else she counted on—her business and her love life—had broken in two yesterday. Just like that: snap.
Her insides wobbled anew.
She sat up straighter and took a deep breath of the ocean. Not even that soothed her. She’d allow herself some time to wallow, but after that, she had to get a grip.
She was Kirsty McBride.
She’d dealt with worse.
A divorce.
