Page 117 of Never Too Late to Date

‘I did.’

Tasha was still so long that Vicky assumed the screen had frozen.

‘Well, I can’t pretend it’s not a surprise. But good for you, Mum. You need to do something for yourself. You’ve had a tough few years. He’s my dad, and I love him, but I know your life with him wasn’t always easy. And since Scout died, you’ve been really down. So, you go for it.’

‘Are you sure? It means that money will be gone for good.’

‘Mum! It’s not mine; it’s yours. Animals are my life, too, so I’m pleased you’re doing something so worthwhile. You don’t need it, but if you’re looking for my blessing, then you’ve got it with knobs on.’

‘Thank you, my darling.’

‘Enough of the gooey stuff though, my mascara’s running. Does this mean you’ll be staying in Greece?’

‘For a while, definitely, but I’ll be back and forth.’

Vicky rubbed the side of a fingernail with her thumb.

‘Is there something else still, Mum?’

‘Just one more little thing. Please don’t tell your dad about this.’

‘I wasn’t planning to, but why?’

‘Erm. He doesn’t know exactly how much was in that account. It was just for us.’

She didn’t need to say out loud that it was her escape fund, and her parents desperately wanted to ensure that Ian couldn’t get his hands on it. Although she wasn’t sure why she was still protecting the man – or protecting her daughter’s version of him, anyway.

‘If that’s what Granny and Grandad wanted, I’ll honour their wishes.’ Tasha did the zip sign across her mouth.

‘Thank you.’

Tasha’s boyfriend, Rob, appeared in the corner of the screen and blew Vicky a kiss, before beckoning her daughter over.

‘Sorry, Mum. I’ve got to go and deal with an injured wallaby. But keep me in the loop and speak soon.’

‘Bye, darling. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

As the screen faded to black, Vicky fired up her computer. She’d got her daughter’s blessing, so there was nothing to stop her now. She confirmed all the details once more and pressed send to allow the money to go flying into Maeve and Seamus’s account. There was no going back now. She pushed back her chair and went to tell them the good news.

Her good mood lasted for the rest of the day. She really wanted someone to celebrate with. In truth, it was Suzie she wanted to see, but she’d have to wait. She’d not seen anything of her friend this week, as Suzie had been flat out too, although they’d got up to speed on the phone.

Everything except her night with Alex had been revealed and thoroughly dissected, including her investment in the sanctuary. Suzie appeared genuinely thrilled she was staying on the island, which was another big plus. Celebration drinks were definitely in order. They were meeting up the following evening at the big karaoke night at the bar, and since Christian was no longer persona non grata, hopefully she’d get to meet him too. She couldn’t imagine for a moment that it would be Alex’s thing – the thought of him singing on stage was ludicrous – so she had no fear of him popping up. He still hadn’t contacted her about their ‘talk’, but she was in no rush either.

It was still warm and sunny outside, even though dusk couldn’t be far away. A solo drink on the balcony would do her nicely for now. She had the ingredients for an Aperol Spritz or two in her room.

A sudden noise woke her from her slumber on the balcony. Everywhere was in darkness. She must have fallen fast asleep where she sat. The last few days had been extremely busy. She shifted in the metal chair, her shoulder stiff where she’d leant against the frame. The noise, starting up again, made her flinch as she groped her way back into her unlit room. Keeping the light off, she crept along the corridor, hoping against hope that she was wrong.

Outside Aoife’s room, she waited and listened. She heard the soft sound of crying, overlaid by a man’s voice, low and menacing. Her daughter was still on her mind after their earlier conversation, safe and cared for in New Zealand. But Aoife had slipped off her radar for a few days; she was ashamed to admit.

It was a now-or-never moment. But doing nothing wasn’t an option. She wasn’t going to let another woman start out on the life she’d had for so many years if she could help it. The violence, the tears and the constant lies whirled around her like autumn leaves in the breeze. If she hadn’t been able to help herself, surely she could help someone else.

She rapped on the door, and it was opened a couple of inches by a wild-looking Jordan.

‘Yeah, what do you want?’

He stank of drink and was deliberately blocking her from seeing Aoife.