Page 24 of The Summer That Changed Us

‘I won’t, promise.’ Grace picked up a photograph of Zoe and the children and felt a rush of love for her family. ‘Are the kids OK?’

‘All good, thanks. Although I caught Daniel on his phone at eleven o’clock last night and then just as I finally got to bed, Ruby woke up. Ah well, sleep’s overrated. Allegedly.’

A sudden wave of sadness hit Grace. She and Myles had always slept hand in hand, every night. Once their bedside lamps were out, they’d each reach across the sheet towards each other. She missed that: his warm hand covering hers. At home, getting into their big bed without him was something she’d ended up dreading. Here there was no indentation in the mattress made by his body, no hint of his aftershave lingering in the room. But oddly, she was sleeping better here than she had for months. She replaced the picture, retrieved her trainers from the bottom of the wardrobe and perched on the end of her bed to put them on.

‘I don’t know how you do it,’ Grace said, full of admiration for her sister. She tucked the phone under her ear and wriggled her foot into the first one.

‘I set two different alarms,’ Zoe said with a giggle. ‘What are you doing? You sound out of breath.’

‘I am. And I’m only putting my trainers on,’ Grace panted. ‘I’m out of shape these days.’

‘You and me both,’ grumbled Zoe. ‘I need to get back into an exercise regime.’

‘Hmm,’ said Grace, loosening the laces on her other shoe.

At one time she’d have agreed with her but when Myles died he’d never been fitter, which as far as Grace was concerned, was proof that when it was your time, it was your time. Whether you were ninety-four and inhaled your way through a packet of Marlborough Lights a day or were active and health-conscious like Myles.

Once he’d hit sixty, he’d decided to start looking after himself. He’d taken up cycling, joined a club and had begun going for long rides at weekends. Grace, inspired by his willpower, joined a gym with a swimming pool and had begun to swim regularly. When Myles died, she cancelled her membership. She already felt as if she was drowning, she didn’t need to chuck herself into tepid communal water to do it. And besides, with Myles gone, she had no motivation to take care of herself.

‘Anyway, it sounds like at least one of us is being healthy,’ said Zoe. ‘Where are you off to, anywhere nice?’

‘Just meeting some friends on the beach,’ Grace smiled, imagining her sister’s eyebrows shooting heavenwards.

‘Friends? That was quick!’

‘Perhaps friends is a bit too strong,’ Grace said, backtracking. ‘I only met them on Monday. But they seem nice.’

‘You made friends on your first day? Go Gracie. Any of them male, single and devilishly good-looking?’

Grace ignored her; it was incomprehensible to think of another man in her life. She hadn’t got used to not having Myles in it yet.

‘Sorry, sorry,’ said her sister contritely. ‘Too soon, I know. Anyway, what are they like, are they your neighbours?’

Grace looked out of the window across the headland and down to the beach. There were no other houses in view.

‘I don’t actually have any neighbours, but Katie and Robyn are local. We’re going sea glass collecting.’

‘Snap, I’m about to do a bit of collecting too!’ said Zoe. ‘Mr Warren in bed number seven has a stool sample for me.’

‘I think I’ll stick to sea glass,’ Grace grimaced.

‘Have you heard from Austin and Olivia this week?’ Zoe asked.

‘Not directly, but I’ve had a bit of bad news: they’ve appointed a solicitor.’ She told Zoe about the letter from Roger Mathers that was waiting for her when she arrived on Monday and their plans to contest their father’s will. ‘If that’s what they want to do, they can. I’m very disappointed in them and I know Myles would be appalled.’

‘Bloody hell.’ Zoe whistled under her breath.

‘I don’t want this to go to court,’ Grace continued. ‘But on the other hand, I don’t want to go against Myles’s wishes. He wanted half of his estate to be split between his children and that’s what should happen.’

Zoe was silent on the other end of the line for so long that Grace thought she’d lost the signal.

‘Zo? Do you agree?’ she prompted.

‘Sorry, I’m still here. I’m just thinking maybe you should give them what they want.’

Grace was startled. ‘What?’

Zoe was a fighter. Had been since her premature birth at thirty weeks. Grace often attributed her own negotiation skills in business to a childhood spent arguing with her sister. It usually only took the mere mention of Austin and Olivia’s names to make Zoe leap onto her high horse and ride to Grace’s rescue.