Page 28 of The Summer That Changed Us

‘How upsetting for you,’ Katie frowned and slipped an arm through Grace’s. ‘That’s the last thing you need when you’re feeling low.’

Fighting over money after someone had died seemed so grubby, thought Katie. After Auntie Jean had died, she’d been shocked to discover she was the sole beneficiary of Auntie Jean’s estate, inheriting both the shop and the house. She’d felt guilty and unworthy. Her aunt didn’t have any close family, but she and Katie’s father did have distant cousins. She shuddered, imagining how awful it would have been if any of them had challenged her inheritance.

‘You and Myles don’t have children?’ Robyn asked, one dark eyebrow raised.

Grace shook her head. ‘Never wanted them. I was a swishy-haired, sharp-dressed businesswoman when I met him. A career woman all the way, certain that motherhood wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I do like kids, my sister’s two are little darlings. Myles was divorced with two teenagers and happy not to go back to the baby days. He’d have probably agreed to more if I’d wanted to; he was a big softie and a great dad.’ She smiled wistfully. ‘It was one of the things which made our relationship so different to the ones I’d had before. You wouldn’t believe how many men thought I was weird because I wasn’t maternal.’

‘Oh, I would,’ said Robyn, with feeling. ‘Actually, sometimes women are the worst for it. It’s my body, my decision.’ She paused and an expression Katie couldn’t decipher crossed her face before she added quietly. ‘And Finn’s, of course.’

Grace chuckled under her breath. ‘Very true.’

‘I’m the opposite, I would like a family one day,’ said Katie. ‘But I can still sympathise; I get people making supposedly jokey comments about hurrying up and settling down before I miss the boat. As if I’m deliberately dragging my heels! I try and laugh it off, but it hurts because I worry it’ll never happen for me.’

‘Oh love, you’re only a whippersnapper,’ Grace exclaimed. ‘Why do you think it won’t happen?’

‘Plus, you’re stunning,’ added Robyn sweetly.

Why? Because she always held back from giving a man one hundred per cent, because as soon as she felt herself getting close to someone she started to withdraw, because even when he promised she could trust him, that he was falling for her, deep down she doubted he was telling the truth.

‘You’re too kind.’ Katie flushed. She tried to get the words out that seemed to be lodged in her throat. ‘But I suppose I … actually, Grace, it’s still your turn.’

Grace looked at her and Robyn for a second and then started to laugh. ‘God, we’re a right load of sad sacks, aren’t we? We’ll be breaking out the gin soon, to drown our sorrows.’

Katie blinked for a moment and let out a giggle and then Robyn joined in, and even though everyone seemed to have issues galore and Katie hadn’t even told anyone what was bothering her, she already felt a little bit better.

Spending time on the beach in the fresh air with these two new friends was infinitely preferable to sitting at home worrying about what was going to arrive in the post next. Having fun like this, their laughter getting carried away on the wind, was exhilarating; it felt like a safe place where she might just be able to say what was on her mind.

‘I haven’t laughed like that since … actually since we were on your terrace on Monday,’ Katie panted, pressing a hand to the stitch in her side. ‘And I know what you mean about a drink. It’s at moments like this I wish this beach had a little coffee kiosk.’

‘Or a bar.’ Grace quirked an eyebrow. ‘We could all go to mine and have whatever we like.’

‘No need to go anywhere.’ Robyn scrambled to take off her rucksack. ‘I can’t do gin, but I can do coffee.’

‘Perfect!’ Grace rubbed her hands together. ‘I’ve been wondering what you’d got in that big bag.’

Robyn pulled out a rug and handed it to Katie. ‘If you wouldn’t mind putting this down, refreshments will be served in a jiffy, courtesy of my husband.’

They chose a sheltered spot against the rocks and once Katie had spread out the rug, Grace flopped down on it, groaning about her ankle. Robyn set out a large flask of coffee, a smaller one of hot milk, three mugs and a container of freshly made cookies.

‘This is much better than booze,’ said Grace, hugging her mug to her. ‘Thanks, Robyn.’

‘Thanks to Finn really,’ said Robyn proudly, tugging the lid off the cookies. ‘Help yourselves.’

‘Anyone watching us will think we’re bonkers having a beach picnic in April,’ said Katie with a giggle as the wind whipped her hair around her face.

‘Nah,’ said Grace with a grin, taking a mug from Robyn. ‘All the best sea glass hunters do it. OK. So back to the will situation. On the way down to meet you, I quickly called my solicitor and told him to write back to them and say that I wasn’t prepared to negotiate with Austin and Olivia and that if they wanted to pursue the matter in court, that was up to them. But I’m already having doubts and it doesn’t help that my sister, Zoe, thinks I should just pay them off so that we can all move on.’

‘I think you’ve done the right thing. Why should you be bullied by your stepchildren?’ said Katie hotly. ‘And why do people feel the need to money-grab? Is money so important that we’ll ruin other people’s lives for it?’

‘Money is quite important when you don’t have any,’ Robyn said.

‘Of course it is. Sorry, I got carried away there.’ Katie sipped her coffee as an awful thought struck her: money could be an issue for her too. So far she’d been dealing with the shock of the photos turning up after ten years; she hadn’t got as far as planning what she was going to do if, or when, she received a demand for money. She was lucky enough to own the shop and her house; Auntie Jean had paid off the mortgage years ago, but in terms of money in the bank, she didn’t have much she could easily get her hands on. Perhaps she could secure a loan against her assets? Was that a thing? She’d never needed to borrow money before; it was all new territory.

Grace swallowed a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie. ‘Don’t apologise, I wanted an honest opinion and I got one. What do you think, Robyn?’

Robyn had tipped her sea glass onto the edge of the blanket and was sorting it into piles of different colours. ‘I wonder whether sitting down face to face for a chat with the two of them might be better than communicating via solicitor?’ she said. ‘I don’t know about you but anything in writing automatically puts me on edge and I always expect the worst.’

‘Me too,’ Katie muttered, thinking about those manila envelopes.