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Ryan watched her for a long moment. ‘No wonder you’re exhausted. Lexi’s a lucky girl, having a mother who cares as much as you do.’
‘I don’t know. Maybe I care too much. Maybe I’m protecting her too much. Or maybe I’m protecting myself. I don’t want to admit that the man I was married to for fifteen years can behave like that. Anyway, this is a very boring for you.’ Tormented by guilt, and depressed after the conversation with her mother, Jenna took a deep breath. ‘Sorry. I’m lousy company, I know. Take no notice. I’m just tired after the journey. I’m sure you’re really busy.’
‘Why didn’t your mother want you to come here?’
Jenna watched the sunlight spread across the pretty garden. ‘She wanted us to move in with her. She said it would save money.’
‘Save money, but not your sanity. I gather you resisted?’
‘Yes. I thought we’d be better off having a fresh start, away from everyone. Clive has another woman. Actually, it turned out he had several women throughout our marriage…’ Her face was scarlet. ‘I was the last person to know. That’s another reason I wanted to get away. That and the fact that the girl he’s started seeing is twenty-two. It was really difficult for Lexi.’
‘And you, I should imagine.’
She didn’t even want to think about how she’d felt. ‘The hardest thing was seeing Lexi so hurt. I thought if we moved here we’d be right away from it. I thought it would be good—but at the moment she just hates me for dragging her away from her friends. She’s worried no one here will speak to her. And I have no idea why I’m telling you all this.’
‘Because I asked. And don’t worry about no one speaking to her. This is Glenmore,’ Ryan said dryly. ‘There aren’t enough people here for anyone to be ignored. It’s a small community.’
‘I hope she doesn’t get into any trouble.’ Jenna stared over her shoulder towards the grassy hill where Lexi had disappeared. ‘I think she’s very vulnerable at the moment.’
‘If it’s any consolation, there are not a lot of places to find trouble here. Mrs Parker aside, the crime rate on Glenmore is very low. When we do have trouble it’s almost always tourists and nothing serious. Nick Hillier, the island policeman, has a pretty boring job. If there’s a group of tourists drunk on the beach then it’s an exciting day for him. You have nothing to worry about.’
‘I’m a mother. Worrying yourself to death is part of the package. It never changes. From the moment they’re born, you’re worrying. When they sleep you check them every five minutes to see if they’re breathing. Once I even woke Lexi up in the night just to check she was alive. Can you believe that?’
His eyes amused, Ryan reached for his coffee. ‘Our new mothers’ group will love you. They talk about that sort of stuff all the time and I just nod sagely and say it’s all normal.’
‘But you’re secretly thinking they’re a bit odd?’
‘Waking a sleeping baby? I have mothers tearing their hair out because the baby doesn’t sleep, so, yes, it seems a bit odd to hear mothers worrying when the baby does sleep.’
‘Once you have children you worry about everything, from sharp knives to global warming. And it doesn’t stop.’ Jenna shook her head, finding it a relief to talk to someone. He was a good listener. ‘Will they fall off that bike they’re riding? Will they remember to look both ways when they cross the road? You want them to be polite to people, and then you’re worried they’ll be too polite and might go off with some stranger because they don’t want to give offense–’
‘Jenna, relax! You’re going to give yourself a nervous breakdown and you haven’t even unpacked yet. You need to learn to chill.’
‘Chill? What’s that?’ Jenna rolled her eyes in self-mockery. ‘I don’t know how to chill. But at work I’m sane, I promise. You must be wondering why on earth you gave me a lift. And a job.’
‘Your job is safe. I can promise you that.’
‘There’s no such thing as safe.’ She rubbed her finger over the table, following the grain of the wood. ‘A year ago I had a husband, a home and a job. I lost all three.’
He was silent for a long moment. ‘And now you have a home and a job again.’
There was something in his voice that made her look at him—made her wonder what personal trauma had driven him to this island.
‘What I want is for Lexi to be happy.’ Feeling calmer than she’d felt for ages, Jenna slipped off her shoes and curled her toes into the grass. ‘I’m hoping that this will be a fresh start. I want it to feel like home.’
‘If you need any help turning it into a home, give me a shout.’ Ryan checked his watch and rose to his feet. ‘I’m pretty good with a toolbox. Do you want any help unpacking? Is any of your furniture coming over?’
‘No. No furniture.’ Clive had claimed the furniture and all the belongings they’d collected over fifteen years of marriage. She hadn’t had the strength to argue. She’d packed her clothes, a few books and not much else. ‘I need to go shopping—oh, you said someone had stocked the place already?’
‘When Evanna told the town meeting that you were coming, everyone from the village contributed.’
Jenna blinked. ‘A group of people sat down and discussed my shopping list?’
‘There’s not a lot going on around here when the nightclubs are closed.’
‘That’s really kind.’ Touched, Jenna made a mental note to thank everyone. ‘Perhaps you could tell me the names. Then I can work out how much I owe everyone and pay them back.’
Ryan gave a faint smile, rolling up his shirtsleeves, revealing arms as strong as his shoulders. ‘Oh, you’ll pay. Don’t worry about it. Everyone will claim a favour from you at some point. Usually at the most awkward, embarrassing moment, because that’s how it works around here. One minute you’re buying yourself a loaf of bread and the next you’re giving an opinion on someone’s rash.’ He stood up. ‘If we can do anything to help you settle in faster, let us know. The key to the back door is in the top drawer in the kitchen. It can be temperamental. If it jams, jiggle it slightly in the lock. And the shower turns cold if someone turns on a tap in the kitchen.’
