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Chapter 27
Ron strolled into the restaurant in Tewkesbury town centre and spotted Louise sitting at a table, with her husband. She looked younger somehow and he ruefully compared her with his own careworn visage. These days rugged was the word that came to mind whenever he saw his reflection. Maybe haggard was more accurate, because all those years of living rough had taken their toll.
‘My goodness!’ Louise exclaimed as she leapt to her feet when she saw him. ‘You haven’t changed a bit.’ She laughed out loud. Her husband rose too, waiting patiently while they greeted each other.
‘You have,’ Ron said. ‘You look happy, for a start.’
Louise sobered, the arms that she had been holding out dropping to her side. ‘That’s because I am,’ she replied sombrely.
‘Were you going to give me a hug?’ he asked.
‘I was…’
‘What’s stopping you?’ He held his own arms wide and she fell into them, laughing.
‘You aren’t an easy man to find,’ she told him, sniffling back tears.
He drew back slightly and looked at her. ‘Why are you crying?’
‘Because I’m happy to see you. When I found out what had happened and that you were—’ She stopped and made a face.
‘You can say it you know – homeless.’
‘Yes, that. I felt awful.’
‘Why? It wasn’t your fault.’
‘Yes, but, if I hadn’t… if we hadn’t… if things had—’
‘Stop right there,’ he instructed. ‘Could have, should have, would have, does no one any good. It is what it is, and no one is to blame.’ It was his turn to pull a face, and she caught onto it quickly.
‘Liar. You blame yourself, don’t you?’
‘Guilty as charged,’ he admitted. ‘I’m sorry I—’
She placed a finger on his lips, stopping his words. ‘No regrets, eh? What’s done is done, and yes, I didn’t like you very much for a while; I didn’t like myself either, but we’ve both moved on, haven’t we?’
He gazed at her. ‘You certainly have,’ he said. ‘You look wonderful.’
‘Thank you, kind sir.’ She gently extricated herself and then gestured to the man standing a few feet behind her. ‘This is Gordon,’ she said. ‘My husband.’
As the man stepped forward holding out his hand, Ron did a quick top to toe scan, seeing a guy in his early fiftieswith a neatly trimmed beard and piercing blue eyes. They were wary but he was smiling, and as Gordon and he shook hands Gordon said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’
Ron chuckled. ‘All bad, I expect,’ he said.
‘Not at all, actually. Louise doesn’t have a bad thing to say about you.’
Ron looked at her in surprise, and she nodded her agreement.
‘By the time Gordon and I met, I’d realised that I was as much to blame as you. I wanted what I always knew you couldn’t give me, and then I berated you for it. It was selfish of me to hang onto you like I did. I should have cut my losses and walked away, but I didn’t, and I made us both miserable. I knew you didn’t love me as much as I loved you—’ She shot a look at her husband but Gordon’s expression was impassive, and Ron guessed he had probably heard this before.
She carried on, ‘It’s water under the bridge now. I’m happy, and I hope you can be, too.’
Ron was… content. Ish. He couldn’t say he was happy, because his happiness was inextricably linked to a certain lady who’d made it clear she didn’t love him. Ironic, he thought to himself – he was now in exactly the same situation with Annabelle, as Louise had been with him. Karma was a right little madam. It served him right, and it was only what he deserved.
They took their seats and Gordon beckoned the waiter over. ‘Wine?’ he asked.
‘Orange juice, for me, please,’ Ron said, settling back in his chair.
