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“Zennor,” he greets, smiling far too politely and displaying his sexy good looks. Tegan, of course, smiles big and says hello back, while I simply frown and ignore him. She elbows me in the side as if appalled at how rude I’m being. But I don’t care. The lines are drawn when it comes to Jayce.
I steer Tegan around Jayce and into The Waterside.
“Um, what was that about and who in the world was that?” Her eyes are blinking and looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“That was Jayce Roberts, and he’s why I’m avoiding the surf shop, but apparently, he appears wherever I go in Tregethworth.” We take a seat at one of the tables, and I snatch one of the menus out of the holder.
A young girl approaches, and I order a large glass of red before she can even get a word out. Tegan, as is her usual style, smooths things over.
“Sorry, yes. A sparkling water for both of us as well, please.” The waitress looks back and forth between us and scurries off.
Tegan just stares at me as if expecting an explanation. “What?”
“You’ve never been a bitch before, and I understand things have been a little rough of late, so I’m going to cut you some slack. But please don’t be so mean.”
“My husband strategically pulled my business apart and then divorced me, taking what I’d worked for and making me out to be a fool, and then, when I come back, I find the boy who broke my heart has made this his home. You’re right. It’s been a little rough, and I’m feeling prickly, and if I’m ever going to be a bitch, this is probably going to be the time.” I sit back and look for the waitress with my glass of wine.
“Okay, you might have a small point.” Her eyes dart around in awkwardness.
I see Tegan, at best, once a year if she’s able to visit with her daughter, Natalie, and Mum. We never just catch up, so I bite back my next retort. She’s the sunshine one out of the two of us, and it’s not her I’m mad at.
The wine comes, and we both order our lunch, and it re-sets my rising temper.
“Right, want to fill me in on the gaps?” Tegan fiddles with the silverware on the table and avoids my eyes.
The wine’s not as good as the red they serve at the pub, but it will do. I take a final sip before launching into the explanation. “Jayce is here in Tregethworth. He’s running the surf shop and is making a go of things here. We’re not really on speaking terms.”
“I saw. But isn’t that in the past? It was like twenty years ago now, and you know I’m happily married, but he is a good-looking guy, and you areverysingle.”
“He’s not forgotten, but neither have I. I slept with him after he asked me out on a date.” The wine glass is small, and I wish I’d ordered a large as I swallow the last drops. “I won’t be his friend, and I will only be civil to him if I must.”
“But why?” Tegan’s face is a picture of confusion. “You can’t still be bitter about him leaving?”
“Why can’t I? Just because it was a long time ago, does that mean I should forgive and forget?” My defences are up.
“No, but you moved on and grew up. You got married and have a happy life.”
I flick my eyes up to her, and she flusters a little. “Had, but this is only a little setback. You’ll find your happiness again.” Her eyes look so hopeful, full of optimism, and I adore her for it.
But as Tegan says the words, I have my doubts. I know I didn’t marry Derek for love. He was the safe option and what was right—the natural progression and what success looked like—and that’s the sting in the tail. Jayce broke my heart, and the consequences shaped me into a person driven to succeed, and I’ve strived to never be a failure or someone trapped by mistakes or dreams. But instead, I didn’t see what was right in front of me, which made me a fool and a failure anyway.
“Has Mum filled you in on my plans?”
Tegan nods.
“And?” I twitch my fingers on the table.
“Well, I think it’s a great idea. And it would be something I’d be excited to help with. If it’s done well, it could be a huge success. We’d never have the capital to set up this kind of venture, but I’m so excited for you. I don’t have all the info from Mum.” She shifts in her seat, moving closer to the table and becomes animated, and a spark ignites in her eyes. “If it was pitched at a high-end market, good finishes, specific details, then that would put it into a different category than the boring normal that everyone else is offering, and it would set your company aside from the rest of the competition. Then, if you were to expand in different locations…”
“Hold up, more locations?”
“Well, yeah. Mum’s land isn’t going to be able to hold more than a few pods, right. You want this business to grow and develop. You want more than a return on investment?”
I’ve never seen Tegan as someone with a head for business and just assumed that the business side of the farm was down to Roy—maybe not. But then, with how little we talked, did I really know her?
The food arrives, and I take the break to think about the side of my sister I’ve never seen. So far, coming back has opened me up to an avalanche of memories that bring nothing but pain. It’s a novel change that something good is mixed into all of this.
“Mum said she’ll only agree to the proposal if I was all in and made Tregethworth my home,” I tell Tegan the terms that I have to agree to.
