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There was something different about Megan this morning. She seemed to be stepping back a bit from what Harry said about her and making up her own mind. It warmed Jaye’s heart.
‘So you told him you’re not taking his job?’
‘Of course I did. I never even considered it. It would have been a disaster...’ She broke off, her hand flying to her mouth. ‘You didn’t think I was, did you?’
Jaye chuckled. ‘Not really. If I’d thought it was a serious possibility, I’d have diagnosed Harry with an obscure tropical disease and had him put in isolation for a couple of months.’
‘No, you wouldn’t.’ She paused for a moment, the idea of having Harry put into isolation for a couple of months clearly pleasing her. ‘I told him I was happy with the job I have. That I have a promotion coming up and nothing’s going to stop me from taking it.’
‘Good for you.’
She nodded a wordless thank you. ‘I told him that I wished him well, and that I hoped we could have a friendly relationship in the future. He has my email address and if he writes to me I’ll write back. But no more turning up without warning and no more job offers. No more telling me what to do with my life either.’
Jaye smiled. ‘What did Harry say to that?’
‘Oh, he tried appealing to my better nature. Then he shouted a bit, because that’s Harry. Then he told me that I was heading for disaster, and I’d end up with some kind of tropical illness and living on the poverty line.’
‘Okay. I’m taking him back to Colombo now.’ Jaye made to stand, but Megan caught his arm, pulling him back down.
‘No, you’re not. I told him to call his driver and he’ll be here soon. He’ll be back there in plenty of time for his appointment at the hospital.’
‘Well, that’s something. I’ll call my colleague—’
‘No, you’re not doing that either. Harry’s perfectly capable of telling him what he thinks is wrong with him.’
Jaye chuckled. ‘Okay. Fair enough. So how do you feel now?’
Megan thought for a moment. ‘It’s all been a bit overwhelming. But I’m pleased that I’ve finally managed to deal with Harry on my own terms, because that’s allowed me to contemplate having some kind of relationship with him. Not a proper father-daughter one but something. I owe that to you, Jaye, I couldn’t have done it without your support.’
Her eyes were warm, with a hint of humour and a large helping of determination. Jaye looked into her gaze, feeling a strange giddy sensation, as if he were falling head over heels.
‘What now?’
‘Will you come and say goodbye with me?’
‘Yes, of course.’ He took her hand. ‘Megan, this might not be the time to ask you...’
‘Ask.’ The look in her eyes urged him on.
‘I’ll leave a light out tonight. In case you want to know where I am.’
She smiled up at him. ‘I’ll find you.’
* * *
As luck would have it, almost as soon as they’d said goodbye to Harry, and Jaye had watched his car disappear out of the compound, Ranjini had called him in to see a patient. The man had been brought into the clinic with injuries from a traffic accident, where two vehicles on an otherwise completely clear road had somehow managed to smash into one another.
Jaye had stabilised him and then accompanied him down to the main hospital in Colombo. He arrived back at the clinic late in the evening, and tramped through the mud to his bungalow.
After all the nights that he’d welcomed the long hours, so that he didn’t have to think too much about sleeping alone, he’d wanted tonight to be different. He threw his keys down onto the coffee table and walked through to the bedroom, surveying the rumpled bed. He’d meant to tidy up a bit in here, too.
He just hoped that Megan knew what he’d been doing. That she hadn’t waited to see the light in his window, and wondered why it wasn’t there.
Then he saw it. A flickering light, coming from the direction of Megan’s bungalow. Jaye hurried to the sliding doors and pulled them back, feeling the cool kiss of rain on his face as he stared into the darkness.
Not caring that he was wet and probably looked as if he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, he strode towards the light. He could see now that it was a candle, set on the windowsill, its flame beckoning him forward.
Almost as soon as he knocked on her door, she flung it open. She looked like an angel, dressed in a pretty white blouse, her blonde hair shimmering around her shoulders.
