AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You’re going today?’
‘Yeah.’
He nodded. ‘Okay. I’m taking Ellie out to the petting zoo this morning. They’ve just opened up again after the floods.’ His eyes softened suddenly and a thrill of hope ran through her veins. ‘Take your time packing.’
Even Jack couldn’t fix this. Neither could she. All they could do was to act as if nothing had happened, and that was easy enough. They’d been acting as if nothing was happening practically since they’d first laid eyes on each other.
‘I’m ready to go now.’
He nodded abruptly. ‘We’ll be going soon. Then you can go.’
He couldn’t help it. However much he was trying to come to terms with the past, he couldn’t do it yet. Jack was cutting her out of his life, another casualty of loss, just like his father and Sal.
‘May I...’ Cass almost choked on the words. Surely he couldn’t be that cruel. ‘May I say goodbye to her?’
‘Of course.’ A glimmer of warmth again in his eyes and then he turned, opening the kitchen door. ‘Take whatever time you need.’
It was cold comfort. Cass explained to Ellie that she was going back home today and the little girl nodded, taking it in her stride.
‘You’re not going far.’
‘No, sweetie, not far. You know where I live.’
‘That’s all right, then.’
Cass hugged her tight, squeezing her eyes closed to stop the tears. Jack called to her from the hallway, persuading her into her coat and wellingtons, and Ellie shouted a goodbye. When Cass went to the front door to wave them off, he didn’t even look at her. If Ellie required a hug and a kiss goodbye, Jack obviously required neither.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE CLOCK RADIO blared into life and Cass cursed it, reaching out to shut it off. The sudden movement prompted a twinge in her shoulder.
Well it might. She’d been up until midnight last night, putting flat-pack kitchen units together, and they’d been heavier than she’d expected. Today, she might take some time to reflect on the considerable amount of work she’d done on the house in the last two months. Take a few ‘work in progress’ photographs to compare with the devastation of the ‘before’ photos and spur her on to the distant date when ‘after’ photos would be in order.
She took a long shower, still revelling in the fact that she had hot water again. Then padded back to her bedroom, sorting through her wardrobe and on a whim pulling out a skirt. Being able to wear something pretty in the house instead of muddying up her jeans yet again was novelty enough to smack of yet another new achievement.
She made coffee and then went back upstairs to her bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the bed and switching on the television. This was the one room in the house which didn’t bear some signs of the devastation the flood had brought with it; downstairs was still a work in progress and the spare room was full of furniture. But here she could relax.
A film maybe. Watching TV on a Sunday morning seemed like the ultimate luxury. Cass picked up the remote from the bedside cabinet and switched to streaming, flipping through the films on offer. No, not that one. Or that one. Definitely not that; she’d heard it was a weepie. Or that—it was a love story.
The only thing that seemed to drive Jack from her mind was hard work. And the only thing which drove him from her dreams was physical and mental exhaustion. Cass hesitated, looking at her jeans, folded neatly on a chair. Maybe she should put them on and get on with the kitchen cabinets.
The doorbell rang and she climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. Perhaps someone from the village wanted her for something. She almost hoped that it might be a problem which required her immediate attention.
Peering out, she jumped back in horror. Jack’s car was parked outside in the lane. Maybe he’d brought Ellie back to renew some acquaintance he’d made here and decided to pop in. Didn’t he know he couldn’t just do that?
Cass watched the front path and saw him stand away from the door, scanning the front of the house. He was alone, and suddenly fear clutched at her heart. Why would he come here without Ellie on a Sunday morning?
She raced downstairs, sliding her feet into her wellingtons when she realised they were the only footwear she had in the hallway. Then she flung open the door.
‘Jack...?’
He was making his way back up the path and he turned. Cass’s stomach almost did a somersault as suddenly she realised that she hadn’t remembered the warmth of his eyes at all. They’d always been so much better in reality.
‘What’s the matter? Where’s Ellie?’ Surely the only thing that could bring him here alone was if there was some kind of trouble.
‘At Sarah’s.’ He paused for a moment and then strode back along the path towards her. ‘May I come in?’
The temptation to slam the door in his face fought with the need to look at him just a little longer, and lost by a whisker. And she’d opened the door now. Not letting him in would betray the fact that she cared one way or the other.
