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“Actually, scratch that,” says Rose quickly. “It’s just Jack and Emerald going on the adventure. Sorry, Mum and Dad.”
Kathryn and Bertie murmur their fake-disappointment, and I steal a glance at Jack, who’s doing something on his phone.
“What are you talking about, Rose?” he says, irritably. “I have to be at the site all day today. I don’t have time for ‘adventures’.”
“And I have a training session with Brian,” I add. “If he’s still speaking to me after missing yesterday’s run, that is.”
Rose’s face falls.
“But youhaveto do this,” she says anxiously. “I’ve got it all planned. And it’s not until dinner time, anyway. You’ll have to have dinner, won’t you? So you may as well make it a super-romantic one. No?”
We both nod reluctantly.
“Great. That’s settled, then,” says Rose happily. “Be at the boat dock at 6 o’clock. And wear something fabulous, both of you. Right, better get on: lots to plan before then!”
She gets up and bounds out of the room like a Labrador, taking her coffee with her. Jack turns to look at me, at last.
“I suppose it could be fun?” I say timidly. “Whatever she’s got planned?”
I very much doubt that whatever Rose has got planned is going to be ‘fun’ somehow. Especially if it’s taking place near the water. But I’m so desperate to repair all the damage that’s been done to our relationship over the last few days that I’m willing to try anything.
Well,almostanything.
“I suppose,” agrees Jack, sounding unconvinced. “I can’t spare a lot of time, though. There’s been yet another issue with the site, and I need to be there.”
“Okay, but as Rose said, you need to eat,” I say carefully. “And it would be nice to spend some time together, don’t you think?”
I tense for his reply, but thankfully he puts me out of my misery with a ghost of a smile.
“Of course,” he says. “I might have a job finding something ‘fabulous’ to wear, given that I’ll be coming directly from a building site, though.”
“Oh, you’ll look fabulous anyway,” I assure him, so relieved that he’s agreed to have dinner with me that I’m not going to allow myself to even think about how low the relationship bar must currently be set for me to be counting this as a win. “Is there anythingIcan do? About the problem with the site, I mean?”
“No, it’s fine,” he says. “Or it will be, anyway. Just something I need to deal with.”
I frown, wishing he’d tell me more, but knowing better to push him in front of his family.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you later, then,” he says, pushing his chair back from the table, ready to leave. For a moment, I think he’s not going to bother kissing me goodbye, like he always does, but after a slight pause, he bends down and drops a quick kiss on my nose.
“Love you,” he says softly.
“Love you too,” I reply, a little too eagerly, considering his parents are both in the room.
We grin at each other shyly. I want to ask him if we’re okay — if he really does still love me, after everything that’s happened over the last few days — but I can see Kathryn watching us over the top of her teacup, so I settle for an awkward little wave, which Jack doesn’t know quite how to respond to, and which makes Kathryn put her cup down with a weary sigh.
At least we’re talking again, though. And, for once, it seems like I have Rose to thank for that.
* * *
After my morning workout with Brian, which is almost as painful as the time Ben spent a full hour explaining Formula One to me, I walk on aching legs up the hill to the McTavish farm, to see how he’s doing.
I find him sitting on the front step of the farmhouse, wearing aFlying Haggisbaseball cap, and looking uncharacteristically gloomy.
“Hey. What’s up with you?” I ask, sitting down next to him. “Did Mary make mackerel for breakfast again?”
“Mary dumped me,” says McTavish, bluntly. “Just a few minutes ago, actually. By text. Like Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas.”
“Oh God, McTavish, I’m sorry,” I say, deciding not to tell him that at least Joe Jonas had the guts tophoneTaylor, rather than doing it by text. “Are you okay?”
