Page 34 of The Path to the Last House Before the Sea

‘Miri’s coming here for a quick chat and that’s all,’ he told himself, noting that he seemed to be talking to himself a lot these days. But… why would she come all the way here just for a quick chat? What if it was more than that?

Jack sat down heavily on the bed, his thoughts crowding in on him. What if Miri was having second thoughts about the divorce? What if she’d decided that Archie would be better off with Jack, the only dad he’d ever known, living at home?

Thinking of Archie’s trusting face brought tears to his eyes and he bit his lip to get himself under control. He couldn’t turn up to this meeting a snivelling wreck.

‘Come on, man,’ he murmured. ‘Be the dashing, debonair Jack Gathergill who Miri first fell in love with.’

Had he ever been dashing and debonair? Jack doubted it, but he needed to assume some semblance of it, for his own pride’s sake, during Miri’s visit. He also needed to stop thinking and get a move on because she wouldn’t approve of him being late.

Taking a deep breath, Jack got to his feet, made sure he’d wiped all the toothpaste from around his mouth, and walked out into the spring sunshine.

Jack moved briskly through the village, which was waking up as April got into full swing. Tourists were thronging the narrow lanes, peering into gift shop windows, and licking ice cream, even though the watery sun held little heat.

The Heavenly Tea Shop came into view and – Jack’s heart quickened – there was Miri sitting outside, waiting for him. She’d insisted they meet here, on ‘neutral territory’ rather than coming to his father’s shop.

‘Neutral’ was a strange word to choose, Jack mused, walking towards the woman he’d once thought he knew so well. It was the sort of word used when discussing warfare. His hope that Miri was about to suggest some form of reconciliation began to wobble.

‘Jack.’ Miri got to her feet when he arrived. ‘You came, then.’

Had she thought he might not? Jack paused, unsure of the etiquette when greeting a woman to whom he’d once pledged his undying devotion. A woman who now wanted to divorce him.

She solved the dilemma by leaning forward and brushing her lips briefly across his cheek. Her perfume was different – a heavy, musky aroma rather than the lighter, floral scent she usually favoured.

‘Take a seat,’ Miri told him, sitting back down. ‘I’ve ordered you an espresso, if that’s all right?’

‘Perfect,’ said Jack as he sat down too, though he’d have preferred a caffè latte. He already felt wired.

When Miri bent her head to pull a tissue from her handbag, he took the opportunity to look at her closely.

She was dressed in her signature black, in a skinny black polo neck and dark skirt that hugged her thighs. Her fair hair was pulled into a low bun that grazed the back of her neck, and a large silver pendant rested between her breasts. She looked amazing, thought Jack – relaxed, glowing, and nothing like a woman badly affected by a traumatic separation.

‘So,’ he said, keen to get their conversation started. ‘It’s good to see you. How are you, and how is Archie?’

‘I’m all right, thank you.’ She dabbed at her nose with the tissue. ‘And Archie’s doing well. He’s staying with my mum for a few days while I’m away. Are you going to FaceTime him later?’

‘Of course, seeing as it’s one of my allowed “phone days”,’ retorted Jack, still smarting at Miri’s imposed restriction on how often he could converse with his son.

Miri sighed. ‘I’m only trying to stop Archie from being upset.’

‘He always seems very happy to hear from me. Though the last time I tried to speak to him, at an allowed time, you said he was busy.’

‘He was,’ Miri replied tartly, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. ‘We had a house guest and Archie was playing with him in the garden.’

‘Who was that?’ Jack asked, but he was interrupted by Pauline, the café owner, arriving with their coffees. She smiled at them both but rested her hand lightly on Jack’s shoulder before moving off.

Jack groaned inside. Everyone in Heaven’s Cove knew he was getting divorced – his dad’s shop was often a hubbub of gossip – and now he was an object of pity, sitting here with the woman who no longer wanted him.

Miri picked up her coffee and sat back in her chair, watching him.

‘I’d like to see Archie soon because I miss him horribly. It’s hard to go from seeing him every day to seeing him so infrequently.’

‘I’m sure, and he misses you too. You can see him once you get back to London.’

‘I was thinking, maybe I can have some time off in the summer and take him to France with me. For a holiday.’

Miri gave the ghost of a smile. ‘Mmm, we’ll have to sort something out. How’s your dad, by the way?’

Jack hesitated, remembering how much Miri had complained about his frequent visits to see his dad, after his mum had died. Now didn’t seem the time or place to tell her the truth.

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