Page 41 of The Path to the Last House Before the Sea

Alyssa stared at him, in shock. ‘How come they’ve been invited?’

‘Rosie invited me and Miri, when we were together, and Miri is wangling an extra invitation for her new boyfriend. Now I’m in a new relationship too, she thinks Damian and I should meet.’ He winced. ‘She’s expecting you and me to go along together. But don’t worry. I told her you’re busy working so won’t be there.’

‘But I will be there,’ said Alyssa, her heart sinking. ‘Magda’s short on catering staff and has asked me to help her out on Saturday. I’ve already said yes and can’t let her down.’

Jack grimaced. ‘No, of course you can’t.’ His shoulders slumped. ‘In that case, I’ll tell Miri that we’ve split up so you won’t have to pretend to like me any more. In fact, you can keep your distance and glare at me the whole time. I don’t suppose that’ll be a hardship.’

‘Do you have to go to the reception? From what Rosie says, it sounds more like a giant party and I doubt you’re in a party mood.’

‘Not really. My mum’s dead, my wife’s divorcing me, I rarely see my son, and my dad’s seriously ill. I can’t promise I’ll be the life and soul of Rosie’s shindig.’

He shrugged and it was the shrug that did it. The colossal pain and heartache encompassed in such a small movement that made Alyssa want to hug him.

Her eyes met his and held his gaze. Outside, children going past were shouting to each other, and gears were grating as frazzled tourists made a hash of negotiating narrow lanes. But inside Alyssa’s caravan, everything was silent.

‘Anyway.’ Jack was the first to break eye contact. ‘I’d better leave you to have your lunch. And thanks again for not dropping me in it with Miri. I appreciate it.’

‘That’s OK and—’ She winced. ‘I’m so sorry about the laughing.’

He smiled at that. A proper smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. ‘Don’t worry about it. To be honest, that’s the best laugh I’ve had in ages.’

His gaze strayed to the table, where the letters Alyssa had tipped from the large brown envelope she’d received a while ago were scattered. This was the trouble with people invading her personal space. There was always a risk they might find out too much about her.

She pushed the letters into a pile and stood in front of them, blocking his view.

‘I’ll see you in your dad’s shop, then, when I’m in for my next shift.’

Alyssa glanced at the floor to make sure none of the incriminating letters had fallen from the table. And when she looked up again, Jack had gone.

She sank onto the window seat and nibbled at a hangnail. She should have sorted out the letters and got rid of them. But Jack had only glanced at them so there was no harm done, she told herself, trying to quell flutters of panic. He didn’t know what she’d done, and he never would.

After several slow, deep breaths, she began to feel calmer. The last five minutes had been beyond awkward and yet the caravan felt empty without Jack taking up half the space.

She remembered him laughing, as if he didn’t have a care in the world – their shared hilarity which made him seem less colourless and intimidating. And then his switch back to stark, serious reality.

Alyssa felt so sorry for Jack, coping with such heartache. And she wondered how his meeting with Damian at the wedding reception would go. He was right to expect it to be difficult.

But he was wrong about one thing: she wouldn’t have had to pretend to like him if she’d gone to the wedding as his plus one. Not really.

Alyssa had begun to glimpse a different man beneath Jack’s stuffy, pedantic exterior. And that man was someone she rather liked.

TWENTY

JACK

Jack strode through the village, feeling as if his insides were in a washing machine, on a fast-spin cycle.

Miri’s bombshell was still sinking in. And he’d made an utter fool of himself in front of Alyssa. Though at least she’d been very decent about it.

Decent, and secretive. His mind flitted to the letters that he couldn’t help but notice had been scattered across the table. The letters that she’d been so keen to hide from him.

However, whatever secrets she might be keeping, Alyssa had managed, just for a moment, to chase away all the sad things in his life. Her giggling was infectious and had led to the first good laugh he’d had in ages. The sort of laugh he sometimes had with Archie, where he’d find himself snorting so hard that coffee came down his nose.

Jack waved at bridegroom-to-be Liam in the distance and quickened his pace. He’d better get back to see how his dad was coping on his own.

He was so worried about his father. But he couldn’t stop picturing Alyssa’s face as he’d banged on about his heartache. Her big blue eyes had filled with sympathy and warmth. You could drown in eyes like that.

‘Oh, please! Don’t be ridiculous,’ he muttered, faintly disgusted with himself for having such a romantic notion. He’d be marvelling at Alyssa’s ‘full lips’ next and ‘longing to take her in his arms’.

---