Page 75 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

‘It was fun, Daddy. Look. Granny came.’

‘So I see.’

Sally didn’t reply. Her face was a mask, hard and cold as granite.

‘She brought me lots of pretty wool. Look, Daddy.’ Vicki thrust an overflowing bag at Matt.

He glanced at the yarn then looked back at Sally. She smiled a thin, tight smile, almost as if she was sensing a victory.

‘Why don’t we all go home together?’ she said. ‘I could cook you your favourite dinner, Vicki. Noodles just like your mummy used to make.’

‘I don’t like noodles.’ Vicki’s voice quivered with uncertainty.

Over his daughter’s head, Matt saw Bree shaking her head. That was lawyer Bree in action and he got the message. That letter was obviously not going to be the end of Sally’s fight, and right now, he had to get Vicki away from her.

‘I’m sorry, honey, but Granny has to go home to Grandpa.’ Vicki looked crestfallen.

‘Granny and I have to chat about a couple of things. Why don’t you take your things to the car? I’m sure Rose and Bree will help you.’ He caught Bree’s eye, hoping she would understand.

She did. She and Rose began gently herding the knitting club members towards the exit. The air was thick with tension and Matt knew that tongues would be wagging all around the town tonight. That was the least of his problems.

He waited until the last knitter stepped through the doorway, then faced Sally, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

‘What are you doing here? I thought we agreed that you’d stay away for now.’

‘I came to see Kim.’

‘Kim? Don’t you mean Vicki?’ Matt said gently.

‘Of course I mean Vicki. I’m worried about her.’

‘Worried about her?’ Matt could hardly believe his ears. ‘The only problems in her life right now are being caused by you. And that solicitor you’ve hired. Unless you withdraw that action, you need to stay away from Vicki.’

‘Do you expect me to say and do nothing while you send her to spend the night with strangers in order to sleep with some woman?’

His jaw dropped open, but he was too shocked to reply.

‘Yes, I know all about you and that Bree woman. You will not replace my Kim with her. Not in my granddaughter’s life.’

‘I’m not.’ The words were out before he could even think about them. ‘But if I was to get involved with another woman, that’s none of your business.’

‘Everything to do with Vicki is my business. You took Kim away from me. You will not do the same thing with her daughter.’

Matt’s anger vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a profound sadness. ‘Sally, I know how much you’re still hurting over losing Kim. You’re not alone. But I think you need to seek some help in dealing with that grief. You know you sometimes call Vicki by her mother’s name? That’s not a good thing. And it’s not helping Vicki either.’

‘Don’t you speak to me like that.’ She seemed angrier than ever. ‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that. I loved Kim. And you took her away from me.’

‘No, Sally. Cancer took her away from both of us.’

Silence settled in the room, and for a moment, Matt thought he’d broken through Sally’s shell of pain.

‘You are going to regret what you did to Kim. And to me.’ Sally pivoted and made for the door.

Matt was too stunned to move, until he remembered that Vicki was outside. Sally was angry enough to do anything. He ran to the door and stepped out in time to see Sally’s car pulling away from the kerb. His gaze flashed across the other cars, and he sighed with relief when he saw Vicki sitting on the bonnet of Bree’s car, chatting happily to Bree and Rose.

As he walked over to them, the other knitting ladies began to drift away.

‘Hey, honey. Time to go home.’ Matt lifted Vicki down from the bonnet. He wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her until the fear went away. Instead, he briefly hugged her tightly to his chest. Even though their home was a short distance away, he strapped Vicki into her child seat in the back of his car.

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