Page 95 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

‘I don’t want this to get any worse than it is,’ Matt said. ‘But if you don’t leave, I will call the police.’ He wasn’t at all sure he meant those words. Calling the police would take them all to a place from which they might never recover. He didn’t want that, but if he was to avoid it, he had to make Sally believe he was serious. ‘And if you come back or try to contact Vicki before this dispute is resolved, I will call the police. This is all in your hands, Sally. You can end it by dropping your lawsuit and respecting my wishes when it comes to your visits. But until you’re ready to do that, leave now and don’t come back.’

Matt stood firmly by the open door, watching Sally’s face. After a few tense moments, when Matt feared he would have to make good his threat, she stepped to the open doorway.

‘This is not the end of it,’ she hissed as she left.

The man who had accompanied her said nothing as he followed.

Matt shut the door and, exercising the utmost control, walked back to his desk and sat down. Outside, he could see the two speaking, until John Hooper got in his car and left. After one last, livid glance in Matt’s direction, Sally drove away.

His relief was overwhelming. He let his head drop into his hands while he tried to gather his composure. Sally was getting worse, and he thought he knew why. This was a tough week; a couple of days from now, they would have been celebrating Kim’s birthday. Now that day brought a renewal of grief at their terrible loss. He understood why Sally was falling apart and he empathised, but empathy wasn’t what she needed.

When his breathing had returned to normal, he reached for his phone. He had to get proper legal advice so he could stop this before it got worse. Then his thoughts flew to Vicki, sitting alone and upset in her room. He stood up and hurried to the house.

Vicki was sitting on her bed. She was surrounded by her favourite stuffed toys and several alpaca books. But the toys were untouched, the books closed. Her face was in her hands and she was sobbing.

‘Vicki. Honey.’ He moved to the bed and put his arms around her. He held her for a long time, telling her how much she was loved, reassuring her that nothing was wrong. No-one was angry at her and he would always be there to care for her. His eyes swam with tears, his throat constricted, and he struggled to find the words she needed to hear. The words that would take away her hurt and fear.

When he released his hold and she looked up at him, he saw the same haunted look on her face that he remembered from the first weeks after Kim died. He silently cursed Sally for that.

‘Is Granny still here?’ She did not sound as if she wanted the answer to be yes.

‘No, honey. Granny had to go. But she said to tell you she loved you very much.’

‘What’s wrong with Granny? She’s not so nice any more. She shouts at you. Sometimes she scares me.’

Matt’s heart almost broke as he pulled his daughter into his arms. ‘Granny is not well, Vicki. Hopefully she’ll get better soon. But you should never be afraid of her. And I’m always here to look after you.’

‘Will you look after Granny too?’

‘If I can, honey, if I can. Now, why don’t you wash your face? I’ve got a surprise for you.’

Some of the sadness vanished from her eyes. ‘What is it?’

‘If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise. But I can say we’re going to visit Bree and her alpacas.’

‘Yay!’ Vicki jumped off the bed. ‘Now?’ Her smile was back, but not as bright as it had been.

‘Now. Give me a couple of minutes to lock up the office. I’ll be right back.’

Vicki was jumping around with joy as Matt headed into the office. He certainly didn’t feel the same way.

He walked through the adjoining door and stopped. The office wasn’t empty. John Hooper was standing there.

‘What are you doing back here?’

‘I didn’t come to cause trouble, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. When Sally contacted me, I didn’t realise things were … like this.’

‘Fair enough. But there is something you need to understand. Vicki is my daughter. I was there when she was born and I have been here for her every day of her life. When we lost her mother—’ Matt didn’t care that his voice broke, but he needed a moment before he could continue. ‘When we lost her mother, I held her when she cried. For a long time, she clung so tightly to me, she panicked any time I wasn’t nearby. Even going to school was a problem, because she would become afraid I would go away and never come back like Kim did. I am her father in every way that matters.’

John looked thoughtful. ‘I agreed to come here with Sally because if I had a child, I would want to be part of her life too. I hope you can understand that.’

Matt said nothing. He was a father. Of course he understood.

‘I have to ask. Can you tell me—when is her birthday?’

Matt told him the date and a slow, sad smile spread over the man’s face.

‘Then she really is your daughter in every way. Kim and I—well, despite what Sally said, our relationship had run its course. We weren’t close any more. I mean … we hadn’t …’ His voice trailed off. ‘We don’t need a blood test. She’s your daughter, not mine. And I think she’s a very lucky girl to have you for her father.’

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