Page 37 of An Island in the Sun

‘Yeah, I’ll be here.’

‘Great,’ he said, kissing her on each cheek. ‘Let me know the address of where you’re staying and I’ll send an invite. And no present needed, I mean it, Tabs. Just your company.’

Huh. No presents. That sounded about right; after all, hadn’t she already given him the biggest gift of all?

* * *

It was late by the time Tabitha got back to the villa. Bailey and Fudge greeted her with wagging tails and once she’d locked up, eagerly followed her to the bedroom.

Tiredness washed over her as she brushed her teeth, changed into her night clothes and clambered into bed. The emotions she’d gone through this evening had left her wrung out; they’d talked and they’d both apologised. They’d reconnected and he’d invited her to his party and she’d been happy to accept, a part of her wanting to have him back in her life. Yet somehow, lying there, she felt more disconnected from him than she ever had done. They’d both moved on; they’d been independent of each other for years. So much had happened, not least for her. He’d never even met Lewis. That relationship would have been one she would have shared with Ollie. She wondered if Ollie would have liked him. He always used to have something to say about her boyfriends, although not always bad things. Perhaps she’d been foolish to expect to feel miraculously different and happier now that they’d seen each other. It would have been naïve to think a broken friendship could be fixed so easily.

She yawned and rolled over, accidentally shifting Fudge as she did. The other side of the bed was empty and yet Fudge was intent on sleeping as close to her as possible. She shuffled until she was facing the sliding doors, the curtains keeping out the dark night. In her sleepy state, an image of Raff sprawled next to her filled her thoughts. As she drifted off to sleep, Tabitha wondered where he was and how he was doing.

16

Tabitha’s sleep had been filled with dreams, fleeting images that faded within seconds of waking. She’d gone to sleep thinking about Raff, yet woke up thinking about Ollie. She was relieved to have coffee with Julie to look forward to that afternoon, while a morning to catch up on work would occupy her mind. And it did. She laser-focused her attention to get started on a new song, so she had little time for anything else besides brushing the dogs and letting them out in the garden – Fudge was limping less, but she didn’t want to overdo it by taking him for a walk – before having a sandwich for lunch and heading along the lane.

Julie greeted Tabitha with a hug. Tabitha felt as if she towered over her, bold and bright with wild curly hair, red lipstick and saffron yellow dungarees against Julie’s dark-blonde locks, pale skin and the muted colours of a simple jeans and T-shirt combo.

‘Anton is out walking with a friend,’ Julie said as she led her into the open-plan living area at the heart of the house, with patio doors that opened on to the garden. ‘And he’s not often here during the week either as he works in Funchal. I work two days a week at the International School, which I love, but it’s lovely to have days during the week to myself to potter in the garden or sometimes have coffee with friends.’ She gave Tabitha a shy smile, which left her unconvinced about how often Julie actually entertained friends.

Tabitha peered through the open doors at the long expanse of garden, the grass neat and well-cared for, broken up by curved borders packed with colour and the feathery plumes of pampas grass.

Tabitha turned back to Julie. ‘You don’t have a pool?’

‘We’ve thought about it but never got round to doing it.’ Julie shrugged. ‘The garden keeps me busy – it’s my passion. I wish you’d been here earlier in the summer when the Pride of Madeira were flowering, and the jacaranda trees in spring covered in purple flowers are just stunning. We did invest in a hot tub a couple of years ago, which we love.’She smiled at Tabitha. ‘Would you like tea or coffee? Or could I entice you with some Madeira wine?’

‘A coffee would be lovely, thanks.’ With the amount of alcohol she’d drunk over the last few days, the thought of wine turned her stomach.

While Julie made the coffee, Tabitha settled herself on the patio, taking in the extensive garden which made the most of the ocean view. Right at the far end, Tabitha spied the gap in the bushes where Rufus and Cordelia’s garden was just visible, although their villa was completely hidden by trees.

Julie joined her and placed a tray with a pot of coffee and a plate of biscuits on the table. She set about pouring the coffee, added milk and handed Tabitha the mug.

Tabitha leant back in her chair and relished the heat. The patio was a suntrap, and despite the clouds clustering further out over the ocean, the sky above them was clear. An occasional bird call mixed with the rustle of leaves, which could easily be mistaken for distant waves crashing on rocks.

Misty was stalking up the garden towards them, stopping to make detours around the flower beds which were filled with late-summer colour.

Tabitha cupped her mug of coffee and turned to Julie. ‘Misty spends a lot of time over here?’

‘Quite a bit. I try not to encourage her too much and I never feed her,’ Julie said seriously, her eyebrows furrowing. Tabitha could imagine Cordelia tutting over Misty disappearing into Julie’s domain. ‘I like having her around, though.’

Misty reached the patio, wrapped herself around Tabitha’s legs and then sat next to Julie’s chair.

‘She’s good company, huh? After losing your dog?’

‘Yes, Misty’s been a blessing.’

‘And she obviously enjoys being here too.’

Julie’s smile spoke volumes as she stroked Misty, who purred contentedly.

‘I’m sorry not to be looking after the animals this time, but I’m glad you’re staying. Bailey and Fudge in particular need the company. Cordelia and Rufus made the right decision getting a house sitter. It’s certainly much better for the dogs.’ Despite what had happened to Fudge, her words were sincere.

They chatted more about Julie’s teaching job and the practicalities of Tabitha’s remote working, while enjoying the sunshine and coffee. Despite Julie’s timidness – at least on the surface – she was easy to talk to and eager to listen.

Tabitha drained her coffee and placed the mug on the table.

‘Is Raff back by any chance?’ Julie’s gentle voice cut through the stillness.

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