Page 7 of My Husband's Wife
I didn’t notice Zach leave the room which is odd. The doorbell chimes. I peel my orange rubber gloves off and drop them on the draining board. Hurrying, I open the door.
‘Nicole.’
She smiles at me, and Aaron stands next to her, holding a Lego car kit.
‘I hope you don’t mind me popping by. I was passing and Aaron kept asking to show Caiden his new Lego. Kids.’ She rolls her walnut brown eyes.
‘Of course not. What a lovely surprise. I said pop by at any time, and thank you for taking Caiden to the café after school the other day when I got stuck in traffic.’
‘That’s what friends are for. If ever you need me to collect him from school, you only have to say. How did the big day at your new job go?’
‘I loved it.’
Nicole pulls out a bottle of wine from her bag. ‘This is for you, for getting through your first day.’
‘That’s so kind, thank you. Come in, take your coat off and I’ll put the kettle on.’ She doesn’t know how happy I am that someone has come to visit; and my son has already taken Aaron to his room. ‘Zach’s doing some admin and I was just cleaning up. Come through. Sorry about the mess, we’ve just had dinner.’
‘It smells lovely in here. Bolognese?’
‘Yep.’
I usher her to the couches, where she sits and admires the sea view.
‘Wow, this view never ceases to amaze me.’
I frown. ‘You’ve been in this house before?’
‘Yes, didn’t Zach tell you? I tidied up the front garden, that’s what I do. I met Zach in the pub, and he was telling me about the house and all the work he was doing. He mentioned that the garden was a mess, and we got talking. Anyway, I got rid of the jungle, added a few shrubs and pots and presto – all tidied up.’
Zach never mentioned meeting Nicole despite me talking to him about her. I can’t help giving her the once-over. She has this long, wavy brown hair that almost reaches her bottom, and her heart-shaped face is cute.
‘Do you like what I did?’ Nicole asks.
‘Er, I love it.’ I can’t help wondering why this is the first time Nicole has mentioned working on my garden.
‘Great. And I love that our sons are such good friends now. Aaron never stops talking about Caiden.’
‘You’re not from around here originally, are you?’ I ask. She has a hint of London in her accent.
‘I moved from Kent a few years ago.’
‘On your own?’
‘No, I was in a relationship at the time. We both had stressful city jobs and packed it all in for the good life. It was that good he left me and went back to Kent not long after Aaron was born. But I love it here.’ She stares out at a boat bobbing on the waves.
‘Sorry, I said I was making a drink. What would you like?’
‘Gin,’ she says with a smile. ‘Only joking. It’s been a long day and gin helps, but I best have tea because I have to drive home. Do you have an Earl Grey or a Chai?’
I bite my bottom lip. I have one solitary Earl Grey tea bag that Zach nicked from a hotel we stayed at, just in case we needed some emergency tea. I smile at how silly that sounds. ‘Yes. How long have you lived here?’
‘About twelve years. I moved here when I was twenty-five. My husband left two years later.’
‘Does Aaron see his father?’ Why did I ask that? That was personal and I haven’t known Nicole that long.
‘Not often. He has me though, and I love him to bits. How are you getting on?’
I smile and pour the drinks. After handing the tea to her, I sit opposite and hug a cushion with my feet up. ‘I love it here. It’s such a different way of life, a gentler pace. But I am nervous about tomorrow.’
