Page 18 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
‘You’ve chosen a job that has you always on your feet,’ said Kate, glancing at Lucy, who was resting among the cushions, her eyes closed. ‘I worry about you, Lucy.’
‘I own the place, mum,’ she said, her eyes still closed. ‘I delegate. It’s fine.’
Jen brought out the pot of sauce and spaghetti and placed it directly on the driftwood table, alongside a generous dish of Parmesan cheese.
‘Mum, can I help you to some?’
‘Lovely darling. Not too much.’
‘Sam was surprised to see you this morning,’ said Lucy with a smirk.
Jen nearly dropped the dish and glanced at her mother.
‘Sam?’ asked their mother. ‘Jen, you didn’t say you’d seen him.’
‘There wasn’t much to tell,’ Jen said defensively. ‘We just said hello.’
Lucy scoffed. ‘You mean he did. Before he joined you at the table, you mumbled a response, which could have meant anything. In fact, he asked me what you said, and I made something up.’
‘What do you mean, you made something up? What did you say?’
‘I said that you’d just taken a bite of that croissant I gave you and you’d said “it was good to see him”.’
Jen went beetroot. ‘But I didn’t say that!’
Lucy shrugged. ‘Maybe not. But you should have done. And I’m sure you would have done, if you’d had your wits about you.’
‘What else did you say?’
Lucy shrugged. ‘Nothing much. Oh, only that you’d asked whether he lived around here still.’
‘What?’ spluttered Jen. ‘Lucy MacLeod! You’re making this all up!’
Lucy shrugged and calmly spooned Parmesan cheese over her spaghetti. ‘Before he came into the café, you asked if he lived around here.’
‘Yes, but it sounds like I was asking because I wanted to see him around.’
‘Weren’t you?’ Lucy’s eyes twinkled.
‘Well, I… don’t not want to see him around, of course. But… Oh, you know what I mean!’
‘Not really, darling,’ said Kate. ‘MacLeod’s Cove is a small place. You’re bound to run into one another.’
‘Sam lives in MacLeod’s Cove? But he said he didn’t.’
‘He doesn’t officially live here,’ said Lucy. ‘But he’s here most days since he started work on his beach house.’
Jen’s heart sank. She’d returned home to get away from her immediate past, and it looked like she’d dived headfirst into her distant past. Things between her and Sam hadn’t ended well all those years ago. And she really wasn’t in a state to rake over old coals.
‘Well, that’s nice, dear,’ said Kate, smiling. ‘I’ve always liked that boy.’
‘He’s not a boy now, Mum,’ said Lucy.
‘And there’s no reason whatsoever for you to like him after what he did to me,’ said Jen.
‘What did he do?’ asked Lucy. ‘I mean, he was there one minute and the next you’d both gone. For a long time I thought you’d gone away together.’
‘No. Not together. He’d accepted a job in Sydney without talking it through with me and simply assumed I’d follow.’
