Page 64 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
‘Anything.’
‘What do you think?’
He inhaled deeply. ‘You know Alistair, I don’t. But I’m getting to know Liam, and I see a kid who’s scared of his own shadow… and other shadows.’
The implication was there. He didn’t need to say anything further.
‘Anyway, bacon’s ready. Fancy a bacon sandwich?’
‘That would be great.’ She watched as he scraped a couple of pieces of bacon off the bottom of the blackened pan and lifted an overly-crisp rasher onto an unbuttered piece of bread. He looked ruefully down into the blackened pan. ‘I hope your mum will forgive me.’
‘I’m sure she will. I’ve never known my mum not to forgive anyone.’
‘Yeah, she was always the first one I’d go to when I’d done something naughty. When I knew my mum would give me more than a clip around the ear.’
Jen huffed a laugh, appreciating the fact Sam was trying to take her mind off her worries. ‘Mum was always good at talking your mum around. Just as well they were such good friends.’
The door suddenly opened, and Kate stepped into the room. ‘Why was it just as well?’ she asked.
‘Because otherwise Sam would have got more than one hiding from his mother.’
Kate shrugged. ‘She was a lovely woman, your mum, but not particularly suited to motherhood.’ She kissed Jen on the cheek. ‘Found it hard.’ She looked from one to the other. ‘So, is Liam OK? I didn’t hear him during the night.’
‘He slept well.’
‘And no further sign of Alistair?’
Jen shook her head and glanced at Sam. ‘You didn’t hear anything after we went to bed?’
Sam shook his head. ‘No, and I’m a light sleeper.’
‘Well thank you for staying, Sam, we appreciate it.’
‘So,’ said Kate, batting away some smoke and gazing ruefully at the state of her frying pan, ‘how about I take over here?’
Sam topped up Jen’s coffee, poured a cup for Kate and went outside on the deck with Jen. He followed her gaze up to Liam’s window. The attic had dual aspect windows, one that looked out to sea, and the other to the road. There was still no sound coming from the child monitor.
‘What am I going to do, Sam?’
‘You aren’t going to do anything. If Alistair really is here, then we — all of us — are going to make sure you and Liam don’t come to any harm. And’ — he shrugged — ‘if he isn’t, then no problem. We all carry on living our lives.’
Jen looked straight out to sea, her mind thousands of miles away.
‘I’ve run from him, but I can’t escape him. Even if he’s not here at the moment, I know I’ll have to face him at some point. He’ll always be this…’ She gestured with a flick of her hand. ‘This fear lurking in the background, like an ominous shadow. Never knowing where or when he’ll show up, never knowing if we’ll ever be safe.’ She turned to Sam. ‘I appreciate you being here for us, but this has been a wake-up call. The fact is, I still need to face him. To talk with him. To deal with him — alone.’
Sam shook his head. ‘That’s not necessary.’
‘It is necessary,’ she said quietly but firmly. ‘I’ve spent too much of my life allowing someone else to control me.’
He took a step back as if he’d been struck. ‘You think I’m controlling you?’
She scrunched her brow as she tried to find the right words to convey what she meant. ‘I know that’s not your intention. You want to protect me and Liam, and don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate that.’
‘You don’t have to keep thanking me. It’s what people do for friends.’
‘Friends,’ she repeated. She felt her relationship with Sam was blossoming into something so much more than friendship. Had this possible appearance of Alistair changed how Sam was feeling? She certainly came with complications, and perhaps now that he knew that, he might be feeling a little less lonely, a little less keen for her to go to the dance with him.
‘And as my friend, surely you must understand how I feel? This is my problem, and I really believe I’m the only person who can make it go away.’
