Page 37 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
‘I think I’ll make myself scarce,’ he said.
Jen’s lips twitched. ‘Coward.’
‘As charged,’ he said, jumping up.
But he didn’t make his escape in time. Kate stepped out onto the verandah.
‘Mum, we really need to talk about the house. Figure out who owns it. You can’t go on like this.’
Sam cleared his throat, embarrassed that it looked as if he’d been talking about Kate behind her back. He held up his hand. ‘Sorry, Kate, I —’
But Kate held up her hand. ‘It’s OK, Sam, I guess Jenny’s right.’
Kate sighed, sat down and poured herself a cup of coffee before looking up at her. ‘But it all seems so daunting. I’m not sure I have the energy anymore.’
‘I’m here. I can help. We can do it together,’ said Jen.
‘That would be nice. I guess I should start with what happened when your grandma died.’
Sam stood up decisively. Both Kate and Jen looked at him.
‘This doesn’t sound like it’s anything to do with me,’ said Sam.
‘Sam,’ said Kate, ‘I’d really like it if you stayed and listened to what I have to say because, in a way, it does affect you.’
‘In what way?’ asked Jen too sharply.
‘Jen’s right,’ said Sam, recoiling at her words. And she was right. It had nothing to do with him. Jen had nothing to do with him anymore.
‘Sam,’ said Kate, ‘I want you to be here. You’re an old friend, and you’ve very kindly offered to help me out of a difficult situation. I really appreciate it. We all do.’
Kate glanced at Jen, who heaved a sigh.
‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.’
It might have been an apology, but it wasn’t a convincing one. He was about to leave when something happened that made him immediately still. Jen placed her hand on his arm.
‘I am sorry, Sam. I’m just a little defensive right now. Out of sorts, I guess you could say.’
She could have said anything in that moment and he’d still be putty in her hands. He’d stay all right.
Chapter Eleven
Jen followed Sam’s gaze to where her hand still lay on his arm. She lifted it immediately. She hadn’t even realised she’d reached out to him. She shot him a small smile and took a sip of her coffee.
Sam sat down, his gaze now settled on her. ‘So long as I’m not in the way.’
‘You’re not,’ said Kate.
‘So…’ said Jen, trying to refocus. ‘When did you first suspect that the house didn’t belong to you?’
‘When Grandmother died,’ said Kate with a sigh, re-arranging the cushions on the seat which ran along the verandah rail so she could put her feet up.
‘My grandmother or yours — Ngaire?’
Kate grunted with amusement. ‘Mine. Ngaire,’ she repeated. ‘Grandmother tried to get me to call her Ngaire like everyone else, but I refused. I liked my grandmother to be called a grandmother.’ She smiled to herself. ‘Maybe because my mum never married and insisted on being called Hope by everyone, and I desperately wanted all the trappings of a family around me. Like my friends had.’ She shrugged. ‘At least then I did. I don’t care about names and relationships now. So long as my friends and family are talking to each other, they can use whatever name they like.’
‘I always remember Ngaire as a formidable woman,’ said Jen. ‘I was a little afraid of her.’
