Page 79 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
‘Is there any possibility someone will sell it without your family’s knowledge?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I don’t think Mum knows. But now I’ve fewer things to worry about, I’ll look into it. Try to get to the bottom of it.’
‘Good. It’ll be a shame if your family has to leave with all the history you have with the place. Not least this view, which Ngaire enjoyed.’
‘Yep, for most of her one hundred years.’
‘I guess not much has changed during that time,’ he said, looking south along the coast to where the bay curved towards a promontory, behind which lay Mana Island and further still, Wellington. He also looked north to where Mount Ruapehu — an active volcano — was barely visible out at sea, at the northern most tip of a great sweep of coastline.
‘I guess not,’ said Jen. ‘The sea still rolls in and out and Kapiti Island stays the same.’ She stopped swinging her legs and laced and unlaced her fingers. ‘It’s only people who change.’
She could feel his gaze on her, but she didn’t want to meet it. She wanted to talk, and it was easier without looking at him.
‘What is it?’
‘I’m so scared, Sam.’
‘There’s nothing to fear anymore.’
‘Yes, yes, there is. I’m scared for Liam. How can I help him get over all this? Being drugged and snatched in the middle of the night by his father, and that’s without all the rest of the stuff that happened in London. I’m so scared that I’ve completely messed up his life.’
‘You haven’t. You’ve done everything you can to care for him. Besides, he’s young, so he’ll recover.’
She shook her head. She refused to be let off the hook that easily. ‘No, I should never have stayed with Alistair.’ She paused as the memories crammed into her mind, overflowing. ‘At first I thought I could help, and then I couldn’t figure out how to leave. But, whatever, I enabled him. It is my fault.’ She closed her eyes.
‘Don’t do that, Jen,’ he said. ‘Please don’t.’
‘Sam’s right,’ said another voice.
Jen opened her eyes to see her mother had joined them, the ever-present tray of coffee mugs in her hands. She’d obviously heard everything she’d said.
‘It won’t do Liam any good to believe that,’ Kate said. ‘You can’t take responsibility for someone else’s actions, only your own. Alistair is gone. It’s time to let yourself off the hook, too.’
‘Easier said than done.’
‘Maybe,’ said Kate, ‘but it’s the only way forward. You need to know you have done nothing except care for Liam, and try to protect and help him. And not least, love him. It’s everything a child needs, and with these things he’ll recover.’
‘I’d like that to be true. But how can you be so sure?’
‘I just am. Put it down to being a wise old lady.’
‘Huh, you’re not old.’
‘Just wise then.’ Kate smiled, handed out the hot drinks and walked back to the house.
Jen looked at Sam, the question still lingering in her eyes. ‘Sam? What do you think?’
He reached out and took her hand in his. ‘All I know is Liam is very sure of you and Kate and all of your family and with people like that around, giving him the best care possible, he’ll survive and thrive. And I’ll always be there for him, if he wants me to be.’ He paused. ‘If you want me to be.’
The note of insecurity in his tone surprised Jen.
‘I…’ she replied.
‘You don’t have to give me an answer to that question yet,’ he said. ‘A lot’s happened, and it’ll take time to recover from it all. But I want you to know that I’m here to support you until… you don’t want me to.’
‘Thank you.’ She paused, wondering what on earth she’d done to deserve someone like Sam in her life. ‘For everything.’
‘You don’t have to thank me.’
