Page 44 of The Beach Cottage
“Oh, I get confused a lot.”
“So you know what I mean, then?”
Sam nodded. “Do you want to meet this pademelon? Penny lets me feed them.”
“I’d love to.”
Penny told them she was going to find some food for the kangaroos and pademelons and they could feed all of them at the same time. As she walked away, her nerves faded. The reconciliation gone better than she’d expected. Sam didn’t seem bothered by meeting Betsy, and clearly the older woman was delighted.
When she returned, there was someone else waiting at the front gate. She opened it and a middle-aged man barrelled past her and into the enclosure. Penny called after him, asking him to stop, he was on private property, but he ignored her. He found Betsy and Sam by the pademelons almost immediately and hurried to grab Sam by the hand.
“Come on, sweetheart, we have to go. I found your note about coming here, but we can’t stay.”
“Aww, Dad, I’m feeding the animals. Penny says I have a natural affinity.”
“I’m sure you do. But we can’t stay.” He hesitated, glaring at Betsy. She stepped back, both hands clenched at her sides.
“Let her stay a little longer,” Betsy begged in a soft voice.
The man sighed. “You know better, Mum.”
“I’m sorry. I had to see her. She’s so big now.”
“We can talk about it later—not in front of Sam.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want, Tyler. But won’t you let me spend a few more minutes with her? You can’t keep her away from her own family forever. And she needs me, I can sense it.”
He released Sam’s hand. “Okay, fine. I suppose we can spend a few minutes, but then I have to get back to work. I’ve missed too much as it is.”
“Thank you,” Betsy said.
Sam grinned. “Can we feed the kangaroos now?”
Penny led them over to where the kangaroos lay about dozing in the sun. A few came closer to be fed, resting on their tails. Penny wasn’t sure what to say or do, so she mostly kept quiet and out of the way. Betsy and Tyler continued to talk, and gradually the tension faded. They talked about work, life and the weather. Nothing too deep or personal, but it was progress. And before long, all of them were laughing over some simple knock-knock jokes Sam told.
Finally, it was time for the three of them to leave. Penny walked them to the gate and overheard Tyler agreeing to allow Sam to go to the florist shop after school the following day to spend time with Betsy.
“We haven’t fixed things,” he said, with a guarded expression. “But I need the help. We can talk more about our issues later. I’m struggling…”
“I’ll help you, no strings attached,” Betsy promised.
Penny waved goodbye to the trio, who walked away together, Sam in the middle holding hands with her father and grandmother on either side of her.
She was both relieved and happy. The reconciliation could’ve gone badly for them and for Penny. It wasn’t certain she’d done the right thing by letting Sam into the sanctuary or by calling Betsy to come and meet her. Tyler might’ve been angry. He could’ve taken his feelings out on Penny. But instead, the encounter seemed to have given him permission to let go of his grudge and try to reconnect with his mother. If they could only forgive whatever had happened in the past and move forward, it would be life-changing for all of them. And perhaps now Sam would have someone to help take care of her so she wouldn’t be alone every afternoon.
Once they were gone, Penny locked the front gate, then hurried inside. Rowan had loaned her a small amount of money to tide her over until the government grant came through, and it was time to pay her electricity bill and get the power back on at the beach house. She’d had enough of candlelight and antipasto platters for dinner, although it had been extremely romantic. Her cat, Bart, had taken to spending all his time outside on the porch in protest.
She couldn’t remember a more romantic evening in her entire life. The memory of it sent a thrill through her. It was hard to believe it’d been with Rowan Clements, though. What was happening between them? Where was this headed? Could it go anywhere? He lived in the USA most of the time—he was a travelling reporter. She was firmly entrenched in island life and her refuge. If there was any chance of a future between them, one of them would have to make an adjustment. He’d already told her he wanted that change, that he was sick of the nomadic life he’d lived for so long. Would he follow through?
Twenty
The café was busier than usual. There were customers seated at every table and several waiting in the sitting area in the front corner where Bea had set up some comfortable chairs and pillows. Some wandered around the bookshop browsing while they waited for a table. It was the weekend, and a ferry full of tourists had just arrived on the island.
Beatrice rushed between tables, taking orders and clearing plates and cups. Her two casual workers did the same and were run off their feet. She’d hired someone to cook in the kitchen as well and offered a lunch menu that she thought was delicious, and so far, the customers seemed to agree. Her favourite menu item was from the All-Day Breakfast selection — red velvet sprouted-wheat pancakes with whipped cream cheese and fresh berries drizzled with syrup.
“Can I have a table, please?” a deep voice asked.
She spun around to tell the speaker that the wait was about fifteen minutes and found herself face-to-face with her ex-husband. Preston was fit and tanned. He smiled at her, his teeth impossibly white. He wore a blue coat over a white shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, and a pair of chinos.
