He sighed. ‘I know, sweetheart. But it can’t be helped for now.’
‘Please tell her that it’s nobody’s fault,’ Jess said.
‘Will you ever come back?’ Ben wanted to know.
‘Of course,’ he said.
‘When?’ Ben insisted.
‘When Jessica’s mother and I become friends again, Ben.’
Jess snorted. ‘That’s not happening any time soon, Dad. We both know that.’
‘Yeah, well…’ he muttered more to himself. And then he turned to me.
‘Good bye, Nina. Thank you for everything.’
That was it? No, I’ll keep you posted – don’t worry, we’ll beat her together. Nothing?
I swallowed and nodded. ‘Good luck, Luke…’
‘Yeah. Thanks.’
‘I’m going to miss you, you little munchkin,’ Jess sobbed into the top of Ben’s head.
‘Me, too. I like you much better than my own sister.’
At that, Chloe, who was wiping her eyes, swatted him softly across the back. ‘Don’t worry, Ben, she’ll be back before you know it. Won’t you, Jess?’
Jessica sniffed, facing upwards. ‘Dad?’
Luke looked at me, and I knew it would be a long time before I saw him again. ‘Let’s hope so, Jessica. Bye, guys.’
Jess spread her arms and Ben and Chloe hugged her, the two girls sniffling, while Ben held tight onto her skirt. Then they hugged Luke, who kissed their cheeks. ‘I’m going to miss you too,’ he said. ‘But I’ll be back before you know it.’
Ben looked up at him. ‘Promise?’
‘Cross my heart and hope to die, buddy boy.’
At the door, Luke stopped and turned so only I could hear him.
‘I’m sorry it had to come to this.’ His voice lowered just enough so only I could hear him. ‘Take care, Nina… kids.’ And without a backward glance, he disappeared.
Completely numb, I wanted to crawl into the safety of my bed under the eaves and cry for a week. But my children needed me, so we all piled into the car and I drove them down to the animal clinic to retrieve Callie.
The minute we burst through the doors, she spotted us and, although she was too weak to shoot to her feet, her tail swished back and forth, her eyes following us as we all knelt by her side, Ben scooping up the entire basket containing her as delicately as possible.
I turned to Lisa who winked. She was out of the woods! ‘You are a star,’ I croaked as I passed her secretary my bank card. ‘I’m going to make a huge donation.’
‘You already have,’ she beamed.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Jack swung by this morning. I offered to give him Callie, but he said he’d rather you and the kids come down and got her.’
Was he or was he not the best? A minute later, my mobile went. It was a message from Jack:
How are you guys? And Callie?
And it suddenly occurred to me that Luke hadn’t even asked, nor known about Callie’s brush with death. He hadn’t even noticed her absence.
*
If the days were less than tolerable, the nights spent in the company of guilt were endless, as I cursed myself over and over again.
That evening, Jack stopped by, solemn like I’d never seen him before. ‘Luke’s got quite the battle ahead of him. I feel guilty in some way. I didn’t really care for him, but he was a great father,’ he whispered.
I sniffed, trying to keep my composure. ‘It’s not your fault, Jack. Not in the least. You were only trying to help out as you always do. I’m the one who messed up. I’m a terrible mother and a terrible human being.’
‘Hey, don’t say that. You’re a fantastic mother. It was just one of those things, you know? If I had arrived three minutes earlier—’
‘Do not make this your fault, Jack. You’ve been nothing but kind and loving to us and I…’ I swallowed the boulder in my throat. ‘I screwed everything up. I’m so sorry, Jack. I’m a terrible friend.’
‘Come here,’ he whispered, wrapping me in his arms, and it was like going home after a long journey abroad. I’d missed him.
Later, as if she had sensed something was wrong, Alice phoned and I gave her the low-down on all that happened. But she already knew as it was all over the papers. Apparently Lauren had told the press I was keeping her family from reuniting.
‘How are you doing, sweetie? Is everyone okay?’
‘Physically, we’re okay, but we’re all upset, of course.’
‘Yes, I can understand that,’ she answered. ‘I’m just glad no one was hurt.’
I nodded as if she could actually see me over the phone.
‘So when’s he coming back to finish the script?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know. I’ll be working on it in the meantime. God knows how long.’
‘I’m so sorry. Luke’s a great dad.’
‘Jack was saying the exact same thing.’
‘Maybe we should let things settle for a bit. Hollywood is a cruel place, but also fickle. When this blows over they’ll forget,’ she soothed.
‘You were wrong about something, Alice.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘You once said there was no mud in LA. But actually, I have come to see that there’s lots and lots of it.’
*
The people of Penworth Ford, who had been used to seeing a Hollywood star ambling around the village and surroundings, were now slightly confused, especially after word of Lauren’s return to her family had spread to the Post Of ice – and the papers.
Alf was sitting behind his counter, barely visible behind his broadsheet as usual and completely absorbed.
I smiled at the lovely old man who had been like a father to me.
‘Good morning, Alf.’
‘Mornin’, Emma.’
I paused and swallowed. It hurt to see him not completely sharp of mind, even if it was for just brief moments.
‘I heard yer fella left – ’spect you’ll get over him soon, bein’ plenty o’ suitable men around,’ Alf said in the hope of cheering me up.
‘You offering?’ I quipped, but inside I was falling apart. All my dreams of a better future, of selling my script and having our own Happily Ever After had been put on stand-by for who knew how long.
‘Ah, I’d gladly
