Two Days in Biarritz (36 page)

“Tea, coffee or a drink?”

“I’d better have tea – I’m in the Jeep.”

Gary
’s head appeared above the counter that he was rooting behind.

“You could always stay the night,” he suggested sheepishly.

Annabel tried to smile. This was a man who had no concept of commitments.

“I have to be there for the kids in the morning.”

Gary nodded his head. “I’m sorry Annabel – that was insensitive of me.”

For an instant Annabel wanted to flout her responsibilities and say she’d stay. But then she remembered it was Colin who was baby-sitting, not her mother or even the girl next door. At least
Gary understood that her children were her priority, especially at this sensitive time. It only made her want him even more. By the time Gary joined her on the settee with two mugs of tea and a packet of chocolate digestives under his arm Annabel was aching for him. The kiss he placed on her lips in the car wasn’t enough. The fact that she was sitting in his apartment and so close to the room where he slept each night filled her with anticipation for what might happen next. After all they’d been together nearly a month.

Gary
put his mug down on the floor and sat back with his arm loosely resting on the back of the settee behind Annabel.

“I’m sorry that I’m bringing you back to this dump. I only realise how crumby it is when I bring someone to see it for the first time.”

“I meant it, when I said it was cosy. You’ve a lovely view over the tops of the trees from here.”

“I’ll be frank with you Annabel – it’s cheap and Jamie’s never here.”

“Jamie?”

“My mate. He has a girlfriend with an apartment a few blocks away and he only uses this place to keep his stuff and hide when they have a row.”

Annabel nodded and took a sip from her cup. Gary had a way of making her forget herself. His arm was close but not close enough.

“Will I put some music on?” he asked.

“Okay,” she said, putting the mug of tea down at her side.

He jumped up and hit the switch on the mini hi-fi that sat on a shelf in the corner of the room. She recognised the guitar chords instantly. It had been a long time since she’d heard
Samba Pa Ti
by Santana. Damien used to play it on a cassette when he drove Kate and her home from discos when they were kids. Which reminded her – she hadn’t been in touch with Damien since their dinner together.

Gary
returned to her side on the couch, oblivious of the effect the music was having on Annabel’s frame of mind. This time when he put his arm behind her he gently combed some of her curls with his fingers. Annabel closed her eyes and let his touch transport her. When Gary put his lips tenderly on hers she wasn’t sure if she was thinking of Damien or Gary. Eventually she opened them and she knew that she was with the right man. Gary stood up slowly and reached out his hand for her. Full of excitement and anticipation she rose and took his hand, then walked with him into the bedroom. The evening was turning out perfectly.

* * *

“Hello.”

“Hi Dad,” she smiled down the phone.

“I was just about to call you. I’m coming over the day after tomorrow. I managed to change my ticket.”

“Great. I’ll get Fabian to collect you.”

“I can get a taxi.”

Kate took a lock of her hair and started twiddling with it. “It will cost you a fortune.”

“The plane rides are so cheap nowadays it won’t make much difference. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve had a good day actually. It’s difficult being an invalid. I can’t believe I’ll be like this for the next four months.”

“Just take it easy,” Damien said in an assuring voice. “I’m going to sort you out with some fulltime help when I get over there.”

The thought of having her father there to look after her came as a huge comfort. Fabian was fantastic but family was different and Kate was getting frequent flashes, reminding her that she was never going to see her mother again.

“I’m fine Dad, there’s no need to fuss. By the way, have you heard from Annabel?”

Damien hadn’t and was beginning to worry
about their business venture ever getting off the ground.

“Not in the last couple of weeks, no.”

“Apparently she rang here while I was in hospital and told Fabian that her marriage is over.”

“That’s right.”

Kate scowled at the phone. The mere thought of her father and Annabel sharing information that she was excluded from made her feel deeply hurt.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you said that you didn’t want to talk about her ever again.”

“You should have told me that, Dad.”

Damien sighed again. Now was not the time to try and reason with his pregnant daughter. “I’m sorry, Kate. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say or not to say to you. Your mother always did that for me!”

It was Kate’s turn to feel terrible. “I’m sorry Dad.” Her father was obviously missing Betty more than he thought he would.

Damien took a deep breath. He figured, as his daughter wanted to be told everything, now was as good a time as any to tell her of his other intentions. “By the way, I’m selling Greenfield Close.”

“But why? You can’t do that. That’s my home.” Kate was stunned.

“It hasn’t been your home for nearly twenty years, Kate.”

Her father was right. She hated the thought of not being able to stay there though.

“Where are you going to live?”

“Howth. I’m finishing off a block of apartments on the beach and I’m moving into a two-bedroom. I don’t need much space.”

“You’ll get cabin fever in an apartment, Dad.”

“I can’t s
tay in this house. The place will go to rack and ruin if I’m here much longer.”

Kate felt a sudden desire to be in Greenfield Close. She could picture her boys and new baby in a house like that. How would Philip feel if she took the house over? He was settled in
Oxford now and Gloria said that she didn’t want to live in Ireland again.

“Dad, if I came home for good would you let me look after Greenfield Close?”

“Kate, you’re not thinking rationally. There is nothing I would like more than to have you home but it has to be because you want to live in Ireland. Not because of a house. I am moving out regardless.”

Kate’s mind was working overtime. She’d have to talk to the boys.

“Kate, are you still there?”

“Yes, Dad. Look I’ll see you soon and we can talk then.”

“That sounds like a good idea. You are very fragile at the moment. We will sort everything out over the next few days.”

“Thanks Dad.”

“Did you say that you rang Annabel?”

“I did but Colin answered the phone and I didn’t feel like speaking to him.”

It was Damien’s turn to be speechless. Could Annabel have taken him back? That would certainly put a stop to their business enterprise.

“Dad?”

“Yes, love.”

“What time are you arriving at?”

“I land at three thirty.”

“Great, so you should be here at about six.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“So am I, and the boys are too. Bye, Dad.” She hung up feeling confused. Did she really want to go back to
Ireland and live in Greenfield Close?

* * *

Annabel gave her hair a quick brush before getting out of the car. She checked that she didn’t leave any clues on her face or clothing that would tell what she had been doing for the previous two hours. She opened the hall door like a thief, painfully aware that she had to face Colin.

He was in the kitchen, his head dug deep in the
Financial Times
and a mug of coffee resting on the kitchen table. He didn’t look up as she entered.

“Thanks for that,” she said quietly, hoping that he would at least acknowledge her return.

“I did it for the kids, not you,” he said, without looking up from his newspaper.

“Thanks anyway.”

“When are you going to stop this charade?” Colin said, looking up at his wife this time. “I think you’ve made your point. I shouldn’t have slept with the
au pair
. Is that what you want me to admit?”

Rage enveloped Annabel. Was this Colin’s attempt at an apology? She managed to remain calm by silently counting to ten and then she addressed him with an inner strength that she didn’t know she had.

“Colin, I have been unhappy with you and your bullying ways for some time. I have no intention of going back to the way things were – not now or ever. Is that clear?”

Colin s
tood up suddenly and folded his paper. “Perfectly,” he replied then stuffed the paper under his arm.

Annabel was still shaking as she heard him close the front door.
Gary was the reason she was able to speak to Colin that way. Gary had made her feel good only a few short hours ago and in a couple of minutes Colin had made her feel terrible. She felt as if she was responsible for breaking up the family. She wished there was a way that she could make it up to her children, to make everything all right. But for them to be okay she needed to be okay herself and right now she was far from being that.

* * *

Damien’s taxi stopped outside his daughter’s pretty French house. It was bedecked with the last flowers of summer and set against an azure-blue sky. It suited Kate. But it made him wonder if she would ever leave. He hoped she was serious about moving back to Greenfield Close but it had to be for the right reasons.

Ciaran and David heard their grandfather’s taxi drive away and ran out to greet him before he got a chance to ring on the door bell.

“Boys, look at how you’ve grown in a couple of weeks,” Damien said as the two ran forward affectionately and embraced him.

“Mum is better. She was painting this morning.”

Alarm bells rang in Damien’s ears. His daughter was always careless when it came to looking after herself and she couldn’t afford to be at the moment.

“Mum, granddad’s here,” David called up the stairs.

Kate ran down the stairs with a spring her step. “Dad, you made good time.”

“Kate,” he said holding his arms out to his daughter. “I thought you were meant to be taking it easy!”

“I am Dad,” she said, rushing over and holding him tightly.

“What’s this I hear about you painting?”

Kate turned and scowled at her sons. “I was only doing a little.”

“You must be in good form!” he said with a smile.

“Let’s go into the kitchen, Dad.”

It was the heart of the home. Damien walked over to the rustic back door and opened it out to the garden. The thick walls of the gîtes kept the house cool in the warmth of summer. He looked out at her pretty and colourful garden set against the mountains in the distance.

“I can see why you love it so much here,” he mused.

Kate stood behind him, leaning against the wall. “I’ll miss it.”

“Kate, this is very sudden. Before you left Ireland, you were adamant that you wanted to stay in France.”

“If I don’t go now I never will. It’s good timing for the boys. They are starting secondary school in a couple of weeks. I want to be at home with my baby. I need a fresh start.”

“What about Shane?”

Kate lowered her head and folded her arms. “I haven’t heard from him. He’s married Dad. I have to think of my family and my children.”

Damien nodded. He understood and was proud of his daughter’s responsible attitude.

“So when are you thinking of making this big move?”

“I have to be quick because of the boys and school. I might even ring St Pauls later today and see if they have places for them.”

“Are you sure that’s the best place to send them?”

“Philip enjoyed his time there. If they aren’t happy I can always move them. At least they will be close to me.”

Damien smiled. He liked the prospect of being able to see his grandsons frequently.

“What about this house?”

“I might keep it
, if you don’t charge me too much for Greenfield close, that is.”

“You know the house is yours.”

“What about Philip?”

“I can settle him up with a couple of apartments in lieu.”

“Dad, I nearly lost this baby. It made me realise how much I want it.”

“Sometimes the little surprises are the greatest blessings.” Damien nodded and put his arm around her shoulders.

Kate felt safe and protected. She hoped the boys would be alright with it. But the person she dreaded telling the most was Fabian.

Chapter 20 

Annabel was running out of people to ring. It was eight o’clock and her son hadn’t been seen or heard from since school finished at two-thirty. He hadn’t spoken to her at breakfast but she was getting used to his dour behaviour – it had begun long before his father had left home. She had a premature teenager on her hands but all of the other mothers that she knew had similar problems with their kids once they reached eleven years of age and Sam would be twelve in a matter of days. This morning was different though. He had thought that as his father was minding him the night before that he would still be there next morning. Annabel had never seen an outburst like it from her son.

“I’m going to Niall’s after school!” he shouted, slinging his schoolbag over his shoulder and slamming his way out the door. He had a piece of toast in his mouth at the time but that’s what it sounded like.

So far she had tried every one of his friends’ houses and was contemplating ringing the police. She knew that she really should ring Colin but after their words the night before she couldn’t face talking to him. Lily would be hysterical so there was no point in contacting her. At least the evenings still bright, she thought, as she looked out the kitchen window. A mobile phone rang and she desperately hoped that it was Sam.

But the caller ID showed that it wasn’t.

“Hi, Gary,” she sighed. “I’m having a nightmare.”

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“It’s Sam – I thought you might be him – he hasn’t been seen since two-thirty today. I think I’ll ring the police.”

“Do you want me to come over? Is there anything I can do?”

“Thanks, Gary, but the girls don’t know you. I don’t want to complicate things.”

“Call the police and let me know if you hear anything.”

Annabel had needed someone to give her the push and Gary’s timing was perfect.

“I will. Talk later,
Gary.”

She put her mobile phone down and reached for the landline. Her index finger was running over to the digit nine when a dark shadow fell across the back door. Annabel put the handset down and rushed to see who it was. Her first reaction was utter joy and relief to see her son shuffle up to the door but
it was closely followed by shock at the state of his soiled hair and clothing.

He looked up at her with blackened and hollow eyes and the smell on his breath was unmistakable.

“Where the hell have you been?” Annabel’s voice was raised to the level that she had never heard from her mouth before.

“Out,” the young boy said, flicking his fringe away from his eyes. “What do you care? What does anyone care?” he continued walking across the kitchen leaving mucky marks on the floor tiles.

“Sam, come back here when I am talking to you!”

He turned his head around slowly and threw his mother a snide glance. “No!”

It was obvious that he had been drinking but the question raised by that fact threw Annabel into disarray. Why had her little boy run off to get drunk? Had he been on his own? It was very alarming behaviour from an eleven year old and the fact that he was coming home unrepentant was defiance on a level that horrified Annabel. She had heard of boys reacting badly when their dad left home but felt unequipped to handle a situation like this. She had to get to him before the girls saw him. Luckily they were in a hypnotic state in front of
The Simpsons
.