The Sunshine Potluck Society, page 16
“That makes sense,” he said. “I had good parents, so I’m pretty lucky that way.”
“I’m scared to death I’ll be just like my parents were when it comes down to it. But I’m going to do everything I can not to be.”
“I can tell you’ll be a good mother. It makes me happy to see Gran doing so well. And a lot of that is because of you.”
Her heart swelled. “Thank you. That means so much to me. This job with her has meant the world. And I really do love it.”
“I can tell,” he said with a warm smile. “You’re good at it. So, how many kids do you want?”
She grinned. “I want a bunch of them.”
He laughed. “How many?”
“I don’t know. Four or five.”
“Five?”
She giggled. “Maybe four.”
“Do they make cars that fit five kids?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I think so. Don’t they have seven-seaters?”
“I guess that’s true. Five kids. Wow.”
“What about you?” she asked.
He smiled. “I love kids, so I’m open to having as many as possible.”
After they finished dinner, they walked along the beach hand in hand and talked about their hopes, dreams and plans for the future. The more they spoke, the more relaxed Emily felt. He was the person she most wanted to see each day. The person she wanted to share her troubles and victories with. When she thought about the future, she couldn’t imagine him not being in it. She hoped he felt the same way.
They ate gelato from a small place at the end of the beach, then wound their way back to the car on the footpath. Kids flew by on skateboards. Couples wandered between restaurants. The air was warm and smelled of salt and a mixture of foods.
When they got back to the house, Emily was giddy with happiness. It’d been a perfect romantic evening. Aaron knew just how to put her at ease. He’d made her feel special and yet relaxed. She was more herself with him than she’d ever been with anyone.
He stopped outside her bedroom. She turned to face him. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. He moved closer and raised a hand to cup her cheek.
Her heart thudded against her ribcage. Was he going to kiss her? The only other time he’d kissed her had been at the kissing booth when she was a teenager. Her very first kiss. But now he was a man. His cologne was intoxicating. The touch of his hand on her skin made it tingle. He was very close now, hovering over her, his lips just above hers.
Then he was kissing her. His second hand cupped her other cheek now. He pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. And her arms wound their way around his neck. She stood on tiptoe, her eyes shut, as she was swept up in the passion of it. Her whole world stood still. Nothing else mattered but him, their kiss and this moment.
Chapter Thirty-Four
They agreed to meet at a café to discuss their marriage. It was safer than at the house, where Gwen was certain her husband would launch into some kind of tirade, yell and lose his temper with her. She didn’t want that. She’d had plenty of it over the years. And what they really needed to do was to get things out on the table between them, to discuss what’d happened to their relationship, and to figure out a way forward in a mature fashion.
Was it possible? She wasn’t sure. But they owed it to themselves to try.
She arrived at the Black Cat Café ten minutes early. She wanted to have some time to prepare herself, to calm her nerves before he arrived. He’d been living at a motel, as far as she was aware. And she knew he wanted to come home. That was his goal, from what their phone calls had told her. But she’d assured him that wasn’t going to happen and he needed to find a more permanent place to stay.
He still believed he could save their relationship, but she wasn’t sure why he wanted to, given she’d had several locals report back to her that his girlfriend continued to visit him at the motel and she had even stayed over several nights. Now that everyone knew they were separated, it was amazing how many of them had known about his affair but had never said anything to her before now. They were all coming out of the woodwork with their stories and commiserations.
She would force a smile on her face as she listened, but all she could think was, why didn’t they tell her sooner? Why did no one say anything? They’d spotted him kissing and cuddling his girlfriend at the gym, at restaurants, even behind the church in the parking lot. But no one thought it was their place to say anything to Gwen until now.
It made her angrier than she could express. But she held it in because it did no one any good for her to lose her cool. It’d probably justify in their minds why he felt the need to have an affair, with such a nagging wife. Even though she’d been acquainted with most of them for decades, and they should’ve known better.
She ordered herself a cappuccino and an apple cinnamon muffin and was browsing the news headlines on her phone when Duncan arrived. He sat across from her with a scowl. His face dripped sweat, and he set a bicycle helmet on the ground by his feet.
“Thanks for letting me come into my own garage to get my bike,” he said. “It was really thoughtful of you.”
“Good morning, Duncan,” she said with a bright smile. “You seem to be in a lovely mood.”
“I’m living in a motel, Gwen. The bed is giving me chronic back pain. And the food has caused constant indigestion and heartburn.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She was sorry. She didn’t want him to be uncomfortable or unhappy. Well, maybe a little bit.
“Let me come home. Please, I’m begging you. I miss your cooking, our bed, the lounge room. Well, all of it. It’s my house too. You can’t just kick me out of my own home.”
She sighed. It was hard to see him like this. She’d loved him for such a long time, and she was used to giving in to his demands. He was such a bulldozer and she was a people pleaser, so she’d always done whatever he wanted. That way, she didn’t suffer his temper tantrums, and life could be smooth. He was used to her giving in, and she could see on his face that he expected her to cave.
“I’m sorry, Duncan. I don’t want you back at the house. We need to talk through what’s going on in our marriage and how to deal with everything moving forward. Let’s focus on that. Okay? And as I said to you the last time we spoke about it, maybe you should look for a flat to rent. That way, you can buy yourself a good mattress and make some home-cooked food to eat.”
He gaped at her. “Cook for myself?”
“Yes, Duncan. Cook for yourself. You’re a very capable man—I’m sure you can read a recipe and follow the instructions.”
His face turned red. “I’m a busy man. I don’t have time for all that. I’ve got work and the gym…”
“Yes, I know all about it, Duncan.”
“But you don’t care? Clearly you’ve already written us off. We made vows, Gwen.”
This wasn’t going the way she’d hoped. She didn’t want him to get so worked up. If he did, they’d never make it through the list of subjects she wanted to discuss.
“Duncan, I want us to be honest with one another. Can you do that?”
He grunted then nodded.
“Okay, great. Do you still love me?”
He frowned. “Of course I do.”
“I mean, really love me. Not like, you love me because I’m in your family and have always been there for you. But are you in love with me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. What does that even mean?”
“I think you’ve answered that, then,” she said as her heart squeezed. “I love you, but I can’t be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t love me back. It’s not fair on me, or you, really. If you love this other person, you should be with her. I have no desire to stand in the way of that. You’ve betrayed our marriage vows, and you’ve betrayed me and my commitment to us.”
He leaned forward. “And I’m sorry for that. I really am. I don’t want our marriage to be over.”
“But it is, honey.” She patted his hand. “I don’t want that either, but you ended it the moment you started an affair. And from what I hear, the affair is still well and truly underway.”
He blanched. “Who told you that?”
“Everyone. The entire island has been watching you, apparently for quite a while. They just failed to inform me of the affair until now. And suddenly it’s like a news superhighway around here.”
He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Busybodies!”
“Why do you want to stay married, Duncan? If you’d rather be with her, what’s the point of our marriage continuing?”
“We were going to grow old together. I like having you around. I like our home. It’s nice.”
“I’m afraid that’s not enough for me,” she said. “You like how I take care of you and our home. But there’s more to me than that. I’m a person, a whole person. And I deserve to have someone love and respect me enough to be faithful and to put effort into our relationship.”
He sighed. “Okay. So, what now?”
“I need you to move your things out of the house and find a place to live. We can talk to divorce solicitors if you want, but I think we can probably negotiate a settlement without them. I’d like to sell the house and get a small flat by the beach, I think. I’ll be travelling a lot, so I won’t need much to maintain here.”
“What? Sell the house?” His eyes widened. “But that’s our home, where we raised our family.”
“I know, but it’s time to put that all behind us and embrace the next phase of life.”
“You’re so callous sometimes, Gwen. I don’t understand it.”
“I’m not callous, honey. I’m all cried out.”
When she got home, she found that she wasn’t all cried out. And she spent the next hour lying on the couch with tears trailing down her cheeks and wetting the fabric. She didn’t want to sell her home, but it was far too big for her to manage on her own. And it was time to put the memories of the past behind her. Everything reminded her of Duncan. His selfishness, his preference for dark and moody furniture and lighting, his dominance in every area of their lives. She’d wanted a light, airy home.
He’d refused everything she ever wanted, and she’d let him get away with his controlling behaviour for decades because she loved him and she wanted him to be happy. Now she could see how badly that had backfired. He was a selfish man who didn’t consider her feelings one bit when he decided to look elsewhere for some comfort. She would sell it all and decorate her own flat with modern decor.
Brandon’s car pulled into the driveway. She wiped her face dry with a tissue and then answered the door with as big a smile as she could manage.
“Oh, Mum,” he said when he saw her face.
The grandkids all looked at her with big, wide eyes, clearly worried as to why Nanna was crying. She must’ve looked a fright.
“Go inside and check the cookie jar,” she said. “I bought you all a special treat.”
With a grin, they ran inside and shouted for joy in the kitchen over the Wagon Wheels they found in the jar—chocolate-covered cookies with a marshmallow and jam centre.
Brandon embraced her, and she let her head rest on his shoulder for several minutes. Then he released her and kissed the top of her head. Gwen shut the door behind them and sat in the front room with him.
“Dad told me you want a divorce,” he said.
She nodded. “I’m sorry, honey.”
“It’s okay. I get it. If Mara cheated on me, I’d die.”
“You wouldn’t die,” Gwen replied. “But you’d feel like you had.”
Brandon rested a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry, Mum. That’s not fair on you. You’ve always put this family first and given so much of yourself over the years. He’s been a self-centred, arrogant jerk my whole life. You didn’t deserve this.”
“Thank you for saying that,” Gwen replied, feeling choked up all over again. “It means a lot to me.”
“I love him, of course. But he shouldn’t have treated you this way, and I told him so.”
“Thanks, honey. I need your support right now. I’m not sure I can make it without you kids.”
“Well, you have us. I’ve spoken to the others, and we’re all going to be here for you far more than we have been. We all agreed that we took you for granted, and for far too long, we’ve followed Dad’s lead in how we treated you. But that’s all going to change.”
“Really? That is music to my ears,” she said as tears fell once again. “I love you all so much. I want you to be happy, and so I do whatever I can to make sure that happens. But I think I’ve spoiled you a little too often.”
He laughed. “Yes, you have. But we appreciate you. It isn’t unseen, Mum. Even if sometimes we act that way.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Five months later, it was July, and the weather had turned cool. As cool as it would ever get in Sunshine, which made it absolutely perfect. The sun was shining, the sky was a deeper blue than it had been in summer, and the sun sparkled off the surface of the ocean.
Joanna set her hands on her hips to take in the view. Then with a long inhale and a wide smile, she returned to the house to finish preparing for their potluck brunch. The theme today was Spanish tapas, and she’d had a lot of fun devising the menu and cooking the food. She hoped everyone would enjoy it. Emily had gone overboard on the desserts. They would all be rolling out of the dining room later, but that’s how it always was for one of their brunches.
Inside, Gwen was putting the finishing touches on the decor. The boot was long gone and she looked positively radiant in a pair of jeans with brown boots and a white cardigan. She’d chosen to decorate with warm colours—shades of red, orange, yellow. There were swathes of fabric hung over the backs of each chair in alternating colours. A vase of red flowers stood in the centre of the table. She’d even painted several canvases with slashes of deep red and orange and set them on the sideboard against the wall behind the table.
“It looks so good in here,” Joanna said. “You’ve outdone yourself again.”
“Thanks, honey. The food smells divine. Also, I brought some chocolate to go with our coffee after dessert.”
“That’s perfect,” Joanna replied. “We have plenty. We’re waiting on Debbie, and then we can get started. I’ll find some music to play on the sound system.”
As she returned to the hallway, Aaron walked out, pulling a rolling suitcase behind him. She paused to allow him to make his way into the kitchen, then followed. A lump formed in her throat. She didn’t want him to move out yet. It seemed as though he’d only recently arrived. But time had flown, and he’d chosen to purchase a townhouse closer to the city so his commute wouldn’t be so long. He was moving out today after the brunch. It would be the last one he shared with them, at least until he next visited.
“I’m going to miss you, sweetheart,” Joanna said, reaching up to give him another hug. She’d hugged him three times already that morning. It would never be enough.
He laughed. “I’ll visit, Gran. I promise.”
“You’d better. And maybe I’ll come and see your new place once you’re settled. Would that be okay?”
“It would be awesome,” he replied.
“I’ll bring you food.”
“Even better.” He grinned. “Emily will be coming over, and I’ll be here to visit her as well. We’ll see each other a lot.”
Aaron and Emily had been very close lately. Since their first date, they’d spent more and more time together. It seemed to Joanna that things between them were becoming serious. She hoped, for both their sakes, that it would all work out. They were very sweet together and perfect for one another, in her opinion.
“Speaking of food… I’m going to have to leave early. I won’t make it for your brunch. Sorry, Gran. But I have to meet the real estate agent to get the keys, and she’s busy later.”
“Oh, dear,” Joanna said. “That’s a shame. Never mind. I’ll pack you a plate to take with you.”
“I won’t have a fridge to put it in for a while, so instead why don’t you just feed me the next time I visit and we’ll call it even?” He winked.
She laughed at that. “Okay, I suppose I can live with that. Here—you can take this bread roll at least or you’ll starve.”
“Thanks, Gran. I can’t ever starve with you around.”
“No one is starving with Joanna around,” Emily agreed as she pulled a tray of garlic-stuffed mushroom caps from the oven. “I think I’ve gained about ten kilograms living here.”
She set the mushrooms on the kitchen bench, and Aaron grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to his chest with a laugh. “You look perfect to me.”
She kissed him on the lips. Joanna beamed at the two of them. “You’re adorable. But give me another hug before you go, honey. I’m going to miss you so much.”
Aaron extricated himself to kiss Joanna on the cheek. Then she waved him goodbye from the front door. Emily walked out to the car with him.
Joanna returned to the kitchen to plate up the food. There was garlic shrimp and spicy chorizo. Crispy calamari served with marina sauce. Golden, crunchy empanadillas gallegas filled with tuna, egg and chopped olives. And corn muffins with whipped garlic butter.
The front door opened as she was finishing up, and Debbie stepped in carrying a tray in her hands. “Hello, my lovelies! What’s this box?”
“Box? What do you mean?” Joanna replied.
“There’s a big box at your front door. Right in the way.”
“Oh? I didn’t see it.”
Joanna hurried around to look, wiping her hands on the floral apron tied neatly around her waist. She kissed Debbie on the cheek, then studied the box that almost entirely blocked the front door. “Let’s see.” She read the label on the top of it, and her heart leapt. “It’s our book! Our book is here. Quick, help me get this box inside the house.”
