Page 82 of Atticus Arnott's Great Adventure
As Mary watched Caitlin go, she prayed they would get through the mess Conor had created and the kids would come out unscathed. But divorce was never easy and could scar young hearts for life. Now, knowing that the inevitablewouldhappen, Mary vowed to do everything in her power to keep things as painless as possible for her children.
She was sure of one thing. There was no going back.
Ruari was right, and she knew she’d never be able to trust Conor again. If they stayed together, she would come to hate him for the harm he’d done. Apart, they might eventually end up as friends. Falling in love with someone else was one thing, but being so deceitful in trying to manipulate his way into the sale of houses on Cillian McCarthy’s land and getting his hands on Creek House was another.After all these years, Mary felt as though she didn’t know her husband.
Picking up Caitlin’s empty plate and returning it to the dishwasher, Mary added a tablet and pressed a switch. As the machine began to hiss and gurgle, she pushed up her sleeves and methodically cleaned the kitchen. Wiping down the surfaces, she thought about Ruari. She could almost taste him on her lips and feel his arms around her. Their kiss on the beach had been emotionally and physically uplifting, and Mary had suddenly felt sure of herself. As Ruari kept telling her, she felt beautiful too. To hell with Conor and his cruel comments about her weight. So, what if she was a size sixteen and her jeans were a little tight? She remembered a mantra she’d read in a Facebook post: ‘Beauty in all forms dulls in a cowering wreck but shines in one who has confidence.’
And what to do about Ruari?Mary paused.Was she to leave it on the beach, a stolen kiss that might not be repeated?He’d called several times to check in on her, and yesterday, when she’d gone to pick up the kids from school, she’d found a gorgeous bouquet of flowers on the front doorstep. The card read, ‘Hang on in there, Beautiful, you’ve got this x.’
But as she flicked her cloth for the final shine, Mary smiled and knew there would be plenty of time to think of Ruari in the coming weeks. There was no rush.
Mary thought of her plan and smiled.
It had begun a few days earlier with a phone call, followed by a meeting, and after a visit to a solicitor’s office, several hourson the internet.
She stood back to study a sparkling kitchen that even Roisin would be proud of and wondered what Conor was anticipating for Christmas that year. As she headed to the playroom to tear Declan away from Peppa Pig and take him upstairs for his bath, Mary knew that Conor’s Christmas gift would contain a surprise he wasn’t expecting.
Chapter Thirty-Two
On the Autopista del Mediterráneo, Winnie chugged along at a steady pace. With Atticus at the wheel and Britta sitting alongside him, Cheryl and Ruby sat comfortably in the back of the camper. The previous few days had been busy for Atticus. Having set out to solve Britta’s problems, he’d decided they should celebrate with a few nights away. He remembered meeting Martin on the ferry to Spain, who’d insisted that Atticus visit Benidorm and include a visit to the Starlight Show Bar.Cheryl and Ruby jumped at the opportunity to join the trip to Spain’s famous coastal resort.
‘I’m very impressed with your Bipandgo!’ Cheryl called out. ‘It’s a nice, big bip with plenty of go,’ she chuckled as the device on Winnie’s windscreen electronically lifted the toll booth barrier, and Atticus drove seamlessly through.
‘This road, the AP-7, might have paying toll booths, but it’s an easy, fast route,’ Atticus said and eased into a lane to let speedier traffic go past.
‘Does anyone fancy a snack?’ Ruby asked and rummaged around in a picnic bag to find neatly wrapped sandwiches that she’d prepared earlier that morning.
‘There’s coffee and cake too, and we haven’t forgotten Ness,’ Cheryl added and handed a treat to the dog, strapped in beside them.
Britta was thoughtful as she stared out at the landscape ahead, which boasted rolling hills and the distant mountains of the Sierra de Bernia. ‘It’s good to have a break before the Christmas rush; the café has been busy.’ She sipped from a beaker of coffee. ‘Many people have arrived in La Marina for Christmas,’ she added, her thoughts straying to the café. ‘It’s going to be hectic over the holidays…’
The day before, Britta had been decorating the café with festive decorations to welcome new arrivals – many of whom were retirees descending on the area for the Christmas break to escape the winter chills and spend a few weeks in warmer weather.
The call came while she was placing baubles on a tree and arranging a garland.
‘Britta, phone for you!’ The café manager’s voice carried over the chatter of diners.
‘A call?’ Britta hesitated. No one ever called the café for her. If Atticus needed her, he’d use her mobile. Puzzled, she wiped her hands on her apron and made her way to the office.
‘Hello?’ shesaid as she picked up the receiver.
Silence.
Britta listened, straining against the quiet. There was no voice, but she knew that she wasn’t alone on the line. She could hear it. Soft, steady breathing. Someone was there. Listening.
Her grip tightened. ‘Hello?’ she repeated, sensing the tension.
Nothing. A chill iced her bones, unsettling the warmth she felt in the café as she slowly replaced the phone.
‘Everything okay?’ The manager gave her a questioning look.
Britta forced a smile, shaking off her discomfort. ‘A wrong number,’ she’d replied. But the unease clung like a shadow, and Britta gave herself a shake.She was being ridiculous! It was obviously a misdial.
There was nothing to worry about, she’d told herself as she returned to her work.
The miles sped along as they passed vineyards that stretched endlessly and citrus orchards heavy with fruit. Lush pine forests appeared, the greenery contrasting starkly with the bright sunny skies. Terracotta roofs and whitewashed buildings could be seen from quaint Spanish towns in the distance, surrounded by rural agricultural land.
North of Valencia, Atticus pulled into a service station. Cheryl needed a comfort break, so Ruby took Ness for a walk. As Atticus and Britta stretched their legs and stoodby Winnie in the sunshine, Britta turned to Atticus and took hold of his hands.
