Page 43 of Strictly Friends
‘But, Mum, they look better like this.’ He twirled around and jumped up and down, his weight crushing the back of his canvas shoes.
‘Jake, nobody likes a smartarse,’ Griffin said sharply.
‘Mum! Uncle Griffin said a rude word!’ Jake crowed gleefully.
‘Uncle Griffin should know better than that, shouldn’t he?’ Ruby said pointedly.
‘Sorry.’ Griffin held up his hands. ‘I’ll put a pound coin in the swear jar when we get back home, but, Jake,youcannot talk back to your mum. She works hard to buy you things and you need to take care of them.’
Jake pouted, but Griffin stood his ground. ‘If you want to come with me to Ocean House after your lesson with Mac, then you know what to do.’
‘But, Uncle Griffin—’
‘Your godfather has spoken,’ Griffin growled, contorting his features into an exaggerated scowl.
Jake giggled and pushed his feet fully into the shoes, raising a leg and wiggling his foot as proof.
‘You do know he doesn’t have a clue why you say “godfather” with a bad Italian accent?’ Ruby pointed out as they watched Jake run off to play along the beach. Thanks to Griffin, she had never been forced to experience the full weight of single parenthood. Even when Jake was a toddler, Griffin had often picked him up when Ruby was feeling overwhelmed, sometimes keeping him for days at a time. Along with Auntie Pearl, there was no-one Ruby trusted more with her son.
‘Still, you’ll make a great father one day,’ she added with a smile.
‘Well, it’s good to know that you don’t think I’m a completely hopeless adult and human being,’ he said, his expression suddenly grim.
‘Of course I don’t, and I’ve never said that!’ she protested, taken aback by the sarcasm.
Griffin made a show of plucking a piece of cotton from the front of his t-shirt. ‘Yeah, well, that’s how it feels a lot of the time. Let’s face it, if you’re not bollocking me about something or other, you’re reminding me of every mess I’ve ever made.’
Ruby wasn’t enjoying being labelled as the joyless headmistress. ‘I’m sorry if that’s how you feel. If I bring up things from the past, it’s only because I want you to be your best. I promised your mum—’
‘Trust me, I am only too aware of what you promised,’ he interrupted, his face closing in. ‘The problem is I’m not a kid any more, Ruby, and it’s not your job to be my mother.’
With that, he turned and went after Jake, and Ruby watched him go with a mixture of exasperation and disquiet. Something had changed between them since that strange moment in the restaurant, and the ride back home in the taxi had been conducted in near silence. Griffin had seemed on edge and had excused himself and disappeared to his room as soon as they arrived at Paradise Inn. Later, standing onher balcony reflecting on the day’s events, Ruby had seen him walking towards the beach, guitar in hand. There had been no sign of Griffin at dinner time and listening with only half an ear to Jake’s animated account of his day out with Kenny, Ruby couldn’t stop her thoughts returning to that inexplicable moment in the harbour restaurant.
That morning, although Griffin had joined her and Jake for breakfast, he seemed distracted and had barely made eye contact. The sudden awkward tension between them was subtle but undeniable, and all at once Ruby felt herself in uncharted waters.
Leaving Griffin and Jake standing in the shallows skimming shells into the sea, Ruby sighed and went to find Mac.
‘Raise your chin higher,’ Mac ordered.
Pushing aside her musings about the ever-complicated Griffin, Ruby did as she was told, watching Mac’s brows furrow in concentration as his gaze flickered between her and the canvas.Why can’t everyone be as straightforward and uncomplicated as Mac?she thought wistfully.
‘You can take a break for a few minutes if you like,’ he offered, and only too happy to drop the pose, Ruby plopped herself down on to the grass. She leaned back on her elbows, stretching her legs out in front of her to ease the muscles still aching from the extensive walking of the previous day.
‘Mac, I don’t think you’ve ever told me how you first found out about Sorrel Island,’ she asked idly. ‘It’s hardly on the top ten list of holiday destinations.’
‘Hmm?’ Tilting his head to one side as he studied the canvas, Mac replied absently, ‘My wife’s best friend was the one who told us about the island. She was born here, but her parents emigrated to the States when she was a kid.’
Hearing nothing after the word ‘wife’, Ruby sat bolt upright, her mouth falling open in shock. Her stomach dropped like a boulder in freefall as she stared wordlessly at Mac.Wife?Ofcoursehe’s married, she groaned silently. But then, she thought in confusion, what were all the flirtatious, soulful looks for? Had the delicious tension between them just been something in her own head? Something she’d simply imagined? She could have kicked herself.Wake up, Ruby! The man is gorgeous!What the hell else did you expect?
‘I suppose I should say ex-wife really,’ Mac amended, turning his attention from the portrait to look directly at Ruby, who was close to combusting with frustration at his casual tone.So much for straightforward and uncomplicated!
‘What do you mean,suppose? You’re either married or you’re notandyou’ve never once mentioned that you’re married,’ Ruby snapped, aware of how accusatory she sounded. Admittedly, Mac didn’toweher any explanations, exactly, but given all the time they’d spent together, why had he held out on that onebloodycrucial detail?
Mac nodded as if he’d heard her unspoken question. ‘I guess I haven’t mentioned it because I’m not married. At least, not really. We’ve been separated for almost three years.’
‘But if it’s been that long, why aren’t you divorced?’
‘Because she’s still waiting on me to sign the divorce papers and I – well, I guess I’ve been trying to figure out if it’s really over.’
