Returning to face me, he said, ‘If it’s true, you must have gone through hell.’
‘It was true, but I don’t any longer. Quin “cured” me.’
Something flickered across his face. ‘That’s good. Great.’
‘Can I ask you something? The morning when Kallie needed Plan B. You know, the morning-af–’
‘I know what it is. And you’re going to ask if it was a set-up by Kallie? My answer is, I don’t know. We … had … the night before, we’d – But I hadn’t known there was an accident.’ Obviously ill at ease, he looked away. ‘Sorta thing you’d think I might have noticed. Only found out when I got home that evening.’
‘Would Kallie make it up?’
‘Maaaaybe.’ He seemed somewhat entertained by this, if his small smile was anything to go by. ‘She’s … sort of … she’s determined. Kallie wants what Kallie wants, you know? And she wanted to meet you.’
Abruptly, he stopped. ‘I mean no disrespect to Kallie. She and I … I’m a different man now, my relationships are gonna be different to the one you and I had. Kallie suits me. We work.’
‘I didn’t say anything.’
‘Yeah. But. Okay, sorry.’ Making an effort to change his tone, he asked, ‘Is Quin back?’
‘No, he gets in on Saturday morning, about five a.m.’
‘Ouch.’
‘Yep. Saturday’s my stepson’s birthday, he’s going to be thirteen. We’re making a big deal of him becoming a teenager. My in-laws are throwing him a little party. Nothing huge, just family.’
Finley wasn’t my stepson. Vivi and Roly weren’t my in-laws, I wasn’t part of their family. But I wanted to wound Luke. I actually believed him about Mia, but his defence of Kallie, his admiration for her maybe-lie hurt. He’d let me get away with nothing when we’d been together.
‘On Saturday evening,’ I went on, ‘we’re going to Barcelona. Just Quin and me.’
‘Well … nice one. Barcelona, Texas, right?’
‘Haha. Yeah. For our anniversary. So when is Kallie …？ Is she coming back to Ireland?’
‘No.’
She’d left without saying goodbye. Not even a text. Unexpectedly, it hurt.
‘Money,’ he said. ‘Or the lack of it, I should say. She’s trying so hard to make a go of her music that she’s had to drop most of her CPA work. Another flight here would be just too much.’
Well, that explained why she’d given the Zara credit note to Kate. I still didn’t approve, but at least I understood.
‘Anyway, I’m going home to her some time in the next week.’
That also hurt.
But what had I expected? That Luke and Kallie would never leave and, along with Quin, we’d go round in a tight-knit foursome, visiting middle-of-the-road restaurants, gorging on boiled potatoes and over-buttered carrots?
‘You’ve found a carer your dad likes?’ I asked.
Luke shook his head. ‘Never gonna happen. But Dad’s got two other sons, a daughter and four adult grandchildren in Ireland – there are enough of them to look after him. My life is in Denver, I’ve a partner there, a business.’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t have to stay here and I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving.’
Something in his tone suddenly reminded me of the terrible morning he’d left.
It was late January, dark and freezing. I’d woken abruptly, alone in bed. My phone said it was 3.43 a.m. Outside the bedroom were furtive, shuffling sounds. Fuelled by an adrenaline spike, I shot across the room, yanked open the door and found Joey and Luke in the hallway, looking stressed and sweaty.
‘I’ll take this –’ Joey was picking up a box – then he noticed me.
Luke whipped around at the same time I saw that the sealed boxes, accumulated in the living room over the last day, had disappeared. Did that mean …？ They’d already been moved to some sort of car or van?
‘You were trying to sneak out?’ I couldn’t believe he’d do something so cruel. ‘Without saying anything?’
‘Typical,’ Luke said. ‘That today of all days you’re not comatose.’
Joey muttered, ‘I’ll wait in the van.’ And off he scarpered, hefting the final box.
A jingling sound made my nerves flare – Luke’s wedding ring. He’d taken it off and discarded it on the hall table. With the clatter of dropped metal, he said, ‘And here are my keys.’