“Is it that man?”

“What man?” Annie asked. A picture of John Granger bloomed behind her eyes and she shook it away quickly.

“The man whose house you spent the night at the other week.”

Jeez! she thought. Paul!

“No,” Annie replied. “It isn’t him, it isn’t anyone. Or at least if it is someone else, it’s Ellie and the long list of women who went before her.”

Max looked stung, but Annie found herself untouched.

“Please, Max,” she went on. “Save us both a lot of pain and give it up now. We made two great kids, we built a great business, and now it’s over. I’m going to file for a divorce.”

“I’ll never agree to one,” said Max, dashing the tears from his eyes.

“I’m going to file for one anyway. And if you don’t get me access to my bank accounts ASAP, I’ll be speaking to my solicitor about that too. I might even have a case for suing you.”

Max stood up. Annie stayed where she was. He picked up the boom box, and Annie watched him walk dejectedly to his car. He slammed the door shut and revved the engine too loudly before pulling away, the shingle jumping beneath his wheels.

Chapter 48

It’ll be such a shame if this place gets flattened,” Gemma lamented. “I love our book club evenings and having a café down here. And, Annie, this is your business and your home, you can’t want to see it bulldozed!”

They were supposed to be discussing “The Mezzotint” by M. R. James. Annie had purposely not switched on the lamps for this, their Halloween book club, so that the room was lit only by candlelight. Their figures, huddled around the table, cast long shadows on the walls. The wind whistled through the shuttered windows and caused the candles to flicker. M. R. James was the last of their short stories to be discussed, although keeping the book club on track was like trying to race ants. As usual, the fate of Saltwater Nook and John’s part in its demise was a hot topic.

“No,” said Annie. “I certainly don’t. I mean, he’s not my favorite person and obviously I don’t agree with his plans. But I have to grudgingly admit that I think John’s intentions are well meant, if a little skewed.”

“Blimey,” said Sally.

“Well, that’s a turn up,” added Maeve.

Gemma clutched her heart and said: “You know what this would be like, don’t you? It would be like in You’ve Got Mail, when Tom Hanks’s character puts Meg Ryan’s character out of business but they fall in love anyway!”

“It would be nothing at all like that,” said Annie.

“But you’re warming to him,” observed Maeve.

“I will admit that he might not be quite as bad as I first thought,” Annie said.

Gemma clapped her hands.