Nathan’s timing was as inconvenient as ever and he was ringing the doorbell as Grace was changing into her work clothes. She heard Jake let him in and the two of them fell into an easy banter. She wondered what reception she’d get from Nathan and whether he would still be annoyed about her rejecting his advances the night before. She hoped that they could put it behind them and at least maintain a degree of civility, if only for Jake’s sake; although knowing Nathan she didn’t hold up much hope for that.

Grace walked into the kitchen to find Nathan helping himself to some toast and coffee. He was dressed in a suit again and she marvelled at how fresh he looked given the state he’d been in the previous night. How typical of him that he’d been there less than ten minutes and was already making himself at home.

‘Grace!’ he said with a smile on his face. ‘You look lovely today.’

‘Thanks,’ she replied, not buying his nice-guy act for even a second. ‘You look very smart. Off anywhere interesting?’

‘Just some business to sort out. I’m taking Jake to The Blue Rooms. Got to show the boy the ropes, haven’t I?’

‘Sharon McNulty’s place?’ Grace asked.

‘No, my place,’ he snapped. ‘In all but name anyway. I’ve ran it since Tommy died, haven’t I? Besides, I’m buying it off her. I’m just waiting on my solicitor to draw up the paperwork and then it will all be official.’

Jake looked up at him with pure admiration in his eyes, and she had to physically stop herself from shaking some sense into him. She tried to appear indifferent in front of her son, but her stomach was churning. Jake would be off to university in a few months and then he’d be far away from his father’s grasp, but knowing Nathan, a lot of damage could be done during that time. There was no way Grace was going to allow Jake to get sucked into his father’s nefarious dealings.

Jake’s chair scraped across the kitchen floor as he stood up, interrupting Grace’s train of thought. ‘I’ll go and get ready, Dad. Be back down in a bit.’

And then there was just the two of them. Nathan’s presence in the room was, as ever, pervasive and suffocating. Every fibre of her being was aware of him and on edge. The incident from the previous night remained unmentioned, and she wondered how his anger might manifest itself.