‘Sorry, Jake. Not having a go at you, but I don’t know more than anyone else, OK?’

‘I sort of feel bad because I was the one who introduced you.’

‘It’s not your fault. None of it is your fault.’

Jake cleared his throat, glancing at her quickly before looking away. ‘Have you ever been in love?’

She turned to stare at him. It was pretty much the last thing she was expecting him to say. ‘Love?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I don’t know. Maybe.’

‘You’re not sure?’

‘I thought I was, once. How about you?’

‘Well—’

He stopped, watching as his mother strode across the lawn towards them, a linen tote bag over her shoulder.

‘There you are, Jake,’ Jennifer said. ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’

‘And?’

‘So, what are you two chattering about?’

‘Nothing.’

She smiled, but there was little warmth in it. ‘Looks like one of those deep and meaningful conversations to me.’

‘What, are you spying on us?’

‘We’re going down to the gorge, Jake. All four of us, your dad and me and your brother. Come on.’

‘No, I’ll see you later.’

‘You’re coming with us, Jake. I want us to go exploring together. Come on, it’ll be lovely.’

‘I’m not going. I’m talking to Lucy.’

‘Come on, they’re waiting.’ Her voice was brittle. ‘We’ve hardly done anything together since we’ve been here and I want to get a nice family photograph of the four of us.’

Mother and son stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Finally, Lucy stood up to break the impasse.

‘It’s OK, Jake, you go on. I was going to go in the pool for a bit anyway. Catch up later, yeah?’

Jake sighed and tossed his ice lolly stick into the bush. Reluctantly, he got to his feet.

‘Yeah, later.’

With one last look at Lucy, he turned and followed his mother out of the garden.

Chapter 42

42

I lay on a lounger watching the scene unfold on the far side of the garden.

Jennifer seemed determined to keep Lucy and Jake apart, or at least limit the amount of time they spent with each other – she couldn’t even stand to watch them sharing an ice cream. What was that about? Some kind of mother–son issue? Maybe she couldn’t stand to be replaced by another woman, couldn’t cope with not being the number-one female in his life any more? Was that even a thing? Would I be the same with Daniel in a few years’ time? No. Or perhaps just a little.