It had made her question whether she’d been right to delay the conversation about the way she was feeling. At some point she needed to be honest with her family, and also tell them that things needed to change. They weren’t mind readers. If they were, then they wouldn’t still be texting her expecting her to sort out all their trivial problems. But the moment she did that any chance of having breathing space would be over and she badly wanted some time to herself. She deserved this!

So she’d ignored Sean’s message, and the two from Caitlin asking about laundry.

Not one of them had asked how she was.

What would she have said?

I’m worried I might be on the verge of a breakdown, and by the way I had to call the police because there was an intruder in my kitchen but don’t worry about any of it. I’ll handle it myself because that’s what I always do.

Pushing thoughts of her family out of her head, she followed Finn Cool through to a large airy kitchen.

“This is perfect.” Although if she tried to cook here she’d burn everything because she’d be looking at the ocean views. “I feel terrible about what happened. I never should have called the police.”

“You were right to call them. Particularly after what happened with your mother.” He put the bag on the countertop. “No harm done. I had to sign a few autographs and smile for a few selfies, that’s all. I’ve dealt with worse.”

“I had no idea you knew my mother.”

“She’s a very discreet woman is Kathleen. Also a total badass.” He pulled a couple of plates out of one of the cupboards. “We’ve been friends for a while. If I was a few years older I’d marry her and believe me that’s a compliment because I’m not the marrying type.”

She wasn’t one to read gossipy newspapers or magazines, but even she knew he had an active and interesting social life. Which made it all the more bizarre that he was friends with her eighty-year-old mother.

“I can’t believe she asked you to feed her cat.” Only her mother would ask a celebrity to walk round to her house and open cat food.

“Popeye and I are best friends. He often visits.”

“You know Popeye?”

He grinned. “There aren’t many one-eyed, three-legged cats around here. I consider him an example of resilience at its finest. Nothing stops him exploring, not even my dogs. Popeye is boss of the world.” As he said the words there was a cacophony of barking, a blur of tan and black and three large German shepherd dogs streaked up from the bottom of the garden to the house.