KAT’S VISIT TO Mollie had opened so many new avenues to explore with Ben, she could think of nothing else as she drove back to Jenny Brown’s Bay. How hard it must have been for him when his whole world had been in upheaval. He’d had to cope with the death of his mum without the support of his granddad, the person he was closest to in the whole world. Although Mollie had obviously tried with him, she’d had too much on her plate to deal with the little boy’s needs.
She’d seen it so many times before, the confusion children went through when the person or people they trusted weren’t there for them when they needed them most. And so often they dealt with their insecurity and loneliness by acting out or becoming withdrawn. With Ben it seemed to be both; he could swing from retreating into himself to being loud and angry. As was often the case, she’d found, many of these children considered any attention from a loved one to be better than no attention at all.
The Jacksons had been wrong to keep Ben away from his father; she was sure of that. It was selfish of them to want to keep him all to themselves; surely every child should have the opportunity to know both his or her parents, if it was possible. And it had been cruel to Luke, too, though she still thought he could have tried harder. If she’d been in his shoes she would have insisted on seeing her son. If Luke had been around when Carly was killed and when Jim’s health and business had begun to suffer so badly, maybe he could have helped Ben understand what was happening.
Pulling up outside Cove Cottages, she cut the engine and sat in her car for a few moments, still deep in thought. It never failed to surprise her just how cruel a place the world could be. Take the young couple from the boat, for instance. Could fate really have stamped so hard on their dreams?
No...
She put the thought out of her head, refusing to allow herself to get emotional about something that probably hadn’t even happened.
Ben needed her right now...and perhaps Luke did, too. There was something quite endearing about the way he was clumsily trying to form a bond with his son. She had to talk to him about the Jacksons’ problems; he didn’t have a clue what was going on with them. In fact, he’d been quite arrogant in his insistence that he was the only one who understood Ben’s situation. It was about time that he faced up to his mistake in not fighting to be in his son’s life, but she wasn’t sure he could do that unless he had the full picture. Then maybe he would agree with her that Ben needed love, not discipline.
The sun sank lower in the sky, drifting down to meet the shimmering crimson sea. As Kat climbed out her car, she felt as if she was coming home. She’d try to speak to Luke tonight, she decided. He might not like the fact that she’d interfered and gone to visit Mollie without telling him, especially after their moment of closeness...and that kiss. That was his problem, though; this was about what was best for Ben, not Luke.
She got back in her car and turned it around, driving through the village toward Flight. With a vague feeling of foreboding, she pulled into the drive, more certain than ever that she had to talk to Luke as soon as possible.
The hallway was empty, and her shoes made a staccato sound on the gleaming wood. She looked around uneasily. The whole building seemed unusually still and silent. Normally, keeping down the noise of chattering children was the problem.
The sound of a television floated out from the main sitting room as she headed down the corridor, and she peered around the door to see several children watching a film. They all sat transfixed and she quietly withdrew, pleased to see Ben there. He was at the back of the room and sitting by himself, but he was obviously enjoying what appeared to be a Harry Potter film. He might still be a solitary little chap, but at least he was settling in.
Kat felt like taking him in her arms and telling him she understood what he was going through, but she knew that wasn’t the answer. She needed to draw him out carefully and make him want to confide in her. That was what Luke needed to do with Ben, too. She hoped he’d understand how careful he had to be in his approach.
Gwen called out a hello from the laundry room as Kat passed and came bustling out with an armful of linens. “What are you doing here so late in the day?” she asked.
“I’m just looking for Luke,” Kat said. “Have you seen him?”
Gwen smiled, rolling her eyes. “Looking for Luke, eh? Now, there’s a surprise. I didn’t think you two got on so well.”
“We don’t really,” Kat replied quickly. “It’s just business.”
“Ah, business—so that’s what they’re calling it now.”
Kat’s mouth dropped open and heat crept into her cheeks. Gwen laughed. “Only kidding... I think he’s in his apartment.”
Luke answered her knock right away. His hair was damp, dark and curly from the shower and his face glowed.
“You should have told me you were coming,” he said, awkwardly wrapping his robe more tightly around himself. “Is it important?”
“I think so,” she responded, hovering impatiently in the doorway.
He stood back, holding the door wide. “I guess you’d better come in.”
She hesitated. “This is bad timing, isn’t it? Seems like you’re about to go out.”
“I was meeting a friend in the pub, but I can cancel. Is this about, you know...earlier?”
“No, no. I just wanted to talk to you about Ben.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “What’s he been up to now?”
“Nothing. I... Look, how about we meet up at mine tomorrow after work... Sevenish okay for you?”
“It’s a date,” he agreed. “I mean...well, not actually a date, but...”
Kat smiled. “I know what you mean. I’ll make us something to eat—just a snack, nothing special.”
He took a step toward her. “That would be nice. And, Kat, about this afternoon...you know, when you were upset and...”
Heat rushed into her face and she looked away, remembering the feel of his body against hers and suddenly longing for him to hold her again. “What about it?”
“Ben saw us.”
“What? You mean...?”
“Yes, and he said you were his friend, not mine. He did also say he supposed I could be friends with him, too, but he seems to think I might steal your affections away from him.”
“Poor Ben,” murmured Kat. “He’s so confused.”
She almost told him then, about talking to Mollie, but she hesitated, unsure. It wasn’t a conversation to rush—it would wait until tomorrow.
“Confused...in what way?” Luke asked, frowning.
She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to walk into his arms, rest her cheek on his shoulder and tell him all the things that were circling inside her head: her confusion about her feelings for him, Jim Jackson’s dementia and how difficult all the repercussions had been for Ben to deal with, her excitement about April and the chickens. “See you at seven,” she said, turning away to avoid the temptation.
“Kat...”
She looked back, excitement fluttering inside her like a trapped bird. “Yes?”
“See you tomorrow,” he said and closed the door.