28

“Mom, there’s no point in getting upset by this,” Fiona said for the third time. They were outside by the pool, enjoying the last day of July. It was almost too hot. A breeze would have been pleasant.

“I’m just saying, it’s not right. Remy is my husband. But do I have access to his apartment?” Dinah snorted. “Isabella has no business being there. No doubt she’s moved in with him.”

“Not at all, Mom. Isabella has a key and is making sure Dad gets food from the restaurant kitchen, but she’s not spending the night there.”

“That’s what you think. What do you know about men? You’ve never even had a boyfriend.”

Fiona tipped the sunscreen into her bag. “You don’t know that, Mom. Maybe I met someone.”

“When are you supposed to have time for that? You’re working. And we both live and eat together.” Dinah took off her sunglasses and looked quizzically at her daughter.

“I met a cool guy when you were squirming in the cold plunge pool earlier this week.” Fiona looked mysterious while putting on a sundress.

“You did what? Tell me!” Dinah sat up, appalled.

Fiona giggled. “No way. Some things are best kept secret. Besides, I don’t know him.”

“That’s even worse. Do we need to revise the story about the birds and the bees? It’s been a few years…”

“Mom, stop it.” Fiona turned a vivid scarlet and quickly slipped into her flip-flops.

“Where are you going? Are you meeting him now?” Dinah started getting her clothes out in a hurry.

“Calm down. I’m just going to check on Isabella and Celine. There’s a wedding here today. They may need help with the last preparations.”

“It’s Saturday, and you’re off. Isabella is in full control. Apparently, she always is.”

“Enjoy the sun a while longer. There’s a cloud over there. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes for lunch,” Fiona said.

Dinah settled back on the sunbed again. Getting another few minutes in the sun was nice. She watched her daughter disappear up to the hotel entrance. How grown up Fiona was. Dinah wasn’t keen on her dating a boyfriend in Solvik. That would mean frequent visits to her father. It would be much better if she met a suitable young man in Oslo. That way, she’d be close to home and easy to keep an eye on.

Unless they moved here. That thought had popped into her mind several times throughout the summer, an idea she wasn’t against. It should be possible to find a big house in Solvik, even if she’d seen very few. The center consisted of smaller houses. There might be a better selection outside the town. There were farms and pastures there, so it couldn’t be a popular place to live. Livestock, horse manure, and reek. Not exactly what one wanted to wake up to in the morning.

She was no longer sure about Remy. It seemed like he’d made up his mind. Especially after he’d caught her red-handed. That was indeed unfortunate. She’d never in her wildest dreams considered the risk of getting caught. Her plan had seemed watertight. She had no idea how he’d been able to find out.

Remy didn’t regret the separation, and he had no intention of moving back to her. It was obvious, from the way he was acting around the flower girl. She cursed the day they moved into the hotel. If she hadn’t been so adamant about getting Fiona a summer job at Remy’s place of work, he probably wouldn’t have met Isabella. But it was easy to look back in hindsight.

It seemed there was no way back. She refused to stand outside his apartment window, yelling at him. It would be degrading, and she wasn’t that pathetic. Perhaps she should spend some time with Bob. He’d called her a few days ago and told her about Isabella’s stunt. All he’d wanted was to talk to his ex and sort things out. He had neither threatened nor touched Isabella. Nevertheless, she’d had him locked up. So, they certainly had an enemy in common.

She might solve everything by continuing to work with Bob. He’d ignore the fact that she owed him money then, wouldn’t he? She hadn’t had time to discuss the pressing issue further with Remy, as he’d been at the hospital for days. And she’d rather not bring it up again if she could find another solution. It was impossible to know how much his heart could take.

***

“You’re clever,” Isabella said and looked at the conference room that had been turned into an elegant wedding venue.

“It’s fun working with weddings,” Celine said. “Look at the beautiful arrangements you’ve made. I’ve taken loads of photos already. I thought about collecting them for future use.”

“What a brilliant idea. We can make a wedding catalog where future couples can get inspiration. I have some photos from before but have never organized them. It’s different now I have my own shop.”

“I know what you mean,” Celine said. “I’ve photographed the venue from all angles. That’ll give an impression of what a wedding may look like. I did the same in the church.”

“How lovely!” Fiona burst out. She took a moment to absorb every detail, as if it was her wedding.

“Right?” Isabella went over to her. “You’ve also been a part of this.”

“It’s something else to see it all come together. And the church was amazing.”

“Thank you,” Celine said shyly, but with a happy smile.

“What are you up to today?” Isabella asked.

“Oh, you know. Sunbathing and swimming. How is Dad doing?” Fiona grinned. “It appears you’re the one to ask.”

A blush ran over Isabella’s cheeks. “Well, I think you should get a key to his apartment. He’s just afraid Dinah will get her hands on it.”

“That might easily happen. It’s better to let Dad decide.”

“You can borrow mine. Just let me know.”

“No, Dad is in good hands. I’m not worried.”

Isabella was glad to have gained her confidence. “Remy is insisting on going back to work on Monday. He’s not allowed to work yet but wants to keep up to date.”

“That soon?” Fiona looked skeptical. “He ought to rest a while longer. This is typical of Dad. He always needs something to do.”

“Yes, he’s as stubborn as a mule,” Isabella said. “I’m done here now. Just picking up lunch for the patient and off I go.”

“And I’ll go get Mom for lunch.”

***

Remy had been disheartened all weekend and didn’t get how Isabella could stand him. The doctor had assured him it was normal to feel blue after a heart attack, but he didn’t like it one bit. He’d been full of optimism and worked hard all his life. Now he was listless and tired and lacked energy. The whole weekend had passed by without him being able to be out on the boat. The weather had been delightful, and the sea was calling him. But Isabella wouldn’t listen. He had to rest, she’d said, more decisive than usual. She’d placed him on the uncomfortable patio chair in the garden. That hadn’t made things better.

His thoughts had wandered to the expensive patio furniture on his property in Oslo. Would he ever get to use it again? It felt like he’d left everything he owned, but still hadn’t gained the freedom he craved. Dinah had followed him, uninvited. She was seeking him out several times a day. He’d seen more of her in Solvik than he did at home. And now she was standing here again, in the middle of his office.

“Uh, about the money for Bob...” She gave him an awkward smile. “He insists on getting paid now.”

Remy sensed his heart starting to beat faster and contemplated taking another blood pressure tablet.

“Dinah, this is my first day at work after the surgery. I’m not even supposed to be working yet. And here you are, nagging about Bob demanding money. Do you realize it was during the phone call with Bob that I had the heart attack?”

Dinah’s sun-kissed face turned slightly paler. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“I’ll take care of Bob, I said. Go now, and leave me alone.” He rubbed his jaw.

But Dinah had more on her mind. “Fiona has gotten herself a boyfriend. Can you get some information out of her? She’s so secretive.” With this upsetting news, she closed the door behind her.

Boyfriend? How had she had time for that? There were barely any breaks between work, meals, pool, and spa. And Fiona had been on boat trips on weekends. Not every weekend, but most of them. Did he have to worry about a boyfriend now as well?

He started to reconsider whether he was ready for daily life again. Life on the sofa had to be better than this. With his arms wrapped around Isabella, everything looked brighter. They’d been chatting all weekend. She still had her doubts about him being ready for more. She thought he had enough issues to deal with. And she didn’t want to be a substitute. He’d assured her that she was far from it. His feelings for her were real.

He’d never felt so much for another woman before. Isabella wasn’t convinced and claimed he needed more time. Maybe she was the one who needed more time? What if she wasn’t over Bob? No, that was ridiculous. She felt nothing but contempt for her ex-boyfriend. Threats and violence didn’t bring forth loving feelings. And this was the man he’d have to call to fix Dinah’s problems.

He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation but hoped it went better than last time. He reached for his phone to get it over with.

It rang for a long time. He guessed Bob was working, like everyone else. What did he do for a living? Something with sales. Sales manager at a medium-sized company. Wasn’t that what Isabella had told him? Bob fit that kind of job. He was a smooth guy who could talk himself out of any situation. Outgoing and smiling, making women fall for him like flies, buying everything he offered. Bob could easily have sold sand in the desert.

He was about to hang up when he heard a click on the phone.

“Bob Andersen.” His voice was more cheerful than an ad for chocolate.

“Remy Andvik.”

“Ah, the chef. What can I do for you?”

Remy could control his temper but didn’t know how long he could stand the twaddle. “Dinah says you’re demanding money.”

“That’s between her and me. Nothing you need to interfere with.”

“Are you aware that I can report you to the police? Your boycott of the restaurant and the way you’ve been operating will put you in a bad light. Especially since you’ve had a recent visit to the police station,” Remy said.

“I’ve never admitted anything at all. But a deal is a deal, although it’s not in writing. And maybe it’s an advantage that it isn’t. No one can prove that I did anything to sabotage your restaurant.” Bob laughed smugly.

The man could speak for himself, he’d give him that. Remy wouldn’t get far if he reported him, but he didn’t have much else to threaten with. He couldn’t report him for having caused his heart attack. He decided to make a last attempt.

“You won’t get any money from Dinah. It’s out of the question. I’m the one in charge of her purse.” He’d given Dinah free rein, but he’d been stricter after he moved out. Obviously not strict enough, but now she could no longer spend unlimited amounts. Not before she got herself a job and could waste her own paycheck. The compliant days were over. He’d learned.

“Have a nice day, Mr. Kitchen Manager.”

Remy wasn’t surprised. As expected, Bob hadn’t admitted anything. Nobody knew if he intended to take further action. But there was no point in worrying about this. He’d lots of other things on his mind.

First, he had to make a plan for his work going forward. Second, he needed to start exercising. Was it really not enough that he spent most of his days standing and walking in the kitchen? How many miles was that a day?

Last, but not least, he would have to change his diet. How was a chef supposed to do that? He had to taste everything that was served. Fatty sauces and creams, everything that was good. He didn’t run a low-calorie restaurant. He viewed cooking as therapy. And that was exactly what he needed now, to get back to his interesting job.