Jack showed Katrina out, leaving Ava alone with Brooke.
The young girl threw her bag down and flopped onto the settee. ‘I love this view,’ she said, staring out of the picture window. ‘Where we live now, there are houses all around us. I mean, the property is nice, but it’s not… this.’
‘I know what you mean.’ Ava felt herself warming to Brooke. ‘It’s much better than my view in London, too.’
‘You live in London?’ Brooke sat forward. ‘What’s it like to be there all the time? I’ve been for a weekend at the most, and it was manic. I loved it for that, though. It was always so quiet here.’
‘London has its moments. Do you live close by now?’
‘Half an hour away. But I love coming here. I miss my dad.’
‘And I miss you, too.’ Jack rejoined them, mouthing sorry to Ava before sitting down next to his daughter. He put an arm around Brooke’s shoulders and pulled her near, kissing the top of her head. ‘The place is much tidier when you’re not here, though.’
Brooke nudged him playfully in the chest.
As father and daughter caught up, Ava almost felt like a spare part. A good one. It was so nice to see how well the two of them got on. It must have been hard for Jack when Brooke moved out.
‘I’d best be on my way,’ she remarked.
‘I’ll meet you at six, outside the café,’ Jack said. ‘Don’t have anything to eat beforehand.’
‘Okay!’
‘You’re coming to the lakeside event?’ Brooke grinned.
Ava nodded. ‘I’m told I shouldn’t miss it.’
‘It’s amazing, no matter what time of year it is. I’m glad you’re going together.’
‘Oh, no, we’re?—’
‘We’re just going as?—’
Brooke held up her hand and laughed. ‘Whatever.’
It was Jack’s turn to blush. Ava thought it was sweet. There was definitely something brewing between them. Andsomethingtold her it might be nice to have a holiday fling.
At the least.
‘She seems nice, Dad,’ Brooke said when Jack came back from seeing Ava out.
‘Yes, she is. She used to come to stay every summer when we were kids.’
‘Do I sense a holiday romance?’
Jack laughed. ‘It was cut a bit short. She and her parents would stay for six weeks. I grew to like her a bit more each year, and I think she did the same. But the last time she came, she was just sixteen and I was nearly eighteen and working so I didn’t see her much during the day. We got together on her last night.’
‘Ooh.’ Brooke’s eyes sparkled.
‘Not in that way,’ Jack insisted. ‘We kissed a bit and said we’d see each other the following summer, and she never showed up.’
‘Oh, Dad. She broke your heart!’ Brooke giggled and then frowned. ‘Why didn’t they come?’
‘Her dad died. I suppose there were too many memories for her mum.’
‘Ava could have visited, when she was older.’
‘She could. I could have tried to find her, too. But I guess we both put it down to teenage angst and got on with our lives.’
