‘And yes, our dog! And she’s not stupid!’
In apparent exasperation, Lyle lifted his arms and let them flop to his sides. ‘Okay, sorry for mentioning Archie. But you’re going to let a thirteen-year-old girl and a bloody dog make decisions about the rest of your life, are you?’
It shocked her that he was so easily dismissing Grace in all of this. ‘I have to consider Grace’s feelings, of course, I do. She is my number one priority, and she always will be.’
As if a veil had dropped, his eyes filled with a bitterness she had never encountered before. ‘That’s it, is it? As soon as a man gets serious about you, you run away. Couldn’t have a man in your life thirteen years ago, and can’t do it now, either. You’re just too scared to let someone else into your little party of two.’ His tone was mocking. ‘Using your child as an excuse is pretty pathetic. You’re just being a coward.’
Her nostrils flared and the simmer of anger became a boil. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Have you heard yourself and how childish you’re being?’
He pointed to his chest. ‘I’m being childish, am I? Yet here you are playing it safe because your daughter doesn’t like the idea of a few changes.’ His use of a namby-pamby voice angered Caitlin to the point where, if she’d been a violent woman, she would’ve slapped his face.
She inhaled and exhaled roughly, infuriated, her stomach knotting with a tumult of emotions, none of them positive. ‘A few changes? You’re calling moving thousands of miles away from home a few changes?’ She gave a humourless laugh. ‘I’m sorry, but you’re being completely delusional.’
He scoffed. ‘I’m delusional? You’re the one telling me Grace is your number one priority when she doesn’t even know who her father is! If ever she needs a transfusion or an organ transplant and you’re not compatible, that poor kid will have to look elsewhere. How is that prioritising her? She’s so much of a priority that she’ll never be able to find out who her father is because of your selfishness! She needs a father, Caitlin. All children do!’ he snapped.
Caitlin clenched her teeth. ‘This,’ she waved her finger back and forth in the space between them, ‘us, it’s over, Lyle, and I think it’s time we left.’ She walked to the door the girls had gone through. ‘Grace!’ she shouted. ‘Come on, sweetheart, time to go!’
The atmosphere was thick with rage and bitterness when Grace appeared in the doorway. Her cheeks were wet with tears and her eyes rimmed with red. ‘Mum? W-what’s happening?’
With a deep inhale, Caitlin forced a smile and replied, ‘Nothing, sweetie. We’re just leaving, that’s all.’
Cora arrived alongside Grace. ‘Dad, if Grace doesn’t want to go to Canada, can we just stay here instead? They could move into this house, or we could move to the bakery house,’ she said with wide-eyed hope and a trembling chin. Caitlin’s heart went out to the poor girl caught in the middle of everything.
Lyle sighed roughly through his nose. ‘I’m afraid the wheels are already in motion, darling. We’re going, with or without Caitlin and Grace.’
Cora’s eyes spilled over with tears. ‘But… I don’t want to go if Grace isn’t going, and she says she doesn’t want to move all those miles away from Skye.’
Lyle spun to glare at his daughter. ‘The decision is made, Cora. Unless you want to go and live with your mum and live off bloody spinach and turmeric smoothies!’ he bellowed and Cora ran off, sobbing. Lyle turned his focus to Caitlin once again. ‘See what you’ve done? I tried to do something special, and you’ve ruined it!’
Caitlin pulled Grace into her side and fought to calm the storm raging inside of her. ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, Lyle. Right now, I think you should go and hug your daughter. You’ve just completely ruined her thirteenth birthday. I sincerely hope things work out for you. Good luck in Canada,’ she said, in a clipped tone before turning and leaving the house, gripping on to her daughter’s hand.
Once in the car and on their way back to Glentorrin, Grace sniffed and turned in her seat to face Caitlin. In the dim evening and the reflections of the dashboard lights, Caitlin could see tears leaving glistening trails down her daughter’s cheeks as the young girl said, ‘I’m so sorry, Mum. I don’t want to ruin your life. I just don’t want to move to a whole other country. Not even with Cora. Are you angry with me? If… if you want to go, then I understand. I’ll go…’ Her voice wobbled with emotion and Caitlin had to swallow down her own as she was driving.
She reached over and took her daughter’s hand. ‘I’m absolutely not angry with you, sweetheart. Just the opposite. I’m actually glad you don’t want to go because I don’t either.’
Grace’s eyes brightened. ‘Really? So, you’re not upset?’
Caitlin smiled. ‘Not at all. Well… not with you. I’m very upset with Lyle, to be honest. And I’m sorry, love, but there won’t be a wedding or a moving in together day. In fact, after tonight, and some of the things that were said, I’m afraid there won’t be a relationship between me and Lyle any more. I’m so sorry. I know how you and Cora hoped we’d all be a family. But it just won’t work, sweetheart.’ She gave a sad smile.
Grace shook her head. ‘Don’t be sorry. I don’t like Mr Budge any more either. I heard what he said to you about me not knowing who my dad is and about you being selfish. That was really nasty of him. And he’s wrong, you’re not selfish at all. You’ve always put me first, so I don’t need anyone else, just you, and no matter what he says, I don’t need a dad because I think you’re a brilliant mum. And I should know, shouldn’t I?’
Caitlin’s lip quivered and her eyes began to water. ‘Oh, sweetheart. I love you so much.’
‘I love you too.’ Grace squeezed her hand. ‘But I’m going to miss Cora. I might never see her again, Mum, and that hurts so much. He wasgallussaying you were selfish when he’s the one taking away my best friend.’ Grace’s eyes gave up more tears and she sobbed silently as she clung to her mum’s hand.
17
Back at home, Caitlin had finally managed to calm Grace down. Once she was exhausted from sobbing, her daughter had eventually given in to sleep. It hurt desperately to see her only child so heartbroken at the prospect of her best friend moving thousands of miles away, and this was further compounded by the knowledge that there was nothing she could do to take the pain away. Lyle’s mind was made up and neither she nor Grace wanted to move across the Atlantic. Their home was Skye, particularly Glentorrin. Their roots were here, Cleo was here, plus their friends who were more like family. And add to that the few glimpses Caitlin had seen of therealLyle Budge and there was already a recipe for failure. She knew she had made the right decision, even if Grace was hurting. Time would heal… she hoped.
Cleo was a sensitive, wee soul. She curled up on the bed beside Grace as close as she could possibly get. Caitlin stroked the dog’s fur, kissed Grace’s forehead, and switched off the bedroom light, then made her way back to the kitchen, opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and poured herself a large glass.
She was on her way back to the lounge to decompress from the day’s events when there was a knock on the door. It was nine o’clock at night, so she hurriedly went to answer it, fearing the worst – that Lyle had followed her in his angry state. But instead, on her doorstep, stood a pale-faced, drawn and ashen-looking Archie.
She gasped. ‘Whatever’s the matter, Archie?’Oh God,thought Caitlin,don’t tell me Lyle has paid him a visit.He appeared to be on the verge of passing out, so she reached out to grab his arm. ‘Come in, please. Come on before you fall down.’
He frowned and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry to bother you so late… I had no idea who else to go to… You seemed like the most logical person,’ he informed her as he followed her inside.
She wasn’t sure why he had come to that conclusion – unless it was something to do with her recently dumped ex – but she certainly didn’t mind that he had. ‘You look like you need a stiff drink. Can I get you one?’ she asked as worry niggled at her. She’d never seen him like this before. Not even when his uncle had died and he discovered he had inherited the outdoor shop and campsite.
