The Divorce Club (20 page)

I turn to face him, feeling guilty for my
ludicrous insinuations. "I thought I heard something." My words
blurt out as my cheeks start to burn.

"Maybe it was a scavenger. The woods are
nearby," Jamie says.

"Yes. I didn't think of that." Eager to turn
away from him, I hurry to tuck in my daughter.

"You know Jamie was just kidding about all
that vampire stuff, right?" Sam asks. "This is France, not
Transylvania."

I let out a weak laugh. "You're right,
sweetie. Sleep well."

"Yeah, I thought your first reaction would be
to grab a stake and race to the kitchen for some garlic." Jamie
places his hand on my shoulder as I turn to leave. "Are you all
right?"

"Obviously not if you and Sam think I'm
looking for Graf Dracula." I walk into the hallway. He follows me
after switching off the light and saying goodnight to Sam.

"We were kidding, Sarah. Seriously, are you
okay?"

It's the umpteenth time he's asked this
question. If he keeps repeating it I swear I'll blurt out
everything because I can't keep it in much longer. "Yep." I smile
even though he can't see me. "Just a bit shaken. I'm not a
wilderness girl. I wasn't born with Steve Irwin DNA."

Jamie snorts. "This isn't the Amazon jungle.
The closest thing we have out here is Pierre, the postman, who we
swear is a Chimpanzee because of his big ears. The village is just
a few miles away. The only predator you'll find nearby is a fox."
He puts a hand to his chin. "Wait, no. I'd better not even mention
the scariest one of them all. You'll never get back to sleep."

My heartbeat speeds up again. "What else is
out there?"

He shakes his head. "You don't want to
know."

"Yes, I do. Tell me."

"All right." Jamie pauses for effect. "I'll
tell you, but only because you asked and I don't think there should
be any secrets between us. There's this fuzzy fella called a
bumblebee."

"Seriously?"

"You better
bee
-lieve it." His words
have the desired effect. I feel the strain taken off my shoulders.
His handgrip tightens as he inches closer, pressing his lips
against my temple. For a moment, I forget to breathe as he
whispers, "If you hear anything else, call me first before you
venture back into Blade Trinity."

I laugh.

"Good night, Sarah," Jamie says.

"Good night," I whisper. The door clicks shut
and I return to my room alone.

Pulling the covers around me, I find any
traces of tiredness gone, so I spend the rest of the night
assessing my behavior. Maybe Jamie was right when he said I turned
into a woman that hates the entire male population. Or why else
would I keep searching for ways to nourish my distrust in him?

I don't know when I fall asleep, but the next
thing I know is someone knocking on the door. Rubbing my throbbing
temples, I sit up and say, "Come in."

"Breakfast's ready." Jamie's head pops in and
disappears just as quickly.

I slip on my clothes and give my teeth a
quick brush, then join him in the kitchen. Jamie's busy at the
stove, frying eggs and bacon. Sam's sitting at the table already,
sipping a huge glass of orange juice. She shoots me a rare smile as
she pushes her half-full glass toward me.

"Thanks, sweetie," I whisper.

"Did you hear any more strange sounds?" Jamie
asks as he places full plates of steaming bacon and eggs in front
of us, then sits down. The aroma makes my stomach grumble.

"Thanks," I say. "You didn't have to go
through all this trouble. We would've been happy with
doughnuts."

"Oh, please. You are my guests in my home.
Nothing but the best."

I watch Jamie take a bite first, before I
give it a try. The bacon's crispy but not burnt. It tastes even
better than it looks. "No more sounds," I say, chewing.

"There were faint tracks outside the door. It
was probably a fox in search of food. You must've scared her with
all the noise you made." Jamie cocks an eyebrow.

I shrug. "Yeah, well, after living in London
for sixteen years you can't blame me for jumping at the sound of a
break-in."

"That's what you thought? That someone was
about to rob us in the middle of nowhere? The only thing around
here that resembles a masked bandit is a raccoon." Jamie laughs and
Sam joins in. They're making fun of me. Even though I'd like to set
things straight that it wasn't what I thought, I let them believe
what they want because the truth is much more shocking.

"Just drop it." I slap their arms
playfully.

"What do you say to a morning walk to help
you become acquainted with nature?" Jamie asks. "You know the stuff
that grows outside walls?"

"Trekking through the forest in a pair of
muddy boots on a rainy day sounds like my kind of fun." I wink at
Sam. "Let's do it."

"Mum grew up in a village," Sam says. "We
used to visit all the time when I was a child."

I smile because she's still a child to me.
"That's right. We haven't been in years."

"What happened?" Jamie inches closer, truly
listening. His interest in such mundane things never fails to amaze
me.

"My parents and Greg didn't get along, so I
guess we just stopped going." I shrug as though it's not important,
but it is. Greg's selfishness and inability to compromise robbed my
daughter of a variety of experiences.

"I'm sorry to hear," Jamie says. "My favorite
memories are being outside in the sunshine, chasing dragonflies by
the pond in our backyard and dangling across the river on a rope
swing. It was a blast, but nothing was funnier than making mud pies
the size of basketballs." He laughs and shakes his head. "When we
came home, we were filthy from head to toe. I don't think my mum
could tell the difference between us and the mud balls. You
wouldn't want to see her face."

I nod, trying to imagine him as a little boy.
"Those are beautiful memories, but who's 'we'?"

"My—" He stops himself before he elaborates.
"It doesn't matter. Can't wait to go for a walk. What about
you?"

We finish breakfast and retreat to our rooms,
leaving the dishes in the sink because Jamie says he'll take care
of them later. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours
I'm wondering how Chloe could let a man like Jamie go. Then I
realize sometimes people don't appreciate what they have until it's
gone.

I change into a pair of baggy jeans and
sweatshirt, slip on my coat and wait for the others in the hall.
Sam arrives first followed by Jamie who looks her up and down with
a smile.

"Pas question!" Jamie says.

"What?" I ask.

"It means, no way." I laugh as he walks over
and points at Sam's kitten heels. "Aren't you the fashionista?"

I wink at her. "We city girls have the right
perspective of the great outdoors, huh?"

"I just hope she has ninja reflexes or else
it might be flat down into the mud. Let's just pray we won't have
to tow you out of there. It might take a while."

"Fall?" Sam asks. "Oh, please. Not a chance.
I've never taken a tumble in my life."

Jamie nods. "Your balance may be as solid as
a tightrope walker, but the shoes are history. You might want to
take one long, last look at all the glitter and sparkle in those
babies, because when we get back, they'll be trashed. I hope
they're not your favorites."

"Don't worry. We'll give them the proper
burial in Jamie's backyard," I say. "Dearly beloved, we are
gathered here to—"

Jamie nudges me, laughing. "That's a wedding,
silly."

"No, trust me. In my case it was a funeral,"
I whisper in his ear so Sam doesn't hear.

We smirk at each other, and I know he
agrees.

"Did you just say burial? Do you know how
long I saved up for them?" Panic crosses Sam's face as she peers
from Jamie to me and then back to Jamie. "I'll get my
trainers."

"That's my girl," I whisper as we wait for
her.

"We did something amazing here," Jamie says.
"We reached out and saved a pair of shoes."

I laugh. "Nothing feels better than that. You
were fantastic."

He squeezes my arm and shoots me a crooked
smile. A moment later, Sam appears again wearing her beat-down
Adidas
and we head for the woods in the distance.

Light-grey clouds dot the morning sky. A soft
breeze stirs the autumn leaves, carrying the scent of the ocean. I
take a deep breath and hold it, enjoying the rich oxygen and the
promise of freedom. Jamie takes my hand and we walk next to one
another, admiring the purity of our surroundings without the need
to talk. My lips curl into a lazy smile; a sense of belonging
replaces my reservations.

Even Sam seems to enjoy herself. Or so I
think until she takes out her iPod and turns on the music full
blast. I watch her back, the relaxed stroll and the confident
shoulders. It might not look like it to people who don't know her
well, but I can tell she's different here, more carefree—the way a
child should be.

"We should come here again," I say.

"Yeah?" Jamie grins. For a second I swear his
blue eyes shine.

I nod and squeeze his hand.

"Tu est belle."

I've no idea what he just said, but it sure
resonates like music in my ears. "You're speaking French and it
sounds so romantic. You could be ordering a Big Mac with fries or
stating your undying love and I wouldn't know the difference."

He smiles. "It means, you are beautiful."

Heat scorches my cheeks. "Thank you. I'm
flattered."

"About Chloe—" Jamie starts. "There's
something you should know."

"Will it make me mad?"

He hesitates as though gathering his
thoughts. "Probably."

"Then tell me another time. Let's not spoil
this moment." I bite my lip to keep me from demanding he make his
big revelation nonetheless. But the moment
is
perfect, and
for some reason I feel special to him as though my worth in his
life isn't devalued by her role as his chosen one to be his
wife.

"As you wish. Why didn't you return to the
country after your divorce?" Jamie asks.

I'm not confident baring my soul in front of
him just yet so I say, "No money, no job prospects. Besides, Sam
wouldn't be easily dragged away from her friends."

"She's young. She'd make new ones in a
heartbeat. And you could've sold the house."

I hasten my pace as though walking faster
could help me get away from his inquisitive mind. "I couldn't. The
mortgage isn't paid off yet. I doubt my parents would be eager to
take me in. And living in rented accommodation with the benefits of
dirty dishes and late night partying next door might've been fun
during my college years, but at thirty-four I gather I'm a better
role model than that."

Jamie stops and stares at me, wide-eyed.
"That's how old you are?"

Oh God, I didn't just tell him my age! I open
my mouth to lie when I realize there's no way he'd believe it since
Sam's thirteen and it wouldn't add up with finishing higher
education. So I just nod and roll my eyes. "Didn't anyone tell you
never ask a woman about her age?"

"I didn't. You told me." Jamie laughs. "I
wasn't counting you as old. I just thought you had Sam at a young
age."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-four."

He's lying. I know from his driving license
he's thirty-seven. "Thirty-four, huh?" I raise my brows,
amused.

"Yep. I'm nowhere near my sell-by date
yet."

We reach a clearing overlooking the village.
The view over the white rooftops with the smoke rising from the
chimneys takes my breath away. I've never seen anything so
charmingly medieval, straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson
fairy-tale.

"Do you know why I chose this place?" Jamie
asks.

I shake my head in response, barely able to
peel my eyes off the serene scene before me.

"It's so
old
and simple," Jamie
continues. "Exactly the way I imagine life once was before this
whole industrialization crap took over."

"You want a simple life?" I blink, thinking I
must've misunderstood because I figured him as someone who dots on
his notebook, smartphone and plasma screen.

"I plan to have one when I retire, but until
then I have to suck it up and work for a living like everyone else.
I joined the club because I thought it might help me get past all
the meaningless stuff I do on a daily basis just to make
money."

Realizing I'm still holding his hand, I drop
it and turn to stare at him because I've no idea what he's talking
about. "What? How could the club have possibly helped you?"

He blinks several times, then rubs his neck.
His eyes move about as though he's uncomfortable. "You're right.
Forget what I just said. This place's making me confused."

Rule number one in dating says, Thou shan't
be nagging and probing, but I can't help myself because I feel this
is important on a subconscious level. Besides, it's not like we're
dating in any way. "You can't blame it on this place. It doesn't
make sense. So, how could the club have helped you overcome your
dissatisfaction with your job?"

"It couldn't." Jamie lets out a slow breath.
"You're the most stubborn person on earth. Even more stubborn than
I am, and I'm a mule."

I know his statement isn't meant as a
compliment. Now's the time to back off in order to present myself
in the best light possible, but pretending to be someone I'm not
isn't my style. "You bet I'm stubborn."

"Okay," Jamie says. "I thought joining the
club might help sort out my life."

"Your married life?"

He nods. "Yes, my married life. I thought
after that's dealt with I can finally do what I really want to do
in life."

"We're here for you. You'll get what you want
out of the experience." I pat his arm and turn back to the village
stretching below.