‘That’s right.’ Bryony’s tone was chilly. ‘You weren’t. You left the rest of us to clear up the mess.’
‘I tried to see her, to check that she was all right.’
‘Well, of course she wasn’t all right! And she didn’t want your pity!’
Tom gritted his teeth and drew in a steadying breath. ‘Do you realize how contradictory you’re being?’
Jack groaned out a warning. ‘For goodness’ sake, don’t tell her that.’
‘Well, on the one hand she’s telling me I left her to comfort Sally, and on the other she’s telling me that Sally wouldn’t have wanted me around anyway.’
Bryony scowled at him. ‘You behaved badly!’
Jack yawned and reached for his beer. ‘OK, honey, give the guy a break. He’s not the first person to have ended a relationship that wasn’t working. I think we should all move on.’
‘That is precisely what I’m trying to do,’ Tom said harshly, ‘only Sally won’t give me the chance to discuss it. Perhaps I ought to tell her that she’s allowed to black my eye if it will make her feel better.’
In fact, he half hoped she would. Perhaps it would ease his conscience.
Bryony plopped down on the chair next to Jack and gave a sigh. ‘I don’t think it matters what you promise,’ she said wearily. ‘You’re not going to find it easy to get near her. She doesn’t want to talk to you.’
And why was that?
Tom’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, his sharp brain clicking into action. Surely if Sally was as indifferent to him as she was pretending, then one conversation was hardly going to cause a problem. She could just listen and then walk away.
Unless she was afraid that the walking away would be hard.
Jack lifted his beer. ‘Never was easy to get near to Sally Jenner. She always kept people at a distance.’
Except him. Tom frowned.
He was the one person who’d been allowed to get close to her.
‘And can you blame her for that?’ Bryony defended her friend quickly. ‘She spent her childhood moving from foster-home to foster-home, with no security and no one she could trust or love.’
Tom shifted uncomfortably.
Sally had trusted him. And she’d loved him. Until he’d betrayed that trust and thrown her love back in her face.
‘This is a small community,’ he said finally, draining his beer and standing up. ‘Sally and I need to clear the air if we’re going to be able to work together. Are you going to tell me where she’s living, Bry?’
Bryony kept her eyes on the table. ‘I’m sorry, Tom. I can’t.’
Tom cast an exasperated look at Jack who shrugged helplessly.
‘Women.’ He winked at his wife. ‘Especially blonde women.’
Tom gritted his teeth, his sense of humour less in evidence. ‘You know me well enough to know that I’ll track her down sooner or later.’
Bryony looked at him. ‘But it will have been without my help.’
‘You’re making things more difficult.’
‘Difficult was what you did to her seven years ago,’ Bryony said stiffly. ‘Think about that while you’re preparing your speech, big brother.’
Tom picked up his jacket and nodded to Jack. ‘Thanks for the beer.’
‘Any time,’ Jack said mildly, ignoring his wife’s glare. ‘Any time. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.’