‘Thanks. I’m Ryan, by the way. Ryan Sutherland. I don’t think we were properly introduced.’
Like the Marshalls, the Sutherlands were well known in Shaw Haven. Where one family owned half the land, the other owned the rest. When he was a kid he’d spent a lot of time with the Marshalls and their mutual friends. By the time he and Thomas were in high school, there was no love lost between them. Even in his teens, Thomas had reminded Ryan of his father. He’d had the kind of careless confidence that left people drowning in his wake.
He blinked that thought away. He really didn’t want to think of Marshall – or his own father – right now.
‘I’m Juliet.’ She offered him her hand, giving him a surprisingly strong handshake. Her fingers were long and elegant, but no sign of a manicure. In fact her nails were cut short. They looked like working hands, not the kind you’d see on a trophy wife.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Juliet.’ He glanced over at Poppy and Charlie who were digging into their ice creams. ‘Those two seem to have made up.’
‘Yeah, kids have short memories,’ she agreed, looking more at ease. ‘But I’m so sorry she hurt him, and on his first day at school, too. I hope he isn’t too upset.’
Her embarrassment made him want to smile. ‘He’s fine. Apparently they’re practically best friends now. And he’s used to meeting new people. I’m a photographer, we’ve travelled a lot.’
‘Please make sure you apologise to your wife for me, too.’
He frowned. ‘I’m not married.’
‘Oh, sorry. Your girlfriend then?’ Juliet glanced down at his left hand. Of course that made him immediately glance at hers. No wedding ring either – just an almost imperceptible indentation where one must have been. With his photographer’s eye, Ryan often noticed details that others didn’t.
Ryan shook his head. ‘Sheridan – Charlie’s mom – and I are just friends. Charlie was a happy surprise for both of us.’ He ate a spoonful of Charlie’s ice cream, his eyes not leaving hers. ‘She catches up with us when she can, but I have primary custody of him.’
‘You do?’ She looked at him with interest. ‘Is she okay with that?’
He shrugged. He wasn’t embarrassed about explaining his situation, he was used to it by now. ‘It’s what we both wanted. She loves him, but her job isn’t exactly compatible with bringing up a child. When she’s not touring she spends as much time as she can with Charlie. She wants the best for him. We both do.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I shouldn’t ask all these questions.’
He couldn’t help but grin at her. ‘You’re English, right? You’re doing that whole Brit thing.’
‘What Brit thing?’
‘The one where you make small talk then get all worked up over it.’
‘Do we all do that?’
He couldn’t help but laugh at her perplexed expression. ‘I guess I’ve met a lot of Brits on my travels, and yeah, a lot of them did that. Like you really want to know something but don’t like to ask.’ He tipped his head to the side, enjoying the way she was frowning at him. ‘Where in England are you from anyway?’
‘I grew up in London,’ she told him. ‘But I’ve lived here for almost seven years.’
‘With the Marshalls?’ He glanced at her empty ring finger again.
‘Yes.’ She looked down at the table. ‘Well no, not now. It’s complicated, if you know what I mean.’
He knew exactly what she meant. ‘You want me to talk about something else?’
For the first time, she smiled. It was tentative, but it lit up her whole face. ‘That would be lovely,’ she said, tipping her head to the side. ‘Maybe you can tell me about you. When did you guys get into town?’
Unlike Juliet, Ryan didn’t mind talking about himself at all. Not in a brash, ‘look at me’ kind of way, but he was comfortable enough in his skin to be open and honest. ‘We moved in at the weekend. We were meant to be here last week, but I got delayed on an assignment, so everything was a bit hurried. The removal trucks only got here this morning, it’s gonna be a mess. A good reason to stay here and eat ice cream, I guess.’
‘Removal trucks?’ she asked.
‘Yeah, we haven’t got that much stuff, but I’ve had to buy a lot of furniture. It’s our first permanent home.’ He shrugged. ‘Well, semi-permanent anyway.’
‘Semi-permanent?’ she echoed.
‘We’re here until next June. Then we’re moving to New York. We’re just here for Kindergarten year while Charlie gets used to going to school.’
‘Did he not go to pre-K or preschool?’ Juliet asked. Her brows were pulled down, as though she was trying to understand.