The Single Mums' Book Club

by Victoria Cooke

  ‘Okay. Can I have a fairy cake now?’ he asks and Edward and I laugh.

  ‘Eat up. We still have that boat lift to go and see before dark.’

  ‘Dark? It’s not even lunchtime,’ Ralph says.

  ‘Have you seen how fast that thing goes?’ Edward points to the boat and Ralph laughs.

  As the children tuck into their cakes, Edward reaches across the picnic blanket and covers my hand with his, squeezing gently as he does. My chest swells with a fizzy warmth and I give him a reassuring smile. I think we’re going to be okay and I’m sure he knows it too.

  Chapter 54

  It’s dark when we get home. We raided an outlet store for dry clothes and stopped at a pub for dinner and the kids fell asleep in the car. Edward carries Ava upstairs and I wake Ralph and take Henry. As I’m undressing Henry, Ava stirs and asks Edward to read her a story in her dozy, sleep-thickened voice. When I hear him start to read Room on the Broom, I smile. He won’t know but it’s her favourite. I put Henry in his cot then go to make sure Ralph has brushed his teeth but he’s already conked out in his bed fully clothed. I sit beside him and just look at him for a moment. It’s hard to imagine he was a squidgy baby once. He’s so tall and lean now and he’s at that funny age where his teeth look too big for his face. He’s perfect; they all are. I lean over and kiss him on his forehead and he stirs a little.

  ‘Shh,’ I say, stroking his face. ‘Go to sleep.’

  ‘Mum,’ he croaks.

  ‘Yes, honey?’

  ‘I do like Edward you know.’

  I lean over and kiss him again. ‘I’m glad. Get some sleep.’

  As I tiptoe downstairs, Edward is just finishing off the story.

  ‘I like your reading voice,’ Ava says. I smile.

  Leaving him to it, I sneak outside. The sky is a clear black and the air is cool. I tilt my face to the stars and inhale three times. It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m getting there. After speaking to a therapist, I called my dad too and he’s coming up in a few weeks to talk about Mum. I think it will bring me some much-needed closure.

  When I head inside, Edward is just coming down. He looks shattered. His new outdoor wear is brightly coloured and not at all him and his hair is pointing in all sorts of directions. Somehow, he still manages to look sexy as hell.

  ‘Come here you,’ I say, pulling him by his clothes.

  He steps towards me and wraps his arms around my waist.

  ‘I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a wonderful day.’

  I search his eyes for some hint of sarcasm and see nothing but honesty. ‘I think if you can cope with jumping into a canal, then you’re quite well cut out for spending time with me and my brood.’

  ‘I’d love nothing more,’ he whispers, resting his forehead on mine. ‘Right now though, I’d like to spend a bit of time doing this.’ He places his lips on mine. Our mouths are starting to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle if a jigsaw puzzle came with a little firework kit that you swallow since little explosions of delight have filled my body.

  I know the road ahead won’t be smooth. This is real life. We’ll have work to do and challenges to face, but right now in this moment I have all I ever wanted.

  Epilogue

  ‘I don’t know why you waited a whole year to move in,’ Ralph says as he carries one of Edward’s boxes in from the car.

  ‘Your mum and I wanted to make sure it was right for all of us, especially you, Ava and Henry.’

  ‘Well, I’ve done sex education this week and you should know that I’ll be hitting puberty soon,’ Ralph says without a hint of embarrassment. ‘All I’m saying is you would have probably got a decent run of my good nature before I turn all grumpy and hormonal.’ Edward’s cheeks flush and I raise my hand to my mouth to hide my smirk.

  ‘He’s got this newfound, unfiltered confidence all of a sudden,’ I whisper to Edward when Ralph disappears inside.

  ‘It’s, er, good that he can talk about this stuff, isn’t it?’

  I smile. ‘Yes, I suppose so. It’s taking some getting used to though.’

  ‘Oh, before I forget. I think I left my jacket at Mike and Kate’s when we went over last weekend. Can you ask them to bring it round later?’ Edward’s brow crumples.

  ‘Already done. They’re coming earlier to help with the food. In fact, they’ll be here any …’ Mike’s car pulls up. ‘Speak of the devils.’

  ‘Hi, you two,’ Kate says, kissing Edward and me on our cheeks. When I first met Kate, I wasn’t sure what to make of her. She’s younger than me but it isn’t a case of swapping me for a younger model. She and Mike are genuinely in love. Kate and I are like chalk and cheese but she’s got this infectious friendliness about her that makes it impossible to dislike her. Moreover, she keeps Mike in line. I ended up inviting her to join the book club. We’re still meeting every month or so and most of the time we do read the books. Amanda ended up putting a notice in the village library inviting people to join. Quite a few did so now we have to meet in the pub where the landlord reserves a special area for us. Although our official name is The Milden Book Club, to me, Janey, Amanda and Emily, we will always be The Single Mums’ Book Club. We didn’t realise how much we needed it at the time, but it plucked each one of us from a dark place and helped us live again.

  ‘Hiya, pal,’ Mike says shaking Edward’s hand. ‘Hello, love.’ He hugs me.

  ‘Kids are inside. Help yourselves to drinks and I’ll be in shortly.’

  As Kate and Mike go inside, the kids squeal in excitement. ‘Come on, we’d better get the last of your stuff in. There’s a party happening soon.’

  ‘Ahh yes, my moving-in party,’ Edward says with a twinkle in his eyes.

  ‘It’s not your moving-in party. Just a celebration of …’ Oh, I don’t know. Who am I kidding? It’s our first family barbecue and I’ve invited everyone. Janey, Amanda, Emily and Stacy are coming, as well as Carly and Helen from the practice. Obviously, Mike and Kate are here too and my dad is coming up. We’ve met twice in the past twelve months and although things were a bit awkward at first, he’s really trying – we both are. I’m not sure how everyone will fit in but if the rain holds off and we can stay outside, we’ll be okay.

  As Edward heads inside, I spot Janey and her two heading over. She has some kind of large flan in her hand and the children are carrying crisps and fairy buns. ‘Told you I didn’t need a man,’ she whispers in my ear as she kisses my cheek.

  ‘I never doubted it.’

  Tom hands me a bag of Doritos and darts inside.

  ‘I’d better get the fancy serving dish out for those bad boys,’ I say, winking at Janey.

  ‘Don’t start – I’ve had the day from hell,’ she says. ‘This is my second attempt at this bloody flan and it still doesn’t look right.’

  ‘It looks good to me. Anyway, you didn’t need to bring any—’

  Janey holds up a finger. If I finish the sentence I don’t know what she’ll do after all the effort she’s put in so I let the words dissolve into a puff of air. ‘Edward has set a bar up in the garden.’

  ‘Now you’re talking,’ she says, heading in.

  Edward helps me get the food ready and we decide to be brave and set it up outside. The rest of the guests arrive and I head inside to get more tonic. As I look out of the window and see Edward and Mike chatting, I get a rush of love. When I longed for a family, I longed for the nuclear type that I had for five short years. I suppose I wanted it, not because it was right, but because it was ripped away from me so cruelly and I always felt like something in my life was missing. What I have now is so much more. I know not all divorces work out this way and no part of me takes it for granted. I’m lucky and what I have is a special sort of perfect. Mike has even started saying no to treats and telling the kids off a bit when they play up. He’s still a big softy but at least he has some boundaries now.

  The doorbell rings. ‘I’ll get it.’

  I walk down the hallway with a hap
py buzz. ‘Hi, Amanda.’

  ‘Hi, Stephanie, this is my boyfriend, Steve.’ There’s a wicked glint in her eye. Their romance has been a slow burn but they clicked on their first date and I’ve never seen her happier.

  ‘Nice to meet you, Steve.’

  Edward pops his head from out of the kitchen. ‘Ahh, the elusive Steve! Come and get a beer, pal.’

  ‘He’s handsome.’ I raise my eyebrow.

  ‘I know.’ Amanda winks and heads towards the kitchen whilst I let my bemusement settle. My phone buzzes. It’s Stacy.

  Me and Dave are on our way. Got stuck at the pub. Long story. Found a great book for our next book club read. I’ll let Amanda know because she’ll want to send us out her discussion points. See you and Eddy soon xxx

  I smile and tuck my phone back in my pocket as I head through to the garden. Amanda now sends us key points to discuss before every meeting because she got so fed up with us talking about everything but the books. Once the discussion points have been covered, the conversation can move on to anything we want. We mock her for it but the notes have given our club more structure. We have so many members now, we need it.

  Somehow, the kids have found water pistols and a code red is now in place for my pretty (paper) gingham tablecloths. I’m about to give them all a rollicking but something stops me. Ralph’s mischievous smile as he blasts Seren with a super soaker? Ava’s scream of laughter as a jet of water just misses her? Screw the tablecloths. Edward hands me a glass of wine but doesn’t speak. He knows what I’m looking at and I think he knows why. These kids have been through a lot but they’re happy. To see them now living as kids should, I know they’ll be all right. Edward wraps his arm around me and I turn my head to kiss him.

  ‘What was that for?’

  I smile. ‘I feel complete.’

  Gripped by The Single Mums’ Book Club? Don’t miss Sun, Sea and Sangria, another unputdownable novel from Victoria Cooke. Available now!

  Click here if you’re in the US

  Click here if you’re in the UK

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Sun, Sea and Sangria …

  Andrea’s Sunny Sangria Recipe

  One bottle of your favourite Rioja

  (I like to have an extra one so I can have a glass whilst chopping fruit)

  An orange

  A lemon

  An apple

  A few strawberries

  2–3 tablespoons of sugar

  A dash of banana liqueur or brandy/rum/gin or whatever you have left over from Christmas

  (choose one of these – not all)

  A cup of orange juice

  Ginger ale, soda water or lemonade to taste

  A few frozen raspberries

  1. Chop the fruit and squeeze a little of the juice from the lemon and orange pieces into the pitcher then toss the rest of the fruit in.

  2. Add the sugar and pour in the full bottle of wine.

  3. Add the dash of dusty-shelf booze and chill until you’re ready to serve.

  4. Before serving, add ginger ale, orange juice, frozen berries and ice, then give it a stir.

  Chapter 1

  ‘Where the hell is the dry oil spray?’ My chest is tightening. ‘We’re on in ten and Sammy needs to be glistening like an Adonis and smelling of coconut in five.’

  ‘I’ve got some olive oil from the restaurant,’ Ant pipes up. ‘That’s what I’ve used.’

  ‘Yes, well you look like a deep-fried sausage and don’t smell much better. Grab a towel and rub it off. It’s the twenty-first century, for goodness’ sake, and nobody here is auditioning for The Full Monty.’

  ‘Yes, Kat,’ a few voices mumble. I don’t have the time to think about who they belong to, but I do spot one or two other super-greasy torsos.

  ‘Seven minutes to go. Come on!’ I’m rummaging through my bag, throwing things left and right in a fit of panic. ‘Here.’ I produce an old bottle of Skin So Soft from Avon, which I’ve been using as a mozzie repellent since my mum gave me a bottle in 1997.

  ‘I want you all shimmering seductively and smelling nose-twitchingly floral in three minutes tops.’ I toss the spray to my lead dancer, Marcus. ‘Go!’

  Through the fog and nose-tingling scent of dry oil mist, I check myself in the mirror. My stage make-up looks like Mary Berry has daubed it on with a silicone spatula, but this glam look is for my bold stage persona. It helps me get into the character of a strong, confident woman who knows what she wants. It should look natural under the lights. Anyway, it’s the guys who need to look good out there, not me.

  ‘Okay, huddle up.’ The guys gather dutifully around me. ‘Right, remember that Sammy has pulled his shoulder, so when you all go into the backflips segment, he will be stage left, grinding. Don’t wait for him. Also, Marcus, that thing you did with the eye contact and the winking last night – the audience loved it. I want to see more. Remember, the crowd loves you. Do your best and let’s blow this thing up.’

  There are some whoops from the audience as the amplified beats of 50 Cent’s ‘Candy Shop’ start. I’m up. I wiggle my curvy hips as I saunter onto the stage and pump the mic above my head in time to the music. The crowd whoop and cheer and the excitement is tangible. Under the glare of the bright white spotlights, I can barely make out the hundreds of people who’ve come to see the show, but the energy is electric.

  ‘Ladies … and gentlemen,’ because there are always a few blokes in the crowd, ‘welcome to the Grand Canarian resort complex where we are going to Blow. Your. Mind! There won’t be a fire hose or PVC thong in sight, because tonight we’re giving you your dream man. Think gorgeous Adonises who can satisfy your deepest desires. Think dreamboat pick ’n’ mix. Ladies and gents, think the Heavenly Hunks …’

  As the crowd goes wild, my five men come out dressed in distressed blue jeans and T-shirts that struggle to contain their abs. Marcus and Ant lift me into the air and turn me around as ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreet Boys kicks in and the boys start to dance. It’s the same routine we do every night, but each show feels a little different depending on where we’re performing. As the boys move to the front, I slip back into the shadows.

  ‘They always bring the crowds,’ a male voice with a thick Spanish accent says. Gaël, the hotel manager, has appeared in the wings beside me.

  I smile. It’s taken a while to get to this point. When we first started up here, there was just me, Marcus, Hugo and Pauw trying to get gigs (Pauw’s real name is Paul but everyone loves to make fun of the fact that despite living in East London his whole life, he doesn’t have a cockney accent – it’s incredibly hard to just call him Paul now). Most of the big hotels wanted tribute acts or magicians and we just about scraped by in seedy bars.

  Things changed when Gaël booked us a couple of years ago for his huge, fancy hotel, on a whim, after a spate of complaining Brits rightfully whinged about a geriatric gymnast who took five minutes and two helpers to do a cartwheel and called it a show. After that, people couldn’t get enough of the Heavenly Hunks. The Canaries Today called us ‘The Chippendales for the Modern Woman’. We’re probably piggy-backing off the success of Magic Mike a bit, but I don’t think their lawyers are worried.

  ‘My favourite part.’ Gaël nudges me. He’s a skinny, six-foot, heterosexual guy but even he can’t help but glue his eyes to the backflips and breakdancing. Pauw does his run of six consecutive backflips as Ant, who’s a trained ballet dancer, leaps across the stage in mid-air splits, his long brown hair billowing behind him. The crowd can’t get enough of his porcelain skin.

  The music slows down and the intro to Ed Sheeran’s ‘I’m a Mess’ kicks in. Marcus appears in an open dark denim shirt that reveals enough of his smooth, toned chest to drive the audience wild. The shirt is paired with fitted, dark jeans and chunky boots. His short dark hair and light-brown skin look beautiful under the light, and the whole ensemble is one of my finest pieces of work, even if I do say so myself. He sits on the edge of the stage, making eye contact wi
th as many lucky audience members as he can manage, whilst his silky voice gives its pitch-perfect rendition of the song. I still get chills watching him and I’ve seen this act a billion times.

  ‘Even I am almost falling in love,’ Gaël jokes.

  ‘See, that’s the point, Gaël. Women don’t want cheesy hosepipe-stroking and pant-dropping to the beat of “Hot Stuff”. We don’t even want to see any naked bottoms.’ Gaël shifts uncomfortably, but I’m proud of the act I’ve put together so I carry on regardless. ‘Women want sexy all-rounders. Men with talent. Half the time, the Heavenlies are fully clothed, yet you can practically hear the ladies’ ovaries scream.’

  ‘I admire what you’ve done. You know, if you ever get fed up of managing the Heavenly Hunks, there would be a job here as my entertainment director. I’m terrible at it.’ He laughs.

  ‘Thanks, Gaël, though I can’t see that happening any time soon.’

  I switch my mic back on and step back into the spotlight. ‘I don’t know about you but I’ve come over all hot and bothered,’ I say over the screaming cheers. ‘We’ve had a hard day today, haven’t we, ladies? I mean, I bet some of you even had to fetch your own cocktails from the pool bar, didn’t you? Well, we’re going to slow things down and treat as many of you as possible to your own heavenly massage whilst our talented Hugo plays the piano, just for you.’

  The spotlight switches to Hugo, who starts playing ‘All of Me’. As dry ice fills the stage, the rest of the guys filter through the audience giving shoulder rubs to as many audience members as possible. Those not having their shoulders rubbed are fixated on Hugo. His black hair shines under the light and his muscles ripple beneath his tanned skin as he hits the keys, his eyes intent on the sheet music. A ripple of excitement washes over me. We put on a bloody good show even if I do say so myself.

  As the song finishes, it’s time for our pièce de résistance, and okay, the song is nicked from Magic Mike but we did our own choreography and I doubt Mike cares. The beat starts and the guys bound across the stage from behind the curtain as ‘Pony’ kicks in at the chorus, and the crowd are up, out of their seats, singing and going wild. Under the blue-white spotlight, with the rising dry ice, they look like mythical beings.