by Fay Keenan
‘What happened?’ Harry asked gently.
‘While you were taking that cup of coffee over to Mum, I rang up a cash payment on the till for about seventy pounds’ worth of books. It was a group of kids who came in, and they said they’d saved up some birthday money to get all of the Artemis Bane books in the series, as well as few other bits and pieces, stationery and stuff like that. They asked if we had any more copies of the new Artemis book, and I knew we had a couple in the stockroom.’ Corey paused and shook his head.
‘Go on,’ Harry said, beginning to suspect where this was going.
‘I scanned in the copy they’d brought over from the New Releases table, and then scanned it in two more times before I went to look for the other copies in the back room. I know some of the bar codes on the books can be a bit weird and I didn’t want to look like a tit in front of the kids. When I came back, they’d all run off out of the shop with the books and everything else they’d brought to the till.’ Corey hung his head. ‘I tried to cancel the sale, but I couldn’t remember how to do it, and then I felt really, really stupid for falling for such an obvious scam. So as well as messing up the till, I lost you money in stolen stock, too.’
‘Oh, Corey.’ Harry ached to put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, but mindful that he still didn’t know him that well, no matter how much he liked him, he held back. ‘These things happen. And I’d left you in sole charge of the shop, too. It’s not your fault.’
Corey sniffed and brushed a hand over his eyes. ‘Dad would have gone ballistic,’ he said. ‘He’s always going on about how I’ve got no common sense, and I let people walk all over me. That I’m too soft for my own good.’
‘I’m not your dad,’ Harry said simply. ‘And I also don’t have much experience with talking to teenagers, so I’m kind of struggling about what to say here, except that it can happen to the best of us. When I first took over the bookshop, it took me about a month to figure out how to work the till. I can’t blame you for making a mistake in your first couple of weeks, can I?’
‘Are you going to sack me?’
Harry grinned as Corey looked up at him from underneath his fringe, suddenly so vulnerable and uncertain. ‘Not today, no. And next time, you’ll know better than to trust a gaggle of teenagers, won’t you? See the cash upfront; that’s the way to go in that situation. And if something like this happens again, just tell me.’
‘So I can come back, then?’
‘Of course.’ Harry gestured. ‘I’ll even walk back with you, if you want me to.’
‘Hadn’t you better go and make peace with Mum?’
Harry grinned ruefully. ‘I don’t think she’s going to have calmed down yet.’
‘Why? What did you actually do?’
It was Harry’s turn to feel uncomfortable and caught out, and Corey must have clocked the shift in his body language, as he suddenly put two and two together. ‘You knew I had something to do with the till problem, didn’t you?’
Harry nodded. ‘And I got the wrong end of the stick, and thought that you…’
‘That I’d nicked the cash,’ Corey said. Then, inexplicably, he grinned. ‘Seriously, Harry? I’m a frigging trainspotter who reads Artemis Bane novels! Did you honestly think I’d have the balls to steal?’
Harry, unnerved by the boy’s reaction, began to laugh. ‘That’s not how I expected you to react.’
‘And I’m guessing Mum went off the deep end when you mentioned this to her?’ Corey said.
Harry nodded. ‘Quite rightly, too. I should have known that there would be a more rational explanation. I should have stopped to think about it, but your mum came into the shop just as I’d realised the cash was missing, and so I jumped to entirely the wrong conclusion. She, understandably, was not best pleased.’
‘To be fair, it was my fault, even if I didn’t steal the money,’ Corey said. ‘And you weren’t to blame for jumping on the idea that your new employee was responsible. After all, you barely know me, and you offered me the job.’
‘And you’ve given me no reason to doubt you,’ Harry said. ‘Except, perhaps, not turning up this morning.’
Corey dropped his gaze. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I should have just told you what happened.’
‘Shall we just say it’s water under the bridge?’ Harry said as they started to walk back to the platform. ‘Or trains?’ The Bristol-bound express thundered underneath them.
‘I’d like that,’ Corey said. ‘And I promise it won’t happen again.’
‘But even if it does, as I said, just tell me,’ Harry said. ‘Oh and, I don’t mean to get heavy here, but you should call your mother. She’s going out of her mind with worry, and I think that’s far more important than her being cross with me.’
‘Fair enough.’ Corey grinned. ‘Do you want me to put in a good word for you?’
‘I’m not sure if any words, good or otherwise, would help,’ Harry confessed. ‘I mean, I should have known better than to say anything until I’d thought things through, shouldn’t I?’
‘She’ll come around,’ Corey said. ‘And I’m hoping she’ll be so pleased to see me, she’ll forget to ask why I went in the first place. It was embarrassing enough telling you, let alone Mum.’
‘Your secret’s safe with me,’ Harry said. He felt relieved, and happy that he’d been able to talk Corey round. He only hoped that when Kate had calmed down, she’d see her way to forgiving his own misinformed judgements about Corey’s trustworthiness, as well. He kicked himself again for jumping to conclusions.
As they walked back in the direction of the town, and after Corey had sent Kate a text, telling her where he’d been, Harry thought again about how much he’d missed out on by not being able to have children, biological or otherwise. He wondered, though, if it would have been quite so easy to have talked Corey back down from his emotions if he’d had actual parental responsibility for him. The waters got muddied when you were dealing with your own kids, he knew that, if not from direct experience. He could only imagine what Kate would have to say to Corey when they were face to face again, and hoped that he himself had helped rather than hindered that conversation.
49
The gut-loosening panic about where her eldest son might be was a sensation that Kate did not want to get used to. She also knew she’d bitten off Harry’s head in fear about where Corey might have got to this time, but what did he expect, practically accusing Corey of theft? She paced the living room, hoping against hope that Tom and Aidan, who’d sprung into action when she’d gone back to the Cosy Coffee Shop and told them what had happened, would find Corey and bring him home before she went through the roof with worry.
Was it always going to be like this from now on with her eldest son, she wondered? Was the flight response going to be what he chose when things got difficult for him? And how much of that was her and Phil’s fault for the early acrimony of their separation and divorce? Things were more settled now, to be sure, but trauma left its scars, especially on young, developing minds. Guilt, that familiar, ebbing and flowing emotion, washed over her yet again as she thought about the past couple of years. She knew she still thought about it all too much; and that she wasn’t alone in the disintegration of the marriage, but it was all too easy to spiral down if she wasn’t careful. Especially now she was considering uprooting her children and bringing them to an entirely new place. What the hell was she thinking? Could it really work? Or would all three of her sons resent her for that decision, in the end?
Tom and Aidan had suggested that she go back to the house, in case Corey showed up of his own accord, and, since they knew Willowbury far better than she did, they assured her that they’d find him if he hadn’t already come home. But the feeling of having to wait, of being helpless, was gnawing away at her, reminding her unbearably of the hours she’d been waiting when Corey had absconded from Phil’s place and ended up in Willowbury. She kept compulsively checking her phone, making sure the volume was switched up, ringing Corey’s number over and ov
er again, and then cursing that she might be tying up the line when he was trying to call her. Eventually, she collapsed back onto the sofa and tried to fight off the pain that threatened to overwhelm her brain and her lungs as her breath grew short and the adrenaline flooded her body over and over again.
She had no idea how long she sat there, but the phone finally pinged with a text, which took her sharply out of the spiral. Hands trembling, she scanned the brief message from Corey and then decided she needed to speak to him. He wasn’t just going to get away with texting her and then moving on.
‘Corey?’
‘Hey, Mum.’
His voice sounded reassuringly normal. Kate drew a long, shuddering breath. ‘Where are you?’
‘Chill, Mum, I’m on my way to Harry’s shop for work.’
At the mention of Harry’s name, on top of everything else, Kate’s composure almost slipped completely.
‘You weren’t there when I popped in earlier.’
‘I, er, went for a walk.’
Kate knew there was more to it than that, but over the phone wasn’t the time to discuss it.
‘Did you fall in a black hole, or trip over a ley line or something? We’ve been worried sick about you. You can’t just walk out and not let anyone know where you’re going.’
‘I know. I’m sorry.’ Corey’s voice sounded shakier. ‘I promise I’ll tell you everything when I get home after work.’
‘You don’t have to go in, you know.’
Corey paused before answering. ‘Yes, I do. I can’t let Harry down.’
‘You don’t owe Harry anything,’ Kate said. ‘In fact, if anything, he owes you an apology.’
‘It’s not what you think, Mum,’ Corey protested. ‘And go easy on Harry, will you?’
‘Did he tell you to say that?’
‘No. But I know you’re pissed off with him, and you don’t need to be. He’s a cool guy.’
‘I’m glad you think so,’ Kate said grudgingly. ‘So, what are you going to tell him when he asks why you didn’t turn up to work this morning?’
‘Gotta go, Mum, the line’s breaking up. I’ll see you later.’
‘The line sounds fine to me.’
‘What? Can’t hear you. Laters!’ And he was gone.
Kate let out a long sigh. She was perceptive enough to know that it had probably been Harry who’d found Corey, or her son wouldn’t have sounded half so chipper about facing the music at Vale Volumes. She was wildly curious about how that conversation had gone, but, given that neither Corey nor Harry were particularly prone to confiding in other people, perhaps she’d never really know.
Just as she was musing on this, the front door opened and in came Tom and Aidan.
‘He rang me,’ Kate called to them as they hurried to the living room. ‘He’s on his way to Vale Volumes as we speak.’
‘We know,’ Tom said. ‘We passed them on the High Street. It took all of my well documented tact and diplomacy to stop Aidan from weighing in on your behalf and letting Harry have it for accusing Corey of theft.’
Aidan looked sheepish. ‘I wish I could say Tom’s exaggerating, but I was fully prepared to have a strong word or two, at least.’
‘But you figured you’d keep your cred with your nephew and hopefully you didn’t do or say anything daft?’ Kate’s upward inflection was pure big sister, and she knew it, but it did still work occasionally with her brothers.
‘Absolutely.’ Aidan grinned. ‘Besides, Corey and Harry looked pretty chummy walking back to the bookshop, so I figured they’d worked out the whole missing money thing.’
‘I’m sure we’ll all find out at some point.’ Kate smiled back. ‘Thanks, you two, for rushing out to look. I appreciate it.’
‘What are family for?’ Aidan smiled. ‘Speaking of which, I noticed that Sam’s car was back in the driveway. Shall I nip round and see if they’re up to visitors? We still haven’t met our new niece.’
‘Why don’t you text them first before you descend on them?’ Kate said. ‘The first few days at home with a new baby can be overwhelming, and they didn’t have the easiest time of it. Not to mention that, with Mum, Will and Tom arriving later, they might like a bit of time to settle in before we all go round there.’
‘Fair enough,’ Aidan said. ‘And it’ll give me some time to go and grab an organic, corn-fed onesie or something equally ethical from the High Street for Mia, and perhaps some supplies for the new parents, too.’ He glanced at Tom. ‘Want to come back out with me?’
‘I’ve got lines to learn,’ Tom said. ‘Rehearsals start soon and I don’t want to be the one who cocks up in front of Bristol’s best theatre director.’
‘You’ll be brilliant,’ Aidan said warmly. ‘But fair enough. I’ll see you both in a bit.’ Kissing Tom, and waving a hand vaguely in Kate’s direction, he sauntered back out of the front door.
‘I can’t believe how well he looks,’ Kate said, when the front door had closed again. ‘Married life obviously agrees with him. Although I never thought I’d see the day, after everything he’s been through.’
‘He doesn’t talk much about it,’ Tom said carefully. ‘But the longer we’re together, the more he opens up.’ He shook his head. ‘Makes you really appreciate the little, day to day things. Every moment is precious.’ He could have sounded like the ultimate luvvy as he said that, but Kate recognised the sincerity and the love in his voice.
‘He’s lucky to have you,’ she said.
‘I’m just as lucky,’ Tom replied. ‘My choices weren’t always so good. Aidan’s restored my trust in a lot of ways, too.’
Kate considered that word, trust, and how it had shockingly changed everything between her and Phil once it had gone. She’d been beginning to trust Harry, too, until his error of judgement this morning. But was that really enough of a reason to push him away? Corey had obviously worked out his differences with him, so couldn’t she? Or was she just looking for an excuse to walk away? To head back to Cambridge and not look back? She felt even more confused.
‘Aidan meant it, you know.’ Tom’s voice intruded, but kindly, into her thoughts. ‘He’d love it if you and your boys moved closer. He’s pretty much resigned to not having kids of his own, not because we couldn’t adopt but because he’s still very much aware of his own recovery and isn’t sure if he’ll ever be in a place where we’ll be able to have our own. He’d love to be a bigger part of all his nephews’ lives. He might joke about and take the piss, but he loves you all, a lot.’
Isn’t that what it all comes down to in the end, Kate thought. Love?
She smiled at Tom. ‘I’m so glad you’re part of the family now.’ Reaching out, she gave her brother-in-law a hug. ‘And you’re right.’
‘About what?’
‘Everything,’ she replied, knowing how cryptic she sounded. ‘Now, I’d better crack on with the last of that painting in the hallway, or I won’t have earned my money here.’ Smiling at Tom, she headed back upstairs to finish the job.
50
Having received a text from Sam and Florence that they’d love to have visitors in the early evening, Aidan, Tom and Kate had wrapped a huge pile of new baby presents for both parents and Mia by the time they were due to pop next door. Kate had also jumped online and arranged for a week’s worth of prepared, nutritious meals to be delivered the next day. She remembered all too well how much ‘food you can eat with one hand’ was a hugely useful thing from having her own children. That situation of soothing or feeding a newborn with one arm while trying to get some food into yourself was one that was still vivid in her mind, and no matter how capable Florence might be proving with a new baby, every little really did help.
She still hadn’t cleared the air with Harry, but since Corey was still at Vale Volumes, and presumably would be until closing time, she figured that the issue was at least partly resolved. She was dithering about sending him a text to test the water, but in all honesty, she wasn’t sure what to say. She still wasn’t all ri
ght with Harry’s accusation, no matter how hesitant he’d been about articulating it to her, and she didn’t know how to word a text to that effect, but also make it clear that she’d calmed down a little now Corey had been located, presumably by Harry himself.
Putting all thoughts of Harry aside for the moment, though, after all, her family should be her priority this evening, she checked in with her other two sons by text to see how far away they were. Then, when Corey texted her and said he’d be home just after six thirty, she let him know she’d be heading next door with Tom and Aidan, and his two brothers and grandmother, who would all have arrived by then. If he wanted cake and celebrations he was welcome to come over and join them when he got back. She had a feeling that, despite his disappearing act that morning, Corey would be over like a shot.
She was buzzing with excitement by the time Will had texted her to say they’d reached Willowbury, and when her mother’s red Mercedes had come into view, and was turning into the parking spaces by the terraces, she was already out there, ready to welcome them.
As her mother carefully pulled up alongside Kate’s Volvo, Kate flung open the front passenger door before her middle son, Will, could open it himself, and barely waited for him to get out before she was wrapping him in a massive cuddle.
‘Get off, Mum!’ Will said good-naturedly as he wiped off the huge kiss she put on his cheek.
Laughing, feeling an incredible sense of lightness now that all of her sons were here, she opened the back door nearest to her and did the same to Tom, who grinned and pushed her away playfully. ‘Where’s Corey?’ Tom idolised his eldest brother, and had clearly missed him.
‘He’s at work, but he’ll be home about half six.’
‘At work?’ Selina had got out of the car now and was heading to the boot so the boys could get their stuff out. Kate gave her mother a slightly gentler hug and kiss.
‘Yeah,’ Kate said, realising too late that she’d called Bay Tree Terrace home, probably for the first time, even though it wasn’t her home. ‘He’s been working in the local bookshop – the owner offered him some work experience while he was staying here.’