‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,’ he murmured under his breath. Gravel crunched outside and he and Richard gravitated towards the open door of the barn. A dark-blue hatchback sat on the driveway. Sunlight reflected off the windscreen, making it impossible to see the interior. Aaron started towards it, but hung back when the kitchen door of Butterfly House flew open, disgorging Mia, with Daniel and Madeline close on her heels. She ran for the car and tugged the driver’s door open with a cry of welcome.
‘Stand back darling, give poor Kiki chance to get out.’ Daniel placed his hand on Mia’s shoulder urging her to make some space.
A slender figure emerged, and Aaron found he’d closed the distance between himself and the car without noticing. The woman, Kiki, skirted the open door and half fell into her sister’s waiting arms. Her profile afforded him teasing glimpses of her features, a button nose, the same slightly prominent chin which gave Mia’s face a heart shape. Same deep-brown hair, although Kiki’s looked a lot longer than Mia’s spiky mop from the tangled knot at the back of her head.
Gentle sobs rose from the pair, but when Kiki lifted her head to glance at him over her sister’s shoulder, her cheek was tear-free. He raised a hand, and she offered him the ghost of a smile. His chest grew tight; the tiny tilt of her lips transformed her face. Too pale, too haunted with those dark shadows ringing her eyes, but damn, she might just be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. A beautiful woman who wasn’t even a day free of her unhappy marriage. Get a bloody grip, Spenser.
‘Mummy?’ A little boy, his pale skin and wounded eyes a match for his mother’s, clambered out of the back of the car.
‘I’m fine, poppet. Can you give your sister a hand?’ Kiki tried to disentangle herself from Mia, but Madeline was quicker.
‘I’ve got her.’ The older woman opened the opposite door as Richard hurried to her side to lend a hand. ‘Hello, darling. Look at your pretty dress, don’t you look gorgeous? Shall I help you with your buckle?’ Keeping up a constant stream of light chatter, Madeline fussed and flattered the little girl as she helped her out. Perched on Madeline’s hip, brown hair a riot of curls around her head, Charlotte cast a wary eye over the gathered group of strangers. Her lower lip wobbled and her face screwed up in an expression Aaron well remembered from when Luke was that age. A heart-rending wail split the air and fat tears began to roll down her plump cheeks.
‘Oh, Charlie, don’t cry, sweetheart.’ Kiki broke free from Mia’s arms and rushed to her daughter’s aid. She gathered Charlotte into her arms and rocked her back and forth, kissing her head and whispering endearments to try and soothe the fractious child.
A light touch on his arm caught Aaron’s attention and he stared down into Matthew’s big, blue eyes. ‘She needs Mr Bunny.’
Aaron crouched down so they were the same height. ‘Mr Bunny?’
The boy nodded. ‘He’s magic, he takes all the sad things away. Mummy packed him in the boot by mistake.’
‘We’d better find him then, eh?’ Aaron rose, turned to grab the keys from the ignition, then circled to the rear of the car. He pressed the unlock button and slipped his hand under the handle to release the catch.
‘Careful! It’s a bit full…’ Kiki’s warning came a fraction too late and Aaron found himself grabbing for half a dozen overflowing carrier bags as they tumbled from the top of the haphazard pile crammed into the small space. His lightning reflexes, honed on the rugby pitch, saved the day, or so he thought until the thin material of the supermarket bag hooked on his little finger began to tear. With his arms spread, trying to hold everything else in place he couldn’t do anything other than watch the orange plastic turn white as the weight of its contents stretched it beyond breaking point. Shoes, clothes and, well, hello, a flamingo-pink bra fell to the ground.
Tearing his gaze from the scrap of lace trailing over his foot, he looked up into a pair of horrified, amber-flecked eyes. The little girl resting on Kiki’s hip let forth another howl of utter wretchedness and Aaron had to bite his lip to stifle an inappropriate laugh. He looked from the embarrassed woman, past the tear-stained moppet, down to the solemn-faced boy at his side and back again. If he did nothing else, he’d put smiles on all their faces before the summer was through. ‘Welcome to Butterfly Cove.’
Chapter Seven
There was no God, Kiki decided, when the sinkhole she silently prayed would swallow her up failed to materialise. Charlie’s fingers were tangled in her hair, tugging painfully at Kiki’s scalp as she worked herself up into a rare old state. She winced and pulled her head away, half of her hair tumbling free from its loose bun in the process. Heat warmed her cheeks as she considered the terrible first impression they must be making. She’d given herself a pep talk over the last hour of the journey and had been so determined to hold it together. And then Mia, of all people, had started crying the moment Kiki stepped out of the car, and it had been all she could do not to collapse into her arms and let her take the weight of everything. Everywhere she looked, kind smiles greeted her and she knew they only wanted to help, but for once, just for one damn minute, she’d wanted to control a situation.
Aaron, and it had to be him, with that same deep, reassuring voice she’d heard on the phone earlier, just kept smiling at her. Her world was tumbling at his feet— literally, if you took into account the contents of the spilled carrier bag and that ridiculous bloody bra hooked around his shoe. She didn’t know why she’d packed the damn thing; she’d bought it after cringing her way through an Ann Summers party one of the other mothers had thrown. The hot-pink set had been the least shocking thing she could find in the catalogue, and she’d felt obliged to buy something… Kiki closed her eyes. She wasn’t standing in her sister’s driveway looking at an attractive stranger and thinking about a sex-toy party. Where the hell was that sink hole when she needed it?
Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Aaron broke the awkward moment. ‘Give us a hand will you, Daniel?’
She opened her eyes, intrigued to get a good look at the man her sister had chosen to follow in Jamie’s footsteps. Tall and lean, with a close-cropped dark beard which gave him a stern appearance, Daniel was nothing like the laughing, sandy-haired boy Kiki remembered Jamie being. He took one look at the bra dangling from Aaron’s shoe and a huge grin split his face and Kiki saw instantly what had attracted Mia to him. Without any of the embarrassment creasing Kiki’s insides, Daniel bent down to scoop up her scattered belongings and stuff them into the tops of the other bags in the boot. A few hard shoves, and the two men had the overflowing contents mostly contained. She hadn’t meant to pack quite so much.
‘And who do we have here?’ Kiki sighed in relief when Aaron pulled his arm from behind his back and waved a bedraggled-looking stuffed toy at the still-crying Charlie. Caught mid-wail, her daughter opened and closed her mouth like a little red-faced fish, clearly trying to decide if the prize of her favourite toy was worth abandoning her tears for.
‘Mr Bunny!’ Charlie held out her arms and Aaron took a step closer, waggling the droopy brown rabbit in encouragement. The little girl giggled and strained forward. Caught off-guard by the sudden shift in her body weight, Kiki loosened her grip to adjust her hold and Charlie took full advantage. She flung herself across the small gap and straight at Aaron. His arms closed instinctively and Kiki wanted to laugh at the look of abject shock on his face as Charlie grabbed Mr Bunny and settled herself into the crook of Aaron’s neck.
Daniel laughed. ‘He’s always had that effect on women.’
‘You’ve got the wrong brother there, mate. Luke’s the ladies’ man of the family.’ A faint spot of colour showed on Aaron’s tanned cheek, adding a sweet shyness to his smile, and something wound tight inside her loosened a notch. They all seemed so confident and put-together, it was a relief to see a little chink in his armour. He met her eyes over the top of Charlie’s head and mouthed ‘is this all right?’
She nodded. Charlie’s long lashes were lowe
r than half-mast and she looked utterly at ease with one little arm looped around Aaron’s neck. ‘I don’t think she’s going anywhere for a while. If you don’t mind?’
Aaron shifted his hold until Charlie was perched on one broad forearm, freeing his other hand. He rested his broad palm lightly on Matty’s shoulder and looked down at him. ‘Your smart thinking saved the day. Your sister is lucky to have a big brother like you to look after her.’ Some of the tension in Matty’s frame loosened and he stood a little bit taller. Kiki’s heart stuttered. How starved of praise must he be for a simple remark like that to have such an impact? She tried to imagine Neil’s reaction and shuddered. It would be her fault for not controlling the children. He’d have clenched his jaw and forced a smile, saving his anger for behind closed doors. A cold trickle of fear ran down her spine, stealing the soft warmth of the early summer sun.
‘What’s wrong?’ Aaron’s brow creased in concern and she forced herself to shrug the malignant presence away. Neil was hundreds of miles away, so wrapped up in his dig and his pretty new girlfriend Kiki doubted he would spare any of them even a passing thought.
‘Nothing. I’m just a bit tired. Not used to driving so far, I suppose.’
A familiar warmth looped around her waist and Mia tugged her in for a one-armed hug. ‘Come inside and I can get you all settled in. I’ve got three couples arriving tomorrow, but the forest room is free tonight. I’ll make some calls and start cancelling the bookings we have for that room.’
Kiki resisted the pressure from Mia to move towards the house. ‘You shouldn’t be turning away paying guests because of me. I thought we were staying with Aaron.’ She bit her lip. What if he’d had second thoughts? She shot Aaron an apologetic look. ‘But if you’ve changed your mind, that’s perfectly understandable.’
He shook his head. ‘There’s more than enough room for the three of you at Honeysuckle Cottage, for as long as you need it.’
‘But then…’ Kiki caught the determined jut of her sister’s jaw and understood. Now her brief flurry of tears had passed, she was in full-on protection mode. If Kiki let her, Mia would take over everything. For a fleeting moment she indulged the idea. But if she wanted to live in someone else’s shadow for the rest of her life, she could have stayed with Neil. Not that Mia would be anything other than loving and supportive, but Kiki would still be surrendering responsibility to someone else. ‘I think staying at the cottage makes more sense.’
Mia shook her head. ‘Don’t be daft, Kiki. Family should stick together.’
Kiki yanked her shoulder free from Mia’s hand and stepped back. The barb had struck too close to home, too similar to Neil’s constant undermining of her with his accusations of stupidity and incompetence. It was clear from the way the colour drained from her face that Mia regretted her hasty words almost as soon as she’d said them. ‘Kiki Dee… I didn’t… I’m sorry…’
‘Why don’t Aaron and I take the kids for a walk on the beach?’ Daniel’s tone was light, but Kiki didn’t miss the pointed stare he fixed on his fiancée.
Richard chimed in. ‘Good idea. I think I spotted a ball in the garages somewhere. I’ll dig it out and we can leave the ladies to sort things out between them.’
Kiki crouched down in front of Matty. Little furrows creased his brow and she smoothed them with her thumb. ‘Would that be okay with you, little man? Do you fancy a kickabout on the beach with Aaron and the others before we go and see our new home?’
He stared up at Aaron, who’d kept that reassuring hand clasped around his shoulder the whole time. ‘We’re coming to stay at your house for a while?’
Aaron nodded. ‘If that’s what you, Charlie and your mummy would like. It’s a bit lonely there on my own, and it would be nice to have some new friends to spend time with. We’d only be down the road so you could come and see your Aunty Mia every day.’
‘I’d like that.’
Mia stepped forward to touch his cheek. ‘I’d like that too, poppet. Why don’t you let Uncle Daniel and Aaron show you the beach, and when you come back you can have some chocolate cake with your tea.’
‘Do we all get cake?’ Aaron batted his eyelashes at Mia and Kiki felt another one of those tight notches loosen.
Mia laughed. ‘Only if you’re a good boy.’
‘No chance of that!’ Richard snorted as he returned from his foraging. Dust clung to the leg of his crisp chinos, and he looked to have a cobweb clinging to his silvering hair. He held a bright-red ball aloft like a champion brandishing a trophy. ‘Come on then, last one to the beach is a rotten egg!’
The two men looked at each other for a split second before sprinting after Richard’s retreating back. Matty glanced once at Kiki and she gave him a nod. ‘Wait for me!’ His boyish giggles drifted back to them on the light afternoon breeze and Kiki let herself relax for a moment. It would take time, but she’d make sure he laughed like that every day.
A light touch brushed her arm. Mia. ‘I truly am sorry, Kiki Dee. I’ve just been so worried about you.’
‘I know, Mimi, but this is my mess to sort out, not yours.’ Hurt clouded her sister’s expression and Kiki turned away, unable to cope with that on top of everything else. This wasn’t working out how she’d expected it to at all.
‘Let’s go inside and have a cup of tea.’ Madeline held her hands out to the two of them and made a beckoning motion. Kiki allowed herself to be herded along by the older woman. Unlike her husband, there was no trace of silver in her vibrant bob, and her white linen trousers and lime-green T-shirt were fresh and crisp even this late in the afternoon. Kiki glanced down at the creases in her navy cotton skirt with a sigh. The hair Charlie had pulled free dangled past her cheek and she winced. If she wanted them to believe her capable, then she needed to start looking like it. Pulling the elasticated band free, she wound her hair back into a neat bun and secured it at the nape of her neck as she followed the others into the kitchen.
The scents of fresh baking filled the cosy room. She paused for a moment, pride filling her as she admired the beautiful space her sister had created. From the flag-stoned floor, to the solid pine furniture, the checked curtains at the windows and the huge Aga taking pride of place along the back wall, it was the epitome of a country kitchen. A space made for family and friends to gather and share a meal and laughter. ‘It’s fabulous, Mia. Is the rest of the house like this?’
Madeline smiled over from the white butler’s sink where she was filling the kettle. ‘I love it in here. And the rest of the house is even better. Our Mia has such an eye for design.’ Our Mia. Said with such casual affection, it could only come from her heart. Mia’s bravery struck her anew. Heartbroken and alone, she’d uprooted herself and relocated to a place where she hadn’t known a living soul and in less than a year had made a beautiful new home for herself filled with friendship and love.
Comparing herself to Mia in the past had always been an exercise in futility, and Kiki expected jealousy to stab its poisonous barbs into her as usual. The envy twisting inside her when it came to Mia had always been her most shameful and carefully hidden secret. There had even been occasions in the darkest hours before dawn, huddled still beside Neil, afraid to move in case she disturbed his sleep and caught the worst of his temper, when she’d resented Mia for being a widow; resented the freedom Kiki could never have. Ugly, sneaky thoughts, they horrified her in the cold light of day, creating a tension between them which Mia had never understood. Because she’d never told her.
There were no excuses now, though. Kiki looked around at the new life her sister had woven from the ashes of heartache and the rotting bones of an old house and, instead of questioning why she couldn’t have this, too, she had only one thought. How could she make something like this for herself and the children?
She took a seat at the table and let Madeline pour her tea from a rainbow-striped teapot into a matching mug. The crockery was sturdy, a breath away from being perfect, telling her they were han
dmade rather than mass-produced. She wrapped her hands around the wide body of the mug, loving the way it filled them. ‘These are beautiful.’
Mia smiled. ‘I found a local guy who makes his own stuff. I can’t wait for the studios to be finished.’ She took a sip of her tea and settled back in her chair. ‘Daniel is hoping some of the artists will allow us to display and market the work they produce while they stay here. The Butterfly Cove Collection, or something like that. We’re thinking of converting the garages into a gallery, with maybe a tearoom attached to it. And then there was my bright idea about using the garden as a wedding venue.’ She laughed. ‘Although how we’ll find the time to run all these things is another matter.’
Madeline laughed. ‘You two will have a mini empire running here before you know it.’ There was nothing but admiration in the fond way she watched Mia, though.
Mia sipped, then shook her head. ‘Our ambitions might outstrip our capabilities. Daniel is going to have to put all his energy into the studios if he wants to meet his target opening date. All that effort I put into teaching him how to make the beds properly wasted.’
Kiki smothered a laugh as she took a drink from her mug, letting the strong brew warm and soothe her. There were claims the British had won wars on the back of nothing more than stubbornness and an ever-flowing stream of tea. It was more than the drink—it was the ritual, the giving and receiving of a small, familiar comfort. She gave Madeline a grateful smile. ‘Thank you for the tea.’
Her sister raised her mug in toast. ‘Yes, Mads, thank you for your timely suggestion.’ She turned to Kiki. ‘I am sorry.’
This time, it wasn’t so hard to accept. ‘I know. I’m sorry for making you worry about me.’
Mia grinned. ‘It’s what big sisters do. Comes with the territory.’ She extended her free hand across the table and Kiki placed hers on it.
Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove Page 6