Dan came to mind - he was never really very far away. Cleo knew that he had been short-listed after his hospital meetings and that a final interview for the consultancy post was taking place in Newcastle this week, so he was going to be around. She didn’t know if he’d be travelling straight back to Australia after his meeting, or if he’d be able to stay in Dunleith for a while longer. Would he want to?
She blushed just thinking about him. They had phoned one another a couple of times but in his eyes she must be a real idiot; allowing Neil to fool her and being so stupid for so many years over her sister. Was he just being kind? Did he think that he’d had a lucky escape when they split up years ago? She sighed and reached for the midget gems to munch on. After the Neil fiasco, she should stay well away from men. She couldn’t help thinking, but Dan... isn’t he different?
Heather dropped Archie off at High Rigg on Monday, delighted to be escaping to Edinburgh with Mark for a couple of days.
After waving the carefree parents off, Cleo noticed Archie looking a bit tearful.
She quickly distracted him, ‘Hey, Archie, I think you and I will go for a picnic and catch some tiddlers! Would you like that?’
‘Tiddlers?’ Archie shrugged his shoulders and showed his opened hands. He wasn’t impressed.
‘You don’t know what they are? They’re fish… fishies,’ explained Cleo.
‘Fisheees!’ Archie jumped up and down, he knew what they were.
‘Yes, we’re going fishing. First we’ll have to see if there’s still a fishing net in the garden shed.’
High summer had stretched north to the border. The sun blazed and bees were swarming around the heather by the time they set off with a picnic blanket and an old fishing net. They called at the village shop to buy something for a packed lunch to eat by the river. Cleo opened the door and spotted Dan.
‘Yes Dot, I’m back again. I may even be back here for good if my final meeting goes well this week.’ It was Dan undergoing an interrogation by Dot Weddell.
‘You’d think Australia was just next door the way you young ‘uns wander around nowadays.’
‘It’s a long flight Dot but it’s always worth it to get home and...’ he stopped as he caught sight of Cleo.
She felt flushed and couldn’t think of a thing to say. She managed a smile and then turned all her attention onto Archie, asking him about sandwich fillings and hiding her rosy cheeks with her hair.
‘Have you seen who’s here, Cleo?’ Dot was determined to bring her into the conversation.
Archie saw Dan and ran over, ‘Hiya, Hiya Unca Dan,’ he beamed.
‘Hi Archie, what are you doing here?’
‘With Auntie Cloee.’
Cleo grinned, he always got it the wrong way round.
Dan looked at Dot, ‘Can’t stop, I can’t hang around as much as I’d like too, Dot.’
He glanced at Cleo, gave her a wink as he left the shop and she breathed a deep sigh. Why hadn’t she said something; anything? Why hadn’t he waited?
A few minutes later they left the shop. Archie was carrying a tube of crisps and Cleo had the rest of the day’s picnic.
‘Hey, Cleo.’ Dan was sitting on a bench opposite the shop and beckoning her across.
She took Archie’s hand and crossed the road. How do you stop a heart from hammering so loudly? The whole village would hear it.
‘They’re my favourites.’ Dan pointed to Archie’s tube of crisps.
‘Mine.’ Archie clutched them to his chest and grinned.
Cleo’s heart had steadied and she found her voice, ‘They’re to share Archie. We share.’ She smiled as he nodded in agreement.
Dan peered into her basket at the crusty bread, cheese, a punnet of plums, juice, haribo gums. ‘It looks like a picnic sort of lunch,’ he said. ‘Where are you off to?’
‘We are going to the burn because Archie is going to catch his first tiddlers.’
‘That sounds great. I love fishing with a net.’ Dan’s gaze fell away from her to Archie. ‘You’ll have fun today, Archie.’
‘Dan come?’ Archie reached for Dan’s hand.
‘That depends on Cleo.’ Dan looked across to her.
‘Didn’t you tell Dot you were busy? You don’t have time for messing around with us.’ She prayed that he did.
‘I said I couldn’t hang about the shop. Fishing, now that’s different and it’ll stop me over-thinking my big day tomorrow.’ Dan’s eyes lit up, ‘Hey Archie, I have a great idea. I know the best fishing spot. We could go there if you want.’
He looked at Cleo to see if she agreed. ‘Come on, Cleo; let’s take a ride to Ingram valley he’ll love it and there are great spots for netting tiddlers.’
‘OK then, we’ll go.’ Had she said that? Dan was up and back into the shop.
He came back with two extra fishing nets, it was that sort of sell-everything shop, a bottle of wine and another tube of crisps. ‘Fishing is hungry work so I’ve got us some extra supplies.’
They rode in Dan’s car and Cleo enjoyed seeing the familiar landmarks on the way to one of her favourite childhood haunts. She hadn’t been there in years but nothing along the route seemed to have changed. They were over the wooden single lane bridge and into the valley and found the perfect picnic spot. A grassy slope to the river, trees for shelter from the sun and wind and smooth stones to act as natural fishing platforms.
Cleo took Archie’s shoes off and put rubber ones on his feet so that he could paddle in the river and led him to the waters’ edge with two of the nets.
‘Oh, so I get the old one and you two get the new. I bet I get more fish than you two before lunch,’ Dan called.
Archie was having great fun filling their jam jars with river water. Cleo glanced over at Dan who was studying her with great intensity.
‘Thanks for joining us, Dan.’ She looked into his eyes and couldn’t say anything more.
‘The pleasure’s mine. I’ve been wanting to see you all week but your end of term seemed manic. You’re the sole reason I’m in Dunleith today. You know I could never change the way I feel about you, Cleo; even if I wanted too.’
‘I feel the same.’ They walked towards each other and were in each other’s arms.
Cleo felt a tug at her shirt, ‘Fisheees!’ They looked at Archie and then at one another. This reunion was going to have to wait.
And wait.
Dan helped Cleo to unload the car and she had just summoned up the courage to invite him for supper when he said,
‘I’d better get a move on. I’m booked into a hotel in Newcastle so that I’m near the hospital tomorrow morning and I’m having supper with someone from the department tonight.’
‘Oh... Well good luck for tomorrow. That’s if you decide you want the post.’
‘I definitely want to come back whether I get this post or not. I decided that the last time I was here. I’ve been away too long and I had forgotten what I was missing.’ He gave her a long look then strode over and brushed her cheek with his lips. She turned to face him and, once more, felt that familiar tug at her shirt.
‘Cloee, me hung’ee,’ Archie wailed.
‘I told you that fishing was hungry work.’ Dan ruffled Archie’s hair and was out of the door leaving Cleo wishing her lips had touched his, just for a moment.
Archie was asleep by the time Alex came home, after spending all day with the EllaBella’s.
‘Come to the window, Cleo,’ she said, grabbing Cleo’s hand. Cleo admired the flamingo-feathered sky that held the promise of another sunny day ahead.
‘It’s beautiful to see so much sky out here,’ Cleo murmured.
‘Yes, but the moon, Cleo. Look at that full moon.’
‘You’re right, we can make a wish; Mum would like
that.’
‘You still don’t get it,’ Alex’s green eyes glinted with pleasure, ‘It’s a blue moon. How often do we get to wish on that!’
Cleo stared at the second full moon of July. Some th
ings happened just once in a blue moon and she was going to wish for another chance with Dan.
Heather and Mark arrived to collect Archie after their two nights in Edinburgh.
‘Look Daddy, Dan got me fisheees,’ Archie was carefully carrying his bucketful of tiddlers to show his daddy. ‘They have to go back in the water. Dan said so.’
‘Dan said? Heather looked over with interest. Cleo, I think we need a coffee while Mark takes Archie to the burn to set those fish free.’ Her urge to visit Erin’s seemed to be forgotten.
Mark grinned, ‘Come on, son. We’ll put the tiddlers back in the burn.’ He turned to Heather and said, ‘You two have half an hour to share news.’
Cleo filled Heather in on what had happened, or not had a chance to happen, between her and Dan and then asked, ‘What’s your news anyway? Mark said you had something to share.’
Heather beamed, ‘You won’t find this the least bit thrilling but, over the weekend, we decided it’s time to try for another baby. A brother or sister for Archie.’
Cleo hugged Heather and told her that of course she
was thrilled. The funny thing was that she really felt thrilled. She didn’t have to pretend it was good news, it seemed that, at the moment, she was loving small people.
BLUE MOON
29
On Wednesday evening, Alex and the EllaBellas were going into Berwick for the evening and Mary was picking them up afterwards. With Alex having a sleepover at the Collingwoods’ house, Cleo had a free night ahead of her, for the first time in forever it seemed.
As she relaxed in a bubble bath wondering whether she should read one of the many books she’d downloaded onto her kindle, or start to watch the ‘Breaking Bad’ box set that she hadn’t opened since unwrapping it at Christmas, the landline rang. She grabbed a towel and went to answer it.
‘Hi Cleo it’s me.’
‘Hi Dan.’
‘I’ve just heard that I’ve been offered the consultant’s post and I wanted you to be the first to know. Will you celebrate with me?’
‘Wow! Yes, YES! That is great news, where are you?’
‘I’m coming up your path now with champagne.’
‘What?’
‘Shall I ring at the front or come around the back?’
Bloody hell, Dan had done it again! Here she was without a scrap of makeup and wearing just a towel.
‘Come to the back.’ She flung down the receiver and raced to her wardrobe.
She paused, went back to the hall and leaned over the banister to call, ‘Dan, you know where the glasses are in the kitchen. Just give me a minute and I’ll be down.’
After clipping back her damp hair, she pulled on an emerald green maxi dress that she usually kept for holidays, slipped on some Havianas and grabbed her lip gloss. That would have to do. There was nothing she could do about pink cheeks; it wasn’t the bath but sheer panic that had brought on this glow.
Dan was in the kitchen pouring two glasses of bubbly. ‘Cleo you are truly beautiful tonight. And before you answer back, you are beautiful whenever I see you. Please come over here and take this drink before I spill it.’
Cleo took it and touched glasses with Dan saying, ‘Here’s to success in your new job.’
‘Thank you,’ he said as she took both glasses and placed them on the kitchen table. Facing him once again, Cleo put her arms around his neck and their lips were almost touching.
‘I’m so glad for you, Dr Collingwood,’ she said.
They kissed softly, then passionately and hungrily before moving away from the kitchen into the hallway. Lounge or upstairs? Cleo didn’t hesitate, she took his hand and they found themselves back on her single bed.
Dan’s fingers travelled up and down her body and his lips trailed kisses from her neck to her breasts and back again. Her skin was on fire; his kisses were taking her on a journey she knew and had yearned for ever since she saw him again. The melting sensation grew and she wouldn’t be able to wait; she weaved her fingers into his hair and pulled his head back to give him a pleading look.
‘Come with me,’ she whispered. He paused and then he stood up and his eyes never left hers as he unbuttoned his trousers and kicked them off. They were together, at last.
Afterwards, there was a peace, a floating and she sank back into herself onto the bed. Dan, I love you she thought.
‘What was that you said?’ Dan’s voice was husky.
Had she said it aloud? She looked into his eyes. ‘Thanks for coming back to me, Dan,’ she whispered.
‘Thank you, Cleo. Thank you for just being you. I love you.’
‘I love you too. I always have.’
Within a few moments they were kissing again. This time it was slower and Cleo had more control over her desire but not much, oh how she wanted this man!
The midnight chimes from the church clock roused Cleo. It was dark and they must have dozed off. She quietly climbed out of bed and stood at the window. The moon was bright over Dunleith; she smiled thinking that her blue moon wish had come true.
They spent the rest of the week trying to keep their rekindled love a secret from the village. It was an open secret because everyone they met seemed to be able to tell that Cleo and Dan were head over heels.
The night before she left for France with the Collingwoods, Alex had badgered her into admitting as much. ‘The EllaBellas and I know you’ve got the hots for Dan and he’s really into you, so just go for it. You want to, don’t you?’
‘The hots? That sounds awful, Alex! But, you’re right, we do like each other… a lot.’ Cleo smiled at Alex’s eagerness for her to confess.
‘More than a lot.’ Alex insisted.
‘Yes, more than a lot,’ she admitted.
‘Go for it, I might even end up being related to my BFFs.’
Yes, you might… if Dan ever asks.’ Cleo grinned at Alex’s expression as she leapt up and hugged Cleo.
‘I never thought you two were a match but now I think you do go together, somehow. Don’t spoil it while I’m away by thinking of work and being sensible.’
‘I won’t,’ promised Cleo. No, she wouldn’t be sensible she promised herself.
The summer days before Dan had to leave for a last trip to Australia to pack up his life over there, passed in a whirlwind. They went back to Newcastle far away from the eyes of Dunleith taking a wailing Pharos who had just got used to his old haunts.
They spent their time on day trips out, nights with Heather and Mark and evenings of finding each other again.
Dan wanted to settle somewhere in Northumberland, an easy journey from Newcastle and so did Cleo. They were going to find somewhere together but she’d asked Dan to stay with her in the apartment until the right place came up.
Cleo had always worked hard at her career but, since looking after Josh, Archie and Alex, she knew she wanted her own children as much as she wanted a teaching career and she wanted them with Dan.
They talked a little about the past and how they’d split up. Dan had felt that she kept him at bay and wanted to be free to follow her career without distractions.
‘I understood how you wanted to achieve to make your Mum proud but, when work always came first, even before family and even though we were still studying and should have some fun times... I thought I was holding you back and should bow out,’ Dan confessed. ‘I always hoped you’d tell me to stop being stupid and fall back into my arms,’ he gave a rueful smile, ‘but, you didn’t.’
‘Oh, I wanted too! I cried rivers when you told me we were through. I blamed Alex of course. I thought it was just because I didn’t like her hanging around us when you loved doing things with the EllaBellas.’
‘It wasn’t just that, Cleo and it wasn’t all you, the kids enjoyed winding you up when they were younger and you reacted every time.’
Cleo smiled; Dan seemed to see the best in her. She really had hated spending time with the kids then and she had been so set on achieving and proving herself to the world. Sh
e hadn’t been ready for Dan then, but she was sure that she was ready for him now.
On their last evening together, over a delicious dinner at Artisan, Dan said, ‘I think we’ve both come of age again, Cleo. A thirties coming of age. We still want each other, we want the same things, at last, and I hope we can have them together.’
‘So do I.’ Cleo wanted to be with Dan; she was ready for the house, the kids, the wedding and she wanted them all with this wonderful man.
‘It’ll only be a few weeks and then I’m back for good and your mother will be back too. I’m going to propose to you properly and we’ll tell the world and our families our plans then.’ Cleo’s heart was full to overflowing, things couldn’t be better.
30
Teri rinsed her hair and enjoyed feeling the strong jets of the shower rinse away the sand and salt from the beach. These days were a perfect bubble of happiness, every day stretched out full of a myriad of things to do and see. Days when they could enjoy one another. Hours drifted by slowly yet time flew too fast. Teri would have to start thinking of when she should book her flight home but swiftly pushed the thought to the back of her mind, not yet, savour the moment.
She stepped out of a haze of lemon-scented steam and wrapped a towelling robe around herself. She hardly recognised her own body because, as well as gaining a much needed pound or two, it had turned such a rich golden shade.
She knew something was wrong the moment she moved onto the balcony to dry off her hair. Greg was sitting there with questions written all over his face and a frown darkening his eyes.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
‘You tell me.’ The stern questioning look he gave her made her shiver.
What did he mean? ‘You’ll have to give me a clue, Greg. I went into the shower and we were fine and now...?’
‘You went into the shower and your phone rang but I couldn’t get to it in time. What I did see was that the caller had tried several times over the past few weeks and that there were messages asking you to ring. A voicemail says your caller is from a hospital and they are anxious to talk to you. Why haven’t you called back? What’s going on, Teri?’
A Jarful of Moondreams: What Secrets Are Ready to Spill Out? Page 18