Forever at Conwenna Cove

by Forever at Conwenna Cove (retail) (epub)

  And yet, here he was, in his thirties and he still hadn’t travelled extensively. So what was holding Nate back? The past, the present or the fact that he had been so contented living in Conwenna Cove?

  Or even the fact that he was just a different man to his father…

  ‘Hello, darling.’

  He turned to find his mother standing in the doorway, smiling at him.

  ‘Hi, Mum.’

  ‘I told you I’d keep her until you decide you want her back.’

  He smiled. ‘Thanks, but I’m not certain that I ever will.’

  ‘You never know, Nate. I’d hate to get rid of the campervan then for you to regret it.’

  His mother walked towards him and opened her arms. ‘Gosh, you look good, Nate. So much like your father it takes my breath away.’

  His mother embraced him on her tiptoes, and he had to lean forwards so she could kiss him. When she pulled away, she rubbed at his cheek.

  ‘Lipstick.’ She smiled. ‘When did you start wearing chinos?’

  He shrugged. ‘Just getting older, I guess.’

  ‘Well, they suit you, Nate. Very smart.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum. Are you still driving the van around?’

  ‘Oh, yes, darling. The girls love going to bingo in it. They all get quite excited when I pick them up and I have to play all the old hits nice and loud so they can sing along. You’d think I was driving a bunch of teenagers around, not women in their fifties and sixties.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re keeping it going.’

  ‘And I will, until you decide to take it.’

  Nate sighed – there was no point debating this with his mother again. They talked about it every time he visited and, every time, he’d say he didn’t want the van and she could sell it. Secretly, he knew that if she sold it he’d be devastated, but he still couldn’t use the van, so he was glad his mother kept it going. One day, he hoped, he’d be able to drive the campervan again and to feel happy about it, not overshadowed by guilt. One day… perhaps.

  ‘Come on inside and have a drink. You must be parched after that drive.’

  She took his arm and led him into the bungalow where it was cool. The scent of roses emanated from a plug-in air freshener in the hallway, not quite hiding the smell of roast dinner.

  ‘Richard’s cooking pork, so I hope you’re hungry. He’s done that fancy apple sauce he makes, and the crackling will be divine.’

  Nate smiled. He wasn’t a big fan of pork but didn’t want to offend his mother or his stepfather after they’d clearly made such an effort. Nate had always been welcomed into their bungalow but it was strange for him, because it didn’t feel like home. He couldn’t imagine staying there or running there if he had any trouble. He knew his mother loved him but Richard, nice as he was, would always be someone his mother met after his father. He was a kind man with a good sense of humour, but Nate always felt that he had to be slightly formal around him, that he couldn’t fully be himself in case he caused offence or shocked Richard and disappointed his mother.

  In the kitchen, his mother opened the fridge and brought out a bottle of white wine.

  ‘Nate?’

  ‘Oh, no, thanks, Mum. I’ll have a coke if you’ve got one.’

  She nodded, then opened the fridge again and brought out a bottle of Madagascan vanilla cola. Nate hid his smile; it couldn’t be plain old cola, it had to have something fancy in the title. That was how his mother had changed. When she was with his father, she was down to earth and happy to buy supermarket budget products, but Richard had money and he liked to live the highlife, so it had become the same for his mother too.

  She pressed a glass into the ice dispenser on the front of the fridge, then filled it with coke.

  ‘Let’s take these into the conservatory, shall we?’

  They sat on the plump cushioned wicker furniture that smelt of fabric softener, and Nate placed his glass onto a coaster on the small glass table.

  ‘Everything’s all right, isn’t it, Mum?’ He’d just as well find out now and check if his suspicions were right or if he was worrying unnecessarily.

  ‘Well…’ She bit her lip.

  ‘Are you okay? Mum? Where is Richard anyway? I thought you said he’s cooking lunch.’

  Paula glanced around.

  ‘Look… I can’t say much, love, but things haven’t been going too well with the business. What with the recession and some… unpaid taxes that Richard had forgotten about, our financial situation isn’t looking too good.’

  ‘Bloody hell, Mum, I’m sorry to hear that.’

  She sighed, and Nate realized that although she’d initially seemed as flawless as ever in her purple silk blouse and black, wide-leg trousers, she actually appeared quite tired. In the bright sunshine that warmed the conservatory, he could see that she was wearing quite a lot of foundation and that it was blusher making her cheeks appear rosy, not healthy as he’d first thought when she’d greeted him. She’d also seemed rather thin when she’d hugged him. She’d always been fit and toned because she did Pilates and yoga six days out of seven, but she’d been rather angular in his embrace.

  ‘What about your job, Mum?’

  She lifted her glass of wine to her lips and sipped it before replying. ‘I was made redundant. Four months ago.’

  ‘What? You didn’t say anything.’

  ‘Oh, well… you know, Nate, you’ve got your life and I didn’t think it was a biggee.’

  ‘A biggee?’

  ‘A big problem. I thought we’d be fine as Richard still had the warehouse, and we had savings.’

  ‘And do you still have those savings?’

  She shook her head. ‘Back taxes.’

  ‘Shit. I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.’

  She stood up. ‘Richard’s probably in the shed getting more tonic water. I’ll go and call him to let him know you’re here.’

  ‘Hold on a minute, Mum. Is there anything I can do to help?’

  ‘No, darling. We’ll be fine, I’m sure. It’s simply a blip.’

  ‘Well, if I can help, let me know.’

  ‘I’m a caterer, Nate. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for years but I’m fast heading towards sixty. I could probably get a job if I looked, I just didn’t expect to be looking at my time of life.’

  ‘You have a pension though, right?’

  She nodded. ‘But I don’t want to draw on it until I’m sixty-five, if possible. I had a redundancy payout but it wasn’t that big, and certainly won’t pay the mortgage on this place for long. Besides, I like to think of the redundancy money as a buffer in case of emergencies.’

  Nate moved to the edge of his seat. ‘I assumed the mortgage was paid off a long time ago.’

  His mother’s dark green eyes flitted nervously around the conservatory.

  ‘Don’t tell me he remortgaged it?’

  ‘Please don’t say a word about any of this, darling. There he is!’ Her voice became shrill as she waved at her husband.

  She rushed towards the double glass doors that opened onto the flawless lawn.

  ‘Richard! Nate has arrived.’

  Richard entered the conservatory and Nate stood up to shake his hand.

  ‘Good to see you, Nate. How the devil are you?’

  Nate smiled at his stepfather and suppressed the urge to say, Far better than you it seems.

  * * *

  Zoe entered the Conwenna Arms and went to the bar. She didn’t normally go out for Sunday lunch but today she couldn’t face cooking for one in her cottage. The diner was closed on Sundays, except for special occasions, and she was glad because she was tired after the engagement party last night.

  Oh, but it had been lovely! Such a fabulous occasion with Grace, Oli and their families and friends, all together in Zoe’s lovely diner. The champagne had flowed and the cake that Simon and Amy made had been delicious. It had taken over an hour to tidy up after everyone had gone, but Zoe had been in a daze, so she’d barely noticed
what she was doing.

  And the daze had been down to dancing with Nate at the party. She could still feel his hands on her, his warmth against her, and the scent of his aftershave lingered on her hair. She’d tossed and turned all night, waking from sensual dreams thinking he was there with her, but it had been her imagination toying with her, her long-latent desire increasing her longing for him. She’d given in at five am and gone downstairs to snuggle with a mug of tea and Raven’s soft blanket, then she’d reclined on the sofa, day dreaming about the handsome man she knew was falling for. All the while cursing herself for allowing it to happen.

  But Zoe’s practical side had forced her into action by ten o’clock and she’d made herself clean the house thoroughly before taking a long, hot shower. She couldn’t spend all day moping around like a love-sick teenager, so she’d decided to go for a walk then to eat out, and the pub had seemed like the obvious choice.

  She paid for her glass of lemonade then went around the bar to find a seat.

  ‘Zoe!’

  She spotted Grace, Oli, Amy and Tom at a corner table. Grace was waving her over.

  ‘Well, I didn’t expect to see you two out and about today after all that champ—’ Zoe glanced at Tom and found his brown eyes glued to her face. ‘I mean, after all that celebrating.’

  ‘Oh, we’re fine!’ Grace smiled. ‘Probably still celebrating a bit now, you know. That’s why we walked here.’

  ‘I like celebrating,’ Tom said, as he picked up his glass of orange juice. ‘Cheers!’ He tapped his glass against Amy’s just as she was taking a sip, causing her juice to slosh over the side and over her cheeks.

  ‘Tom!’ Amy scowled at her brother.

  ‘Here, let me get that.’ Grace used a napkin to dry Amy’s face. ‘Tom, we’ve told you not to do cheers when someone is already drinking.’

  Grace shook her head at Zoe.

  ‘Thanks again for last night, Zoe. It was a fantastic party and we all had a great time.’

  ‘You’re welcome. I was delighted to host you.’ Zoe sipped her lemonade.

  ‘Are you meeting anyone?’ Oli asked, peering behind Zoe as if searching for her companions.

  ‘No. No. I’m here for some lunch.’

  ‘Then you must join us.’ Grace patted the seat next to her.

  ‘I couldn’t do that. I don’t want to impose.’

  ‘It’s not imposing at all. We’re friends, aren’t we?’ Grace smiled up at Zoe, her bright blue eyes suffused with warmth.

  ‘Yes, have lunch with us, Zoe, and I can tell you all about my new makeover plans.’ Amy smiled at Zoe and held up her red handbag. ‘I have my kit with me so I could always help you with your make-up if you like.’

  Zoe glanced at Grace and found her eyes wide in warning, but what could she do? If Amy wanted to help her, then who was she to refuse?

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Amy, thank you.’

  Zoe sat next to Grace and allowed Amy to make her look pretty for dinner, which turned out to be quite an ordeal as the girl spread foundation over her skin with a sponge then topped it up with powder before starting on her eyes. Zoe’s skin tightened with the weight of the make-up and she tried to keep her face still to avoid cracking the layers.

  ‘Ha ha!’ Fifteen minutes later, Tom was pointing at Zoe, his little face scrunched up with amusement.

  Zoe had been chatting away to Grace about books, movies, wine and summer plans, so she’d let Amy carry on with her makeover. Now, though, she was a bit worried.

  ‘Oh, it’s lovely, Amy, well done.’ Grace winked at Zoe. ‘Perhaps you should let Zoe check it out in the toilet mirror.’

  ‘Not yet,’ Amy said, leaning closer to Zoe again, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. ‘I’ve a bit more to do first.’ She turned to Grace and whispered, ‘Her eyebrows are a bit bushy.’

  Zoe winced as Amy attacked her with tweezers, pulling and plucking and making her eyes water.

  ‘Ouch! I wasn’t aware that I had hairs between my eyebrows.’

  ‘Your monobrow more like.’ Amy tutted, and Zoe bit her lip. Nothing like a pre-teen to put you in your place.

  ‘Would you like to go through to the dining room now?’ It was one of the bar staff.

  ‘Yes, thanks, I’m ravenous.’ Oli helped Tom from his seat and Grace got up.

  ‘Come on then, Amy. Let Zoe come and have some lunch.’

  Amy leaned backwards and admired her work.

  ‘I’m done now anyway, and you look beautiful, Zoe. So much better than when you got here.’

  ‘Thanks so much,’ Zoe said, her tongue firmly planted inside her cheek. She picked up her bag and her drink and followed the family through to the dining room.

  As she walked, she was conscious of a few nods and some people smiling, but she suspected it was because she rarely wore much make-up and now her face felt as if she’d donned a mask. Hopefully, Amy had given her a beautiful, airbrushed appearance to rival the Kardashians, and not a face that would make a clown pale in comparison.

  ‘While we wait for lunch shall I do yours too, Grace?’ Amy asked, getting her make-up purse out in readiness.

  ‘Oh, not today, thanks, Amy. I’m having a day off to let my skin breathe.’ Grace lifted her menu and Zoe saw that it was shaking as Grace laughed.

  ‘Okay, fine. Well, I’ll just do Louise’s later when we go round for tea.’

  ‘Yes, Mum will love that.’ Grace’s menu shook even harder.

  They perused the menus and when the waitress arrived to take a drinks order, Oli asked if Zoe and Grace would like some wine. They agreed, so he ordered a bottle of house white.

  When it arrived, Zoe sipped hers and began to relax. She loved the dynamics of this little family. Before Grace had arrived in Conwenna Cove, Zoe hadn’t known Oli very well. She’d dealt with him when she’d taken Raven in and done a few trips for the sanctuary dogs, but he’d been shut down after his first wife’s death and, at times, Zoe had found him cold. But now… he was a different man. He’d been through such a lot of pain and sadness and Grace coming to Conwenna had been wonderful for him and his children, because she’d helped them all to heal. None of them would ever forget his first wife, Linda – Zoe knew this because she’d heard him talk about her with Grace and the children – but falling in love again had given him a second chance at life. And people did deserve second chances. The same could be said of her, couldn’t it? Both Oli and Grace had been afraid to love – for different reasons – but they’d seen something in each other that had made the risk worth it. Sometimes, taking a chance on someone and moving on had to be worth a go…

  She was dragged from her musings by the arrival of the waitress who’d come to take their orders.

  ‘And what’s it going to be for you, Tom?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Garlic bread.’

  Oli rubbed his eyes. ‘Don’t start that again, Tom.’

  ‘When I first went out with Oli and the children, Tom always wanted garlic bread,’ Grace explained. ‘We thought we’d weaned him off it but…’ She shrugged.

  ‘Tom, it’s Sunday, you can’t have garlic bread.’ Oli pointed at the Sunday lunch menu.

  ‘Okay then, can I have…’ Tom tapped his small fingers on his cheek. ‘Steak with that sauce.’

  ‘Steak?’ Oli’s eyebrows shot up.

  ‘What sauce?’ Grace asked.

  ‘The leprechaun one.’ Tom clapped his hands. ‘Yes, I want steak with leprechaun sauce.’

  Zoe leant closer to Grace. ‘Leprechaun sauce?’

  ‘I have no idea,’ Grace replied.

  ‘It’s brown and it makes your tongue go…’ Tom opened his mouth and waved a hand in front of it.

  ‘Do you mean peppercorn sauce?’ Oli asked.

  ‘Yes!’ Tom’s eyes lit up. ‘That’s the one. Simon always has it and I tried some and it made my eyes sting.’

  Grace and Zoe started giggling.

  ‘Look, Tom, you can have peppercorn sauce next time we come he
re, but today you’ll have to have beef and gravy. Is that okay?’

  Tom nodded.

  ‘The smiles never end with this lot,’ Grace said to Zoe. ‘I never know what Amy’s going to do to my hair or face or what Tom’s going to say next.’

  ‘You have a lovely family.’

  Grace glanced around her and, when she met Zoe’s gaze again, her eyes shone. ‘I do and I know I’m very lucky indeed.’

  After they’d eaten, and there hadn’t been a leprechaun in sight, Amy and Tom went off to play in the park at the back of the pub, and Oli followed them to keep an eye on Tom. Amy had, of course, insisted that she wouldn’t be playing but would be entertaining her brother, and Zoe and Grace had nodded along, but when she’d gone, Grace told Zoe that Amy still liked to race Tom on the swings.

  ‘She’s so grown up in many ways but part of her still wants to be a little girl. It’s as if she lost part of her childhood when her mum died, and she’s trying to cling to that time because when she’s all grown up, she’ll be letting go.’

  ‘Is she doing all right, though?’

  Grace nodded. ‘She’s an absolute sweetheart and we get on so well. More and more, she’ll come up to me just to hug me. If I’m editing on the sofa, I usually have Hope on one side and Amy on the other. That’s if Tom doesn’t beat one of them to it. And there’s Katy Purry, of course. Amy takes that cat everywhere, and would have brought it out for lunch if we’d let her.’

  Zoe smiled, imagining how warm and lovely it would be to have people and dogs wanting to snuggle up to her. Amy’s cat had been a rescue that she had found at Simon and Louise’s cottage before they’d moved in.

  ‘Are you missing Raven?’ Grace asked.

  ‘Very much.’

  ‘I don’t know how you cope. It would break my heart if I lost Hope now. Although I do know that one day I will.’

  ‘One day a long, long time from now,’ Zoe said. ‘She’ll be here for ages. The thing with Raven was that she was already getting on in years.’

  ‘But you made her happy, didn’t you? After her owner couldn’t keep her any more.’

  ‘I really hope so, Grace. I loved her, that’s for sure.’