‘Oh?’ He looked up at her.
‘She’s working on the sweet stall. I was surprised, to be honest. I mean, who would swap London for Hedworth indoor market selling strawberry bonbons and liquorice allsorts? I couldn’t begin to—’
‘Sam,’ Reece interupted, holding up a hand. He gulped before saying the words she’d waited to hear. ‘How would you feel if I moved back in?’ Nervously, he glanced at her while he ate a spoonful of apple crumble and custard. ‘Are you able to give us another try?’
‘I thought you’d changed your mind,’ she confessed.
‘I’m not going back on anything,’ he said. ‘What about you?’
Sam grinned as she shook her head. ‘We’ve always been good together. We just lost our way when—’
‘When we couldn’t have kids,’ Reece broke in. ‘We should have been more grown up about it, I suppose.’
‘I’m not sure I realised anything was happening to us until it was too late,’ Sam admitted.
‘I think maybe it was easier for me to run away too rather than face it at the time. But if I do come back home again, what happens if we still can’t have children? How would you feel then?’
Sam gnawed on her bottom lip before speaking. ‘Is that what you thought? That I didn’t want to be around you any more because I couldn’t get pregnant?’
Reece shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. It might have been me that didn’t want to be reminded, I suppose. But even so, will it cause us problems?’ He glanced at her, the anguish in his eyes clear.
‘Neither of us know if we can have children with anyone else, though, do we?’
‘Is that what you wanted to find out?’
‘No!’ Sam recoiled slightly at his suggestion. ‘I – I just missed being a couple, I think.’
Reece went to speak but changed his mind. Sam cringed, wondering if he was thinking that she’d slept with Dan, so she could be pregnant with his child. But his next question removed any doubts.
‘So, what do you think?’ He smiled at her the way he used to do, cheeky yet unsure, before reaching across the table for her hand.
Sam nodded, relieved and hopeful. After all these years, how could they not try again?
* * *
The next morning at work, Sam had a spring in her step. Reece had stayed the night and despite their nervousness, they’d made love and again this morning before he’d set off really early back to Sheffield. She couldn’t believe that he’d be home for good when he came back next weekend. She made a mental note to get a couple of pieces of sirloin from Derek’s stall. And a fresh cream trifle too. And some decent wine on her trip to the supermarket.
She added a reminder to her phone to make an appointment to see the doctor too. Having spoken about children again, they were going to look into fertility testing once Reece was back for good.
Sam went outside to the skip with a handful of cardboard boxes. As she stamped on them to crush them down, she noticed Jay dropping Nicci off and waved to them. Once she’d finished, she looked up again to see that Jay was still sitting in his car, staring ahead. She walked over to him.
‘Hey.’ Sam dipped her head to come level with his window. ‘How’re things with you?’
‘So, so,’ he replied, not even managing a smile.
‘Oh, dear, sounds ominous. You and Nicci haven’t fallen out, have you?’
‘We had a row but everything is sorted now,’ he said. Then, he added, ‘actually, Sam, have you got a few minutes to spare?’
‘Sure.’ Sam clambered in beside him. Suddenly, Jay was telling her everything. About the proposal, the secret wedding, finding the notebook, the argument with Nicci, the debt he had, the money Nicci had spent.
‘Wow.’ Sam was a little dazed by how much she had to take in. ‘I bet that felt good to offload. So what happened next?’
‘Since we made up we’ve sat down together and devised a new plan to pay off the money I owe, as well as put a little away each month towards a wedding in a couple of years.’
‘And is Nicci happy with that?’ Sam knew how much she wanted to get married. It was all she ever talked about.
‘She says she is.’ Jay drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘But it didn’t make me feel good to see her so hurt. And all that money she’s wasted because of me. Most of the deposits she sent are non-returnable. Either the order goes ahead or the money is lost. I wish there was a way round it all.’
They sat in silence for a moment, each mulling on their thoughts.
‘I don’t know what to do.’ Jay sighed out loud.
‘Hey.’ Sam touched his forearm gently. ‘It’s not the end of the world. Nicci will understand. And having a roof over your head without any debt is always a top priority in my eyes. Plus, she did do it all without you knowing.’
‘That’s true, but she only wanted to do something nice to surprise me.’
‘Even so …’
Jay struggled to keep his emotions inside. ‘I really want to marry her. I’ve wanted to for ages now. I want to have kids and I – I love Nicci so much that I want her to have the best of everything. It killed me to keep it secret from her. Couples shouldn’t have secrets. I’m actually glad it’s out in the open now.’
Ignoring the guilt that she felt at the mention of secrets, Sam’s eyes brimmed with tears, touched that Jay would share that with her. They always looked so happy together, him and Nicci, infuriatingly happy, in fact. There must be something she could do. An idea began to form in her mind.
‘Does anyone else know about this?’
‘No.’ Jay shook his head. ‘I know it’s sneaky but I had to share it with someone. And I couldn’t talk to Matt or Ryan. I just couldn’t.’
‘Well, why don’t you turn the surprise around?’
Jay looked puzzled.
‘How about we do something, oh I don’t know, at the market hall? Dress it up to look all romantic, get everyone around the stalls involved, keep costs down and keep it secret from her until the day.’
‘It’s a bit far from what she wanted, don’t you think?’
‘Not necessarily. If we make it romantic and special, people will be talking about it for years to come. Nicci would love that.’
Jay was silent for a moment. Then he smiled.
‘She did say that the most important thing is that we get married.’ He paused. ‘Are you sure that would work?’
‘It’ll be tricky, but yes, I think so.’ Sam nodded. ‘Do you think you can keep it a secret from her?’
‘I can try my best. And if she does find out, perhaps she’ll be happy that we’re getting married regardless. Win-win in my eyes.’
Sam smiled. ‘Quickly, there are two things I need you to do. The first is to have another look at that list she wrote and see if there’s anything there to suggest a dress and shoes. Arranging little details without Nicci knowing is one thing, but a bride has to have the final say on her dress and accessories. If the dress she likes is too expensive, maybe we can get Cynthia on the fabric stall to make up something comparable? And Clara might have some similar shoes in Shoenique.’
‘I’m on it.’ Jay nodded.
‘Then I need you to find out which parts of the wedding she’s already paid money towards and I’ll chat to them, see if we can salvage anything. At least if I tell them what we’re doing initially, you can go and speak to them afterwards. Do you think you can manage that?’
‘Yep.’ Jay nodded again.
‘Good.’ Sam got out of the car. ‘Then I suggest you get yourself off to work and don’t mention that you saw me today. This is going to be some secret to keep.’
Chapter Sixteen
Sam walked back through the market, her eyes flicking onto every stall as she passed. Already, she was planning. Once Jay came back to her with what exactly she needed to do, then she’d get cracking on with the arrangements and start roping in people to help.
The first thing she needed to sort out was permission to hold a wedding in the mar
ket hall. With glee, she realised she’d need to make a list. Sam was one of life’s big list-makers. Since being left on her own at such a young age, she had become uber-organised. It was the reason she’d been able to hold down the stall and the house.
A secret wedding, how romantic! She recalled her own. Reece proposed to her about a month after her dad’s funeral, although they didn’t get married straight away. Since Martin wouldn’t be there, Sam didn’t want a fuss. A small wedding in the local registry office had sufficed, so there was no need for anyone to walk her down an aisle. They’d gone out with a few close friends for a meal afterwards and then everyone had trooped back to their house for a knees-up where more people were invited.
As weddings went, for her and Reece it had been ideal. There was no falling out about colours and flowers, no bickering about who’d been invited and who hadn’t and best of all, no terrible presents to laugh about, as everyone had given them holiday vouchers. They’d booked a week in the Canary Islands and set off the next month.
It wouldn’t suit some but both she and Reece had enjoyed it that way, even though there had been tears when she’d wished her dad had been there to see how happy she was on the day.
Where was she? Ah, yes, the list. Melissa from the make-up counter could do Nicci’s make-up and nails. She could ask Sally at Cupcake Delights to do the cake and Mr Adams to do the overall catering. It would seem fair for them each to do a bit. She knew they’d both want to. Everyone liked Nicci, she was always so upbeat and positive about everything. Most people knew Jay too.
Then there was Matt and Ryan. Well, there was only one job for those two.
The sweet stall – Jay had said he’d let his parents know of the plans, so there was no rush to tell Malcolm and Maureen but he’d have to ensure they gave Jess the minimum of information. Sam wouldn’t put it past her to have sabotaged the wedding purposely. Still angry after Jay had told her what his sister had done, she’d wanted to confront Jess straight away. But she hadn’t got time for that now as she had a wedding to plan. Maybe she should add it to her list of things to do!
‘Oh, she’s back at last,’ Louise cried when Sam finally drew level with her own stall. ‘I thought you’d driven to the incinerator to destroy the boxes, you’ve been that long. What kept you?’
Seeing Nicci close by, Sam shrugged her shoulders. ‘Oh, I was chatting to Matt.’ But as she passed Louise, she leaned in close. ‘Actually, I was chatting to Jay, and he told me all about the scuppered wedding.’
Louise looked up quickly. ‘I was sworn to secrecy.’
‘Oh, never mind that. Let’s go the café for a quick coffee. I have something to tell you.’
While Sam and Louise discussed the wedding, making a list of things that needed to be done for Nicci and Jay’s big day, Matt had his head in the morning’s newspaper, in between serving customers. Behind him, Ryan was making coffee.
‘Hey,’ Ryan passed him a mug afterwards, ‘will you do me a favour, old buddy?’
‘That depends on what it is and if it involves me being out of pocket,’ said Matt.
‘I just need you to cover for me while I, erm, attend to a little business.’
Matt looked up at Ryan. He could see his friend was watching the sweet stall – or rather, he was watching Jess. Suddenly, it all clicked into place.
‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ he replied.
‘No.’
‘And that’s why you want me to cover for you?’ When Ryan grinned, Matt shook his head. ‘No way. I told you after the last piece of skirt that I wasn’t comfortable lying to Sarah. I sure as hell won’t do it again.’
‘Aw, go on, mate,’ Ryan pleaded. ‘It’s only this once. No one will know.’
‘I’ll know.’
‘But it wouldn’t be—’
‘I said no!’ Matt slapped his hand on the boxes piled up in front of him, causing a few people walking past to look around.
‘I was only going to take her out for a drink after work one night, that’s all.’
‘Oh, right. So you wouldn’t want to see her again? And you wouldn’t want me to cover for you then too? And again and again?’ Matt prodded him sharply in the chest. ‘I know you of old, buddy. You’ve done this on me before and I won’t be dragged into it again. The answer is no.’
‘Fine. But it doesn’t mean that I won’t see her. I’ll just have to think of another excuse.’
‘Yeah, you do that, you selfish piece of shit.’ Matt pushed past him and out into the aisle. He glared at Jess as he stormed past. ‘Keep away from him,’ he told her.
Fury rushed out of him. Why would Ryan want to mess around with Jess, and risk everything for a fumble with a cheap tart who was only after a bit of fun? Surely he could see what he had – a wife, children and a lovely home. Just what Matt had always wanted, yet Ryan was willing to chuck it all away.
At the bottom of the market, Charley and Sophie were sitting in the back corner of Jeff’s café. It was half term and they were making the most of their break. Louise had treated them to breakfast and they were noisily tucking into bacon and eggs with fried bread, washed down with tea in striped blue and white mugs.
‘Whatcha!’ Charley shouted when she saw Matt. But he didn’t stop, even though she knew he’d spotted them. ‘Wonder what’s eating him?’ she said to Sophie as she poked the runny yolk of her egg with a piece of bread.
‘Dunno,’ said Sophie, following suit with her own. ‘I wonder if your mum has said something nasty to him.’
‘Probably,’ said Charley. ‘I just wish they could both see what everyone else sees. Matt’s mad about her and Mum’s mad about him but they pretend they don’t love each other.’
‘I know! Speaking of love, what’s Alex got to say today?’ Sophie mopped up the last bit of egg with the fried bread.
‘He says he wishes he had the money to come to Hedworth and hook up.’ Charley’s face lit up with a smile. ‘I wish he had too. I’d love to meet him in person.’
‘Let me see his profile pic again.’
Eagerly, Charley got out her phone and located it for her, checking her messages first to see if Alex had got in contact since the last time she checked. ‘Hang on, he’s left me a reply.’
‘Ooh.’ Sophie leaned forward. ‘Let me see.’
‘No!’ Charley pulled back the phone. ‘I want to see it first. It might be private.’
‘Since when has anything been private between me and you?’ Sophie seemed a little put out.
Since Charley had found someone she could talk to who didn’t go to her school, she thought. All the rumours that had been circulating about her had lessened, but the name calling hadn’t and she was sick of it. Alex knew what people were saying because he could read her Facebook feed. But it didn’t seem to be bothering him at all.
She read his message:
‘I loved watching Strictly Come Dancing but don’t tell anyone. Some of the dancers in it are quite fit. Not as fit as you are, though. You look lovely from your photo. That is you, isn’t it? You haven’t used someone else’s photo, have you? LOL!’
Charley’s grin widened.
‘He likes the photo I emailed to him,’ she said. This time, she let Sophie take the phone from her.
‘He is rather cute, isn’t he?’ Sophie studied it before handing it back. ‘Do you think he’ll have any mates I can tag along with?’
‘If only.’ Charley sighed. ‘He lives in Wales. It’s miles from here.’
‘There are plenty of trains that regularly go from Manchester. Or you could get a coach.’
‘And they cost money I haven’t got.’
‘Why not work on the market stall? Sam’s always after you to do a Saturday shift.’
‘Hey, I might just do that!” Charley beamed. Ever since she could remember, she’d always been against the idea of working on a Saturday. Saturdays were for getting up late, going shopping and chilling with Sophie, not working with your mum, hurling potatoes and apples into pensioner
s’ shopping trolleys. But if this thing with Alex developed, she could ask Sam again. Then she could go and see Alex.
Lost in a loved-up dreamy daze, Charley wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She sighed. It wasn’t fair that he lived so far away.
‘Shall we get going?’ Sophie asked, the chair scraping noisily across the floor as she stood up. ‘I can only window shop but they have some gorge stuff in TopShop.’
‘Sure.’ Charley shrugged in answer. Secretly, she wanted to sit here and chat to Alex through her phone. Or maybe go home and chat to him online. He’d mentioned something about FaceTime, or maybe they could Snapchat.
Later, as Charley waited while Sophie tried clothes on, she took out her phone and ran a finger over the image of Alex’s smiling features. She clicked to make the photo larger, as she had on many occasions now. His hair was dark, black almost, and cut short. Teamed with a cheeky grin were the most amazing brown eyes, with a twinkle that made her stomach flip every time she saw them. He sat with his dog; a German shepherd she knew was called Murphy, on a wooden bench. It had been taken in his back garden.
Quickly, she thought of something witty to say and sent him a message back.
‘Ha, ha. Very Funny. I am assuming that is you with Murphy and you’re not actually a dog! xx’
Once the message had been delivered, she thought about that kiss again. Charley tapped the phone lightly on her lips and grinned. Maybe things might start to look up now and she could forget about those idiots at school.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day, ladies,’ said Sam as she walked onto the stall just after ten o’clock the next day. She was late in after calling into the GP’s surgery to see the nurse. She’d wanted to discuss a few options with her before booking an appointment to see the doctor about her inability to conceive.
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