The Canal Boat Café Christmas_Port Out

by Cressida McLaughlin

  ‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Summer said.

  ‘It’s amazing,’ laughed Beth. ‘Why is it like that?’

  ‘I haven’t been able to find out.’ Summer shook her head. ‘The waterways are more close-knit than you’d think, considering the stretches of open river, and yet nobody seems to have any idea who’s given the hut a makeover – it used to be derelict.’

  ‘Maybe everyone involved is sworn to secrecy?’ said Aliana, her eyes widening at the possibility.

  ‘Could be. There’s an old-fashioned air of mystery about this lifestyle, this area. Lots of traditions, lots of strange stories.’

  ‘It must get hard in the winter though,’ Beth said, shivering in her cream parka.

  ‘Oh, it does.’ Summer felt a twist of nerves. Tomorrow was the first of November, the winter was on its way, and she had only one year’s experience behind her. There were challenges to being a liveaboard all year round, and she wondered what this Christmas would bring, especially with the idea that had been steadily growing, gaining shape and substance in her thoughts. ‘Shall we go in?’ she asked. ‘It’s food time!’

  The café’s interior was welcoming, the orange glow from the pumpkins and their electric tea lights adding to the effect, and the mood was jubilant. Summer joined Harry in the kitchen and they took out trays of nibbles, refilled everyone’s drinks and made them feel pampered.

  As well as the champagne, there were cocktails and mocktails made with blood orange juice, and a range of canapés – fingers of pâté on ciabatta, discs of courgette and pea bruschetta, smoked salmon and horseradish blinis and tempura prawns with sweet-chilli dipping sauce. They had stopped short of producing full-on Halloween-themed food, such as lychees as eyeballs or biscuits shaped like fingers, Summer reminding Harry that, while it was All Saints’ Eve, it was also an engagement party for adults rather than children.

  While the guests laughed and ate and drank, Summer and Harry stood side by side behind the counter.

  ‘What are Greg and Tommy up to tonight?’ Summer asked.

  Harry wrinkled her pretty nose. ‘Greg’s taking Tommy trick-or-treating. Reluctantly, I might add. We don’t have a lot of close neighbours.’

  Summer’s best friend, along with her husband Greg and eleven-year-old son Tommy, lived in an idyllic country cottage with roses around the door. It was stuck out on the edge of a Cambridgeshire village, and Summer could imagine Greg stalking along the country roads with a torch, his shoulders bunched up against the cold while Tommy, ever enthusiastic, took his pumpkin bucket to the front doors of houses that sometimes had a half-mile stretch of nothing in between them.

  ‘What’s he dressed up as?’

  ‘A Stormtrooper,’ Harry admitted, and they both laughed. ‘What’s Mason doing tonight? I hope he’s not going trick-or-treating with Archie.’

  ‘Do you think he’d risk that? If ever a scenario spelt disaster, it would be that one. No, he’s tinkering with his latest magazine article.’

  ‘Is that still going well?’

  ‘It is! Sometimes he feels the pressure of having something new to write about, but he always manages it, and it’s always interesting – even for someone who’s not as much of a nature buff as he is.’ Mason had recently won a contract with an eastern region nature magazine to write a regular article, complete with his own photographs, about the seasonal highlights and unusual sightings in the area. It gave him focus, as well as a new challenge, and Summer was sure it would lead on to other things. She wasn’t the only one who had made leaps and bounds career-wise, and she wondered if it was partly due to them both feeling happy and secure.

  As Josh, stooping slightly beneath the narrowboat’s low ceiling, tapped a spoon on the side of his glass and, staring adoringly at Emma, proceeded to tell the group of close friends how much he loved her and how excited he was to be marrying her, Summer knew she was grinning idiotically. The young couple seemed wonderfully happy, and it was clear they had so much to look forward to. Summer’s applause was more profuse than most when Josh raised his glass for a toast, and when she returned from the kitchen carrying more bottles of fizz, icy-cold from the fridge, Harry gave her a curious look.

  Everyone was fully in the party spirit by the time Summer manoeuvred the boat slowly round and began the return journey. The canapés were finished, more champagne was drunk and Madeleine seemed to vibrate with laughter. Even Mark and Stuart had relaxed, listening intently while Aliana told everyone about the last time she had been on a boat, a ferry over to France, and her younger brother had spent the whole time with his head in a bucket, his face greener than the pea bruschetta.

  As the clock struck ten, the guests thanked Summer and Harry, Emma enveloping Summer in a sweet-smelling hug, and stepped from the deck onto the towpath in turn. Several taxis were waiting in Willowbeck’s small car park, engines running, exhausts puffing out into the cold night sky in much the same way as Summer’s breath. She stood on the deck and watched them all go, giving Josh a final wave as he climbed into the back of the taxi.

  After the short flurry of activity, the riverside village was suddenly still. The butcher’s, newsagent’s and gift shop that faced the river were all quiet, and only the Black Swan was aglow with life, its large windows golden and inviting. Summer’s mind was firmly fixed on finding Mason, getting the hot chocolate he had promised her, and sinking into his arms. But Harry wasn’t ready to let her go.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she asked, as they gave the café a final check, ensuring everything was tidy, the appliances switched off. The pumpkins would remain until tomorrow but, even though electric tea lights were safer than real flames, she removed them all and switched them off, with the exception of Mason’s wolf. She tucked his pumpkin under her arm as she let Latte, who had spent the evening sitting at her feet as she steered the boat, or snoozing on her sofa, and then Harry onto the deck. She didn’t sleep on Madeleine very often these days, The Sandpiper being much more comfortable and having the significant added bonus of Mason on it, but occasionally he had to take his boat away for work, and so her cosy living quarters weren’t entirely abandoned.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Summer asked, focusing on locking the door, securing her boat for the night.

  She heard Harry sigh behind her, and turned to meet a look that was entirely penetrating, even under the soft glow of the towpath lamps.

  ‘Don’t play the innocent with me, Summer Freeman. What was all the smiling, the nervous energy about tonight? Your bounce has gone up several levels, and when Josh was talking about marrying Emma …’ Her words faded away, and she gasped into the darkness. ‘Has Mason proposed? Oh my God!’ She glanced at The Sandpiper as they stepped onto the towpath, and took Summer by the shoulders. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? How could you keep this from me?’ The words were a loud, squeaky whisper, and Latte, sensing the excitement, let out a loud yip.

  Summer realized, then, that she wouldn’t be able to keep her idea to herself; she was too transparent, and her best friend knew her too well. Besides, in only a few minutes Harry and Latte combined would have woken the whole of Cambridgeshire’s wild dog population with their high-pitched squeaking. She knew she could trust her.

  ‘No,’ she said, ‘Mason hasn’t proposed, but …’ she paused, took a deep breath. ‘I’m going to.’

  Chapter Two

  ‘You’re what? Oh, Summer, when? How?’ Harry clapped her hands together, and Latte upped her barking. Suddenly the dark towpath was charged with excitement, and the last thing Summer wanted was for Mason to overhear the commotion, come outside and rumble them. Madeleine was all locked up now, and she didn’t want to have to go through the process all over again, so she pointed towards the pub.

  ‘I’ve got half an hour before I have to leave,’ Harry said. ‘I want to know everything!’

  ‘You have to promise not to tell anyone else.’

  ‘Of course, of course.’ Summer could see her friend’s eagerness, recognized in her jitteriness
the way she had been feeling for the last few weeks, as the thought had taken hold.

  She held the pub door open and Latte skittered inside, followed by Harry. It was warm to the point of gentle furnace, and Summer knew she would have to work hard to stay awake after the cold of the river.

  ‘Summer, Harry,’ Dennis called, raising a hand in greeting. Dennis, in his early fifties and with a mild, approachable manner, owned and ran the pub with his wife Jenny. Summer had known them both for years, ever since her mother had bought the boat and moored it in Willowbeck, and their friendship had grown over the last year – though it hadn’t been without its complications. ‘How are you? How did it go tonight?’

  ‘It was very successful, thanks. The spirit of celebration wasn’t dampened by all the gurning pumpkins.’

  ‘Like that one, you mean?’ Dennis said, pointing, reminding Summer that she had Mason’s wolf tucked under her arm.

  ‘This is the least scary, believe me.’

  ‘What can I get you both?’

  ‘Two mulled wines,’ Harry said. ‘One alcoholic, one non. I’m driving back shortly, to see if Tommy’s overdosed on Haribo.’

  ‘Coming up.’

  They took their drinks to a table by the window, and Latte settled at their feet as Summer pressed her cold hands against her burning cheeks.

  ‘It’s warm in here,’ she said.

  ‘Never mind the temperature,’ Harry said. ‘When did you decide you were going to propose? How are you going to do it? I need to know.’

  Harry’s eyes were dancing, and Summer was reassured that her best friend was clearly enthusiastic about the idea, and wasn’t going to try and persuade her against it.

  ‘It’s been the last few weeks,’ she said, cradling her mug of hot, spiced wine. ‘Mason and I are happy. More than happy – this last year has been the best of my life. Perhaps all the complications at the beginning meant we used up our quota of difficulties, but whatever the cause, whether it’s fate or destiny or simply that we just fit together, I can’t imagine not being with him. I don’t want to. I love him, and I want to make it permanent – officially permanent.’

  ‘This is the best thing,’ Harry said. ‘I’m so excited for you. What are you going to do? How will you pop the question? Will you get him an engagement ring?’

  ‘I’m not sure if he’d appreciate me buying him a ring that he’d feel obliged to wear. He’s not really the jewellery type.’

  ‘But you can get lovely rings for men, something special but not sparkly. If you’re doing the proposing, you need to get him a ring.’

  Summer wrinkled her nose. Would Mason like a ring?

  Unperturbed, Harry continued. ‘Will you go down on one knee?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Summer said. ‘I hadn’t got much further than making the decision, and wanting to do it at Christmas. It’s our second one together, and I want to make it extra special.’

  ‘It’ll be perfect. Anything I can do to help – distract Mason, string lights along Willowbeck’s bridge – I’ll be there. We should brainstorm!’

  ‘We should,’ Summer said, drumming her fingers on the table. She wondered, now she had revealed her plans to Harry, if she should also tell her about the one thing that was holding her back, dampening her enthusiasm ever so slightly. But she didn’t need to wonder, because Harry had already picked up on her hesitation.

  ‘So what’s worrying you? You don’t actually think he’ll say no, do you? Summer,’ she pressed her palms flat on the table, ‘anyone can see he loves you. People passing on the towpath who have never met you would realize that much. And you’ve said how happy you are with him. What else is there?’

  Summer sipped her drink so she could get her thoughts in order before she replied. ‘Will he want to get married again, after what happened with Lisa? Maybe he’s content to be with me, but won’t want to go through all that again.’

  Sadness darkened Harry’s eyes. ‘What happened to Lisa was tragic, but it had nothing to do with their married status. She wouldn’t have been saved if they’d only been partners, boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s usually divorce that makes people reluctant to go through it again, or Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and Funeral – having all that bad luck with his friend’s weddings.’

  Harry’s words made perfect sense, and she wasn’t finished.

  ‘He was reluctant to get involved again, to open himself up to love, but he cared about you enough to risk his heart. That was the hard part for him, and it’s proof that he wants to be with you, that what you’re doing, planning, is wonderful and exciting, and is the right call. You love him, you want to be with him for the rest of your life, and I’m sure he feels the same. Do you ever talk about Lisa?’

  ‘Sometimes,’ Summer said. ‘He’s become better at talking about her, about their life together, before she died. He’s started to accept the happy memories without being clouded by the terrible ones. But I’ve never spoken to him about re-marrying. We talk about the future – what we’ll do when we’re in our sixties, whether our bones will creak as much as the tiller on Celeste when we’re cruising, or if we’ll still be able to work the locks without help. But it’s always flippant.’

  Harry was nodding, her expression patient and understanding. Summer wondered why she hadn’t talked to her before now, why she had been reluctant to tell her about her plans, and the worries that came with them.

  ‘So maybe,’ Harry said, ‘you need to have a chat with him, a more serious one. Try and gauge his thoughts before you pop the question – if you’re concerned, which I don’t think you need to be.’

  ‘I’m not sure I could get away with it. How do you do that subtly when your whole mind is focused on not giving away the secret? It’s like trying to avoid a bunker on a golf course, and all you’re thinking about is avoiding the bunker. Inevitably you end up in the sand.’

  ‘There’ll be a conversation, one day, when you realize you can change direction slightly, slip it in.’

  ‘You sound very confident about that, Mrs Poole.’

  ‘I have faith in you, because you’re brilliant and determined; when you want something you go for it.’

  ‘I think you’ve confused me with someone else,’ Summer said, laughing. ‘Think how long I dillydallied over taking over Mum’s café, how long it took me to realize my feelings for a certain, curly-haired nature photographer.’

  ‘OK, but when you decided you wanted the café, you made a huge success of it – you’ve just hosted a cruising engagement Halloween party for God’s sake, who else can say they’ve done that? And with Mason, it was complicated. For both of you. You got there in the end, and you’ve not had a moment of doubt since. Go for it, Summer. You’ll soon have a wedding to plan on top of everything else.’

  Summer’s shoulders relaxed, the tension ebbing out of her. ‘You’re the brilliant one, Harry. What would I do without you?’

  ‘I don’t know, but you’re temporarily going to find out, because I have to get back to my boys and see what chaos they’ve caused. Normal time in the café tomorrow?’

  ‘Come in after lunch,’ Summer said. ‘The morning rush isn’t quite as rushy now it’s getting colder, so I’ll be fine on my own.’

  ‘You’ve worked late too,’ Harry said, standing and shrugging on her coat.

  ‘Yes, but it’s my business. Besides, it’s not like I have the same commute as you. Take the morning off.’

  ‘Thank you.’ They hugged, Harry’s squeeze a little tighter than usual. ‘And don’t worry. Mason loves you, he wants to be with you, and you need to focus all your energy on planning the perfect proposal rather than fretting about his past. But if you want reassurance, try to subtly sound him out first. I don’t think you need to, but it’s an option. Now, go and find him.’

  Summer assured her friend she was going to do just that, and after they said goodbye and Harry hurried to her car, Summer strolled with Latte down the path that cut through the grass in front of the Black Swan, back to the towp
ath. She thought of everything her friend had said, that Mason’s commitment to her was enough, that he was unlikely to be against marrying her because his first marriage had ended so tragically. Could she be sure that was the truth, or if not, could she talk seriously to him about it without him getting suspicious? She was going to have to come down on one side or the other soon, or she would derail her own proposal plans before she’d even got out of the starting blocks.

  She opened the door of The Sandpiper and was met with a familiar scene. Beyond the galley kitchen, with its black, marble-effect worktops and curved wooden cupboards, the open-plan living area held two figures. One, Archie, lay stretched out along a sofa, and the other had his back to her, leaning forward and peering at the screen of a large desktop computer, set up on a tiny desk squashed into the far end of the space. She had fleeting thoughts about creeping up on him, making him jump, but Latte had already bounded forward, greeting her doggy companion first, and then looking for Mason’s affection. He turned at the sound, reached a hand down towards Latte but looked straight at Summer, his face breaking out into one of the smiles that made her heart beat faster.

  ‘How did it go?’ He abandoned his computer and wrapped his arms around her.

  She accepted the embrace willingly, smiling into his soft jumper, the firmness of his chest beneath. ‘It was great,’ she said, ‘better than I could have hoped.’

  ‘And no weirdness, with the celebratory terror crossover?’

  ‘None,’ Summer laughed. ‘And I bought you a present.’ She nodded towards the kitchen counter where she had put Mason’s wolf pumpkin, still flickering with electric light.