‘You didn’t know?’ Elsie looked surprised.
‘Know what?’
‘He’s given up his job. I don’t know all the details, but Juliette’s given me the bare bones. He’s fed up of the long hours, the late nights, the stress and the weight piling on him. She didn’t say it outright, but I can see it wasn’t a decision she approved of.’
‘Wow.’ Cat sat back on the sofa. ‘I suppose if she’s the only one bringing in money now, then I can understand her being angry.’
‘From the blasts of cold air whenever I see them together, it’s more than just angry. Making that kind of decision’s a big change,’ Elsie said. ‘Especially when it’s not been made as a couple.’
Cat nodded, thinking back to the rough patch her parents had been through when her dad did something similar. ‘Maybe Juliette doesn’t fully understand why Will did it, or he’s reluctant to tell her? Maybe she’s angry about him making the decision to leave his job, but rather than face up to it, she’s turning all her anger towards the surfing.’
‘There could be all kinds of reasons behind what’s happening, but what I would say, Cat, is that it’s best if you don’t get in the middle. Your…curiosity wouldn’t be appreciated here, and while I think it’s worth you knowing so you don’t put your foot in it, try to be as distant as possible. Walk Alfie and Effie, stay polite and friendly, but if either of them starts trying to get you on their side, back gently off. Let them get on with whatever they have to do.’
It was good advice, as always, from her friend. And Cat did have a tendency to try and solve problems that weren’t hers to fix. Not this time, though. A relationship break-up was definitely not something she wanted to get involved in, and besides, she was hardly an expert. She was having enough trouble trying to sort out her own love life.
For the second evening in a row, Cat found herself getting ready for a meal out. She was sure the venue would be less exclusive luxury and champagne, and more hearty, good food and friendly service – they were the kinds of places her parents went for, and seemed to have a knack of being able to find. The weather felt as though it was turning, despite still being August, and Cat selected a black maxi-dress with a fuchsia pattern along the hemline and a wide fuchsia belt.
Closing the wardrobe, she stepped backwards into her second-hand guitar, and jumped as it reverberated. She’d bought it the previous week, and was due to have her first lesson from Frankie in the next few days. She wasn’t sure she was cut out to be a musician, but Frankie had insisted, wanting to pay her back for all her help, and Cat was looking forward to trying something new. But she didn’t even have time to pick it up and strum it now; she had fifteen minutes before her parents were due to arrive, and someone had sneaked into the bathroom without her realizing.
She waited until she heard the shower turn off, and then the bathroom door open. She rushed onto the landing and almost straight into Joe, naked apart from a towel wrapped round his waist.
He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘Where’s the fire?’
His blond hair was wet and tufty, his cheeks pink.
‘S-sorry, I need to finish getting ready. I didn’t mean to barge into you.’
‘No harm done, and sorry if I jumped in front of you.’
‘Running?’
He nodded. ‘I thought I’d make the most of the cooler weather. Are you heading out? Not going to leave us at the mercy of your parents again, are you?’ He smiled.
She gave him a playful punch on the arm. ‘No, they’re taking me out to dinner. I’m sure if I asked, you’d be more than welcome to come.’
‘No, thanks. I’ve got my heart set on a Thai takeaway and a Grey’s Anatomy box set.’
‘Grey’s Anatomy?’ Cat murmured, wondering if it was too late to cancel on her parents. ‘You like Grey’s?’
‘Who doesn’t like Meredith and McDreamy?’
‘Is Polly watching it with you?’
Joe shook his head. He looked like a Diet Coke advert, standing there in his towel with his blond, dripping hair. She thought he probably had no idea how attractive he was – the total opposite of Mark’s over-confidence, which in some ways made him even more attractive. ‘Polly’s helping Leyla move into Frankie’s house.’
‘That’s happening this evening?’ Cat asked.
‘It is. I’ve met Leyla once or twice – I think she’s been a bit of a mentor for Polly during her training, she’s been a nurse at Fairview vet’s for a while – and she seems lovely. Friendly, maybe a bit shy. I don’t know what her domestic habits are like, but from all outward appearances she’s an ideal tenant. It’s a success story that’s all down to you.’
Cat felt a glow inside at the knowledge that her plan had actually worked, and Frankie now had a lovely lodger in her attic room, helping out with the bills and giving Frankie the chance to spend more time with her young family. ‘Oh my God,’ she said, clutching her hands together in front of her, ‘that’s fantastic news! But I should be helping them. I should do that, and then come and celebrate with you and McDreamy.’
‘No, you shouldn’t,’ Joe said. ‘Polly’s got things under control at Frankie’s. Go out and have a great time with your folks. They don’t seem like typical parents – they’re definitely more fun than our dad.’
Cat nodded. ‘They’re good parents, and I’m lucky to have them. Tonight won’t be torture, but passing up Grey’s Anatomy for anything just seems wrong.’
‘I’ll probably still be watching it when you get back. You can come and join me. Anyway, won’t they be here soon? I should let you get on.’ He slid past her and hurried up the second flight of stairs. Cat watched his retreating back and felt a new wave of attraction towards her best friend’s brother, at the fact that he loved her favourite medical drama series, and that he was prepared to own up to it.
Chapter 3
As Cat and her parents left the restaurant – an Italian bistro in Fairhaven town centre that Cat hadn’t ever noticed before, but managed just the right blend of good food and cheerfulness – the wind cut into them like a knife. It was still August, supposedly the best part of summer, but there was a cold bite in the air. During dinner, she’d overheard snippets of conversation from holidaying families preparing for days at the beach, and wondered if they’d change their plans, or be stoic and end up shivering behind windbreakers, getting sand in their eyes; British holidaymakers tended towards the latter. The summer had started early and been glorious, so they were probably going to make up for that with an early slide into autumn.
‘All right, love?’ Her dad squeezed Cat closer to him, and she stumbled, wishing she’d worn flat shoes. It was a twenty-minute walk back to Fairview and Primrose Terrace, and the copious amounts of Chianti, followed by the obligatory shot of Limoncello, wasn’t going to make it easy.
‘Yes, thanks, lovely evening.’ Cat leaned into him as they walked.
‘I meant about what we told you, about our decision. I know it’s a bit of a shock.’
It was, and Cat was trying not to think about it. Her dad had other ideas. ‘I think it’s a brilliant idea,’ she said, ‘so exciting. But – what about your plot? Your plants? If you’re off travelling around Canada for a year – minimum – what will happen to them?’
‘Aha,’ Peter said, clearly prepared for this question. ‘Jimmy from the next plot along is going to take it over. There’ll be less to do during winter and, depending on what happens, he’ll have full rights to all plants and produce while he’s looking after them. I couldn’t be leaving it in better hands.’
‘And your house?’ Cat asked.
‘We’ll rent it out, my love,’ her mum chipped in. ‘We’re not selling it. I know it seems hypocritical, bemoaning the fact that you’ve moved an hour down the road, and we’re about to swap continents, but we’ll stay in touch – there’s email and Skype, and we’ll share all the photos with you. You could even come out and join us for a few weeks, though you might not want to, when things are going so wel
l for you here. Your new, flourishing business, all those gorgeous pooches, your new man and your friends. We’re so proud of you, Catherine, for striking out on your own. Being self-employed gives you so much freedom, and you’ve taken it upon yourself to go after what you want.’
‘And now you’re not with your dear old dad,’ he added, thumbing his chest, ‘there’s no problem with dogs.’
Cat nodded. She’d never had a dog growing up, as her dad was allergic to them. Fine with wood dust and soil and all kinds of other irritants, but not dog hair. ‘I love dogs,’ she sighed, and realized she sounded like a typical drunk. She had hoped that the chill would help to clear her head, help her understand that her cheery, stay-at-home parents were going to fly to Canada, buy a huge, North American-style camper van and drive through the Rockies, but she was feeling hazier than when they’d left the restaurant.
‘I know, love,’ Peter said. ‘Heart of gold, that’s your problem.’
‘When’s that ever been a problem?’ Delia scolded, shaking her head.
‘Gold’s fragile. Easy to get that gold broken.’
Cat looked up at her dad, at his over-serious tone, and his lowered brows, and burst out laughing. ‘Gold’s not fragile,’ she said. ‘Not like glass or paper or spun sugar.’
‘I’ll have you know the tensile strength of paper is—’
‘Peter,’ Delia warned. ‘None of this, now. No need to spoil a good evening with physics.’ She nodded decisively and picked up her pace.
Cat and her dad shared a conspiratorial eye-roll and Cat tried to stop giggling. She had really enjoyed the evening, even if her parents were a bad influence on her. At least her first walk the following day wasn’t until after lunch. She could sleep off the inevitable red-wine hangover.
After what seemed like hours, they turned into Primrose Terrace. They were late enough that the sun had gone completely, and Cat stared up at the houses as they passed, starting with the high numbers and working their way down, towards Jessica at number one. There was a light on in the attic window of number twelve, and Cat imagined Leyla settling in, making the beautiful room her own with some trinkets, make-up, perhaps a cuddly toy – she loved animals, after all.
They reached number nine and Cat looked up at the facade. ‘I’ll walk you to the B and B,’ she said. The living-room light was on at home and she knew Joe would be in there, watching Grey’s Anatomy. She was torn between wanting to join him and slipping straight up to her room. She didn’t want him to see her so drunk. Maybe a few more steps would help with her sobriety, even if it was harder on her feet. Ahead of them, a car door slammed and Juliette and Will got out of their silver Passat.
‘I can’t believe this, Will,’ Juliette said loudly. ‘I told you about the dinner party weeks ago. It’s with a really important partner.’
‘It’s Keith’s birthday. I’m not letting him down, and you shouldn’t either. Someone else can do the client dinner, it shouldn’t have to be you every time.’ Will was in his mid-forties, with short, light-brown hair and the beginnings of a paunch that, Cat now knew, he was trying to ward off with surfing. He had a friendly face and warm green eyes that always seemed to be smiling. Except now.
‘But this time it does, for reasons you won’t understand.’ Juliette took carrier bags out of the boot and shut it. ‘So you’ll have to say sorry to Keith for me, and I’ll do the dinner on my own. Again.’ Juliette rifled in her bag for her keys.
‘Come on, Jules,’ Will said. ‘Say no to them, just this once.’
She shook her head, lips pressed together. ‘I can’t, I have to—’ She noticed Cat, who, not wanting to walk straight through their argument, had slowed her pace, her parents falling into step behind her.
‘Hi, Juliette,’ Cat said. ‘Will.’
‘Oh, Cat,’ Juliette said, ‘thank you for walking Alfie and Effie today. When I got home they were happily exhausted, so you must have given them a good run.’
‘I did. This is my mum and dad. Mum and Dad – Will and Juliette.’ There was a round of hand-shaking, then they stood awkwardly on the pavement, the evening chill making them shiver, nobody wanting to seem rude by ending the impromptu chat.
‘Mum and Dad helped walk Alfie and Effie today,’ Cat said.
‘Fairview’s so lovely,’ Delia said, nodding enthusiastically. ‘So bright and cheerful, but not as…hectic as Brighton. The beaches are glorious. We were down by the lighthouse today, and some of the sand was completely empty – in August!’ She laughed, and Juliette joined in.
‘The water’s too dangerous,’ Will said, ‘especially round those cliffs. The currents and rip tides mean it’s not safe even for paddling, so families steer clear. And where the cliffs have eroded, it’s much harder to get down to the beaches.’
‘You know lots about the coast,’ Peter said. ‘I like a man who knows his terrain. We’re planning a trip out to Canada, and I’ve been glued to our computer, researching where we can go during the winter, where’s too treacherous in the ice, where we have to be on extra-vigilant bear-watch!’
‘That sounds like an amazing trip,’ Juliette said, putting her bags on the ground and pulling her coat close around her.
‘Holiday of a lifetime,’ Delia said, ‘and it’s never too late for one of those.’
‘Never too late to follow your heart,’ Peter added, and Cat winced.
Juliette gave Cat a quick, sharp glance, and Cat tried to make a face that conveyed it was just coincidence, and that she hadn’t been talking about them with her mum and dad, but in her drunken state she had no idea how that face had come out.
‘I think our next trip will be Australia,’ Will said, his eyes lighting up. ‘Our son’s out there on his gap year at the moment, and it would be great to fly out, catch up with him—’
‘Catch some waves,’ Juliette added, with a tight smile.
‘Love, that’s not what I was thinking—’
‘That’ll be a change then,’ Juliette snapped, and then straightened her shoulders and smiled. ‘Sorry, it’s been a long day. And it’s hard to think about dropping everything and flying off around the world when there are so many responsibilities here. I don’t mean to be a killjoy.’
‘Good to meet you,’ Will cut in, his smile suddenly gone. ‘See you soon, Cat.’ He took the keys out of Juliette’s hand and, without looking at her, unlocked the door and went inside.
Cat bit her lip and was just about to say goodnight, eager that they remove themselves from the tense atmosphere, but her father spoke first.
‘You know,’ Peter said, ‘what I’ve learned over the years is that it’s easy to build up our responsibilities so much that they become overwhelming, and then our judgement gets clouded. Sometimes it makes sense to take a step back, to step out of the cloud.’
Juliette stared at Peter for a moment, her expression unreadable. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘my cloud’s a pretty stormy one, and I’m not sure I can outrun it just now. It was nice to meet you, but I should check on the dogs.’ She shook Delia and Peter’s hands again, and nodded at Cat. ‘Next week, normal time?’
‘Sure. See you soon.’
Cat walked her mum and dad up to the B and B in silence, accepting a hug from each of them at the bottom of the steps.
‘Trouble in paradise,’ Peter said, gesturing up the terrace.
Cat nodded. ‘But it’s not our business.’
‘You were butting in there a bit,’ Delia said to her husband. ‘We don’t know them, and Juliette seemed…on edge even before you imparted your wisdom.’
Cat could hear her own thoughts in her parents’ words, but she wasn’t going to get involved. Not this time. ‘I want to talk about you,’ she blurted. ‘I think what you’re doing is incredible. It’s just not – not what I expected. But I want you to be happy.’
‘I know, love,’ her dad said. ‘And we’ll see you lots between now and then, I hope? And Christmas. We can have a great Christmas before we head off.’
‘A festive
send-off,’ Cat added.
‘Exactly. Oh, goodbye, Catherine,’ Delia said, giving her another squeeze. ‘Take care of yourself, and let us know how it goes with Mark, eh?’
‘Sure,’ Cat said. She waited until they were inside, then turned towards home.
Without her dad to lean on, Cat felt unsteady on her feet and, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, she didn’t notice Mark until he was inches in front of her. He had Chips on a lead, his other hand clamping his phone to his ear.
Cat gasped and he looked round, and Cat saw something – irritation, anger – flash across his face. The collar of his leather jacket was turned up against the sudden cold, and his whole body seemed stiff and uptight. He turned his face away from her, said something into the phone and hung up.
‘Hi,’ Cat said. ‘How are you?’
‘Fine. You?’
Cat nodded, her mouth drying out at the lack of warmth in his eyes. ‘G-good, thanks. I’ve been out to dinner with my mum and dad.’ Chips nuzzled her nose into Cat’s hand in greeting, and Cat stroked the collie’s silky ears.
‘Ah, the infamous parents.’ He gave her a quick, tight smile. ‘Looks like you’ve had a good night. Sorry, but I need to take Chips in.’
‘Sure,’ Cat said. She leaned towards him, hoping for – at the very least – a kiss on the cheek, but he moved away from her and climbed the steps to his front door, Chips bounding up alongside him.
Cat stared at his front door for a few seconds after it had closed. She couldn’t have imagined a scenario so different from the previous evening’s, on that very doorstep. Was there something in the air? Had the sudden arctic blast brought with it a wave of bad temper? First Juliette and Will, and now Mark. She’d never seen him so cold, so inattentive, and it seemed especially out of character after the previous evening, when she thought they were finally getting closer.
Raincoats and Retrievers, A Novella Page 4