Sunday's Child

by Clare Revell

  He held her hand firmly and got down on one knee. “Hattie, I love you. Will you marry me?”

  The sparkle in her eyes and the way her face lit up said it all. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He rose, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, with as much passion as he could. Nothing mattered, except her and him and the relationship they had.

  20

  Hattie pushed open the door to the shop, a huge grin still plastered over her face. Cal’s hand tightly in hers, she made her way to the counter and looked at Aunt Laurie. “Hi.”

  “Hello, you two. What can I do for you?”

  She looked at Cal and then back at her aunt. “Do you sell confetti?”

  Aunt Laurie looked at her for a moment, before shooting around the counter, and enveloping them both in a massive hug. “Oh, my, congratulations. I’m so pleased for the both of you.”

  Hattie hugged her back. “You’re the first person we’ve told. I’m on cloud nine right now.”

  “You both look over the moon. About time we had something good happening around here.”

  Cal nodded. “And Markus best keep his distance now.”

  “Oh, speaking of which, Steve rang.” Hattie took a deep breath. “He wants to…no let me rephrase that, he is coming over tomorrow.”

  Cal pushed his hand through hair and then ran his fingers over her face. “I should get back to work. I’ll see you later, yeah? I have a few errands to run later if Laurie doesn’t mind me knocking off early tonight.”

  Aunt Laurie winked at him. “I’ll make an exception just this once. And that’s Aunt Laurie to you, if you’re marrying my niece.”

  He grinned. “Thank you, Aunt Laurie. I’ll see you later, Hattie.”

  She smiled, her heart doing somersaults inside her. “Count on it.”

  He kissed her and then headed out.

  Hattie watched until she could see him no longer. Her aunt’s voice registered on the edge of her hearing but she had no idea what she’d said. “Sorry, didn’t hear you.”

  “I asked about Steve.”

  “He just wants the money back. All of it, but he can’t have it because the accountant says it’s mine. He was more worried about that than me. Even when Cal told him about me having broken my arm and almost dying the first week I was here, all he wanted was the money.”

  “I’m sorry, dear.”

  She shrugged. “At least I know where I stand now, and yes, it hurt, but I love him regardless. However, I’ve got more important things on my mind.”

  “A wedding, perhaps?”

  She laughed. “Other than that. I was thinking about organizing a fundraiser for the lifeboat here. Put the money towards a new boat.” She caught the look and shook her head. “I was going to do it anyway. They saved my life. I want to give something back. Raise awareness to what these guys do out there every day.”

  “OK. So what kind of things were you thinking?”

  “A week long thing. A bake sale, car washing, beat the goalie, and something huge to finish.” She paused and then grinned. “How about a date a crewmember? Both boat crew and shore crew. We could auction them off either to the highest bidder or do it by raffle.”

  “Won’t that cost money?”

  “Not if we charge so much a ticket and get a sponsor to donate the dates. Maybe contact Cal’s old team mates, raffle a few of them too. Or I’ll use some of my money.”

  “Maybe you should talk with Steve first…”

  “Whatever I do has nothing to do with him. It’s my money, only I don’t want it so I’m giving it away. Either this charity or another one. I want to do this. I owe them my life.”

  “OK. Talk to Tom about the fundraiser. He’ll be able to arrange dates and promotion and so on.”

  “I’ll go and do it now.” She grinned. “I’m getting married…”

  ****

  By the time she and Aunt Laurie got back to the cottage, Cal had finished for the day and gone off to run his errands. When he got back an hour later, Hattie hugged him tightly as if she hadn’t seen him for days instead of a couple of hours.

  He pulled back slowly and then pulled a small black box from his pocket. “If it doesn’t fit, the jeweler said he can adjust it. I explained about your wrist.” He opened the box.

  Hattie’s eyes filled as she took in the sparkling diamond and emerald ring. “Oh, Cal, it’s beautiful.”

  He took it from the box and slid it onto the ring finger on her right hand. “Just until you can wear it on the left,” he said. Then he folded his arms around her and kissed her. Hattie wasn’t sure how long he kissed her for before Aunt Laurie’s teasing voice echoed across the hallway.

  “Do I need a bucket of water?”

  Cal broke the kiss slowly and glanced up, a broad grin on his face. “It might be an idea. You have one extremely hot niece here.”

  Hattie’s cheeks flamed and she held out her hand. “Look, it’s beautiful.”

  Aunt Laurie admired it. “It certainly is. Cal, you have exquisite taste.”

  This time Cal blushed. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Do you have any plans for tonight?”

  “No I don’t, unless you count dinner for one in front of the TV. I was planning to take Hattie out to celebrate tomorrow night.”

  “Good. Then you can stay and help us.”

  “Help with what?”

  “Hattie will fill you in while I cook dinner.”

  Hattie looked at her. “Whose idea is it anyway?”

  “Yours. Now tell him.” Aunt Laurie winked and headed into the kitchen.

  “But I thought…Fine, OK, I’ll tell him.” She hung her jacket up and sat to take off her shoes.

  Cal put his hands on his hips, a comical expression on his face. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on? You’re not planning on getting married wearing lifeboat uniform are you?”

  “I wasn’t, but now you mention it I’ll wear the uniform and you can wear the dress.” She grinned, propping one knee over the other to unfasten the Velcro on her new sneakers. Her broken arm meant tying shoe laces was impossible. “I spoke to Tom before we came home. I’m going to start organizing a whole week of fundraising. The idea being that we hopefully have enough to buy a new boat at the end of it. Or at least put a down payment on one.”

  Cal just stood there, staring at her. His eyebrows shot into his hair and his whole body stiffened. “Is this just because I saved your life the other week or are you trying to make me feel better?”

  “What?” She paused with her left shoe in her hand.

  “The boat has only been gone a couple of days, not even that.”

  “So? Tom liked the idea.”

  “It’s too soon.”

  “It’s never too soon. Cal, right now people are talking about the lifeboat. It’s in the news. It’ll be easier to fundraise now than in six months’ time. And you said yourself the boat replacement is only temporary and fundraising could take years. So the sooner we start, the better.”

  “Yes. Yes, I did, and yes, it can. Doesn’t rule out the fact it’s too soon. If anything, the money raised now should go to Trevor’s wife and kids. I appreciate you wanting to get involved in things, Hattie, but really there is a time and a place and this isn’t it.”

  She pushed her shoe back on, irritated. “Fine, you just sit there and feel sorry for yourself. I have to do something to help and this is what I want to do.”

  Pushing upright, she flung open the front door and headed out into the dark, not bothering with a coat.

  How did they get from over the moon, happy as pie and getting engaged one minute, to having their first argument the next?

  She didn’t understand his reaction. Why was he so anti this idea? Tom had thought it a good one and of course some of the money would go to Trevor’s family if worst came to the worst. She hadn’t expected this type of reaction from Cal. She thought he’d be pleased she was getting involved in his life at the lifeboat station, not
dismiss it out of hand.

  How could she be his wife if she couldn’t support him in the little things like this? Or by taking an interest in what he did?

  Reaching the village church, she found the door unlocked. She pushed it open and went inside. The organ was playing, and a book lay open on the table at the front. Hattie walked slowly up the aisle and looked at the book. It was full of messages of condolence for the people who died on the train. She signed it and then went and sat down in one of the pews.

  Her attention was caught by a huge stained glass window. A street lamp illuminated it from the outside, making it the only window visible against the dark night. It depicted a small lifeboat, being tossed on huge waves as it gave aid to a stranded tanker. Two men in lifeboat uniform watched down on the scene from above.

  “That’s my grandfather.”

  She jumped slightly, not having heard his footsteps. “Oh…”

  “Sorry, love. I didn’t mean to make you jump. Here, put this on. You’ll catch cold otherwise.” Cal put her jacket around her shoulders as he spoke, and then sat beside her.

  “But it’s a memorial window.”

  “Yeah.” He took a sharp breath. “He and one other crewman were lost in that rescue. Along with the boat.”

  “I don’t understand.” Hattie twisted in the pew to look at him, trying to read the expression on his face. “You said they rescued the people on the ship, that he was awarded an MBE for his part. But if he died, then how?”

  “Yeah, they rescued the crew and then went back to secure the ship so it could be towed once the storm abated. Their boat never made it back to shore. He got the MBE posthumously. Gran collected it from the palace.”

  “He went back, just like you did.”

  Cal nodded. He slid a hand into hers, holding it tightly.

  “How old were you when he died?”

  “I was nine, but I remember it like it was yesterday.” Myriad emotions crossed his face, his eyes glistening in the lamplight. “Gran was distraught. The whole town turned out for the funeral. I remember it was a horse drawn carriage, huge black horses and a glass hearse. There was a spray of white flowers spelling his name in big letters. It stopped at the house, and at the lifeboat station. The church was packed, so much so that the congregation spilled over onto the pavement outside.” His voice cracked.

  “It’s OK.”

  He visibly struggled for control. “Sorry. I’ve never spoken about this to anyone. He told such wonderful stories about the lifeboats, played in the park with us. He built us a slide for the back garden. Things were never the same after he died. A lot of memorials sprung up all over. There was an appeal and fundraising for a new boat. They named it after Grandad. But Gran got nothing. She struggled to make ends meet for years afterwards.”

  “Why did you join up?” She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, trying to keep him talking. That was why he was anti funding a new boat.

  “Grandad was my hero. He helped save people and I wanted to do the same. He made the rescues sound exciting and worthwhile.”

  “He died a hero, doing what he believed in.”

  “Like Trevor,” he whispered.

  “Trevor’s not dead.”

  He looked at his hand in hers. “His unborn child might never know him because of me. Because I made the wrong decision.”

  “But Trevor made the decision to respond to the pager, to join the lifeboats in the first place. Was your grandfather the helm officer?”

  “No. Going back wasn’t his decision either.”

  A new voice came from the doorway. “It was mine.”

  ****

  Cal turned and swallowed, hoping he looked better than he felt. “Mr. Garrett.”

  The old man moved slowly over to them, leaning heavily on the cane. He lowered himself into the pew in front and regarded them through his glasses. “I blamed myself for a long time. I lost the boat, the crew, and my friends. I felt I had betrayed those I considered my family.”

  “How did you cope?” Cal asked. “You stayed with the service.” Hattie started to get up, but he didn’t let go. He needed her here, couldn’t do this without her. “Please, don’t go.”

  “OK.” She sat back down.

  Mr. Garret held his gaze. “My faith, friends, and the counseling the service provided. Take them up on that, by the way. I had nightmares for weeks afterwards, second guessed every shout and every decision I made for a long time, too. And asked myself the same questions I expect you are right now.”

  Cal looked down, afraid he was going to throw up. “It was my fault. I got told to stand down, but I went back.”

  “Your lass is right. We all know the risks, but saving lives is what we do. If you hadn’t gone back, what would have happened to Ellie?”

  “She’d be dead,” he whispered.

  Mr. Garrett nodded. “And I would have lost my granddaughter and unborn great grandchild.”

  Cal’s head jerked up, his mouth opening in shock.

  “She told me you kept your promise. You came back. That meant so much to her. You also pulled her husband from the water a while before. She thought he’d drowned. Nick thought the same thing about her.”

  Hattie squeezed his hand. “See…”

  Mr. Garrett smiled. “Because of you and your decision to go back, I still have my family. Trevor wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up over that. Your gran told me the same thing at Sid’s funeral. She looked me in the eye and told me to man up and get back out there. She told me when God pushes you to the edge of a cliff, trust Him fully because two things can happen. Either He’ll catch you when you fall, or He’ll teach you how to fly. She said that Sid was flying with the angels now and that God had caught me because I still have people to save.”

  The dam within Cal broke. Tears fell like rain. He was dimly aware of Hattie wrapping her arms around him, holding him, but he also felt God there, comforting him and assuring him that everything was under control and He had caught him.

  21

  Hattie sat on the bottom stair looking over to where Cal was sanding down the new doorframe.

  He glanced at her. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “They aren’t worth it.”

  “OK, a quid then.”

  “Not even that. Ha’penny perhaps. I was thinking about Steve. Maybe I just go out. That way I’m not here when he arrives in a bit.”

  “Coward.” He wiped the wood down with a cloth and ran his hand over it. “Running away doesn’t solve anything.”

  She scrunched her nosed up at him. “Don’t care. I love my brother, but really don’t want to see him right now.”

  The doorbell went. “Hattie, can you get that?” Aunt Laurie called from upstairs. “I’m trying to make the beds.”

  “OK.” Hattie pushed up and headed to the door. She opened it and for a moment she was tempted to shut it again. Help me be nice to him, Lord. “Hi, Steve.” She held out her arms to him for a hug.

  He ignored them, staring at her. “Hattie.”

  She dropped her arms, and moved to one side. “You’d better come in. Aunt Laurie is just making the beds.”

  Steve stepped over the threshold and stopped short at the sight of Cal coming into the hall.

  Hattie smiled, her heart turning cartwheels at the sight of her fiancé. The tight shirt did nothing to hide his six-pack. “Steve, this is my fiancé, Cal. Cal, this is my twin brother, Steve. I know you two already know each other, but figured I’d do a proper introduction.”

  Cal held out a hand and smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you formally. Hattie talks about you a lot.”

  “Fiancé?” Steve’s eyes remained ice. His hand barely made contact before he dropped it. Hattie was about to call him on it when his phone rang. “Excuse me.”

  Cal moved to Hattie and slid an arm around her. “It’s all right,” he whispered.

  “No, it isn’t. He’s being downright rude.”

  Cal gently turned her face to his and kisse
d her. “I said its fine, love, and I meant it.”

  Her heart fluttered in her throat and her breath caught. He’d called her that in the church, but she’d thought she’d misheard him. “What did you call me?”

  “Love,” he repeated. “Because you are.” He fingered the engagement ring on her right hand. “I can’t wait to see this on the finger it belongs on.”

  Hattie smiled. “Actually in some European countries they wear it on the right anyway. But I can’t wait to wear it on my left hand. It’s beautiful. Can’t believe you got the size right.”

  “Just a good guess. Just bear in mind your left ring finger may be a different size.”

  Steve hung up. “I have to go. I’ve got some business to attend to. I’ve got a meeting with Markus Kerr.”

  “Oh?” Her heart sank. “I thought you’d come to see me, not Markus.”

  “You’ll keep. This is business and a potential investment. It’s important.”

  “Thought I was,” she whispered, tears burning her eyes. She blinked them away, not wanting him to know how deeply hurt she was. “Nothing changes does it?”

  “And when I get back, we’ll discuss the return of my money.” Steve headed out, shutting the door behind him.

  Hattie just stood there. “I don’t believe that just happened. He didn’t even want to see the ring.”

  Aunt Laurie came down the stairs. “Was that Steve?”

  “He came, he saw and he left.” Hattie sucked in a deep breath. “He’s gone to see Markus on ‘business’.” She put brackets around the word business.

  “I thought he was coming to see you?” Aunt Laurie hugged her.

  Hattie hugged her back. “So did I, but I was wrong. What’s the betting he’ll still try to marry me off to Markus?”

  Cal raised an eyebrow. “Wait a sec. You’re already getting married. To me.”

  “And we told him that, just now. But Steve has some ulterior motive here. Everything is business and has a price. Markus already said Steve approved his proposal.” She pushed her hands through her hair. “Steve never listens to anything I say, anyway.”