by Jenny Kane
‘What? Why?’ Max winked. ‘I thought I’d take you inside and finish off our non-honeymoon in style.’
‘Depends how much you like an audience while you perform?’
‘Excuse me?’ Max followed the direction of Abi’s gaze. ‘Ahh, I see. Did you know about this?’
A hand-painted banner had been tied between the open upstairs windows of their home, saying, Welcome Home Abi and Max. Happy Anniversary.
‘Not a clue. I suspect it’s Beth’s handiwork.’ Abi gave Max a quick kiss. ‘Hold on to that honeymoon thought though!’
Climbing out of the van, Max’s smiled dipped a fraction. ‘They aren’t expecting us to come back engaged are they?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Abi slipped her hand into his. ‘Don’t worry about it. This is our life, not theirs.’
As they crossed the road, Max said, ‘Can you hear snoring?’
Beth and Jacob rushed towards their friends. ‘Welcome home! Hope you don’t mind this invasion.’
‘Of course not.’ Abi embraced Beth. ‘But what’s all this in aid of? I’ve had my anniversary celebration.’
‘Not with us you haven’t!’ Beth laughed. ‘There should be more of us, but, as you can hear, two of our party passed out waiting for your return!’
‘That will be Stan and Dora having forty winks, will it?’ Max looked up at the banner. ‘Thanks, guys. What a great welcome.’
Jacob pointed to the front door. ‘Even better is to come. There’s wine, beer, and fresh bread and butter inside. And Cass will be here with a bumper round of fish and chips in a minute.’
Max grinned. ‘Fantastic. They don’t do such good fish and chips in the Wye Valley.’
‘Honestly, Once a Cornishman. . .! Our meals were all lovely.’ Abi laughed. ‘Come on, let’s go and wake up the oldies, suddenly I’m starving.’
Sat in the garden at Abi’s patio table, swaddled in throws to keep the growing evening sea breeze off their shoulders, the friends tucked into salt- and vinegar-covered fish and chips, straight from the paper they’d come wrapped in.
‘This is another thing to add to the list of things I’d never have done in London.’ Cass stabbed a particularly thick chip with a tiny wooden fork. ‘A dinner party where you eat off paper rather than plates or slates, without real cutlery!’
‘Nor me!’ Abi waved her own wooden fork at her neighbour. ‘Luke only allowed fish and chips if they were served in a restaurant, with the chips neatly placed in a separate fake mini chip pan, and the batter so thin it may as well not have been there.’
‘Sounds like your ex and mine have a lot in common.’ Cass took another mouthful of their fish supper, and then asked, ‘Forgive me if I missed this when I got back from the chip shop, but have you guys come back engaged or anything?’
Max almost choked on some batter, but Abi laughed. ‘No, we talked it over, but we’re happy as we are, aren’t we, Max?’
The decorator reached a hand out ‘We are, lass.’
Dora’s shrewd eyes shone approvingly. ‘Good plan.’ She raised a glass. ‘That’s absolutely the right decision for you two. Here’s to finding the right person, and simply enjoying being with them.’
Abi laughed. ‘I do declare you’re psychic, Dora; but I’ll drink to that.’
As they raised a glass of wine, Beth caught Jacob’s eye, silently asking him if they should share their own news. On receiving the smallest of head tilts in return, Beth said, ‘Actually, there is some news in that direction.’
‘There is?’ Max’s smile widened as he guessed what Beth was about to say.
‘Jacob and I have decided to get married.’
‘You have?’ Stan was amazed. ‘When did that happen?’
Laughing, Jacob confessed, ‘When you guys were asleep. Aren’t I the romantic, proposing to the gentle background music of you, Dora, and Sadie snoring?’
‘Sadie was snoring as well?’ Max cuddled the retriever.
As the chorus of ‘Congratulations,’ had died down and hugs had been exchanged, Sadie got up and stood at the door.
Recognising that as a sign that someone was at the door, Stan lifted his hands for hush.
‘Yes. There it is again. Someone’s knocking on the front door. Good old Sadie, if she hadn’t been in my life I’d never have heard the front door when I lived here.’
Abi felt a new rush of affection for the elderly retriever. ‘And if you hadn’t heard me knock on the door last year, we wouldn’t all be here today. Thank you, Sadie!’
Max got up. ‘Well, we ought to answer it, before whoever it is goes away.’
‘It can’t be the neighbours complaining about the noise, because we’re all here.’ Stan ruffled Sadie’s fur. ‘Shall we go and open the door and find out, my girl?’
Stan was already on his feet, when Dora put out a hand. ‘Actually, I think it’ll be for Cass.’
Instantly on her guard, Cass said, ‘What have you done, Dora?’
Unrepentant, the old lady said, ‘Well, everyone is here except for Dan. It has to be him, doesn’t it?’
Cass immediately studied her remaining dinner, so she didn’t have to see everyone looking at her. ‘Oh, Dora, please tell me you haven’t invited him?’
‘Well, naturally I have. He’s my friend. Anyway, I know he wants to see you as much as you want to see him. You’re obviously both too damn stubborn to make the first move, so I’ve meddled a bit.’
Shooing Cass to the front door, Dora said, ‘Go on, or he’ll go away again.’
Feeling self-conscious, Cass turned to Beth and Abi for support; but although her friends were keeping quiet, their facial expressions told her quite clearly that they thought Dora was right.
‘Dora Abbey, you are a pain in the backside.’ Cass sighed as she returned indoors to Abi’s kitchen with Sadie as her chaperone.
‘You’d better believe it, Cass. Just think of me as your fairy godmother.’
‘A fairy godmother that uses trickery rather than fairy dust?’
‘The most effective sort, I think you’ll find.’
Chapter Forty
The sight of the solid outline of Dan through the small glass window in the front door made Cass’s stomach knot in an oddly appealing way.
Does he know I’m here? Cass wouldn’t have put it past Dora to have called Dan with some made up emergency to get him there, just so they had the chance to talk, without actually mentioning her presence.
A prickle of nervous perspiration dotted the back of Cass’s neck as she opened the door.
‘Dan.’
‘Oh, hello. I wondered if you’d be here.’ Dan looked at his watch rather than at Cass. ‘I’m a bit late. I was invited.’ Staring at a point at the back of the hallway behind Cass instead, Dan asked, ‘Any fish and chips left? I’m starving.’
‘I’m afraid not.’ Cass felt a bit awkward. ‘Dora didn’t tell me you were coming. I could go and get you some.’
‘I didn’t think she’d tell you. She didn’t tell me you were here either, but I suspected a set-up.’
‘But you still came.’
‘I wasn’t going to, but then, well. . .I did.’
Seeing an opportunity to escape and grab some time and space to think, Cass put her hand in her jeans pocket, relieved to find she had enough cash in her pocket to buy a portion of fish and chips without having to back inside to get her handbag. ‘If you go into the garden, you’ll find the others. I’ll fetch you some supper. It won’t take me long.’
The doorway felt alight with static electricity. Edging past Dan, Cass took care not to brush his arm in case any accidental contact gave away how much her body wanted to touch him with rather more specific attention.
‘Running away again?’
The words stung, and Cass immediately spun on her toes to face Dan properly, snapping, ‘I don’t run away, I. . .’ Her words died away as Dan’s face broke into a smile.
‘Yes you do. But then, so do I.’ Dan reached out and offered Cass
his hand. ‘May I accompany you to the chip shop? I’m not sure I’m up to the third degree from Dora until I’ve had the chance to talk to you alone. She’ll only give us a lecture on how we’re as bad as each other.’
Cass thought her heart was going to actually thump right through her chest as she slipped her palm into Dan’s and began to walk down the path, rather slower than she had planned to only a few seconds ago.
Emboldened by the fact Cass hadn’t rejected the offer of his hand, Dan said, ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘OK.’ The heat of Dan’s hand was doing weird things to Cass’s insides, and she found she had to concentrate hard on simply walking in a straight line.
For goodness’ sake, woman, he’s only holding your hand. What on earth would you be like if. . .? Cass forbade her thoughts to go any further.
‘Why did you disappear so fast after the wedding? It wasn’t so you could settle Sadie into your place, was it?’
‘No. No it wasn’t.’ Cass was silent for a moment before she tried to explain. ‘I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t want to be rude, or even appear to be rude, but so much has happened. I was afraid, I suppose.’
‘Afraid?’
‘Of saying the wrong thing. Of giving out the wrong signals. Or, more accurately, that I’d misinterpreted signals again. After all, I have proven I’m not as good at reading people as I previously supposed.’
‘When you say people, you mean men.’
‘Yes. Sorry.’
Dan stopped walking and studied Cass’s face carefully. Two points of pink had appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes had clouded with anxiety. The pulse he could feel beating so fast in her wrist, however, was telling him its own story. And so, Dan knew, was his.
‘You were worried the fact we have a serious case of the hots for each other might mess up any friendship or possible future relationship.’
Hearing Dan saying what she’d been thinking in such a matter-of-fact way made Cass blush from ear to ear. ‘Uhhuh.’
Dan gently took hold of her shoulders. ‘Do you know how many people I’ve told why I left the Army, Cass? The real reason I mean?’
‘Umm. No.’
‘Two. Stan is one. Mostly because he asked me outright, and because he has been there. A generation or two before me admittedly, but even after all this time nothing has changed that much sadly. And you are the other one. No one else.’
Cass felt a lump form in her throat. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
Dan ran a finger across her cheek. ‘What I mean is, I don’t trust easily. And I certainly don’t love easily. I’ve witnessed too much death, too much loss, to want to risk feeling that much pain for someone I care about. To love someone means to accept that one day you’ll lose them. But somehow you’ve broken through. Believe me, I tried to stop you.’
Cass felt her heart beat faster. ‘But, Dan. I’m a nightmare.’
‘True.’ Dan moved so close that Cass could feel the softness of his breath on her face. ‘But you’re a nightmare with the most incredible peppermint eyes.’
Cass lifted her head off Dan’s shoulder and stared out across the bay. ‘Do you think they’ll all still be at Abi and Max’s?’
‘I suspect so, although Dora and Stan could be snoring on the sofa.’
‘Again!’ Cass laughed.
‘Again?’
‘Beth told me that they were sound asleep there before Abi and Max got home.’
‘Married life is obviously exhausting!’ Dan checked his phone. ‘Although, maybe they have all gone? I hadn’t realised the time. We’ve been here for hours.’ Crumpling up his chip papers and scanning the immediate area for a bin to put them in, Dan said, ‘Come on you, it’s almost midnight. I’d better get you home before you turn back into a pumpkin.’
‘That’s hardly Prince Charming talk, is it!’ Cass couldn’t stop smiling. ‘Is it really that late?’
They’d just talked at first. Listening and sharing each other’s fears and shortcomings; agreeing they had to see each other again, but that they had to make sure this wasn’t merely lust. ‘Although’, Dan had added hurriedly, ‘I’m up for a bit of lust anyway if you are.’ The mere thought had made Cass smile even wider.
They had gone on to discuss plans for the future, including Cass’s ideas for a continued life in Cornwall. Plans that Dan had declared to be perfect from his perspective. Somehow the minutes had turned into hours, which had melted away in the face of their happy conversation. A conversation that had been punctuated by some lingering kisses.
‘This is the second time today I’ve sat on the sand voluntarily.’
‘You weren’t kidding, were you? You aren’t a beach bunny.’
‘I’m not. Although this sort of beach activity with you is the exception!’ Cass couldn’t believe she was sat there, with a man who was struggling to keep his hands off her. And vice versa.
Tugging Cass to her feet, Dan said, ‘But we ought to at least go and apologise for disappearing without a word. If they are all still awake.’
‘Oh they’ll be up. Dora will be dying to see if her matchmaking has worked.’
‘Good point.’
‘Anyway, I want to tell Beth and Abi my plan.’ Cass felt a wave of uncertainty come over her. ‘It is a good idea, isn’t it?’
‘It is a wonderful idea.’ Dan tucked her slim frame next to his as they walked back up the hill towards Miners Row. ‘I’m glad you felt you could discuss it with me.’
‘And I’m glad you wanted to listen.’
‘Of course I did.’ Dan looked so surprised that Cass felt she had to explain.
‘I’m not used to people listening to my ideas without immediately working out what they can get out of it themselves.’
‘I see. City syndrome. Well, you can come and talk to me about anything. Anytime. Ever. OK?’
‘OK.’ Cass knew her expression was radiant with happiness. It was new sensation, and one she hoped wouldn’t fade too quickly. ‘If they are all awake shall we tell them tonight, or wait?’
‘Tonight. I think they’ll all be delighted, although there is a drawback.’
Cass frowned, ‘There is?’
‘If Stan and Dora are there, I’ll have to offer to take them home.’
Cass felt her cheeks begin to glow again. ‘And you’d rather have stayed to continue our conversation in private at my place?’
‘Indeed.’ Dan put on his most serious expression. ‘Over breakfast.’
‘We’ll give them ten more minutes then we’ll call a taxi to take us back to Chalk Towers.’ Stan was stroking Sadie’s back while she slept gently at his feet.
Abi laughed. ‘You’ll never get a cab this late. You’re welcome to stay in your room, Stan, the bed’s made up still from before the wedding.’
‘Thanks, Abi girl.’ Stan yawned. ‘I am getting a bit tired.’
Dora chuckled. ‘No stamina, Stan, that’s your trouble. I do wish they’d come back though, I’m bursting with curiosity here.’
‘The fact they disappeared together is a good sign though, isn’t it?’ Abi started to clear away the tea and coffee cups they’d been using since they’d come in from the garden a couple of hours ago. ‘Isn’t that what you wanted, Dora?’
‘Yes. I’m just impatient to know if my meddling worked. It could be that my magic wand needs polishing up a bit!’
Beth gazed at the old lady in wonder. ‘You’re like a character from Scooby-Doo! All that meddling.’
‘I always thought I’d make a good Velma!’
A general chorus of agreement that Dora would have made a brilliant meddling kid in Scooby-Doo, which turned into a gentle argument when Stan and Jacob insisted Dora was too attractive for Velma, and would have been more like Daphne, was interrupted by a knock on the front door.
‘Ah, the wanderers return.’
Chapter Forty-one
‘Are you sure, Cass?’
Beth had asked the same question three times now, wondering if tiredne
ss was making her hallucinate entire conversations.
‘Beth, love, Cass doesn’t have to explain all over again does she?’ Jacob put his arm around his stunned fiancée’s shoulders. ‘What brought all this on, Cass? You really are offering us this house?’
‘I am. At first it came from desperation to break every connection I have ever had with Justin. But I couldn’t see how to do that. My mind was a mess. It wasn’t until Dora did her James Bond thing that I allowed myself to start thinking about my future with more than just the odd flight of fancy.
‘Then when I was on my own with Sadie we got to thinking more constructively. She’s a wise old thing that retriever.’
‘She most certainly is.’ Max rested his weight on his elbows on the table. ‘But we thought you had grown to like living next door.’
‘I do. It’s great, but it'’s mostly great because I’ve met all of you guys, as well as Dora and Stan.’ Cass pointed down the hallway, in the general direction of Stan and Dora who had retired to bed in triumph, now they knew that Dora’s interference had worked.
‘And Dan?’ Abi asked.
Blushing appealingly across the kitchen table at the man in question, Cass said, ‘And Dan,’ before turning back to Beth and Jacob. ‘The thing is, try as I might, I’m not a beach person. And as I’m planning a completely new start, with a new business enterprise, thanks to the wonderful Jo in Truro, then I’m going to require somewhere in a town, preferably with a workshop big enough to paint furniture in.’
The sides of Cass’s mouth were beginning to ache from smiling so much, and she was surprised all over again at her own excitement at the prospect of a new adventure. ‘It makes perfect sense to offer this place to you and Beth first – but only if you want to. There’s no obligation, no pressure. I heard you saying to Abi, Beth, in the hotel car park, that you were going to need a bigger home once your baby has arrived.’
Abi, seeing Beth and Jacob were having trouble digesting what Cass was offering, stepped in. ‘So, what you’re saying, Cass, is that now you’re free of your links to London, you’re going to kick-start a whole new life. Like I did, but with way more confidence.’