Chapter Six
Back in Clare, Yvonne slipped into her daily routine. Days passed and Nolan didn’t mention marriage again, although he spent a lot of time at her house. Sometimes he stayed late. Sometimes he left as soon as the boys went to bed. And sometimes, like today, he took half an hour and stopped by the café for coffee and one of Gina’s savory muffins.
“Everyone’s staring,” Yvonne said under her breath.
“Let them.” Nolan shrugged without concern and placed his hand on top of hers.
Immediately Yvonne heard the rise of whispers, sensed the exchange of I-told-you-so glances.
“They’ll get over it soon enough. Would you like to go to the pub for lunch on Sunday? It’ll be me and Dad, plus Eric and Josie since it’s their last day here in Clare.”
“What about the boys?”
“It’s a family lunch,” Nolan said, squeezing her hand. She saw his lips twitch at the flurry of muted words that floated from the elderly ladies sitting at the next table. “Of course the boys are invited.”
“I’d like that,” Yvonne said.
“Good. I’d better go. Some stupid idiot took the corner too fast and went through my fence. I patched it last night, but I need to pick up a coil of wire and batons and do a proper fix.”
Yvonne stood and started to gather their empty cups.
Nolan touched her arm and smiled. “I’ll see you later tonight. Probably after the boys go to bed.” Then he kissed her, a quick, brief kiss that did little to quench her desire for physical contact, yet made her tingle all over anyway. “Be good.”
Yvonne laughed. “That gives me plenty of leeway.” She watched him until he disappeared outside before clearing their table. The acute silence pierced her happiness bubble, and she glanced up to find herself the focus of the café customers. Most wore smiles and approval. “Show’s over, folks,” she said and gave an elegant bow. Applause followed her out the back.
“What’s going on?” Gina asked, looking up from rolling out pastry. A dusting of flour covered one cheek and a few wisps of iron-gray hair curled from beneath her chef’s hat.
“Nolan kissed me goodbye in front of everyone.”
“Good on the boy. I wonder how long it takes that to get back to Elizabeth.”
“I don’t want to talk about that woman,” Yvonne muttered. “And she’d better keep her broomstick away from me.”
Gina gave her pastry another pass with the rolling pin, then turned the oblong with deft hands. “That woman is judgmental. Always has been and I doubt she’ll change, although you’d think she’d learn after driving both sons and her husband away. I heard Samuel is going out with Daphne Chester.”
“Really? That must be difficult for Elizabeth. They’re not divorced yet.”
“He’s visited the lawyer,” Gina said. “Daphne told me that. She wouldn’t go out with him otherwise.”
Yvonne let out an indelicate snort. “This town is a hotbed of gossip. What with the feud between the O’Grady’s and the Drummonds, the Penriths’ split and the Shakespeare sextuplets coming home to do a reality show, the local tattletales are spoiled for choice.”
“You forgot to add the Mathesons,” Gina said, her tone dry. “The original Matheson was a real black sheep, and they say the daughter takes after her ancestor with all her shenanigans.”
“I don’t think I’ve met her.”
“No, she’s been overseas for a while. You’ll know the minute she hits town.” Gina cut rounds of pastry and lined tins. “Can you grab the meat pie mix out of the fridge?”
Yvonne retrieved the covered dish of steak and onions in thick gravy and handed it over. “I’d better get back out front before the natives get restless.”
“Is it serious between you and Nolan?”
Yvonne stopped halfway to the door and turned to her aunt. “He says he wants to marry me.”
“I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
“I told him I wanted friendship and that was all.”
“Yet you let him kiss you in the middle of the café where people can see. The locals have already started a sweepstake. I thought I might take a punt, but you need to give me the inside scoop.” Her aunt let out a sharp cackle. “You should see your face.”
