Inside, Jess touched her cheek, and thought about how it might have felt if Declan’s lips had brushed hers. Tomorrow evening could not come quick enough.
As she put the girls to bed, Jess found herself thinking about Declan. She couldn’t deny the chemistry between them any longer, yet a part of her was worried. Maisie was already fond of Declan and she couldn’t bear the thought of her growing used to having him around if things didn’t work out between them.
In her own head, she could hear her mum’s voice telling her that sometimes you had to go with the flow, otherwise you would never do anything in life. She was right, of course. She certainly didn’t want to live with a lifetime of regrets.
All the same, Jess thought it right to tread carefully for the sake of her daughter. Yet despite her reservations she was really looking forward to her date tomorrow.
THIRTY-TWO
DECLAN
This time he did return to the party, his face beaming like he had just won the lottery.
‘Here, come and join us,’ said Mark, waving the bottle of scotch in Declan’s direction.
‘Right. I think that’s my cue to head upstairs,’ said Carol. ‘I might have a little nightcap with Jess.’ She winked. ‘Thank you so much, Mark, for the invite; I’ve had a lovely evening.’ She got to her feet, and he walked her to the front door.
‘My pleasure. It was good to meet you.’ He shook Carol’s hand warmly before she headed upstairs.
Declan accepted one for the road, but there was no way he was going to spend the day feeling rough tomorrow after overindulging. Mark, remembering his last hangover, enjoyed one final drink too.
‘What a lovely lady,’ commented Alice after Carol had left. ‘Jess must miss her a lot since she moved away.’
‘I bet she does,’ agreed Mark, who had not felt so comfortable in a woman’s company in a long time. And her sense of humour! Humour was so important, yet it surprised him how many people took life so seriously. Bad things happened in life, buthe believed in not letting things consume you. Although he also acknowledged that sometimes, that was easier said than done.
Alice, who had enjoyed a wonderful evening, insisted on placing the paper plates and the debris from the BBQ into a black bin liner, despite Mark’s protestations. She thought it important to show manners wherever you went, something her parents had instilled in her from a very young age.
Declan insisted on walking Alice to her front door and seeing her inside.
‘Thank you, Declan. And I hope you don’t mind me asking, but have you thought of asking Jess out on a date?’ she asked.
‘As a matter of fact, yes. I have asked her out tomorrow night.’ He grinned.
‘Well, I am pleased to hear it,’ she said, thinking what a lovely couple they would make. ‘Because someone like Jess won’t stay single forever.’
She thought of the early days of her relationship with George then, and the fun they had together. Jess and Declan deserved to be happy.
They said their goodnights, and as Declan sprinted upstairs to his flat, he realised that Alice was right. Jess was a real looker as well as a good person. He had better not hang about. Or mess things up. Although that might depend on how she would react when he told her about his past. If he did. At all.
THIRTY-THREE
JESS
‘I really enjoyed that.’
Carol flopped down onto the sofa of her daughter’s flat half an hour later, the two little girls flat out in bed after all their dancing.
‘I’m so glad, Mum. They are a nice bunch of people, aren’t they?’
‘Oh, they really are,’ said Carol as she accepted a cup of tea from Jess. ‘And to think it was Alice who brought you all together. What a woman she is. I still can’t believe her age.’ She shook her head. ‘And I have to say, you look happier.’
‘She’s remarkable, isn’t she?’ Jess sat next to her mum on the large sofa, both having changed into their cosy pyjamas. Jess had made up the sofa bed for her mum in her spacious bedroom.
‘But I would rather talk about you.’ Jess gave her mum her full attention.
‘What do you want to know?’ asked Carol as she sipped her tea.
‘I want to know what you are going to do. You admitted you think you have been hasty, selling up and moving in with Pete. You are obviously not happy,’ she ventured.
