‘Good job!’ Peter laughed. ‘Given we own a bakery and all.’
Talk turned to Nate’s profession until someone pointed out that while they were eating, they shouldn’t be discussing toilets.
‘Well, what about the markets?’ Peter suggested. ‘Let’s talk more about those instead.’
‘It’s been good to see him back in the workshop.’ Trevor proudly told everyone about the chessboard Nate had made, the planter box for his windowsill. ‘Get your orders in quick.’
‘Don’t suppose I get a say, do I?’ Nate wondered.
Trevor continued to extoll the virtues of Nate’s woodworking skills – he seemed to be recounting everything from teenage projects to the things Nate had made and left inside the workshop for far too long.
The crowd were impressed and Nate was embarrassed. But Morgan gave him a nudge. ‘Take the compliment; you deserve it.’
When it was time for Gillian to leave, she followed Belle inside at the same time as Nate took in a big stack of dirty plates ready for washing.
He watched Gillian pick up a bag from the side of the room. ‘Here, let me take that; it looks heavy.’ And it was when he lifted it up.
‘You’re a good man. Good husband material,’ Gillian trilled, earning a reprimand from Belle, who handed Nate her car keys for him to put the bag inside before dashing up the stairs to use the bathroom before she drove her gran home. Nate and Gillian had gone from the kitchen to the front door.
‘I apologise,’ said Gillian, ‘but I have to be direct at my age. No time to pussyfoot around.’
‘Seriously, what’s in here?’ Nate asked as Gillian pulled open the front door.
‘It’s the fruit cake Betty gave for me to share with everyone – as dense as it is large. There are a fair few of us. I’m hoping your dad comes along at some point.’
‘I’m sure he will.’
‘Especially if there’s cake,’ she grinned with mischief. ‘But this one will likely be mostly demolished by the end of tonight. Knowing some of the others, they’ll be having big slicesandcoming back for more.’ She winked. ‘Secretly, I’m hoping to feed them all up enough that it puts them off their card game. With any luck, there’ll be a bit of money on it tonight.’
‘You really like living there, don’t you?’
She looked around the cottage but she didn’t need to think about it. ‘This was once home, still is in many ways, so I’m lucky to have both. But yes, I’ve found my place. I love the social side but I also love that I can come back here often. Not everyone there has the choice. I’ve made some good friends; you can never have too many, you know.’ But then her look changed. ‘You’re not really asking about my welfare, are you… you’re thinking about Trevor.’
He looked down at the floor like a boy scolded. ‘I apologise. And I said to Dad I’d leave it for now, see how things go.’
Softly, she told him, ‘It shows you care. You were always a kind boy. Too kind to be single.’
‘I’ll ignore that,’ he laughed.
‘I would. I interfere too much sometimes. But try to remember everyone is different, that’s my advice. Me, I’ve loved it where I’ve ended up. This cottage was too much for me, Sebastian is the perfect owner, Belle would’ve been too if he hadn’t bought it and she had. But some people, well, leaving their home would break them; it’s something unimaginable for them.’
‘Mum was that way.’
‘I know she was. I suspect a lot of that was to do with her age, she wasn’t as old as I am, but it was also a lot to do with feeling safe and secure. Some people never feel that way anywhere other than their own home.’ She stepped towards him then and put a papery hand on his arm. ‘Your mum wanted to stay right where she was, close to you, close to your dad. And she did.’
‘Just one more thing, Gillian.’
‘Anything, ask away.’
‘Can we go out to the car now? I think my arms are about to break with this bag.’
And with that, she burst out laughing as Belle came to join them.
Nate waved them both off and stayed out the front of the cottage, leaning against the wall covered with ivy. The summer sunshine warmed his skin and he closed his eyes to embrace the village life he had once been a permanent part of.
‘I wondered where you got to,’ came a voice a few minutes later as Morgan came out of Snowdrop Cottage and closed the front door behind her.
‘Just taking a minute. I think the mix of barbecue, wine, Pimm’s and pavlova might have been a bit brave.’
