She explained the alternative destination.
‘I…Wewill see you tonight,’ he said, heading for the door again.
‘Wait, you don’t want any pudding?’ she asked.
He turned to face her. ‘Turns out I’m not that hungry.’
And when he left, she only tried to hide her smile when she noticed Gayle and the others all looking her way.
Back at the cottage she agreed to Isaac having a hot chocolate in front of the movie. ‘Tonight, we will break all the rules, and you can have another one, plus as much pudding as you like.’ They planned to take a big box of sweet treats down to the green space this evening to enjoy before the fireworks.
Addie snuggled up with Isaac to watchHome Alone,and as the wintry temperatures wrapped around the garden room, unable to penetrate the interior, she thought about her dad. She stroked Isaac’s blond hair, cut short just like his grandad’s had been so you couldn’t see the curls. Addie secretly loved it when Isaac’s hair got a bit long and the Rafferty trait shone through. She wondered whether Isaac would grow up to look like Harry, her imperfect dad, a man who had a third daughter he’d never had the chance to meet, the man she loved so much it still hurt that he was no longer around.
More than anything, she hoped he’d be looking down on all of them right now glad that she and Susanna had found their way back to Gayle, that they were a family and that Louisa had become a part of that too.
35
LOUISA
It was wonderful to be back on Anchor Island. She’d checked into the inn already and followed the straightforward route from there up to Evergreen Close, where she was meeting Gayle, Susanna and Addie for a big surprise for Gayle’s birthday. Her birthday wasn’t until February, but she would be getting her present early when they could all give it to her together.
In November, Louisa had brought her mum to meet Gayle. Her mum hadn’t wanted to come initially – she was the other woman, after all – but Louisa had talked her round, and despite the nerves it had gone really well. Gayle had cushioned any awkwardness with servings of pudding on repeat until none of them could fit another thing in. Her mum hadn’t wanted to return for New Year’s, even though she’d been invited – she’d finally booked the trip to New York that she’d always dreamed of, her best friend accompanying her for the seven days, but she’d agreed to come back to Anchor Island in the summer for another visit with Louisa.
She reached the cottage, but before she could knock on the front door a voice from the side of the house caught her attention.
‘Psst…’ it said.
She crept past the front window and found Addie crouched down, looking her way.
‘Do you have the ribbons?’ Addie asked in a whisper.
She took off her rucksack. ‘I certainly do.’ They had been in cahoots about this gift for over a month and organised between the three of them how this was going to work.
They crept around the back of the house and in the shed – which Addie had unlocked without Gayle being any the wiser – she took off her gloves and put the final accessories on the gift. Then she went outside and closed the door, ducked down and ran alongside the house so she wouldn’t be seen, and loudly knocked on the front door.
Gayle opened up seconds later, thrilled to see her, and ushered her in out of the cold.
Susanna came out of the kitchen beaming. ‘You’re here.’ She opened her arms to give her a welcoming hug.
The Raffertys could very well have wanted nothing to do with the love-child of the woman who Harry had risked his marriage for when he cheated, but all three of these women had hearts bigger than Louisa could ever have hoped for. Her mum hadn’t mentioned until long after their visit that she and Gayle had had a lengthy chat one quiet day at the café, while Louisa had been talking to Nancy about her gardening needs. Gayle had engineered it that way, with Nancy in on the plan – of course she had, because that was Gayle, a determined woman who wanted things to be right. She and Lily had talked candidly about the circumstances of her affair with Harry before Gayle had assured Lily that she had every intention of embracing Louisa as part of the Rafferty family, as long as that was all right with Lily.
‘The puddings are all ready for collection from the café,’ Addie announced.
‘We’re eating those while watching the fireworks,’ Susanna confided with a nudge at Louisa’s side. ‘And there’s custard.’
‘And I’ve got some Prosecco,’ whispered Addie.
Isaac was right on it. ‘Can I try one of those. Is it a pudding?’
Addie ruffled his hair. ‘It’s not a pudding, and no you may not. Prosecco is a grown-up drink, but you get as much hot chocolate as you like, remember. I’m taking a very big flask just for you.’
His eyes lit up much in the same way they had over FaceTime on Christmas Day, when he’d thanked Louisa for the Lego kit she’d gifted him.
Addie looked at her sisters. That was another thing – they’d decided it was enough of thehalfreference. Technicalities, Addie had said, Susanna agreeing readily, Louisa touched with emotion.
‘Ready?’ Addie asked.
Both Louisa and Susanna nodded.
