‘Kind of. But it’s a nice something.’ She patted the bag. ‘Not a word.’
Lottie walked speedily to the cars parked on the drive and Rhys and his father set about using the metal detector nearby. The light was fading so Lottie got straight to work.
‘So, what’s up?’ Lottie heard Daniel ask his son. Lottie didn’t like eavesdropping but they knew she was there, so it wasn’t entirely sneaky listening. She concentrated hard on her task but it was impossible to tune out Uncle Daniel’s voice. ‘I’m guessing it’s the mess I’ve made of everything.’
‘I love youandMum. I don’t want you not seeing Rebecca because you think it’ll upset me, because it won’t.’
‘Thanks, Rhys. That’s incredibly mature of you. The truth is, Rebecca was a huge shock. I only found out she existed a couple of months ago – and even then I thought it was a scam. Or a joke.’
‘So you’ve not been keeping her a secret for twenty years then?’
‘Goodness, no. I can barely keep quiet about what we’ve bought people for Christmas, let alone something like this. I ignored the Facebook messages at first and then I realised there was a distinct possibility she was telling the truth. But I couldn’t tell you or your mum about Rebecca without owning up to …’ Daniel tailed off.
‘Having an affair,’ prompted Rhys.
‘It was never really an affair. We flirted at work and then we landed this big client, went out and got drunk and ended up in some dodgy hotel for the night. We both knew it was a mistake. And then Elaine phoned to say she couldn’t work for me any more. And she quit and I never saw her again. I swear.’
‘It’s okay. I believe you, Dad.’
‘I’ve barely thought about her until Rebecca got in touch. And it all seemed to go a bit crazy.’ Lottie popped her head up to see Daniel rubbing his hands over his shorn hair.
‘It certainly went crazy today. Mum’s really upset.’
‘I know and I’m so sorry, Rhys. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. It’s hard to explain but—’
Rhys waved his words away and slung the detector headphones around his neck. ‘What I wanted to say was: what do you always say to me?’
Daniel sounded puzzled. ‘Call your mother? Eat something other than beans on toast? Start revising early?’
Rhys chuckled. ‘You do say all of those things, but no. You tell me to do what makes me happy.’
Daniel rubbed his chin, floored by the simplicity of his son’s logic. ‘It’s not that simple, I’m afraid.’
‘I think it is. If you want Rebecca to be part of your life, then you need to commit to it. Not keep her at arm’s length.’
‘But your mum …’
‘When she’s calmed down she’ll be cool,’ said Rhys.
Daniel’s gaze rested on the house. ‘Your Nana would have had something to say about all this. She would probably have given me a thick ear too. And I’d have deserved it. I’ve been an idiot.’ He looked back at Rhys and put his arm around his shoulders. ‘I’m so proud of you, Rhys. You’ve got a wise head on those shoulders and an excellent future ahead of you. Don’t bugger it up.’
Rhys shuffled his feet on the gravel, looking embarrassed. ‘Yeah, about that …’
Father and son walked off around the house and Lottie returned her full attention to the job in hand. She just hoped everything would turn out okay.
Chapter Twenty
Lottie rubbed her cold hands together when she came indoors. A high-speed Duchess shot past her into the relative warmth of the hall. The cat wrapped her fluffy tail around herself and Lottie wished she had one of her own, as the cat looked at her from behind it like a belly dancer behind a veil. ‘I know, it’s cold,’ said Lottie, interpreting the cat’s glare. The new owners would have to sort out the hallway’s dodgy radiator and the poorly fitting windows, thought Lottie with a shiver.
She was hanging up her coat when Zach came through from the back of the house with Dave at his heels. ‘Has he been?’ asked Lottie.
‘Nope, I swear he’s holding on to it on purpose,’ said Zach. Dave trotted off, happily wagging his tail.
Lottie commiserated with her brother. ‘Hopefully not much longer to wait.’
‘What for?’ asked Emily, appearing at the top of the stairs.
‘Star presents! Come on,’ said Lottie, beckoning Emily down.
