‘I don’t make a big deal out of my birthday.’ He chuckles. ‘Far too long in the tooth for that.’
‘Just saying, “It’s my birthday today” is hardly making a big deal out of it,’ I tease him.
‘No one’s forcing you to have a party, Dad,’ Liv jibes him.
‘Yeah, well...’ He shrugs dramatically, as if he’s trying to shake off the fuss. But Liv laughs disparagingly, and catches my eye in amen, what are they like?kind of way. I return her look with a silent:Tell me about it!
Now she’s produced a parcel, which he unwraps carefully, then holds out a soft light blue sweater and a big bar of posh dark chocolate and a piece of paper liberally daubed with sunshine-yellow paint. ‘Finn’s first painting!’ she announces. ‘Just for you, Dad. He did it all by himself. Covered me and half the kitchen with it but never mind...’
‘A masterpiece. I’ll treasure it.’ He’s all smiles then, and she adds, ‘And also you and Kate are going out to dinner tonight. Okay?’
‘Arewe?’ I ask in surprise.
‘Yeah.’ She nods firmly. ‘You are. Our treat – mine and Rory’s.’
‘What?’ Fergus exclaims. ‘No, that’s way too much!’
She folds her arms and grins at us. She seems so much more self-assured since that day with the exploding jam. ‘Dad, you do so much for us. We wanted to say thanks. So I’ve sorted it with Gianni’s,’ she continues, meaning the little Italian place on the high street. ‘Go out for dinner and we’ll sort the bill.’
‘You don’t need to do that,’ I insist, turning to Fergus. ‘I’dlike to take you out to dinner. If that’s okay?’
‘Of course,’ he starts. ‘That’d be—’
‘No, it’sourtreat,’ Liv says firmly, and I wonder if the ‘our’ suggests that she and Rory are working things out. I suspect, too, that the look she gives us suggests that she knows there’s something between her dad and me. Something more than being bookshop colleagues, that is. And that, in forcing us out to Gianni’s tonight, she’s putting her seal of approval on it.
But can anything possibly happen now? It hits me then, as I glance at Fergus.
I can explain everything tonight.
And then all the tension inside me will fade, and we can see what happens next. He might be confused or disappointed or even decide I’m far too weird and duplicitous to be involved with. I do hope not. Because whatever happens, I want to kiss this man with clear, kind eyes, his face a little lived in, a smattering of salt and pepper stubble around the jaw. It’s a strikingly handsome face, although I know he’s unaware of the fact. He lives in faded jeans, roomy sweaters and sturdy walking boots.
‘Looks like you’ve got quite a backlog to sort, Dad,’ Liv remarks now, indicating the boxes of books neatly stacked by the counter.
‘Hey, these have just arrived,’ he says. ‘Give me time!’
‘I was going to stay on a bit and get started,’ I tell Fergus.
‘We could do an hour or so,’ he suggests, looking round at Liv. ‘What time’s our booking, honey?’
‘Eight,’ she replies, peering into an open box of books. ‘Looks like they’re mostly nature, local guidebooks, history...’ Fergus nods. ‘Make sure you put them in the right sections,’ she chides him, glancing at me now. ‘Me and Dad didn’t always agree where to put things.That’swhy it was a nightmare, working here...’ She sniggers. ‘Like a historical book about nature... like this one!’ She plucks a book from the box. ‘Fern Collectors of the Victorian Era. Where doesthatgo?’
‘There’s a lot of crossover,’ I agree.
‘And we didn’t always see eye to eye, did we, Liv?’ Fergus raises a brow.
‘No, we didn’t,’ she says firmly. ‘But anyway – I need to get back for Finn. So, enjoy your night...’
‘Thank you love,’ Fergus says, hugging her.
I hug her too. ‘Thank you Liv. It’s such lovely treat.’
She steps back and beams at us. ‘Promise you’ll have all the courses and loads of wine?’ Her eyes are gleaming now.
‘Not just a few breadsticks?’ Fergus suggests, crooking a brow.
‘No, Dad.Allthe courses. That’s the deal.’ Then she’s off, and Fergus smiles.
‘Well. That’s us told then!’
