‘Thank you.’ Kat swallowed hard around a sudden pressure in her throat before plastering on a smile. ‘We’d better get going or we’ll miss all the fun!’
11
They joined the steady stream of people heading away from his parents’ house and Harry had to admit it had been a great suggestion of Liam’s to help thin out the party guests. They’d also left the kitchen in a fairly decent state, which would help their folks too. Harry strode along at his usual pace until he realised he was leaving Kat trailing in his wake. He stopped and waited for her to catch up, earning a smile that sent a tingle of awareness through him. He didn’t know what had got into him tonight. It was like a switch had been turned on in his brain when he’d seen her outside the front door and he was hyperaware of her presence at all times.
‘You don’t have to wait for me,’ she said.
‘It’s fine,’ he assured her as he shortened his stride to match hers. ‘It’s not like I’m in any desperate hurry to grab a vantage point.’
‘Not a fan of fireworks, then?’
He shrugged. ‘Maybe when we were kids but I’m usually working on New Year’s Eve, so they’re just a signal to hide in the kitchen to avoid the terrible singing and drunken hugs.’ He grinned down at her. ‘There’s nothing more tedious thanwatching other people have a good time when you’re already knackered and know there’s still a couple of hours’ more work to do.’
Kat nodded in understanding. ‘It’s not quite the same thing but I really hate the days when I’m doing the late shift at the café and in charge of closing up. I swear the hands on the clock move extra slowly between five-thirty and six o’clock.’
‘I didn’t realise Java Brava stayed open until six.’ Harry always bought his coffee from Issy’s place and tended to only venture into the centre of the village if he needed something.
‘If I had my way we’d close earlier but corporate policy dictates opening hours even though it’s normally dead from mid-afternoon onwards. The after-school crowd tend to go to The Cosy Coffee Pot because they can access the facilities at the Hub. My father tried a few incentive schemes but as soon as the promotions stopped, the footfall went back down again.’ She sighed. ‘It’s a good location for people working in and around the village centre, and we’re always packed out in the summer thanks to all the holiday lets, but between now and Easter it’s going to be a whole lot of boring. I’d like to find something different, but jobs aren’t exactly easy to come by, especially now it’s off season.’
That was very true and was one of the reasons Harry wanted to try and get his cookery school idea off the ground. His initial chat with his brothers had been encouraging and Liam had promised to help him with the numbers side of things. Rick knew all about the planning stuff and was going to look into whether they would need to apply for a change of business use, but the fact the site was already a retail space and would bring income into the local economy would be looked upon favourably, according to his brother. If he could persuade the people who made the decisions that he’d have a positive long-term impact on youth training and skills development, thatwould strengthen his bid. And it was the thing he was most interested in doing – giving kids a chance to make something of themselves, especially the ones who weren’t necessarily academically inclined.
He glanced down at Kat. She’d always been such a bookworm at school, he was surprised she hadn’t gone further with her education. ‘Why didn’t you go to university?’
‘Dad needed me in the coffee shop.’ She shoved her hands deep in her pockets, her eyes fixed on the path in front of them.
He waited for her to continue but she remained silent. There had to be more to it than that… Harry tried to cast his mind back but he’d been in his own bubble back then. The hours at the restaurant weren’t conducive to socialising and he’d drifted from the group for a while. Cooking had been everything – after so long believing he was completely useless it had been beyond belief to find something he was actually good at. He hadn’t been the only one – when he’d told his parents about Russ’s offer to train at the restaurant, his mum had actually cried because he’d found something he enjoyed. Out of the four of them, only Liam and Ed had gone to university. Rick had the grades to go, but he’d chosen to stay in the village and help their mum in the chandlery and studied part time with the Open University. If Rick had wanted to go away, Harry knew without a doubt their parents would’ve found a way to make it happen. So why hadn’t Kat’s? Gavin Bailey struck him as the kind of parent that would enjoy boasting about his child’s achievements, so it didn’t make sense.
‘What about now?’
Kat paused to frown up at him. ‘What do you mean?’
Harry shrugged. ‘Lots of people study for a degree at a later date. If it’s something you still wanted to do…’
Kat sighed. ‘I know you’re right, I’m just not sure where to start.’ She looked so lost and forlorn that the urge to gather herin his arms was almost overwhelming, but he knew it would be a mistake. Whatever weird thing was going on with him and this new attraction to Kat, he needed to get over it asap. It was clear she had enough on her plate and what she needed right now more than anything was a friend. He could do that for her, look after her a bit while she tried to figure things out.
It wasn’t as if there was any point acting upon his attraction to her anyway. They might have a bit of fun for a couple of weeks, but there’d be no long-term future in it. They were far too different for a start. She’d want someone who could stimulate her mind, talk about books and art and all that stuff she was interested in. He doubted very much Kat would care where his football team was in the table, nor want to watch a late-nightUFCfight on his pay-per-view subscription. Plus there was the very sticky fact he’d just invited her to move in and Harry had long ago made a rule that he didn’t get involved with people he either lived or worked with.
He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘Why don’t you speak to Rick? He managed to work and study at the same time and you’re at least as brainy as he is.’
Kat squeezed his hand in return. ‘That’s a good idea, thanks.’ Releasing his fingers, she tucked her hands in the pockets of her coat then glanced ahead where people were lining the seawall. ‘It’s a lot busier than I expected.’
‘I’m sure we’ll find a space further along,’ Harry reassured her. His confidence proved short-lived. It seemed like the entire village had turned out and there was barely a spare inch anywhere along the front.
‘I’m not that bothered about the fireworks,’ Kat said when they’d almost reached as far as the restaurant without finding a spot. ‘I might just head home, if you don’t mind?’
Not quite ready to let her go yet, Harry cast around for a place they could stand. ‘We could try down on the beach?’ Heglanced down and checked her footwear. ‘You’ve got your boots on so the sand shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘Won’t it be too dark down there?’
‘We won’t go far, and it’ll be warmer down there with the wall to shelter us from the wind.’ He pulled out his phone and flipped on the torch then offered her his free hand. ‘What do you say?’
She took his hand and let him lead her to the top of the steps before she hesitated. When he looked back, she had a fierce scowl on her face. ‘If I slip on these stairs and break my neck, I’ll come back and haunt you.’
Harry bit back a smile. ‘I’ll keep you safe, Kitty, I promise.’
They reached the bottom of the steps without incident and Harry led her around the side to tuck them into the corner between the side of the stone staircase and the wall. ‘How’s this?’
‘It’s great, and nice to be away from the wind.’
