‘Dad!’ Lucy rushed up to me, dropped some bags of gifts on the road, and launched herself at me. ‘Are you okay?’
‘It was just words.’
‘Yeah and we heard them – I think half the village did.’ She squeezed me. ‘I’m sorry.’
I’d been aware of Erin opening the boot, presumably to put her gifts inside. She hugged me too after Lucy stepped away and murmured, ‘You didn’t deserve any of that.’
I thanked her but I didn’t say anything. Even though I knew Ingrid took every opportunity to diss me in front of the girls, I’d promised myself I’d never do the same. Not that words were needed in this case. If they’d heard the dressing down, they’d have reached their own conclusions.
Lucy picked up her bags and put them in the boot as Pam approached me, her eyes glistening with tears.
‘I’m sorry, Jed,’ she said, putting her arms out.
I accepted her hug. ‘It’s not your fault. Keep remembering that.’
It was so sad that Pam and Billy felt the need to repeatedly apologise for their daughter’s behaviour. They’d done it for most of our marriage and we’d had a couple of heart to hearts since the summer. They blamed themselves, thinking they’d indulged her too much when she was little which had paved the way to her being a selfish adult. Theyhadspoilt her – there was no getting away from that – but they couldn’t be held accountable for her behaviour as a grown-up. And I’d played my part too. I’d been so in love with her, so in awe that somebody so beautiful would want to be with me, that I’d rolled over and given in to every one of her whims. I hadn’t wanted her parents to buy Ferguson’s from mine because I hadn’t wanted to manage it but Ingrid had decided that managing the café would provide our family with job security. Because I hadn’t been able to suggest an alternative career, I’d let it happen, trapping myself in a job I didn’t love. And I hadn’t ever wanted to move to the other side of the world but I’d let her convince me it would be right for our family. Ingrid would turn forty in March and there was no way herparents could keep shouldering the guilt for how she was. She was in control of her own decisions and actions.
Pam hugged the girls goodbye and we set off back to my parents’ place. I glanced across at Erin in the front seat and caught Lucy’s eye in the rear-view mirror.
‘Dare I ask how it went?’
‘Urgh!’ Lucy responded. ‘And when Aaron turned up in a strop, it was even more urgh!’
‘It wasn’tthatbad before Aaron arrived,’ Erin said. ‘Mum was on pretty good form but Lucy’s right about theurghwhen Aaron appeared. He stormed up to his room without even saying hello.’
‘He was so rude,’ Lucy cried. ‘He even blanked Grandma.’
Guilt enveloped me and I winced as I asked, ‘Did he say it was because he’d seen me?’
The last thing I’d wanted to do was cause an issue on their day of celebration, but it wasn’t as though I’d intentionally caused problems.
‘We don’t know for sure,’ Erin said. ‘He never came back down – even had his lunch upstairs – but Mum went up to see him and?—’
‘She’d turned into a fire-breathing dragon by the time she came down,’ Lucy finished.
I expected Erin to say something about Lucy being overly dramatic but her silence told me how bad it had really been.
‘I’m sorry it’s affecting you two,’ I said. ‘We were standing metres from your grandad so I couldn’t really ignore him. Aaron joined us, questioned why I was there and when I congratulated him on his rescue, he didn’t want to hear it. Did your grandad tell you what he did?’
Both girls muttered a ‘yes’ but clearly Aaron’s behaviour had overshadowed any act of heroism in their minds and I wasn’t going to push it so I told them about the fancy dress costumesinstead and a punch-up during the raft race when one of the crews who were clearly taking the race more seriously than the others didn’t respond well to another crew’s sabotage attempts. I soon had Erin and Lucy laughing and was glad I could lighten the mood. I just wished I didn’t have to.
6
TARA
The majority of the Castle Street traders reopened for business on 27 December and it was good to see the town centre busy again. While the high street shops pushed the bargains with bright red-and-white posters covering their windows, post-Christmas sales weren’t such a big thing on Castle Street. Independent retailers couldn’t offer the kind of discounts the big chains could, so it wasn’t worth trying to compete.
The Chocolate Pot was busy for most of the day but, by 4p.m., there were only a handful of customers left so a couple of my part-timers – students Brandon and Lana – started on the cleaning. I made myself a peppermint hot chocolate and leaned on the counter with my hands clasped round my mug, smiling contentedly. I loved the buzz of a busy café but I also liked moments like this when it was quiet and I could catch my breath and marvel that the business I’d created following the darkest chapter in my life was thriving with customers who found it a bright, warm and welcoming place to be.
I glanced across the cobbles towards Yorkshire’s Best. Jed’s assistant, Anastasia, was serving someone at the till and therewere a couple of other customers in the gallery, but I couldn’t see Jed. The first-floor lights were on so he was either making a brew in the kitchenette or he was getting creative, the first floor currently being used as his art studio.
It had been lovely spending so much time with Jed over Christmas but it was back to normal now with my only day off being a Sunday when my assistant manager, Maria, managed the café. That one day had previously given me enough time to recharge my batteries and catch up on my crafting and admin, but would it be enough now that I was seeing Jed?
‘That’s a big frown,’ Maria said, joining me from the kitchen. ‘Everything all right?’
I smiled at her. ‘Just thinking. Ever since I moved here, I’ve been single and had no family or partner to think about so the life and routine I’ve created has been about what works for me. I’ve never had to factor anyone else into it and I’ve just realised that’s going to have to change now.’
‘Does that worry you?’
