Nick watched Kitty and May lead Emily into a different room. The removal of responsibility was a weight off his shoulders, swiftly followed by guilt that Emily had turned to Kitty, not him, instinctively knowing he couldn’t give her what she needed.
What Nick wanted to do was lurk in the corner, working his way through the many beers cooling in a bucket filled with icy water. It wasn’t to be. He was the reason everyone was here, to get the latest gossip, to stare at the curiosity he’d become.
Had fatherhood changed him? That’s what they all wanted to know. And as for Steve’s nephew Tom, what was he doing here? In the shop earlier, Nick had felt second-rate next to Tom. Now, he felt like the evening’s cautionary tale. A man to be pitied, or worse, judged.
‘How’s everything going?’ asked Sam. ‘I couldn’t believe it when I heard you had a daughter.’
Nick shrugged and took another sip of his beer.
‘It must be great having a ready-made kid without having to bother with nappies and all that baby stuff,’ said Tom with a grin.
Who did this guy think he was, chatting like they were mates? He was passing through here for the entertainment value and nothing more, probably collecting tales of a week in a Cornish backwater to amuse his posh London friends at their next dinner party. And what was with the Ralph Lauren shirt and loafers? Talk about a Sloane Ranger.
‘It must have come as a massive shock,’ said Alice, laying a bowl of salad on the table. ‘How long will Emily stay?’
‘Not long,’ said Nick, appreciating Alice’s genuine interest. For all that he resented her taking up so much of Luke’s time, he couldn’t deny she was a kind soul. His best friend had found someone special in Alice. ‘The situation with Carla’s dad is hard to predict.’ He shrugged. ‘Emily’s welcome to stay with me for as long as they need. She’s a good kid.’ As he spoke the words, Nick felt a flutter in his chest. What was it – nerves, affection, love? No, it was too early for love. It must be the bubbles in the beer he was drinking.
‘If you need any help with anything, we’re right here,’ said Alice.
‘Thank you.’ Nick smiled at Alice. She was a good person, and he should have realised it sooner.
Solly let out a yelp, and they all jumped.
‘Sorry,’ he said, his cheeks turning pink as he produced a phone he’d been hiding under the table and removed an earbud from his left ear. ‘Plymouth are playing Man U. I know it’s rude to be watching, but it’s such an important match.’
Sylvie opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word in, Steve, Sam and Tom had rushed around the table to gather around Solly’s phone, flashing looks of apology and guilt in Alice’s direction.
‘Why don’t you watch it on the TV in my room?’ suggested Alice.
‘Oh, no, we couldn’t be that rude,’ said Solly.
Sylvie tutted. ‘It’d be better than hiding a phone under the table.’
‘Honestly, it’s fine,’ said Alice. ‘And it would make things a little less overwhelming for Emily if we’re more spread out.’
‘Good point,’ said Solly, jumping on the excuse to leave in search of a television.
As half the guests decamped to the bedroom, Nick looked up to see Alice’s dad, Daniel, approaching. He pulled up a chair, grabbed a beer from the bucket and smiled at Nick. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Fine,’ said Nick, trying his best to smile.
‘How are you really doing?’
‘What?’
‘I get you want to put on a good front,’ said Daniel, leaning closer. ‘You should understand that, out of everyone here, I can relate somewhat to the situation you find yourself in.’
‘I’m not sure our situations are comparable.’ Nick frowned, casting his mind back a couple of years to when Daniel had arrived in Saffron Bay to build a relationship with the daughter he thought he’d lost. ‘You knew you’d fathered Alice, even if you thought she’d been adopted by another family.’
‘True, but when she did finally come back into my life, it was a huge adjustment for both of us. I used to tell people I was fine, too. The truth? I was terrified, angry, heartbroken, elated. You name an emotion and I experienced it.’
‘You were angry?’ asked Nick.
‘Of course! I had no idea Alice’s mother had kept our baby. When I found out, I was furious.’
‘I feel the same,’ muttered Nick, pulling the label off his beer bottle. ‘Carla should have told me about Emily as soon as she knew she was pregnant.’
‘Has she explained her reasons?’
