Nick looked up, missing the shot Luke fired at him. ‘Hi,’ he said, standing woodenly and raising his hand in something between a wave and a salute. His cheeks coloured, and he shoved his hand in his pocket. ‘Are you here for dinner too?’
‘Um,’ said Kitty, glancing toward the suitcase at her feet, ‘I’m actually staying with Alice for a few days.’
‘Oh.’ Nick’s puzzlement was clear.
Kitty’s frantic search for a reasonable explanation was cut short by Alice stepping in.
‘We fancied a girly few days,’ said Alice, grinning. ‘May’s been stressed about her exams, and she’s got her last one tomorrow, so me and Kitty are preparing a few little treats for her. We’re going to have a spa evening with face masks and all sorts of othergirly accoutrements. Oh, and we’re doing some gin tasting with Sylvie.’
Kitty’s eyes opened wide. This was all news to her, and she couldn’t tell if Alice had been secretly planning a distraction for her and a celebration for May, or whether she was pulling all the various activities off the top of her head. Whatever, her acting skills were brilliant.
‘Right,’ said Nick, a frown still creasing his face. ‘But couldn’t you still have done all those things with Kitty living in her own cottage? She’s only down the road, after all.’
‘The boiler’s broken,’ lied May, walking into the living room. ‘That’s right, isn’t it, Kitty?’ May gave her a surreptitious wink.
‘The boiler’s broken?’ said Nick. ‘Surely you don’t need heating at this time of—’
‘No.’ May rolled her eyes. ‘She needs hot water, dummy, doesn’t she?’
‘I suppose so,’ said Nick. The way he continued frowning suggested to Kitty he wasn’t buying any of it.
Perhaps she should admit the truth to him. Perhaps she should tell him all about James. Except, she’d already told more people than she should have, and what would it achieve? Another person worrying about her, or worse, thinking she was a fool for having got involved with him in the first place. No. She’d allowed a tight circle into her life, and it didn’t need expanding, especially when her relationship with Nick was complicated enough.
‘Can I do anything to help?’ Kitty asked Alice.
‘No, it’s all under control. Luke and May are helping me.’
‘I’ll get the drinks,’ said Luke, setting down his table-tennis bat.
‘And I’ll lay the table,’ said May.
When everyone had dispersed, Kitty turned to Nick. ‘Where’s Emily?’
‘Playing in the garden at home with my parents,’ said Nick.
‘Really?’ Kitty’s eyes opened wide in surprise.
‘Yeah. There’s been a bit of a turnaround,’ said Nick. ‘Seems they’re rather enamoured with their new granddaughter.’
‘Goodness. Well, that’s… that’s wonderful,’ said Kitty.
‘It’s surprising,’ said Nick. ‘Taking me a while to get used to it.’ He took a gulp of his beer. ‘I’ve never seen this side of my parents. They were always distant and a little cold with me and my brother. With Emily, it’s a completely different story.’ He paused. ‘Now they’ve decided to accept her as being their granddaughter.’
‘That’s often the case with grandparents and grandchildren,’ said Kitty. ‘I see it all the time. We have the loveliest grandparents coming to drop their grandkids off at school, and then Mum and Dad come along to parents’ evening and moan on and on about how awful their relatives are. I guess there’s a separation in the relationship that makes it easier.’
‘Yeah, maybe you’re right,’ said Nick.
Alice came into the room. ‘OK, grab a plate,’ she said. ‘It’s a bit of a mishmash of salads, pizza and quiche. So come through to the kitchen and help yourselves.’
‘Sounds good,’ said Kitty.
‘After you,’ said Nick, gesturing for her to walk in front of him.
It was a squeeze in the kitchen with all of them there, and Kitty was closer to Nick than she would have liked. Their arms brushed against each other, and Nick flinched. She peered up at him. He caught her eye, and his expression was one she couldn’t quite decipher. Then he smiled warmly, and she relaxed.
They could do this. They could do this friendship thing. Yes, she found him attractive, but that would fade in time.Enjoy the moment,Kitty told herself, as she settled down with her plate of food, in a place she felt safe, surrounded by new friends.
Chapter 44
