Gabriella scrunched her face. “You aren’t going to start kissing in front of us, are you? Because that would be disgusting. Ew, you’re blushing.”
Taylor was indeed blushing, which made some of the feeling come back into Johnny’s face.
“Sooooo,” Clementine continued. “When’s the wedding, because I needat leasta month to plan my outfit.”
“Yeah, and can I get a silk press?” Gabriella asked, raising her eyebrows at Maman. “And does that mean William can go and live with them? Because he’s annoying.”
“Girls,” Maman finally piped up. “Don’t be unkind.”
Taylor squeezed his knee under the table, and Johnny squeezed back. “We aren’t getting married,” Johnny continued, holding up his other hand. “That’s not what we’re saying.”
“No?” Taylor said, eyebrows pulling together.
“N-no! Like Taylor said, nothing’s going to change, but for the love of Jesus donottell anyone at school that your brothers have mated. I don’t need the police on our doorstep.”
Maman snorted as she took a swig of lemonade. “What about work? Will they let you carry on working together now it’s official?”
They glanced at one another again, and Taylor flipped his hand over to hold Johnny’s.
Johnny took a long drink of lemonade. “I… I’m quitting the police, Maman. I want to help you and Papa run the restaurant.”
Thatgot more of a reaction than telling the girls about their relationship, as Maman gasped and stood up. “You don’t… JP, what are you talking about? Your career! You’re not giving up your career for mine and Papa’s sake, no way!”
Letting go of Taylor’s hand, Johnny ran his tongue over his teeth and shuffled around the table. He pulled Maman between his arms, her hands balling in his T-shirt. “I’m not giving up anything, Mum. I want… I want this. It’s what I’m good at and it’s what makesmehappy. I feel like I can see that now.”
She rubbed her face across his chest, inhaling deeply before looking up at him with watery eyes. “It is. You are. Far better than me and Papa.”
Huffing out a laugh, he rubbed his nose across her forehead. “I wouldn’t go that far, but I do make a mean pepper soup.”
Maman wrapped her arms around him, a look of pure, unadulterated joy spreading across her face. “I would love that, John-Paul. Maybe one day me and Papa will be able to take a holiday.”
“Er, not without us,” Gabriella said, wrinkling her nose as she hopped out of her chair. She tugged at Clementine’s sleeve, both of them drifting towards the back door. “This was all very wholesome, but can we go now? We tied a water cannon to Chop’s back thinking we’d need mounted artillery. He wasn’t very happy about it.”
“No way!” Marty said, sliding out of Taylor’s lap. “Show me! Show me!”
Papa rolled his eyes with a smile, and after the door shut behind them, he walked over to Taylor and shook his hand. “I’m proud of you,” he said, gripping Taylor’s forearm. “You know that, don’t you?”
Taylor’s bottom lip started to tremble as he gave Papa a wobbly smile. “Thanks,” he said, letting Papa hook his arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. “I love you.”
Papa nodded, turning towards Maman. “Shall we give them a moment, ma chérie?”
Maman wiped her eyes, nodding softly. “I’ll be there in a minute. There’s something I need to give to Taylor.” She tugged Johnny around the table, gently pushing them together.
She sniffed, dipping her hand into her trouser pocket. “I… Firstly, congratulations. It’s about bloody time.” Johnny grinned, taking Taylor’s hand as she pulled them both in for a hug. “Tay,” she continued, “as you know, when we left Slough your mum was very unhappy, and very unwell. Your dad was… Well, you know how angry he was in the end.”
Taylor dropped his gaze, pressing his lips together. “Because of me.”
Johnny scooped up his hand, kissing his knuckles.
Maman let out a long breath. “Over the years I’ve tried many times to get them to visit you, or arrange a trip of some kind, but unfortunately your dad never replied to my messages.”
Taylor shrugged, his mouth pulling into a tight line. “Why would he?”
Rustling in her pocket, Maman pulled out a slip of paper and pinched it between her fingers. “But your mum, she… she asked me to pass this on to you.”
As she held out the paper, Johnny saw the name Rose Campbell, followed by a telephone number and an address in Peterborough.
Maman’s voice started to crack as she said, “She said… she said she regrets letting you go, but understands if you never want to see her again.”
