‘Nice to meet you. I’m Kieran.’ He recalled Janette mentioning an Angela who’d taken over the pub, along with Tom. Or was it Ted?
‘I hope you’re settling in OK,’ Angela said. ‘Janette said you lived in Edinburgh before and you’re a tech genius.’
‘Did she also reveal my blood type, inside-leg measurement and social ineptitude?’
Angela’s smile dimmed. ‘Janette means well. She’s got a heart of gold.’
Kieran considered reversing out of the door. He could wait for his supermarket delivery and order it on repeat for maybe the next six months. Or…
‘Sorry. I have a pathetic sense of humour and no filter. I didn’t mean to be rude. But I’m starving, so…’
Her smile returned, softer this time. ‘Then you’ve come to the right place.’ Angela gestured to an empty table and Kieran sat down. ‘The menu’s on the blackboard and everything’s freshly made by our new chef. We’re keeping it small for now, but early feedback’s brilliant.’
Kieran ordered a pint, scanned the menu, and settled on Hyde’s haddock with triple-cooked potato fingers and a side of terrifying tartare and graveyard purée. Right. Fish, chips and mushy peas.
When the meal arrived, he dug in with embarrassing enthusiasm. The fish was crisp and perfectly cooked, the chips glorious, the peas rich and buttery. He wiped his plate clean and sat back, sated for the first time in days.
‘Did you enjoy that?’ Angela reappeared, this time juggling a squirming baby.
‘I did.’ The fact that the plate looked dishwasher-clean might be a massive giveaway.
‘This is our pride and joy, Ruairi,’ Angela said. Ruairi kicked his chubby little legs like a tiny chorus-line dancer.
‘He’s, erm, cute.’ Kieran cringed internally at how awkward it sounded.How do normal people talk to babies?
‘Our friend Jinnie just dropped him off. She’s got one too, a darling girl called Dahlia.’
‘I’ve met Jinnie,’ he said, then blinked as another woman joined Angela. An apron-clad woman with flushed cheeks and an ‘I’d rather be anywhere else’ expression.
‘Kieran, this is Beth,’ Angela said. ‘Our culinary wizard, shaking things up at The Jekyll and Hyde.’
Beth nodded a tight hello. Kieran reciprocated. Angela nodded too. No one spoke.
Then a disturbance interrupted their brief exchange.
‘Ed, give me a blinking second,’ Angela snapped at someone behind her, trying to decipher frantic waving from across theroom. ‘What? I can’t hear you!’ Flustered, Angela turned to Beth, holding out Ruairi. ‘Can you hold him for a minute, please?’
Kieran saw Beth stiffen, eyes widening as she took a step back. Panic flickered in her face, shockingly raw. ‘Sorry, I… There’s something I need to do in the kitchen. Urgently. Sorry.’
They watched as Beth took off at a gallop, nearly colliding with a woman carrying a tray of drinks.
Angela sighed.
‘I can help.’ Kieran reached for Ruairi before his brain could veto the decision.
The baby was heavier than he looked and more fragrant than he expected. Prom never smelt that pleasant.
Angela frowned slightly. ‘Are you sure you’re OK with this?’
‘I think I’m holding him the right way up, but if he fills his nappy I’ll dump him in a wheelie bin. Joke. Deal with whatever needs doing.’
Ruairi blinked at him, solemn as a judge. Kieran gently stroked his head, unexpectedly moved. What went on inside this tiny mind? Probably not existential dread. More likely:food soon?
Beth’s reaction replayed in his head. The way her face had changed at the sight of the baby. Fear, yes, but something deeper too. Pain.
‘You’re a star,’ Angela said, and hurried to Ed. When she returned minutes later, she reclaimed Ruairi with coos and kisses. The baby giggled, as if nothing in the world could ever go wrong.
Across the room, a young woman staggered towards the door shrieking profanities.
