Page 42 of One Last Gift

“OK. It’s OK.” He came back over to her desk, leaned down so he could read the clue on her phone over her shoulder. “Well, being a ‘blue’ is an Oxbridge thing, isn’t it? Like, their sporting teams?”

Cassie stared up at him. “It is?”

“Pretty sure, yeah. My sister is a Cambridge girl,” he added with a shrug.

Cassie looked down, read it again.

One spring day the teams will meet,

But one will go home in defeat,

All of them have brains, it’s true,

But this is what it means to be a blue.

Her heart did a little leap as the tips of her fingers tingled with excitement. “So, wait, Josh, that could be it! It’s Oxford versus Cambridge, it’s…” She trailed off, staring at the last “P.S.” of the clue. Life is but a dream.

A memory, one she didn’t realize she still had, came to her, a little hazy. The sound of her mum, singing. Humming the tune as she stroked Cassie’s hair, while Cassie drifted toward sleep. Row, row, row your boat…

She blinked, the memory fading. “Josh.”

“Cassie.”

“It’s the Boat Race.” Her face split into a grin and she punched the air. “It’s the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, Josh, that’s where he wants me to go! And it fits, because I’ve never been before, and he wanted me to try something new!”

“Really, you’ve never been before? I have—it’s great fun, my sister dragged me along three years ago—”

“Not the point, Josh!”

“Right, sorry. But this is great! High five, you did it!” He held his hand out and she hit it, grinning. She’d done it! But then the panic set in again.

“Wait, but when is it, Josh? When is it happening?” Oh God, what if it had already taken place? With frantic fingers, she googled it, letting out a sigh when she saw the date for this year.

“Well,” Josh said with a smile, “it looks like we know what we’re doing next weekend.”

Next weekend. Literally just in time. Then she frowned. “Wait—we?”

“Yes. I’m not letting you have all the fun without me. I want to see how this plays out firsthand—and I’m definitely coming along to your first Boat Race experience.”

Cassie shook her head. “There’s no way Robert will let us both have the day off.”

“Don’t worry, darling Cassie,” Josh said with a knowing smile. “I have a plan.”

Chapter Twenty

Cassie stood with Hazel outside the Pimm’s tent in Furnivall Gardens, Hammersmith. Hazel had insisted they watch the Boat Race from here, and when Cassie had asked why, she’d simply said that she’d googled it and it was one of the best places to watch it. She’d even rearranged something to be here, muttering to herself that she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten, though Cassie had never realized she’d cared so much about the Boat Race. They were on the green, people everywhere, the pubs nearby completely packed, the whole place buzzing with excitement. The day was perfect—bright blue sky with picturesque wispy clouds, the sun shining down in full force like it, too, was watching with bated breath. It wasn’t quite warm enough for the shorts and T-shirts some people were sporting, in Cassie’s opinion, but she understood the sentiment.

“Where is he?” Cassie asked, bouncing on her feet outside the red-and-white tent. “We’re going to miss it!”

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute,” Hazel said soothingly. “But look!” She pointed to the closest screen, which was ready to show the race for those who couldn’t get near to the Thames, and which was now showing the two long yellow boats, each holding eight rowers, one team dressed in dark blue, the other in duck-egg blue.

Josh came out of the tent, clutching three cups of Pimm’s. “Sorry,” he said, handing out the drinks, “there was a queue. Anyway, come on, let’s get a photo!” He got out his phone, maneuvered the three of them so they had their backs to the Thames—which was mainly hidden by the crowd—and snapped.

“You’re not going to post that on Instagram, are you?” Cassie asked—Josh was big into Instagram. “Robert will see.”

Josh patted Cassie’s hand. “You’re acting like I’m a beginner at this.”

His “plan” to make sure they both got the day off had turned out to be to cajole Robert into giving Cassie the weekend off, citing the quiet events diary and claiming that it was a shame she wouldn’t be there all the following week, if she had Monday and Tuesday off instead, to deal with Pauline’s daughter’s no doubt increasing enquiries as the P party loomed closer. Once that was agreed, he’d made a show of going out to get the greasiest takeaway he could find yesterday, eating it in front of Robert, and then complaining of a funny stomach at the end of the day—so, he had food poisoning today, as it turned out. He had no qualms about doing it, apparently, because it meant Robert would have to do the legwork for once, and the diary really was quiet.