Second Chances in Tuppenny Bridge: A totally heartwarming feel-good read, page 16
She closed her eyes for a moment as an image of him at work—all hot and sweaty and muscly in that black vest—flashed into her mind. She pushed it away and took a steadying breath.
‘Shall we get a takeaway?’ he suggested. ‘You run a bath, I’ll go and collect Hattie and Tommy, we’ll put them to bed, and then we’ll sit and eat our supper in front of the telly. What do you say?’
Oh God, it sounded blissful. Kat was too tired and pathetic to argue.
‘Sounds great.’
‘That’s sorted then.’
They reached Forge Cottage and Kat pushed open the gate, giving him a guilty look.
‘You’re sure you don’t mind?’
‘Of course not. Go and run that bath. Lots of bubbles. I won’t be long.’
He smiled and for a weird moment she thought he was going to lean over and kiss her goodbye. She blinked in confusion and saw him walking rapidly away from her. Honestly, her imagination was way out of control.
She stood watching him stride up the road for a moment, noting with some envy that there wasn’t a trace of fatigue or pain in his movement. Sighing, she all but hobbled to the front door and let herself in.
As she poured bubble bath into the hot water, Kat thought that their efforts had been worth it at least, even if that treacherous Jamie and Eloise had declared the men the winners. Daisyfield Cottage looked beautiful now, with the fresh paint and wallpaper and the brand-new curtains, carpets and furniture. It couldn’t be more different to Monk’s Folly, and Jennifer, Ben and Jamie looked so happy.
It was as if they’d been given a new lease of life, and Kat couldn’t be more delighted for them. After everything the Callaghans had been through they deserved this new start, and she was glad she’d been able to help in some small way. God knows, she thought bleakly, she owed them that much at least.
She was just about to step into the water when there was a loud knock on the door.
She groaned. Had Jonah forgotten his key? She couldn’t imagine who else would be bothering her at this time on a Sunday evening.
Shrugging on her dressing gown she pushed her feet into slippers and hurried downstairs.
The man standing on the doorstep wasn’t someone she recognised; around fortyish, with dark hair slightly greying at the temples, and brown eyes that widened in surprise when she opened the door, as if he wasn’t expecting to see her. Well, she thought with some embarrassment, she was in a dressing gown. And nothing underneath it she realised, pulling the robe tighter defensively, as if he could somehow see through it.
‘Can I help you?’
He stared at her for a moment. ‘Oh. I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.’
‘It’s okay. I was just about to get a bath but…’ Her voice trailed off and her face turned scarlet as she realised what she’d said. It occurred to her that she was vulnerable, standing there half naked in front of a stranger, and that she was alone in the house.
For a moment she was tempted to respond to an imaginary call from Jonah, but realised he was close enough to know there had been no call, and that might make her appear even more vulnerable.
‘What is it you wanted?’ She hoped she sounded brisk and unintimidated.
He opened and closed his mouth, then gave a nervous laugh.
‘I think there’s been a mistake. I’m looking for Matilda Demple. She’s a friend of my aunt’s and I thought this was where she lived. But you’re not Matilda Demple.’
‘No,’ Kat said flatly. ‘I’m not.’
‘Ah well, never mind. I’m sure she must be somewhere round here.’ He shrugged. ‘Sorry to bother you.’
With that, he turned and began to walk up the garden path, and Kat frowned. Wasn’t he even going to ask her if she knew where this Matilda Demple lived? Not that she did. She’d never heard of the woman, and it wasn’t the sort of name you’d forget.
It flashed through her mind that if anyone would know it would be the aunties, but then again, she didn’t want to send him to their cottage because he could be a maniac for all she knew. She could ring them, she supposed, but her phone was upstairs…
By the time she’d run through all those thoughts the man was walking up Forge Lane, heading towards the market place.
Kat shrugged and was about to close the door when Jonah arrived at the gate, pushing Hattie in her buggy, with Tommy trotting by his side.
He glanced at the man and then at her.
‘Saw him on the doorstep,’ he said. ‘Who was he?’
Kat opened the door wider to let them in. ‘No idea. Some bloke looking for a Matilda Demple. Said he thought she lived here.’
Jonah frowned. ‘Never heard of her.’
‘Me neither. Hello, Tommy. Did you have a nice time with Rita and Birdie?’
Tommy nodded. ‘We had a game of rounders in the garden,’ he told her. ‘Birdie said it was her favourite game, but she’s rubbish at it. Rita won.’
Kat laughed. ‘You had a game of rounders when there were only three of you?’ Well, she supposed it was just doable. The thought of Rita and Birdie playing was quite amusing.
‘And,’ Tommy added, ‘we had lemon meringue pie.’ He wrinkled his nose. ‘I liked the white bit, but the yellow bit was yukky.’
He yawned and Jonah, who was manoeuvring the buggy into position in the hallway ruffled his hair.
‘Think it’s bedtime for you, young man.’
‘What about my bath?’ Tommy asked.
‘You can have a quick wash instead,’ Jonah said. ‘A bath can wait until tomorrow night. It’s been a long day. I think we’re all due an early night.’
Kat closed the door behind them and peered at Hattie who was out for the count. ‘Aw, they’ve put her in her pyjamas, bless them. I’ll carry her up with me and then get my bath. Do you want to wash Tommy while I’m settling Hattie in her cot?’
‘Yes, and while I do that you can order the food. Have you decided what you want?’
‘You decide.’ She didn’t have the energy to think about it, and carefully lifted Hattie out of the buggy.
‘Shall we share a pizza? Pepperoni?’
‘Sounds good to me,’ she agreed. ‘I’ll ring them.’
Jonah watched as she carried her baby upstairs.
‘So, you don’t know that bloke then?’
She stopped and turned to look at him. He was standing at the foot of the stairs and looked a bit puzzled.
‘No. Never seen him before.’
‘Odd. Why would he think someone called Matilda Demple lived here? My family has been in this cottage for generations. And Matilda Demple? What kind of name is that? It doesn’t even sound real.’
Kat made it to the top of the stairs. ‘No idea,’ she said. ‘Are you bringing Tommy up?’
‘Yeah, yeah. Come on, mate.’ He ushered Tommy upstairs and Kat carefully carried Hattie to her cot and laid her down gently, then took out her phone to order the pizza, stifling a yawn as she did so. She couldn’t wait to step into that bath and have a good long soak. The man at the door was already forgotten.
When Kat climbed into bed that night she thought she’d probably sleep right through until morning. She was so tired. The hot bubble bath had worked a miracle on her aching muscles, and the giant pizza she’d shared with Jonah had left her feeling full and sleepy. Her bed had never looked so welcoming.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the sound of Hattie’s crying permeated the bliss of sleep. Kat opened one eye, hoping it had been part of a dream already forgotten.
It was all quiet and she snuggled under the duvet again. The second cry was more insistent, and Kat realised, with some reluctance, that she hadn’t been dreaming and that she would have to get up to settle her daughter.
She switched on her lamp and checked her phone. Half past twelve. Sod it! She’d only been asleep for half an hour. Groaning, she forced herself out of bed and, rubbing her eyes, she stumbled onto the landing.
The bathroom door opened and Kat stopped dead as Jonah walked out. He was oblivious to her presence as he towelled his hair, completely naked except for a towel slung low on his hips.
Kat stared at him. Even in her sleepy, befuddled state, she could appreciate a good body when she saw one. Images of Michelangelo’s David came into her mind; those chiselled abs and well sculpted muscles—except David wasn’t quite as muscular as Jonah, and he was sadly made of stone, whereas Jonah was most definitely flesh and blood. Most definitely…
‘Bloody hell!’
Jonah leaned against the wall, the towel he’d been using to dry his hair hanging limply from his hand as he stared at her in shock.
‘You scared the bejesus out of me! What are you doing creeping about?’ Another wail from Hattie answered his question and he gave her an apologetic look. ‘Sorry, I didn’t hear her. I was in the shower.’
She arched an eyebrow. ‘Really? I’d never have guessed.’
He glanced down at the towel that was covering his modesty and she noticed faint pink spots appear on his cheekbones as he said, ‘Er, yeah. Sorry about that. I’ll get dressed.’
He almost tumbled into his bedroom and shut the door behind him. Kat puffed out her cheeks and hurried into Hattie’s room, telling herself to behave like a sensible mother, rather than the besotted teenager she felt like right now.
Hattie was clearly growing increasingly cross that her darling mummy hadn’t answered her demands immediately, and Kat leaned over the cot, gently rubbing her arm and telling her how sorry she was for keeping her waiting.
She checked her nappy, which was clean and dry—not surprising since she’d been changed at eleven after her late-night bottle of milk—and handed Hattie her bedtime companion, a woolly lamb that the aunties had made for her when she was born. It lived in her cot and always soothed the baby when she needed comfort.
Hattie took no notice of Shaun, as Kat had nicknamed him with a breathtaking lack of originality and thought, and continued to grumble loudly, making Kat nervous that she’d wake Tommy up. She didn’t want to pick her daughter up if she could help it, as it would make it harder to get her to sleep again. Instead, she talked soothingly to her, hoping that would do the trick.
She heard the bedroom door creak a little as Jonah entered the room.
‘Not having it?’ he whispered, nodding at Shaun who had been heartlessly discarded while Hattie kicked her legs and let out intermittent cries for no apparent reason.
‘Afraid not,’ she said worriedly. ‘Sorry. Do you think Tommy will hear her?’
‘I doubt it. He’s fast asleep.’
He moved to stand next to her and they both gazed down at the cross little baby. Kat inhaled Jonah’s clean, fresh scent—a mixture of shower gel, toothpaste, shampoo, and male—and closed her eyes briefly against the onslaught of emotions it invoked. He was fully covered now, dressed in the blue checked pyjama bottoms and white pyjama top that he’d told her Tawnie had bought him for Christmas.
She couldn’t help wondering if he wore them for bed, or if he stripped off before climbing under the duvet. She hoped she’d get the answer to that question one day.
She mentally shook her head, aware that she was embarrassing herself, then blinked back into reality as Jonah asked her, ‘Do you think she’s still hungry?’
Grateful that he didn’t have a clue what she’d been thinking she said briskly, ‘I doubt it. She had a full eight ounces an hour ago, and the aunties told you she’d eaten all her tea, didn’t they? I don’t know what’s disturbed her.’
‘Maybe she’s missed you,’ he said gently, smiling at her. ‘All day without you. It must have been hard for her.’
‘You think?’
‘Definitely.’
There was a look in his eyes that made Kat’s breath catch in her throat. She swallowed as Jonah leaned over the cot and stroked Hattie’s cheek.
‘Shh, now little one. No need for all this fuss. Mummy’s right here, see? All’s well with the world.’
Hattie stared up at him then treated him to one of her killer smiles that always made Kat’s heart leap with joy, then waved her arms around, just to show them she wasn’t so easily defeated. Her silence, however, spoke volumes. Apart from the odd gurgling sound she simply watched them, as if checking they were going nowhere.
Kat and Jonah rested their elbows on the cot, leaning over her, while Jonah continued to soothe her with comforting words.
Hattie’s eyes closed and then flew open again with alarming regularity.
‘She’s fighting it all the way,’ Kat whispered.
‘Tough little cookie,’ Jonah replied, with obvious fondness.
Kat watched him, hearing the kindness in his tone and seeing the warmth in his eyes as he interacted with her daughter. The ache for him increased. He was the perfect man. Why hadn’t she seen it before?
Maybe, she mused, becoming a mum had changed her ideas of what she thought a perfect man should be. Maybe, a few years ago, Jonah would have been too dull for her, as difficult as that was to imagine. Now, a man who knew how to get a baby to sleep, collected her child while she had an indulgent soak in a bubble bath, and made a truly great hot chocolate before bedtime each night, was her idea of dream boyfriend material.
Who needed nightclubs and wild evenings out when a takeaway in front of the telly was on offer? Especially in such undeniably handsome company.
She was so busy staring at him that it was quite a shock when he turned to her and caught her looking.
‘I think she’s asleep,’ he whispered.
Kat gazed down at her daughter who, it appeared, had finally drifted off, clutching Shaun to her side. Jonah must have given it back to her without Kat even noticing.
‘I don’t know how you manage it,’ she told him, baffled. ‘You seem to have a magic touch with her.’
‘It’s just luck,’ he said.
‘It’s bloody annoying.’ She smiled at him to show him that, actually, she thought it was amazing.
He smiled back and they stared at each other for a moment, while parts of Kat’s body misbehaved themselves and she tried not to dwell on the memory of Jonah standing on the landing in his bath towel.
‘I think we can leave now,’ he said, moving away from the cot.
Damn! She’d known that was coming, but even so.
‘I think we can,’ she agreed regretfully.
They padded quietly onto the landing, leaving Hattie’s door slightly ajar. Jonah’s hair, she noticed under the landing light, was still damp, and rather tousled, as if he’d merely run his fingers through it instead of combing it.
‘Time for bed,’ he said quietly.
Kat gulped, then realised what he meant.
‘It’s still quite early,’ she said. ‘I could make us both another hot chocolate if you like?’
He shook his head. ‘School tomorrow, and you know what Monday mornings are like at the best of times. I should…’
She nodded. ‘Yeah, me too.’
They stood, facing each other, suddenly awkward.
‘Night then, Kat.’
Jonah didn’t even wait for her response, as he opened the door and headed into the sanctuary of his bedroom, away from her gaze, closing the door firmly behind him.
Kat burned with embarrassment. Had she given herself away? Why else would he rush off like that? Oh hell, and tomorrow she’d have to face him over the cornflakes as if nothing had happened.
Why, oh why, was she so bad at concealing her feelings?
FOURTEEN
The couple from Lancashire had an appointment for one o’clock on the Tuesday, so Kat made sure she was ready and waiting for them by twelve-thirty.
Birdie and Rita were already behind the counter in the shop, and they looked as nervous as she felt.
‘I’m not sure about this, Kat,’ Birdie confessed. ‘I mean, it doesn’t seem right, does it? Lancashire! Why do they want to set up a shop in the Yorkshire Dales? It all sounds a bit suspicious to me.’
Kat laughed. ‘Lancashire’s not that far away, Birdie! You do know part of Lancashire falls into the Yorkshire Dales?’
Birdie tutted. ‘You don’t have to tell me that! Doesn’t make it right, does it?’
‘Funny how you never complain about parts of Cumbria being in the national park too,’ Kat said wryly.
‘Old rivalries, dear,’ Rita said, tapping the side of her nose as if she knew some great secret. ‘I have nothing against Cumbria. The red rose and the white rose, however, should never meet.’
‘Except in a Tudor rose?’ Kat said mischievously. ‘You’d think after all these centuries it would be time to let it lie.’
‘It’s more about sport these days,’ Birdie admitted. ‘Eugenie’s not happy about a Lancastrian couple buying the shop, but then again she does love her cricket.’
‘The main thing,’ Kat reminded them, ‘is that whoever buys this shop adds something to Tuppenny Bridge. If they’re going to make a success of it then we should be supporting them. It really doesn’t matter where they’re from, does it?’
‘I suppose not.’ Rita sighed. ‘It’s such a sad day. I know we have to sell the place so I want them to love it, but then again I’d rather they didn’t so we wouldn’t have to say goodbye just yet.’
Kat gave her a sympathetic hug. ‘I know just how you feel,’ she said. ‘I feel exactly the same.’
The couple in question—whose ears, Kat thought, must surely have been burning—arrived ten minutes early with the estate agent in tow.
Eddie Haygarth, as Mr Rustill introduced him, was a large, ruddy-faced man, whose size could have been intimidating if it hadn’t been for the way he constantly deferred to his wife—a sharp-nosed woman called Pauline, with small, dark eyes and a permanent sneer on her face.
She looked around the shop as if she thought it should be demolished.
‘Well,’ she pronounced, not two minutes after setting foot in the place, ‘this is a lot pokier than it looks online. I understand there’s a good-sized room at the back,’ she added, turning to Kat without so much as a glance at the aunties, who she’d clearly dismissed as irrelevant the moment Kat introduced them. ‘Though if by “good-sized” you mean as big as this room I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration.’
