Second Chances in Tuppenny Bridge: A totally heartwarming feel-good read, page 35
Jonah hardly knew what to say to her. He stared at the ground, knowing he had to keep a lid on his emotions. She fed on human misery. It energised her. He thought dully that she was probably the only real vampire around here, draining the life out of everyone who came into contact with her.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she said.
I sincerely doubt it.
‘You’re thinking that I’m wrong. You’re thinking that you and she were meant to be together. One big happy family. You’re thinking that this is all some awful mistake and somehow it’s all going to be put right and she’ll see sense and come back to you. You don’t have to tell me, I know you, Jonah. You always did have your head in the clouds, and your head turned by a pretty woman.’
That was so untrue and unfair it was almost laughable, but still he said nothing.
‘Don’t you remember what she was like with your best friend? How she came between you both? You and Leon went everywhere, did everything together, until she came along. She didn’t care about your feelings then either. And where was she when he died, eh? Didn’t hang around to comfort you then, did she? Didn’t stop to help Jennifer Callaghan, or that poor dying husband of hers. Oh no, she skipped off to Dorset, if you please, to have fun at the beach.’
‘She went to see her dad,’ Jonah said miserably. ‘She was heartbroken.’
‘I’m sure she was. And I’m sure all that time in a swanky hotel was just the job to get over it. Pity poor Jennifer didn’t have that luxury, isn’t it? She was too busy caring for Julian, not to mention a stroppy teenager and a toddler. I’ll bet she could have done with seven months at the seaside, don’t you? Always was selfish. Just like her father. I remember very clearly how he sold The Black Swan and cleared off, when his poor dead wife was barely cold. Cut from the same cloth, clearly.’
Jonah frowned, as something nagged away at him, barely listening to her as she rambled on.
‘And then of course she got shunted off to live with those doddering old fools, so it’s no wonder she’s turned out as she has. No doubt that child of hers will grow up to be just the same. I can see it happening. You’re well shot of the lot of them. Are you listening to me, Jonah? Jonah?’
Jonah hurried forward, just as the children received their treats from the people at the door and the group was about to move on.
‘Tawnie! Can I ask you a favour? Would you mind keeping Tommy with you if I come back for him later? Please.’
She looked annoyed. ‘Has she upset you again? If you want me to send her packing—’
He shook his head. ‘It’s not about her. Actually, I think she’s done me a favour. I need to be somewhere, but Tommy…’
She gazed at him, her eyes searching his for any signs that he wasn’t being entirely honest with her. Finally she nodded.
‘Okay, I’ll take care of Tommy, no problem.’
He breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thanks, Tawnie. I owe you one.’
‘You owe me several.’ She winked at him. ‘I hope she listens to you, Jonah. Good luck.’
THIRTY-FIVE
Kat had just finished changing Hattie into her pyjamas when there was a knock on the door.
Birdie clapped her hands in delight. ‘Ooh, that will be the trick or treaters! Where’s that bowl of sweets, Rita?’
‘On the table in the hall,’ Rita called from the kitchen. She was making tea, and was in the same high spirits as her sister.
They had it all planned, they’d told Kat. As soon as little Hattie was safely tucked up in her cot, they were all going to settle down together and watch Hocus Pocus on the television. It was one of their favourite films, and even though Kat had seen it with them several times, she’d pretended to be just as enthusiastic about watching it again, for their sakes. They were being so lovely to her, the least she could do was join in with their Halloween fun.
She picked Hattie up and kissed her. ‘There you go, poppet. All clean and fresh. Don’t you look pretty?’
Hattie beamed at her, and Kat held her close, inhaling the scent of baby shampoo and finding comfort in the softness of her daughter’s skin. No matter how bad things got, she had Hattie. She would never, ever stop being grateful for that.
‘Kat, dear, we have a visitor,’ Birdie announced. She sounded excited, and Kat spun round to see who’d turned up.
Her heart leapt as she saw Jonah standing there, looking incredible in a Count Dracula costume. At the same time her stomach plummeted with shock and dismay at having to face him. It was a confusing and disconcerting combination of emotions that left her unable to speak for a moment.
He didn’t wait for her to speak, though. He stepped forward and, before she realised what he was doing, he picked Hattie up and hugged her.
‘Hello, sweetheart. I’ve missed you!’
Hattie gurgled in delight, clearly unfazed by his unusual appearance. Evidently, she could see through his cunning disguise and knew immediately that this was Jonah. She rewarded him for his efforts by pulling hard on his nose.
‘Ouch!’ He laughed and planted a kiss on her forehead. ‘Yep, I’ve really missed you!’
Rita hurried through from the kitchen, having clearly heard his voice. She exchanged gleeful looks with Birdie.
‘Jonah, what are you doing here? Ooh, doesn’t he look handsome, Birdie?’
‘I was just thinking that,’ Birdie said with a satisfied nod, a most unsavoury gleam in her eyes. ‘A vampire, eh? If you’re looking for willing victims, Count…’
Kat covered her eyes in shame. Usually she could laugh at her aunts’ cheeky antics, but not tonight. Not after everything that had happened. Why were they all pretending everything was normal? Nothing was normal. This was awful. Why was he here, anyway?
As if reading her mind, Jonah said, ‘I need to talk to you, Kat. Urgently.’
‘Is it Tommy?’ she asked, feeling a sudden anxiety. But then, surely he wouldn’t have wasted time with Hattie if something was wrong with his son?
‘Tommy’s fine. He’s out trick or treating with Tawnie and my family,’ Jonah said. He gave a sheepish smile. ‘That’s why I’m dressed like this, obviously.’
‘And there’s me thinking you were just being kinky,’ Birdie said, nudging him playfully. ‘What a shame your sister doesn’t live in Tuppenny Bridge. We’ve got lots of treats waiting here.’
‘Kat, please,’ Jonah said desperately. ‘I have to talk to you. It’s important.’
Rita and Birdie looked at her. She stared back at them, then up at Jonah who was still holding Hattie.
Rita took the baby from his arms. ‘Tell you what,’ she said, ‘I’ll take Hattie upstairs to bed, then Birdie and I were just going to watch Hocus Pocus. Why don’t you two go and sit in the garden? It’s a bit nippy, but it’s not raining, and we’ve got that nice wicker sofa out there. I’ve made tea, so make an extra one for Jonah, Kat. You can take it outside with you. Keep the cold at bay.’
Jonah gave Kat a pleading look and she shrugged helplessly.
‘Fine,’ she said, realising that she was outnumbered, and didn’t stand a chance even if she protested.
She kissed Hattie goodnight and went into the kitchen to make Jonah’s tea, then the two of them carried their mugs out into the garden and sat on the sofa, the only light coming from the kitchen window. There was a patio light, but Kat didn’t want Jonah to have a clear view of her face. This was awkward enough as it was.
Her pulse raced as she sat there, all too aware of his presence. He may be dressed as Count Dracula, but like Hattie she could see right through him. His eyes were still Jonah’s. His body language was familiar, and she could tell he was as nervous as she was. And there was no mistaking that cologne. She remembered the first time she’d ever noticed it, that day in The Market Café. The day Hattie had thrown up on him and she’d wiped him down. The day their eyes had met and she’d realised how beautiful he really was.
She swallowed down her misery and said, ‘So what can I do for you, Jonah?’
He placed his mug on the ground and turned to her. ‘Kat, I may have got this wrong, and if I have I’m sorry, but I think I know what it is. What the big secret is that you feel you can’t tell me.’
Her eyes widened and she glanced around, as if expecting Rita and Birdie to spring from the shadows, demanding answers.
‘I—I don’t think you do,’ she murmured.
He moved closer to her and took the mug from her hands, placing it next to his.
‘Kat,’ he said quietly, his eyes full of compassion as he gazed at her. ‘I think I do. I worked it out. The way you defended the Corcorans. The guilt you’re carrying over Jennifer. How you cried at the anniversary, even after everything that had happened.’ He took a deep breath. ‘And your trip to Dorset, after Leon died. Seven months with your dad to get over it. But it wasn’t about getting over it, was it, Kat?’
She didn’t speak as tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘I asked you what happened to the baby, and you said, “I couldn’t keep it, could I, Jonah?” I assumed—you wanted me to assume—that you’d had a termination. But the truth is, you gave birth, didn’t you? You had Leon’s baby, and then you gave it up for adoption. I’m right, aren’t I?’
She gave a huge, shuddering sob, and his arms went around her as she cried into his chest.
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘I thought you’d be angry,’ she said at last. ‘I thought you’d…’ She shook her head, not able to say anything else.
‘Why would I be angry?’ he asked, sounding confused. ‘I just wish you’d felt able to confide in me. This must have been so hard for you. All these years…’
‘She’ll be thirteen now,’ Kat said, wiping her eyes as she sat up. ‘I called her Angel, but I have no idea what her real name is.’
‘Oh, Kat.’ Jonah held her tightly. She didn’t mind. She needed his support. She realised she always had; she just hadn’t been sure she deserved it. ‘Do you want to tell me about it? You don’t have to if you’re not ready. We can just sit here. I’m just happy to be here with you again. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.’
She gave him a bewildered look. ‘How can you say that, Jonah? Don’t you understand what I did?’
‘The only thing you could do at the time,’ he said gently. ‘No one can blame you for that.’
‘Can’t they? Do you think Jennifer would see it that way?’ She rubbed her face furiously, picturing Jennifer’s expression if she ever discovered the truth. ‘She lost Leon. She lost the son she idolised. And she could have had his child as compensation, but I took that chance away from her. Do you honestly think she’d ever forgive me if she knew?’ She gazed up at him. ‘What sort of person would do that, Jonah? What was I thinking?’
‘You were in shock,’ he said, stroking her hair. ‘Kat, you’d just lost the baby’s father in the worst way possible. And before that you’d discovered he was cheating on you and didn’t want the baby anyway. What were you expected to feel? It was too much for anyone to cope with. No one could blame you for what you did.’
‘I should have offered her to the Callaghans,’ she said, shaking with emotion. ‘They would have had a part of Leon with them forever then. Maybe Jennifer wouldn’t have mourned so long. Maybe Angel would have given her a reason to live again.’
Jonah sighed. ‘It would never have worked. You’re not thinking straight. Don’t you remember what it was like back then? Jennifer was distraught. Ben was in a state of shock and had completely withdrawn into himself. They had a sick and dying man to care for, and Jamie was just a toddler himself. Imagine bringing a baby into that! They couldn’t have coped, they really couldn’t. It would just have been another pressure, and it would have been the worst sort of environment for a new baby.’
She didn’t reply. Wasn’t everything he’d just said exactly what she’d told herself hundreds of times over the years? Even so, it didn’t stop her feeling sick with guilt every time she looked at Jennifer. Somewhere, Leon’s mother had a granddaughter. A living, breathing reminder of her son.
Kat had been so sure that if Jonah discovered the truth he’d be appalled that she’d been so cruel. Yet here he was, reassuring her, comforting her.
‘What gave it away?’ she asked eventually. ‘I mean, how did you guess the truth?’
‘It was something my mother said,’ he admitted. ‘She remembered that you’d gone away after Leon’s death. Obviously, I already knew that, but she said you were gone for seven months. I’d forgotten it was that long, and I started to wonder. And then there was the stuff you said about the Corcorans. About grandparents having a right to see their grandchildren, even if they’d been adopted. Something about the way you’d said it came back to me, and suddenly it all fell into place.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, taking his hand. ‘I never wanted to leave you, I really didn’t. I wanted to tell you that night, but you were already so upset about Leon, and I couldn’t heap any more on you. And I was scared. I was scared you’d look at me with hate for what I’d done. I couldn’t bear that.’
‘I’d never look at you with hate,’ he told her. ‘I love you, Kat. Don’t you understand that yet?’
‘But Leon was your best friend, and I’d already spoiled your memories of him. Knowing I’d given away his child, how could you forgive me so easily?’
‘You don’t need anyone’s forgiveness,’ he said fiercely. ‘Least of all mine. You did what was right for you and best for your baby. It was your decision to make, no one else’s.’
‘I can’t believe you’ve taken it so well,’ she admitted. ‘I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I handled it all so badly.’
He fumbled with his cloak and she sat back, wondering what he was doing.
‘I stopped at the forge to pick this up. I made it for you,’ he said at last, handing her something heavy wrapped in tissue.
Finally able to face him, Kat stood up and flicked on the patio light, before sitting next to him again.
Carefully, she unwrapped the present and gazed down at the object on her lap.
‘It’s—it’s beautiful,’ she said, her eyes filling with tears.
‘They’re grey wolves,’ he explained, holding the artwork up so she could get a proper look at it.
A large, grey wolf was standing on a rock, gazing up at the sky, while next to him a slightly smaller wolf nuzzled against him.
‘They mate for life,’ Jonah explained. ‘The alpha pair, travelling through life with their pack. Together until death. Not many mammals mate for life, but grey wolves—well, they find the one and that’s it.’
She smiled up at him. ‘Sounds romantic, but I expect it’s for practical reasons as much as anything.’
He nudged her. ‘Don’t spoil the mood. Thing is, you and me, I think we’re the type of people who mate for life, too. We’ve both had false starts, and we’ve both been hurt. Badly hurt. But now… Well, I think I’ve found the one. The one I want to be with for the rest of my life. How do you feel, Kat?’
She took the sculpture from his hands and set it down on the sofa, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
As he kissed her back, holding her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go, she thought fleetingly of Leon, and of Jennifer, and of Angel. One day, perhaps, her daughter would come looking for her, and then she’d have to explain everything—perhaps not only to Angel, but to Jennifer too. But that day was some time in the future. Or it might never happen at all.
Right now, she was being kissed by a man who genuinely loved her, who was on her side no matter what. Someone who had finally made her believe that she deserved to be loved, and that she deserved to be happy.
Jonah would always make her happy, and Kat knew in that moment that there was nothing more she wanted in life than to make him happy in return.
He pulled away from her and smiled down at her, his eyes bright with tears.
‘Come home, Kat,’ he murmured. ‘Come home where you belong.’
She nodded. ‘There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.’
THIRTY-SIX
Their first official date had gone beautifully. Jonah had taken her to The Black Swan, and the staff there had done as he asked, seating them in a discreet corner and decorating the table with candles.
They’d eaten a delicious dinner: Jonah had gone for ribeye steak, while Kat had chosen fish pie. They’d both had the Bonfire Night special dessert of cinder toffee ice cream.
‘I don’t know why we haven’t eaten here before,’ Jonah admitted, after they’d clinked their glasses in a toast.
‘I have really happy memories of this place,’ Kat said, gazing round with a smile on her face. ‘Thank you for bringing me here.’
‘I should have brought you here sooner,’ he said. ‘I should have taken you out way before now. I can’t believe this is our first date. I’ve been an idiot.’
‘No you haven’t,’ she said. ‘We’ve had a lot going on, remember? Anyway, let’s not dwell on the past. It’s all about the future from now on.’
‘I’ll drink to that,’ he said.
They sipped their drinks and sat back, feeling contented.
Kat frowned suddenly. ‘I did wash Tommy’s PE kit for tomorrow, didn’t I?’
‘I’m sure you did,’ Jonah said comfortably.
‘Right.’ She nodded and drank some more wine. ‘I hope Hattie’s settled all right with the aunties. It was so good of them to babysit for her again. And wasn’t it lovely of Ben and Summer to take Tommy to the firework display on the green? Do you think he’s enjoying himself?’
Jonah sighed. ‘I’m sure he’s having a smashing time of it, love, but what did we say, eh? What did we promise each other before we set off this evening?’
