Eighteen
Rachel closed the door behind Luke with a tinge of regret. It had been a lovely evening. He was so easy to be with. She hadn’t wanted the evening to end, had expected the goodnight kiss that didn’t happen. Luke seemed to like her company, but perhaps he didn’t think of her in that way. She sighed. At least she could help him choose a tree tomorrow. That was one thing she could help him with. And if he didn’t feel the spark she did, then so be it. That was life. She’d never expected to feel desire for another man after Kirk died. This feeling for Luke, the way his touch made her quiver with emotion, had taken her by surprise.
She picked up Molly who had wakened and was stretching out on the floor, her little pink tongue peeking out. ‘Just you and me again, Molly,’ she said. ‘You like Luke too, don’t you?’ Feeling the need for comfort, she took the little dog into the bedroom with her and didn’t object when she begged to join her in the bed. Sometimes you just had to bend your rules.
*
To her surprise, Rachel slept soundly, to awaken with a wet nose pressing into her cheek. ‘Molly!’ she said, remembering how she’d brought her pet in to comfort her. Now the little dog was urging her to get up.
Pulling on a pair of pants and a loose shirt, Rachel fetched Molly’s leash and the pair headed out for the short walk the dog was allowed. When they returned, Rachel ensured Molly had food and water, before heading into the shower. As the water flowed over her, she thought about Luke and the previous evening. There had been nothing in his behaviour to suggest he considered her to be anything other than a friend. He had been kind, but he had been kind to the fourteen-year-old Rachel too. He probably didn’t know many people in Pelican Crossing, and she was his neighbour and Becky’s sister. She wondered if he knew about Becky. Perhaps she should tell him, but how did you bring up a subject like that? To say, ‘Your old girlfriend has Alzheimer’s,’ sounded too crass, and he hadn’t asked about Becky.
She went into the bedroom to pull one of her many caftans out of the wardrobe, and caught sight of herself in the mirror, grimacing at the rolls of fat around her waist and thighs. She sighed, remembering the sweet dessert she’d eaten… and the rest. She pulled in her stomach, remembering Lou’s words. Maybe she wasn’t as fat as she imagined. Maybe, if she chose carefully, she could look good in garments other than caftans and the other loose garments she favoured. She’d felt good last night, and Luke had appeared to think so too, but… She sighed and slipped on the caftan.
Rachel had arranged to meet Steph and Chloe at The Blue Dolphin Café at nine and as she was early, she took the opportunity to wander along Main Street and gaze into the window of one of her favourite shops. The Mousehole was a tiny shop which always looked as if it had been squeezed between the two neighbouring buildings as an afterthought. This morning, the backdrop to the window was a magnificent patchwork quilt which Rachel knew had been made by Anna, one of the cooperative of local women who owned and managed the shop. Sitting in front of it, were two pottery and very lifelike giraffes made by Kelly, the potter of the group, and to one side sat a painting of a group of pelicans, so realistic they looked as if they could step out of the painting and take flight.
Having stood admiring the display longer than she intended, Rachel hurried along to the café where Steph and Chloe were already seated at a table just inside the door. Smiling to Poppy and Cam who were just leaving, Rachel joined the two young women.
‘Hi, Mum.’ Steph rose to hug Rachel, followed by Chloe. ‘Mum,’ Chloe said too.
Rachel had been thrilled when Chloe started to call her Mum after their marriage. She loved this girl who had made Steph so happy.
‘Heard you went on a date last night… with the hot, new vet,’ Steph said, once they had ordered breakfasts and been served with coffee.
‘How…?’ Rachel asked, halting her coffee midway to her mouth and blushing.
Steph chuckled. ‘We bumped into Lou at the garden centre yesterday afternoon. To be fair to her, she thought we already knew. She said she’d told you to wear that lovely cream outfit. You did, didn’t you?’
‘Yes.’ Rachel placed her coffee on the table. ‘Is nothing secret in this town?’ But she knew it wasn’t.
‘Not when you go to the yacht club on a Saturday evening. Half of Pelican Crossing must have seen you.’ Steph chuckled again. ‘So, did you have a nice time?’
‘Very nice, thank you. I knew Luke years ago, when he was dating your Aunt Becky.’ As soon as she spoke, Rachel knew it was too much information.
‘Aunt Becky? Wow! You must have been…?’
‘Fourteen.’
‘Wow!’ Steph said again. ‘And did you swoon over him?’ She rolled her eyes.
Rachel blushed again. This was too close to the truth. ‘Of course not. He was my big sister’s boyfriend. He was kind to me, that’s all. And it’s what he’s being again. He was concerned about Molly’s recovery, and…’ She stopped there, knowing she was on weak ground.
‘Leave it, Steph,’ Chloe said as the waitress appeared with their meals. All three had ordered eggs benedict with smoked salmon and the servings looked delicious.
She should come here more often, Rachel thought, now she was free of guests for a few weeks. It was nice to have someone else cook breakfast rather than to be slaving in the kitchen for guests who didn’t always appreciate the effort it took to have everything ready at once.
But Steph hadn’t finished. ‘Just one more question,’ she said, avoiding Chloe’s frown. ‘If he’s being so kind to you, are you seeing him again, and is he really as hot as Lou says?’
‘That’s two questions.’ But Rachel was forced to laugh. Steph was just being her usual self. Jess would have been equally curious but would have been more tactful. ‘Yes, I am seeing him again. He’s asked me to help him choose a Christmas tree, and as for Luke being hot… I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer that.’ Rachel bit her lip at the outright lie. Luke Findlay was hot in anyone’s opinion, especially hers.
‘Choose a Christmas tree?’ It was Chloe who spoke next. ‘That sounds like he values your opinion, but surely he’s done that before now. Sounds like an excuse to see you again. What do you think, Steph?’
‘Oh, definitely. He’s interested in you, Mum, and he’d be Aunt Becky’s age. Perfect.’
‘Stop it, girls, or I’m going to leave right now.’
Both Steph and Chloe giggled. ‘Sorry, Mum,’ Steph said. ‘We were just winding you up. We think it’s great you’ve found someone.’
Rachel could hear the at your age which she didn’t add.
‘He’s just an old friend who’s being kind and has asked for my advice. Now are you finished? Can we enjoy our breakfast?’
‘Okay,’ Steph said, but Rachel knew she’d be on the phone to Jess as soon as they left the café, then Jess would call and… She sighed at the challenge of having daughters who had been urging her to move on with her life for the past two years. Now she’d provided them with ammunition.
The rest of the meal passed without any cause for concern. They ordered more coffee, then Steph clasped Chloe’s hand and said, ‘We have some news too. We’ve done the deed, so now it’s only a matter of waiting to see if it worked.’ She and Chloe grinned.
‘Oh!’ Rachel wondered exactly how it had been done but wasn’t game to ask. Better she didn’t know. ‘I wish you every success,’ she said, raising her cup as if it was a glass.
‘Thanks, Mum,’ the two women said in unison. ‘If it takes, it’ll be a spring baby,’ Steph said.
‘How lovely.’ Rachel couldn’t wait to find out. Hopefully, next Christmas she’d have four grandchildren to love and fuss over.