Chapter Ten
The One Where Things Can Only Get Better
After her bath, Kate began preparing dinner, and soon the mince was simmering nicely. She checked her watch. She’d listen to the latest episode of her current favourite podcast until she needed to do the rest.
Leaning back in the armchair, her phone on her lap, adjusting her extremely unsexy Bose noise-cancelling headphones, Kate jumped when someone touched her arm.
‘I’m sorry, Mum. Properly sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.’
Kate sat up, removing the headphones.
‘The screenshots or the being mean?’
Mollie had the grace to look chastised. ‘Both. I didn’t know it was wrong to…’ Her voice tailed off, and she fidgeted from foot to foot. ‘Leastways, it did feel a bit as though we were spying, but then, like, why is it there?’
Getting up, Kate walked back to the kitchen, Mollie in her wake.
‘I told you, there are webcams all around the world, Molls. Some are at tourist spots like… oh, I don’t know, up mountains or in city centres like Paris or Rome. This one is to see the beach, watch the waves when it’s stormy. It’s not recordable CCTV, like a lot of businesses or transport hubs have. Livestream webcams are purely for people’s enjoyment.’
Mollie selected a plum from the fruit bowl on the island. ‘I was enjoying it. It was sick.’ She took a bite, raising her eyes to meet her mother’s. Then, she swallowed. ‘Okay. I get it. And I’ve promised.’
‘It’s the difference between right and wrong, Molls.’
‘I know.’ She sent Kate a culpable look, but her eyes were shining. ‘But that’s why it felt fun, like?’
Huffing out a breath, Kate gave the pan on the hob a stir. ‘I suppose there are worse things you could do.’
‘Oooh.’ Mollie joined her. ‘Like what? Joking!’ she added at her mother’s look.
‘Truce?’ Kate asked, awash with relief to have the incident dealt with, holding out her pinkie.
‘Truce.’ Mollie locked fingers with her. ‘Is that chilli?’
‘Yes. Do you want rice with yours?’
Selecting another plum, Mollie turned for the snug. ‘Can I have chips?’
April was starting to look busy. Kate scrolled through the calendar of bookings, making a note of the events she needed to work and those she could safely leave the team at the hotel to oversee. She began to scroll backwards, stalling on the page showing the coming weekend: Ryther’s eighty-fifth.
Much as she’d taken to the elderly gentleman – and hoped whatever his health issues had been he would be well enough to enjoy the family celebration – Kate really didn’t want to be around said family.
She headed down to the kitchen to talk a few things through with the catering manager, and then spoke to the maitre’d and, satisfied they saw no need for Kate to linger once the guests had arrived, she headed for the staff room. The much-needed coffee would have to wait as her phone rang.
Dev.
‘Hi.’
‘What time do you finish today?’
‘Five, if things go to plan. Why?’
There was no reply, and Kate held the phone away, frowning at it. ‘Dev? Are you still there?’
‘Yes. Sorry. I – er, can you spare a half hour? Could do with a quick meet-up to discuss something.’
‘I’ve got to pick Mollie up as soon as I leave. Can we do it at mine about six?’
‘If that’s okay. Don’t want to intrude on your evening.’
‘Not a problem, it’s just I leave her with other people so much, I don’t want to take advantage.’
Kate called at Westerleigh to collect Mollie, regretfully turning down the offer of a cup of tea.
‘Wish I could but I need to get home. Dev’s on his way over.’
‘Is he now?’ Anna’s amusement was obvious.
‘Curb your thoughts,’ Kate admonished. ‘He didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic.’
‘I wonder what he wants to say that couldn’t be done on the phone, though.’
Kate had pondered the very same, but a glance at her watch proved she wouldn’t have long to wait to find out.
‘Come on Molls. Thanks, Anna. I’ll message you later.’
They exchanged a hug then she herded Mollie – still chomping on a brownie – out the door. It was twenty to six and as she followed her daughter up the hill, Kate tried to quash the small frisson of interest that arose every time Dev came to mind. Was she imagining it, or did it happen a little too often?
‘Why is he coming here?’ Mollie dropped her bag in the hallway and kicked off her shoes. ‘I thought you didn’t like him?’ She grinned mischievously. ‘Does he know you hate him?’
‘Mollie!’ Kate glared at her daughter. ‘I never said that!’
A rolling of the eyes was the only response, and Kate sighed as Mollie shot up the stairs to get changed.
Ten minutes later, as Mollie raided the fridge, she persisted in questioning Kate about Dev.
‘You did say he was annoying, Mum. But maybe it’s because he’s a man. You’re off them anyway, aren’t you?’
‘Am I?’
‘Dad did this to you. Why else aren’t you interested in finding a new one?’
‘I don’t need one.’
‘I didn’t say you did. But Rick Devonshire’s not bad looking for someone his age.’
‘Mollie!’ Kate spluttered. ‘He can’t be a day over forty, if that.’
‘Like I said. And he dresses pretty neat for…’ She grinned at her mum. ‘He’s got that nice choppy fringe you like too. Anyway, you and Dad split ages ago. You’ve been divorced, like, over a year. And,’ she added, ‘you spend too much time alone.’
With that, she vanished into the snug to continue her acquaintance with the Playstation, and Kate barely had a moment to take in her astute daughter’s words before the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, Kate tried not to notice how eye-catching Dev was. She also tried not to take in his attire. Sadly, these endeavours merely led to her gaze fastening on his forehead, where the auburn hair flopped exactly as Mollie said it did.
‘Er, is something wrong?’
Kate blinked. ‘Sorry. No. Come in.’ She led him into the main living area. ‘Cup of tea? Coffee? I try to avoid it this time of day, but you’re welcome to one?’
‘Tea, please.’
‘Take a seat.’ Kate felt like she was at an interview, such was the formality in both their voices. The only question was, who was the interviewee?
Dev settled at the island as Kate made the tea, the conversation – such as it was – sporadic, and mainly concerned with milk and sugar, until she joined him, taking a stool on the opposite side of the granite counter.
As he looked around, she studied him covertly, this time trying not to notice how well his shirt fitted and – when his attention returned to Kate – how it complemented the blue-grey of his eyes.
‘I’ve never been in here before. It’s stunning.’
‘I can’t quite believe we live here. I’m so grateful to Daniel.’
Holding her gaze, Dev said nothing for a moment, but as warmth rose up her neck, he frowned.
‘Are you sure nothing’s wrong?’
Kate grasped her mug. ‘All fine. What did you want to talk about?’
Dev looked uncomfortable. ‘I’m out of my comfort zone here. This festival… it’s nothing to do with me, other than I helped fund it before. That’s all the involvement I want or need right now.’
Kate placed her mug on the counter. This was good news, right?
‘I feel like there’s a “but” coming.’
A faint smile touched his mouth, but it was brief. ‘Look, this is the cove. Things operate… differently, here, I suspect, to what you’re used to.’
‘So I’m beginning to find out,’ Kate interjected wryly.
‘There’s been a few… mutterings.’
It was Kate’s turn to furrow her brow. ‘By whom? About what?’
‘From the committee. About you.’
Great.
‘Go on then, hit me with it.’
Dev stirred in his seat, his finger running up and down the handle of his mug. ‘They don’t like—’ He broke off and ran a hand through his hair instead, which meant the fringe bounced back onto his forehead, and Kate sat on both her hands to stop herself from reaching over to brush it from his eyes.
As this thought merely brought the colour rushing back into her cheeks, she was unsurprised at Dev’s visible concern deepening.
‘I’m sorry. Really, I am. I hate being the person asked to say this. I told them to speak to you but—’
‘I’m also terrifying, I take it.’ Kate was saddened.
‘They aren’t very good at being given tasks and they’re even worse at being chased to find out if they’ve done them. You do know they live by the dreckly code?’
Despite herself, Kate laughed. ‘Yes, I do.’ She fixed him with her clear gaze. ‘Is that it?’
‘Well, no. In effect, they’ve resigned.’
Kate rolled her eyes. ‘From doing nothing?’
Dev laughed, and as it was the first time she’d ever heard him do so, Kate’s eyes widened.
No, he is absolutely not even more appealing now.
As he sobered, however, Dev’s gaze held Kate’s steadily and the heat – which had barely subsided – began to stir again. She really ought to break this look. Surely it was time she started dinner? Mollie had said she was starving. Why are his eyes creasing at the edges? And why is his mouth starting to curve upwards in that maddeningly attractive way?
‘Hi, Mr Devonshire!’ Mollie’s shrill greeting broke the moment as she emerged from the snug. ‘Mum, where’s the charging lead? This is dying.’ She waved the handset in the air.
Sliding off the stool with relief, Kate pulled open a drawer and handed the lead to Mollie, who shot over to the wall to plug it in.
‘I’ll head off. Sorry for—’ Dev waved a hand as he stood. ‘I’m sure you’re doing a sterling job. They just aren’t used to being… encouraged to move forward in such a way.’
‘Nagged, you mean?’ Kate gave a rueful smile. ‘They must have preferred the way it was done in the past.’
‘They weren’t allowed to do anything.’ Dev’s scowl was telling as they reached the hall. ‘Meetings were merely a chance for my— for Leigh to hold sway on all she’d achieved so she could sit back and accept the adoration that followed.’
‘Oh, I forgot to ask. How’s Theo?’
The transformation was instant, as though a heavy mantle had fallen from Dev’s shoulders, and he sent Kate a warm smile.
‘Coming to stay for the Easter break. He’s so excited, bless him. He loves being in the cove.’
‘And with his dad, too, I suspect.’
He drew in a short breath, then nodded. ‘I hope so. This is tough on him.’ The air of melancholy Kate had first noticed on him returned. ‘Leigh… she keeps…’ He shook his head. ‘Well, I’d best go. Thanks for the tea,’ he added as he opened the front door.
‘No problem. Any time.’
Really?
Kate closed the door on him but peeped through the diamond-shaped pane of glass in the top as he walked down the drive, hands shoved in his coat pockets.
‘Don’t dislike him as much as you did, do you?’ Mollie said as she caught Kate in the act.
‘Shut it, Spud,’ Kate said as she followed her daughter back into the kitchen, but as she headed to the fridge to inspect the contents for inspiration, she had to reflect that Dev was improving on further acquaintance.