Chapter 32
32
Finn came into reception one morning, a couple of weeks after Ray’s visit, looking worried. Jade steeled herself. Finn hardly ever looked worried, but there had been a slight awkwardness between them lately.
She hoped Ray was OK. He hadn’t taken Fang in the end. He’d confessed that his health hadn’t been so good lately and he wasn’t sure he was up to the challenge of taking on such a young fit dog.
Finn cleared his throat and Jade saw he had a piece of paper in his hand. Maybe he was going to hand in his notice, show her the details of some new exciting job.
‘Yes?’ she said, a lot more tersely than she’d intended.
‘I’ve just been talking to Dad.’
‘Ah. Is he OK?’ she asked anxiously.
‘He’s fine, Jade. Thanks for asking.’ There was surprise in his voice and she felt a little stab. Had they got so far apart that he thought she didn’t care?
He smoothed out the paper, which was creased, as though it had previously been screwed up. It looked innocuous enough. There was a phone number scrawled on it with a code she didn’t recognise. Finn retrieved another piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans and unfolded it so she could see. ‘I wasn’t going to show you, but the interfering old bugger said if I didn’t mention it he’d phone you himself.’
It was a news item about a donkey that had been abandoned on Skegness Beach. It was being looked after by a local woman, who was appealing for someone to re-home it urgently because she only had a small back garden. The newspaper was asking for information that might lead to tracing the donkey’s former owner, but so far no one had come forward.
‘I’m not surprised,’ Jade said, looking at the photo. ‘He’s not exactly in tip-top condition, is he? The RSPCA would probably prosecute.’
‘Dad saw it in a free newspaper when he went to visit a mate at Skeggy. He’s got it into his head that you might want to bring it here.’ Finn sounded apologetic. ‘Like you haven’t got enough to do without trekking up there and getting yourself another load of trouble.’
‘Donkeys aren’t much trouble.’ Jade read the feature and felt her insides turning over. ‘Poor love’s had a hard time of it.’
‘Going up to get him would be a fair bit of trouble,’ Finn said, quietly reasonable.
‘It’s not that far.’
‘There’s a time limit,’ Finn pointed out. ‘And who’s going to look after the sanctuary if you go gallivanting off on a donkey rescue at the other end of the country?’
‘Sarah and Callum would probably do it if I asked them. And Dawn would help out, I’m sure.’
‘It’s going to take you longer than a couple of hours to drive up to Skegness.’
Jade sighed. His quiet logic was gradually overriding the impulse she had to go up there now, this minute, but he was right. It would take some organising. Thinking quickly, she said, ‘I’ll phone Sarah. I’m sure she’d say yes. If I went up in the evening, I’d only be away for a day and a half.’
Finn sighed and Jade felt touched, knowing he was only trying to protect her. So perhaps he did still care a bit. ‘It’s what we’re here for, Finn,’ she murmured.
‘It’s a flaming long trek there and back in a day.’
‘I won’t do it in one day.’ She was determined not to be deflected now she’d made up her mind. ‘I’ll book into a Travelodge the night before. That’ll be cheap enough. Then I can pick up the donkey in the morning and drive him back here.’
‘A B&B would be cheaper and probably nicer. There are loads in that neck of the woods. I’ll come with you. I can drive. It’s the least I can do, seeing as it’s my fault you’ve got to go in the first place. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for my room.’
In the end, Jade agreed because sharing the driving was sensible. And the prospect of spending some time away with Finn was appealing. Maybe, once they were away, she could get a different perspective on the situation. Maybe she’d even realise she didn’t like him so much, after all.
A week later it was arranged. Jade had talked to the woman who was looking after the donkey. ‘She’s keeping him in her back garden,’ she told Sarah, shaking her head. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind looking after this place?’
‘Of course we don’t.’ Sarah had agreed instantly once she’d known Finn wasn’t going to be around. ‘It’s the least I can do and Ben’s in his element. He said he can’t wait to have Mickey on his bed for a bedtime story.’
They left mid-afternoon on Wednesday, having given Sarah a long list of instructions.
‘Just get going or you’ll hit the rush hour at Newbury. I’ll phone you if there’s the slightest problem.’
It was strange driving away from the rescue. Jade hadn’t left it for more than a few hours since the day she’d opened it. This is how it must feel if you were a new mother leaving your baby with someone else for the very first time, she thought idly. It was strange being alone with Finn, too. She sneaked a glance at him. He looked very at home driving the horsebox and she found herself wondering if there was any situation he wouldn’t look at home in.
‘What?’ he said.
‘Pity we haven’t got time to pop in and see your dad.’
‘If he’d have kept quiet you wouldn’t be having to drive two hundred miles to pick up another load of expense and hassle,’ Finn grumbled.
‘I’m not driving, you are. And anyway, I don’t look upon the donkey as a load of expense and hassle. Poor love.’
He shot her a look of exasperation and shook his head.
‘And don’t think I’m falling for that hard man, I wouldn’t care if he ended up in French stew, act, either. You’re as worried as I am.’
‘I’m not worried in the slightest. He’ll be living the life of Riley once you get him back. Why should I worry about him?’
He raised his eyebrows and shot her a speculative glance. She and Finn were good like this. Light-hearted banter. She could cope with this.
They reached Newbury just ahead of the rush hour and hit Oxford and Milton Keynes without any hold-ups either. They didn’t talk much, but it was an easy silence. She felt safe and cocooned by the darkness and the rumbling rhythm of the engine. The road snaked ahead of them, the headlights and taillights of the rest of the traffic like bright strings of rubies and diamonds. All the same, she didn’t realise she’d fallen asleep until she woke up with a start, aware they were no longer moving.
‘Are we in a traffic jam?’ she asked, sitting up and feeling groggy.
‘No, we’re here.’ Finn yawned. ‘I’m just going to see if this place has got any rooms. The car park’s a bit full. I guess we should have booked, after all.’
‘I’ll come with you. Blimey, I must have been asleep for ages. What time is it?’
‘Just gone nine. We ought to think about getting something to eat. There’s a nice-looking Italian around the corner.’
They went into reception and were greeted by a harassed-looking woman, who shook her head when Finn asked for two rooms.
‘Normally you’d be fine mid-week, but we’ve got a writers’ conference here at the moment. Romantic novelists. Sorry, I think we’re fully booked.’
‘Completely fully booked?’ Jade asked, dismayed.
She frowned and opened an iPad. ‘Hang on a sec. I don’t think they have room seventeen. I’ll just go and check.’
She came back smiling. ‘You’re in luck. I’m afraid it’s only a twin, but I could do you a discount. Is it just for one night?’
Jade glanced at Finn and he said, ‘Your call. We can try somewhere else if you like.’
She looked at his tired face and knew she couldn’t ask him to drive any further. ‘No, it’s all right. A twin will be fine.’
The receptionist directed them up two staircases and Finn opened the door on to a sloping-ceiling attic room with a skylight.
‘Home from home,’ he said, bending his head as he put their bags on to one of the single beds.
‘Actually, it’s not bad,’ Jade said, looking around. There was a pine wardrobe and dressing table and the beds had crisp white linen. On one wall was a print of a girl with a straw hat.
Finn sat next to the bags on the bed. ‘Shall I see if we can get a table in the Italian, or don’t you want to bother?’
‘Yes, let’s go out. I’ve never been to Skegness. Anyway, you haven’t eaten all day. You ought to eat something after all that driving.’
Half an hour later they were sitting in La Mamma’s, which had a friendly, busy atmosphere, smelt delicious, and was surprisingly full for nearly ten o’clock on a Wednesday. There was a Courvoisier bottle candle on their table, the wax of countless evenings forming a waterfall of colour down the glass.
‘If I fall asleep halfway through my pizza, can you give me a prod?’ Jade said, putting down her menu and yawning.
‘Am I that boring?’
She shot him a look and saw humour in his grey eyes. ‘Stop fishing for compliments.’
‘Fancy some wine to go with your pizza?’
‘I don’t know if the budget can stretch to that.’
‘Well, we’ve saved on the room.’ He raised his eyebrows. It was the first time either of them had mentioned it, but before she could respond, he added, ‘Besides, this is my treat. What would you like, red or white?’
‘I don’t mind. You choose.’
‘There’s one here called Bugger,’ Finn said, looking down the menu. ‘Made of classic Bordeaux grapes, apparently.’ He pointed it out to her. ‘Perfect with pasta and pizza according to this.’
‘It says Boeger, pronounced with a soft J,’ Jade said, trying not to sound smug. ‘But yes, let’s give it a go. Are you having pizza, then?’
‘The biggest they do with as many extras as they can cram on to it.’
‘I think I’ll join you.’
‘Ah, you like one bottle of the Bugger,’ the waiter said when he came to take their order a few minutes later. ‘Good choice.’ As he swept away, his order pad in hand, Finn glanced at Jade and she laughed.
‘OK, Mr McTaggart, you win.’
‘I don’t suppose that’s really how you pronounce it. I think it’s more likely that the waiter shares my warped sense of humour,’ he said, and she thought how different this evening was from the one she’d spent with Aiden.
The waiter came back with their wine and uncorked it at the table.
‘You like to try?’
‘I’m sure it will be fine,’ Finn said, indicating he should pour for them both.
When he’d gone again, Finn picked up his glass. ‘Perhaps we should have a toast. What do you think?’
‘How about to a successful donkey rescue mission tomorrow?’
They clinked glasses and Jade reflected that the last time she’d felt this easy around him was the night they’d counted stars in his room. It seemed like an eternity ago, a night imbued with magic, and as the evening wore on and they ate and laughed and drank the wine, which was smooth and velvety, it was as though some of that magic had found its way here to this little restaurant in Skegness.