Chapter 11
Hannah did her best to focus on Sarah as the girl trotted across the dining room towards Jason. Anything to distract her from the tall man with the piercing blue eyes who’d just got to his feet and was now staring at her intently as she followed at a much slower pace.
Mr Eaves.
David.
Bee Daddy himself.
Gone was the scruffy jumper and shaggy locks that made him look like a grumpy badger. This man was tall, brooding and… well… delicious!
The blush that had been threatening to overwhelm Hannah since she’d bumped into Sarah outside finally got its own way. Hannah fanned her face with her hand, then realised what she was doing and promptly wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
Maybe she could just pass it off as being too warm in the crowded dining room. She was wearing a wool dress after all. Her rampant blush had absolutely nothing to do with the practically edible man who was now grinning at her.
‘Hi,’ he said, clearing his throat as he hurried around the table to pull a chair out for her. ‘You look… incredible.’
‘Oh,’ said Hannah. ‘Erm… thank you.’
David smiled and reached over to pour her a glass of water.
‘It’s warm in here,’ he said simply, popping the carafe back onto the table before heading back to his seat.
Hannah took a grateful sip and then looked up only to find both Jason and Sarah watching her with identical grins.
‘So… happy birthday!’ she squeaked, just to break the silence.
‘Ta!’ said Jason.
‘Thanks for coming.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ said Hannah, feeling herself relax slightly under his easy grin. ‘I’m thrilled. This is way better than cheese on toast in an empty house.’
‘Hey, I happen to like cheese on toast,’ said David.
‘Me too,’ said Sarah. ‘Especially with jam on top.’
Jason made a choking sound. ‘You’re a special kind of gross, you know that, right?’
Sarah grinned as she punched him hard on the arm. ‘Oi, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.’
‘I have to say, I’m with birthday boy on this one,’ said Hannah, wrinkling her nose.
‘You don’t know what you’re missing,’ sighed Sarah, shaking her head in mock despair.
‘I’m up for giving it a go next time,’ said David. ‘Hey, do you think it might work with honey, too?’
‘Dad,’ groaned Jason, rolling his eyes, ‘according to you, everything in the world works with honey.’
‘True,’ said David. ‘Because it does.’
Jason sniggered and shook his head, making Hannah laugh. This was clearly a long-running joke.
‘You know he gave me a jar of honey for my birthday?’ he sighed, turning back to Hannah with a pained expression. He was clearly trying to sound long-suffering and failing miserably.
‘Hey, if you don’t want it, I’ll take it off your hands!’ she laughed. ‘I’m newly converted.’
‘Really?’ said David, looking thrilled.
Hannah smiled at him, suddenly feeling a little shy under the beaming blue gaze.
She nodded. ‘I didn’t thank you properly earlier for the box you left for me…
honey on toast this morning was a treat!
If it wasn’t for you, I would have been stuck trying to salvage something from under some seriously fluffy blue jam. ’
‘Now that kind of jam doesn’t work for cheese on toast,’ chuckled Sarah. ‘You know… just for the record… in case you were thinking of trying it.’
‘Noted!’ said Hannah with a grin. ‘Oh, by the way, speaking of presents—these are for you.’ She handed the paper bag over to Jason.
‘You didn’t have to do that!’ he said, practically bouncing in his seat.
Hannah grinned. Suddenly, she was eye-to-eye with the excitable five-year-old again, rather than the young man he’d become. ‘Now, don’t get too excited.’
‘Too late,’ said Jason, peering into the bag. ‘Thank you, it’s really lovely of you. Do you mind if I…?’
‘Go for it!’ Hannah watched as he tore the repurposed tissue paper off the gloves.
‘These are perfect!’ he said. Turning them over in his hands, Jason admired the pattern before pulling them on and waving them right in Sarah’s face.
‘Very nice!’ she giggled, trying to escape getting bopped on the nose.
‘A pair of Ewan Pepper’s finest?’ said David.
Hannah nodded.
‘They’ll be brilliant for work!’ said Jason.
‘That’s exactly what Connie said. Okay, hands up… the other present is more of a re-gift, really. It’s something I think Aunty Millie would have liked you to have.’
Jason raised his eyebrows and glanced over at his dad.
Hannah followed the look and was touched to spot a flash of pure grief on David’s face before it was replaced by a soft smile. Jason peeled the tissue off the larger present with far more reverence than the first.
‘Snakes and ladders?’ said Sarah, who was watching with interest. ‘How awesome is that? Now we’ve got something to do between courses.’
‘Amazing,’ said Jason, nodding.
‘I don’t know if you remember,’ said Hannah, ‘but you and I spent a rainy afternoon playing this when you were little. On this very board, in fact. I think you were about five or six…’
‘Millie made us biscuits and then we toasted crumpets next to the fire!’ said Jason, his eyes going slightly misty as he stared at the box in his hands.
‘I’d forgotten that bit,’ said Hannah, feeling like she’d just received a gift in return.
Buttered crumpets had been one of Aunty Millie’s go-to comfort foods.
She’d have to get a pack while she was in town…
though she wasn’t sure the chimney was in any fit state to handle an actual fire these days! .
‘Why don’t I remember this?’ said David curiously.
‘I think you had some kind of appointment,’ said Hannah.
‘Millie said she’d babysit, and I was in town to see her for a break from uni.
She roped me in to help so that she could get some baking done without the pair of us getting under her feet.
That Snakes and Ladders board witnessed the biggest thrashing I’ve ever faced.
Nicely humiliating to be trounced by a five-year-old! ’
‘I love it,’ said Jason, running his gloved hand gently over the box. ‘Thanks so much. I’ll treasure it.’
‘What else did you get for your birthday?’ said Sarah.
‘Well, Lizzie gave me a pay rise,’ he said with a grin. ‘Which is basically the gift that keeps on giving. And then there was the honey from dad—’
‘And these,’ said David, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a plain white envelope. ‘Pass it along?’ He handed it to Sarah, who held the envelope to her ear and gave it a shake.
‘Weird… it doesn’t sound like bees.’
Hannah did her best to bite back a smile. She watched as David gave the girl a good-natured eyeroll. He was clearly used to this near-constant mic-taking and didn’t mind in the slightest.
‘Thanks Dad,’ said Jason, raising an eyebrow as he took the unassuming envelope from Sarah. ‘Should I open it now, or should I wait?’
‘Completely up to you,’ said David, his unruffled expression still firmly in place.
Jason ran his finger along the seal and pulled out a piece of colourful card.
‘No way!’ he gasped.
‘What is it?’ said Sarah.
‘A ticket for Bands on the Beach!’ gasped Jason. ‘These have been sold out for months!’
‘WHAT?!’ Sarah stared at the ticket in Jason’s hand with reverence.
‘There’s return train tickets down to Cornwall to go with it,’ said David. ‘And I’ll pay for somewhere decent for you to stay down there, too.’
‘Wait… there are two tickets here,’ said Jason slowly. ‘Is this… are you…?’ He was clearly wondering if this was meant to be a father-and-son thing.
‘Take anyone you like,’ said David, shaking his head. ‘As long as I don’t have to go, I’m happy!’
Jason chuckled. ‘Thanks Dad.’
Hannah noticed that Sarah had gone very quiet. She’d sat back in her chair, and her eyes were suddenly anywhere other than on Jason.
Jason turned to her and gently prodded her in the side of the face. ‘Fancy it?’
‘Me?’ she gasped. ‘But what about your mates?’
‘Erm… you are my mate,’ said Jason, raising an eyebrow. ‘My best mate.’
Sarah smiled, though Hannah couldn’t help but think there was something a bit sad about that look.
‘Yep. Best mate,’ said Sarah, with a tight little nod.
‘So, do you want to come?’ said Jason.
Sarah nodded again, her smile widening. ‘Sure.’
‘Sweet.’ Jason pocketed the tickets, looking chuffed.
‘Alright, gang,’ said Lionel, materialising at Hannah’s shoulder. ‘Who’s ready to eat?!’
Jason shifted uncomfortably on his seat as everyone in the dining room—including all the members of staff—reached the end of a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.
‘Aw, look at you!’ chuckled Sarah, as everyone clapped and cheered. ‘You’re so red, I think we could fry an egg on your face.’
Hannah chuckled as Jason promptly grabbed Sarah in a friendly armlock and rubbed his knuckles on her scalp, messing her already tousled hair.
‘Kids, knock it off!’ rumbled David with a long-suffering eyeroll.
Hannah laughed. She still couldn’t quite put a finger on what was happening between Jason and Sarah.
This was what they’d been like for the entire meal, a strange mix of childish and grown up, shy and silly.
It was really rather endearing to see an eighteen-year-old and a newly nineteen-year-old care so little about what anyone thought of them.
‘Alright, gang, what else can I get you all?’ said Lionel, coming to stand at their table with a beaming smile. ‘Coffee? More pudding? Another slice of birthday cake?’
‘Urrrrgh!’ Hannah clutched her full stomach. ‘I’ve not got any room left—which is heartbreaking, because everything was gorgeous. Thank you, Lionel. And Sarah, for the cake.’
David and Jason both nodded their enthusiastic agreement. Sarah just grinned, looking chuffed.
‘It’s been our pleasure,’ said Lionel. ‘Would you like me to get Hattie to pack up the rest of the cake for you to take home?’
‘Has everyone had a bit?’ said Jason. ‘Keep some for you and Hattie and the other staff too!’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ said Lionel, ‘but, are you sure?’
‘Definitely,’ laughed Jason. ‘I mean, it’s delicious, but I don’t think Dad and I could polish off all three tiers without a bit of help.’
‘In that case, I’ll definitely take you up on the offer,’ said Lionel. ‘I’ll look forward to another nibble with my morning cuppa tomorrow.’
‘Would you mind wrapping up a separate chunk for Hannah, too?’ said Jason.
‘Oh no,’ said Hannah, shaking her head, though it was against every single instinct she possessed. ‘I can’t let you do that.’
‘Oh yes, he can,’ said David, coming to his son’s defence. ‘Otherwise, we’ll be dining on gooey chocolate cake for months. Sarah might be a baking genius, but I don’t think our waistbands would survive!’
‘Okay. Well… you know… seeing as it’s a public service, I’d love a bit!’ Hannah grinned at him. ‘Thank you. For the cake, and for letting me gate-crash this evening. It’s been so much fun.’
‘It’s been our pleasure,’ said Jason. ‘Right, Dad?’
David nodded, getting to his feet. ‘Can we walk you home? After all, it’s not exactly out of our way!’
‘Oh… thanks, I’d like that,’ said Hannah, suddenly feeling shy. Maybe it was just the two glasses of wine talking, but the idea of a moonlit amble with David Eaves felt full of possibility… if it wasn’t for the fact that she’d be playing piggy-in-the-middle between him and his son!
‘Sarah, what about you?’ said David, raising an eyebrow. ‘Are you heading back up to the lighthouse, or would you like to kip in the spare room again?’
‘That would be great,’ she said, grinning at him. ‘I’d love to stay. I think there’s a late-night Snakes and Ladders tournament with our names on it!’
‘Party animals,’ he chuckled.
‘We know how to live out on the ragged edge, right, Sarah?’ laughed Jason.
‘Amen to that!’ said Sarah with a grin. ‘I’ll go and give Hattie a hand to pack up the rest of the cake. I’m sure she’s got enough going on in the kitchen without us lot causing extra havoc.’
‘Good plan,’ said Jason. ‘I’ll come too. I want to thank her for the meal, anyway. We’ll catch you guys up?’
David nodded, then held out a hand towards Hannah. ‘Shall we?’
Hannah paused for a long moment, and then, with a shy smile, she took his arm and let him lead her out of the dining room.