Amazing Grace

Chapter 17

Grace had an hour to spare the following day between house-viewing appointments, so she popped into Coffee Heaven for a change of scenery. It was really quiet and there was no sign of Ruth, so she ordered a gingerbread latte and, although she looked at the cakes, she was quite pleased with herself when she decided not to have one. The young girl who took the order said that she’d bring it over to her, so she took a comfy armchair by the window to watch the world go by.

‘Hi, Grace darling, how are you?’ She looked up to see Ruth smiling down at her.

‘Oh hey, Ruth, I’m great thanks. I didn’t think you were here today when I didn’t see you behind the counter.’

‘I was just out the back with the delivery driver. Ooh, that sounded worse than it actually was – I should be so lucky! Are you on your own or meeting someone?’

‘No, just on my own. I had a house-viewing appointment but it was just cancelled. The couple have split up. I suppose it’s a good job they’ve done it now rather than after moving in together. So I thought I’d come in here and grab a coffee. Are you too busy to join me?’

‘I’d love to, if you’re sure. I know when you’re a mum you don’t get much me time, so I don’t want to spoil your peace and quiet.’

Grace laughed to herself as she remembered that when Archie was a toddler he used to ask her if she’d like a ‘piece of quiet’. ‘It would be nice to have some company,’ she responded.

‘So, I may as well ask at the start rather than building up to it,’ Ruth said as she sat on the opposite armchair and put her drink down on the coffee table. ‘How’s it going with my bro? I hear you went out for a meal and then out again to the pics last night.’

‘We did indeed.’ Grace could feel her face light up as she talked about the evenings she’d had out with Vinnie. ‘He’s lovely, isn’t he?’

‘Well, obviously he’s my brother and I’m not going to say he’s an arse, even if he was, but he’s actually not! He’s so lovely. I worry about him all the time. He works too hard, but it’s been so lovely to see him with a spring in his step and a glint in his eye since he met you, Grace. You seem to get on so well together, and I’d love to see more of you too. I think he’s a little fearful about your ex and whether he’s going to get caught up in the middle, and that’s my concern too, to be truthful. So I do hope you don’t mind me asking what the score is on that front?’

‘Mark and I knew each other at school and we went out briefly just before we went to university. He’d always wanted to be a teacher and I’d always wanted to work in interior design. At university it was clear we were moving forward in two completely different directions. I wanted a family and the life that comes with that. I come from a very loving family and my parents had been married for over fifty years when I lost my mum, and it tore us to pieces. We were all devastated.

‘We split up then and met up again a few years later. He’d done his time at uni and was a qualified teacher. He moved back to our hometown and we started dating and fell in love all over again. I’d been off living my life and having holidays with my friends and was ready to settle down, and so was Mark.

‘A couple of years later, I found out I was pregnant. Mark wasn’t overjoyed, but then when Archie came along he changed and became the model father. We got married and were so happy, but then as Archie grew up, he changed again, especially when he became a head teacher. It was as if he was jealous of his own son. He started to resent the time I was spending with Archie. He was a baby, for goodness’ sake, he couldn’t do anything for himself. When Archie was a toddler, I found out that Mark had been cheating on me with a woman at work. You can imagine how gutted I was. I felt like I’d been cut open with a knife and had my heart torn out.

‘I realised that he just didn’t want to settle down, but I couldn’t split my family up. Even after everything he’d done, I couldn’t take my boy away from his father. So we muddled on.

‘Then eventually it all came to a head when I found out that he was still seeing her. He’d promised me after the last time it was all over. He said he’d given her up and that we were all he wanted, but then I found out it was happening again. And that was the last straw for me. I knew that we should be worth more to him than that, so we went our separate ways.’

Ruth nodded in agreement. ‘It’s tough, isn’t it, when you know what you should do but feel that you can’t.’

‘It’s really tough, Ruth. You’re a mum and you know you’d do anything for your children, wouldn’t you? So I thought it was something I had to put up with. So I learned to live that way,’ Grace said sadly. ‘He didn’t love me the way he should. We lived separate lives but in the same house. It was no life for either of us to be honest and certainly not for Archie. People used to think that I was a single mum, even before I was one for real.

‘When I look back at our relationship, Ruth, I was unhappy for so long, and since we split up I feel like I’ve really found myself again. I’ve realised that I have a right to be happy and I’ve actually been happier on my own than when we were together. I hate the times when I’m not with Archie, but I’ve learned to accept them and fill that time with things for me. I’ve worked out that I’d rather be alone and happy than in a relationship and miserable. Life is just too damn short.

‘I hope he is more settled with Lorraine,’ Grace continued, trying to forget the fact that Mark had said he would dump Lorraine if Grace would only take him back. ‘I don’t want him to be unhappy, and I clearly wasn’t making him happy, but it’s taken me till now to realise that some people don’t even know what happiness means to them, so how can they possibly achieve it if they don’t know what they’re looking for?’

‘You’re so right, Grace. I know a lot of people who seem to have the perfect life but they’re constantly searching for something or someone better. Has there been anyone else since Mark, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘I don’t mind you asking at all. There hasn’t. I’ve not felt like I’ve needed anyone in my life up till now, and until I met Vinnie, there was no one that I’d felt really drawn to. Does that sound a bit soppy?’

‘I’m a big believer in fate, Grace, and that people come into your life at the exact time and for the exact reason that they are meant to. I really hope that’s what’s happening with you and Vinnie. You may have gathered by now that I love him to bits, even if he is a pain in the neck from time to time.’ She laughed. ‘Working here, I do a lot of people-watching and I’m very observant, I’ll have you know. I notice that when you speak about Mark, you seem to shrink inside yourself, yet when we talk about Vinnie your whole face lights up and you smile from ear to ear, and that fills my heart with joy and warmth. Now, the other thing that warms my heart, but sadly ends up on my backside, is cake, and I have cake galore, which needs eating up before I throw it out. Let me bring some over.’

‘Oh dear, that’s not going to help when I go to fat club later! But it’s cake and I’d rarely say no to cake, although I did decline earlier.’ Grace groaned. ‘I hate fat club but I need to go.’

‘Why do you go if you hate it?’ Ruth asked.

‘I need to lose some weight and this seems to be the only way I can do it, although the woman who runs the group is a nightmare. I’d love to set up my own group but it’s knowing where to have it and how to do it. Just a little dream of mine. I’d love to do a meals-on-wheels-type service, too, for people who are working but would love home-cooked food that follows the fat club principles but haven’t got the time or ingredients to do their own. Perhaps it should be called something to do with laziness! I’d love to run a book club as well. But that’ll have to wait till I get my dream bookshop. Perhaps I can do my fat club there. I have too many ideas running around in my head all the time. It’s why I don’t sleep well.’ She laughed.

Ruth looked thoughtful. ‘You could always do it here. With me.’

‘Well, to be honest, when I came in the other week, I came because I was looking to find a venue,’ Grace replied, delighted that her little daydream might actually come true.

‘Well, here is perfect, isn’t it? My café is closed at fivep.m. You could do a fat club here. There’s plenty of room and maybe those who came would come back as customers at other times, so it would be good for my business too. And I’m a trained nutritionist and chef. I’m bloody wasted here.’ She laughed. ‘Let’s do it together, Grace! Life is too short not to grab opportunities as they come up. I’ve been looking at different ways to get new customers and didn’t think of your idea. It’s genius. There’s times in the day that I have nothing to do and I’m just twiddling my thumbs waiting for customers to come in. I could be in the kitchen cooking up some of these meals if you give me the recipes. Then people can order and either pick them up or we could eventually even do a delivery service. Between us, we could really make this work!’ said Ruth, clapping her hands with excitement. ‘I think people would bloody love it. They can have a cuppa for free when they get here, then pay for any additional food or drinks. Oh, Grace, I love this idea. Please say we can do it.’

Grace laughed. ‘I’d really love it, Ruth. Are you sure, though? We’ve only just met really.’

‘We have but I have a really good feeling about you, Grace. I like you a lot and even if things don’t work out with you and Vinnie, I’d like to think that we could be good friends. And this is a great idea. I’d love to be a part of it.’

Ruth glanced over to the counter where a big queue was forming and jumped to her feet. ‘I could sit here and talk to you all day, Grace, but the daggers that Beth is throwing at me tells me it’s time my coffee break is over! Can we talk about it soon and get some dates in the diary? This is going to be great, Grace, I just know it. Let me bring you another coffee over and you can get your notepad and pen out. I know you don’t go anywhere without them, Vinnie told me! You can put your thoughts down and we can discuss them later.’

Grace sat and smiled and got out her latest hand-stitched notebook and her fountain pen. Apart from her stationery fetish, she was a big journal writer and had recently started to write a gratitude journal again. This was something she had always done as a child, but when she was with Mark, he ridiculed her and dismissed it, saying that all the ‘hippy shit’ was addling her brain and she needed to get in the real world.

She once bought a yearly book where she could write down all her goals and dreams, and Mark just laughed at her and threw it away, saying that she hadn’t the time to follow her goals and dreams as she had him and Archie to look after. So once again, to keep the peace, she’d stopped keeping her journals. One of the best things about being single and following her own whims was being able to start up her gratitude journal again and work out her goals and desires, without someone trying to pour scorn onto it.

She was so grateful to Ruth for providing the venue for this new club that she’d been thinking about. The ideas just wouldn’t go away, constantly niggling at the back of her mind. She’d wanted to do it but hadn’t known where to start. But now she had a venue, someone fabulous to do it with, and she was really looking forward to getting this idea off the ground. She loved her job but felt that something was missing from her life, especially the times when Archie wasn’t around. She knew she was going to enjoy organising this club and was really glad that she’d mentioned it to Ruth. Who knew that just saying the words out loud would make some of her dreams come true?

Ruth came over with her diary and Grace left the café after agreeing dates for the rest of the year. They had to start somewhere. They had no idea who or how many people would come along or whether they should charge, and if they did how much. But they agreed that Grace would set up a Facebook page for the group and they would share it, asking their friends to share too, and she knew that Monica, her biggest cheerleader, would spread the word with some of her clients. It was all getting quite exciting. Ruth also suggested getting up some posters in the café to promote the meetings. They would just see what sat right at the time and how the group and the idea evolved. It was really all in the hands of heaven above.

* * *

I do love that Ruth. She’s helping my girl’s dreams come true. Grace, I was willing you to share your hopes and dreams with Ruth. You just need a push from time to time. You’ve got some fabulous ideas but just need the self-confidence to follow them through and make them happen. I know that you can do anything you set your mind to and now you’ve got these amazing people in your life, I know you’re going to go from strength to strength. I wish you just had that faith in yourself that others have in you.

But I can see your light starting to shine again from within. You have that sparkle back in your eyes and a fire in your belly and an enthusiasm for life that I’ve not seen for a long time. I never want you to have that sparkle dulled again, and I know that Vinnie is someone who will encourage and inspire you to do great things in your life. That’s what being in a relationship should be: two people, wanting to make the other happy and inspiring each other to achieve their goals and dreams and making an amazing future together full of memories.

Because let’s face it, memories are all that’s left after you’ve gone. Possessions break, pictures fade, but hopefully memories will remain in your heart long after a person has left your life. I hope I left my girls some wonderful memories of me. I think I did! I certainly tried to be the best mother that I possibly could. I was strict but fair… although you two might not agree! But I loved you both with all my heart and you knew it. And I made sure I told you every single day. I even remember lying in my hospital bed, just before I was taken, and telling you both how much I loved you. I needed those words to be the last you ever heard from my mouth. And I know that you haven’t forgotten.

I love you. You’ll always be my little girl even if you’re nearer forty than four or fourteen and I’m always watching you, just giving you a gentle shove, or a bloody great big one, when you need it.

Love you, Mumxxx

* * *

Saturday night had come round quicker than Grace thought possible. While she knew she’d made a lot of progress in the last few months, with a number of changes in her life, including getting a job, buying a house and renovating it on her own, thinking more positively, changing her hair and her clothes, she still had the same insecurities. She supposed years of allowing someone to make her feel not good enough for them, despite trying to do everything she could, had rubbed off and it was those feelings that she was trying so hard to shake now.

Belinda turned up at six thirty armed with DVDs and popcorn ready to sit with Archie for the evening while Grace went to the awards ceremony. Belinda wolf-whistled at Grace and told her she’d never seen her look so beautiful.

Mark had said he wanted a drink so would get a taxi to Stafford town centre and meet her at the entrance at ten to seven. Grace had agreed readily, feeling that the less time she had to spend with him the better.

She felt a million dollars in the turquoise cocktail dress that Monica had talked her into on their swishing trip, the colours of the dress blending beautifully with her aqua aura crystal necklace. As the taxi pulled up, she noticed that Mark was waiting on the steps of the town hall. She watched him through the window; he looked handsome in his tuxedo, and her mind flashed back to when they were younger and very much in love. He didn’t look that much older now to be honest, just greying around his temples, and a little stouter, but it suited him. A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed down a twinge of regret for everything that had once been. It took her breath away how two people who had so much promise for the future could now be living such separate lives.

She paid the driver and turned to Mark, who whistled and winked at her and took her arm as they made their way into the building. The next person she bumped into was Edward, her boss, who was looking out for her. She introduced Mark to him, and Edward shook his hand.

‘You look stunning, Grace, really stunning,’ he said as he kissed her on her cheek and introduced Mark to his wife and business partner, Melanie. Grace loved Melanie. She was fun and bright; a real pleasure to work with. Once again, Grace thought about how lucky she was to have found a job with such a friendly and supportive team. They immediately started chatting as they headed over to their table where the rest of the team were already seated. They all greeted her and Mark warmly, and Grace smiled at them all, trying to quell her inner nerves. Not only was she was worried about the prospect of having to get up on stage – not that she really thought she was in with a chance – but she’d found the whole dressing up thing so stressful. She might have had a major make-over and felt a long way from the old frumpy Grace who wanted to hide from the eyes of the world, but she still found it all quite nerve-wracking.

The meal was probably lovely, but Grace was so discombobulated about the whole evening that she could hardly eat a thing. The first few awards categories and the winners were announced and then it was time for the Business Superstar award. She didn’t think for one minute that she’d win and believed it was a complete mistake that her name was even included. Part of her had been expecting someone to get in touch and tell her that they’d make a mistake, so she didn’t really know why she was feeling nervous. There were so many other local businesses that she’d heard of in the local press, so she was flabbergasted when the nominations were called out, and the winner’s name announced – it was hers! She really couldn’t believe it. She was actually delighted and felt a little gobsmacked. Edward and Melanie beamed at her.

The Lord Mayor asked Edward to join them on stage and suggested that he’d perhaps like to say a few words about why he felt Grace deserved the award.

Edward got up and offered Grace his arm, and they made their way to the stage, Grace slowly and precisely, praying silently that she wouldn’t trip and make a tit of herself. She arrived unscathed and was helped up the steps by Edward.

‘Melanie and I couldn’t be prouder of Grace than we are of our own children at a school awards evening.’ The audience laughed and Grace relaxed a little. ‘She has come such a long way since she joined our family estate agency a year ago, and she’s brought her light and her sparkle to the team and we adore having her around. She’s amazing at her job, the customers love her and she’s a pleasure to work with.

‘When Grace started, she joined us as a part-time member of staff but made a role for herself that we could never do without now. She came up with an idea of videoing houses, which our house buyers love and which makes both vendors and buyers come to us. She’s hit way above her sales target and been a mentor for many of the younger staff coming through the ranks.

‘Thank you, Grace, for being you. I couldn’t think of a better person to work alongside, apart from my good lady wife, of course.’ He winked at Melanie and blew her a kiss. ‘Huge congratulations on your award, Grace.’

What an amazing speech. How on earth could she follow that?

In a timid little voice, she started to speak. ‘After being a stay-at-home mum for such a long time, it was really hard to get back into the workplace.’ She looked up and saw lots of faces smiling, and it gave her the boost she needed and her voice became more confident and louder. ‘But Edward, you and Melanie gave me a chance. A chance to prove myself, and for that I shall be eternally grateful. I absolutely love my job, love that you allow me to fit it in around my son and I would like to thank everyone for voting for me to win this amazing award. Thank you all so much.’

Loud applause broke out in the room and whoops of delight could be heard from their table as she and Edward left the stage. Melanie got up and kissed her on both cheeks, then Mark stood up and hugged her. He kissed the top of her head.

‘I’m so proud of you,’ he said.

It felt like such an intimate moment, one that hadn’t happened for such a long time. Grace felt stunned by his response.

‘You must be very proud of your ex-wife, Mark,’ Edward said as he returned to his seat.

‘Yeah, of course I am.’ Mark grinned. He raised his glass of champagne to Grace and toasted her. The table joined in and he smiled at her, his eyes lighting up.

As the event drew to a close, Mark walked Grace to the taxi rank and suggested that they go back to hers for a coffee. He winked at her and said that Lorraine was out this evening at a club in Birmingham so he wasn’t expected to be home for a good couple of hours yet, and he suggested they have a nightcap with their coffee. He nuzzled into her neck, in that special place that always used to make her spine tingle. And he knew it.

She hated the fact that she knew she should say no but felt she would be rude if she refused. Despite herself, she found herself leaning into his embrace, but she swiftly thought of Belinda and made an excuse that she needed to get back to the babysitter.

As the taxi pulled up at her house, she quickly said goodnight, gratefully thanked the driver, flung a tenner at Mark for her share of the cost and got out as quickly as she could. When she got in the house and shut the door behind her, she was grateful for a lucky escape.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Grace’s heart gave a little flip when she noticed Vinnie’s name flash up on the caller display of her iPhone, and she smiled as she answered. They’d been texting each other every day and she knew he’d had a really busy week at work. She hadn’t mentioned that Mark was going to the awards with her. Not because she wanted to lie to him, but because it wasn’t important to her.

‘Hey, you!’ His voice was warm and comforting and made her feel like someone had wrapped a big fleecy blanket around her shoulders.

‘Hey, you!’ she said back. ‘What a nice surprise. I thought you were ringing tonight.’

‘Well, I was but I thought, what the hell, I’m too old to play games, Grace. I wanted to hear your voice so I called. I hope that’s OK. And obviously I wanted to find out how your awards event went.’

‘It’s more than OK, Vinnie, and I won. Can you believe it? Little old me, who has never won anything in my life, won!’

‘Ah congratulations, Grace, that’s such wonderful news. I’m so proud of you.’

Her heart gave another little flip. This was someone that she hardly knew telling her she’d done well. She was over the moon.

‘I saw your lovely sister recently. I think I’ve become addicted to the coffee that she serves.’

‘She found it in Italy. I went over there with her when she decided to set up the café as she wanted to show me a hotel she’d stayed in once which had an incredible coffee shop attached to it. It was her dream to have a coffee shop exactly the same over here. The hotel is just incredible. I’d love to take you one day and show you.’ He realised he was getting a little carried away. ‘Erm, if that’s an option, that is!’

‘What a lovely idea. I’ve only ever been to Italy once and I don’t have good memories. I went for a drink in a bar and needed the ladies’ and they gave me a key, led me down a lane and across a courtyard and into a shed where there was just a big hole in the floor! It really freaked me out and put me off ever going back!’

Vinnie laughed and it filled her with joy. His laugh was deep and sexy and she loved hearing it. ‘I promise you that there are proper porcelain toilets in the place that I stay. It’s a stunning little boutique hotel, and the owners are amazing. You wake up every day to the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries and freshly roasted coffee, and the patio is just through the double doors and overlooks glorious lush green mountains on one side and stunning turquoise sparkling sea on the other.’

‘Stop telling me, Vinnie, you sound like an advert on their website. You’ve already sold it to me. It sounds divine and I want to go there right now!’ She laughed. Wouldn’t it be fun to just hop on a plane and do something so spontaneous? she thought.

‘Don’t tempt me! Anyway, the reason for the call, as well as the fact that I wanted to hear your voice, was that I wondered if I might have the pleasure of your company on Saturday evening, madam? Lady Ruth has invited you and me round for dinner, if that’s not too much too soon.’

‘Aw, that would be fab. I really like Ruth and I’d love to meet her hubby too. We’ve just decided that we’re going to do a fat club together. Do you want me to meet you there or pick you up so you can have a drink?’

‘I know all about it. She’s already told me how excited she is to be working with you on this project. No love, that’s fine. I’ll pick you up. I’m not much of a drinker and if I change my mind, I can always leave the car and we can grab a taxi back between us.’ It was nice to be with someone who wasn’t a drinker. Mark liked a drink, and when he drank he became a person she really didn’t like, belittling her by saying that she needed to loosen up and have fun. He had always been repentant the next morning, but the damage had been done.

They chatted for another ten minutes, just laughing and joking, really at ease in each other’s company. Grace realised that she’d never had this before. She always felt as if she had to be on her best behaviour with Mark in case he didn’t like what she said and snapped; yet with Vinnie, who she’d not known that long, she felt really comfortable and knew that she didn’t have to put on any airs and graces and could just be herself.

Becks started to bark at her and she realised that she hadn’t taken him out yet. She had a thought. ‘What are you up to today, Vinnie?’ she asked. ‘I’m just going to take Becks out for a walk to the forest. With Archie at his dad’s, because we’ve swapped days around, I’m home alone so thought I’d get out. I don’t suppose you fancy joining me, do you?’

‘Do you know, I’d really love that. I’ve sat at my computer since six this morning and I’m going googly-eyed. A walk in the forest sounds perfect. We can grab a cuppa at the café to celebrate your award win.’

‘OK, shall I pick you up? It’s probably easier because Becks is likely to run off into the streams and get filthy and smelly and at least I can stick him in the boot of my car, which is already quite mucky. Can you be ready in about half an hour? Oh, and by the way, have you eaten? I could put a quick sandwich together and a flask if you like?’

‘Sounds perfect, gorgeous, I’ll text you my address. I’d better flick the duster round before you come just in case I can entice you in for a coffee afterwards. It’s the stuff my sister sells…’

‘Ooh, I bet you say that to all the girls. Cool, see you in half an hour then, and don’t dust on my account, Vinnie. Housework is for people who don’t spend their lives having fun!’ She laughed as she disconnected the call.

She realised just how much she’d changed recently. The old Grace, when expecting visitors, would have been running round the place like a thing demented, spraying polish into the air so it least smelt like it was clean and shoving things in drawers and storage boxes to give the illusion of a clean and tidy house. It was amazing how quickly you could get housework done when you knew someone was about to descend upon you. But with Vinnie, Grace had the sense that none of that mattered.

* * *

Grace picked up Vinnie exactly thirty minutes later. He was dressed casually in jeans, walking boots and a navy long-sleeved t-shirt. He looked incredibly sexy and Grace smiled to herself.

As he jumped into the passenger side of the car, he turned round to the back and said, ‘Hey, Becks!’ as naturally as if it was one of his mates. ‘I love walking, but you feel such a jerk on your own, don’t you?’ he said. ‘I’ve always wanted a dog but it’s difficult when I work such long hours, wouldn’t be fair on one. I’ll have to borrow Becks next time I fancy a walk.’

‘You can, or you’re welcome to join us anytime. I know what you mean though about walking on your own. I would never have dreamt of doing that before I had him. I always wanted to but never had the courage to go out on my own.’

‘How long have you had him?’

‘Just under a year. It just seemed like the right time and he’s great company for me when Archie is at his dad’s. Saves me talking to myself, anyway!’ Grace laughed.

They pulled up in the small car park and she grabbed a rucksack out of the boot as Becks jumped out. They walked briskly for around a mile as Becks sniffed every blade of grass he came across, and weed up most of the trees, before they found a picnic bench and decided that it was time for a pit stop. Grace poured coffee from an aluminium flask into two plastic mugs and opened up a big plastic box which revealed a whole host of savoury food: sausage rolls, chicken bites, satay sticks, scotch eggs, pork pies and crisps.

‘Blimey, Grace, you know how to put on a snack. I’ll be the size of a house if I keep walking with you guys.’

‘Then you’ll just have to come to our fat club, won’t you?’ She laughed. ‘I take after my mum. She was a feeder too.’

The walk had made them both ravenous and after they’d polished off the lot between them, they started walking again.

The closer they walked together, the more they touched each other and each touch felt like an electric current soaring through their bodies. Vinnie suddenly stopped walking and Grace stood still too, puzzling over why he was standing still. He swept up a big section of her hair to one side which had blown into her face, tucked it behind her ear and kissed her gently but fully on the lips. He smiled and carried on walking and she caught up with him. He grinned at her, took her hand in his, kissed it, tucked it under the crook of his arm and then didn’t let go. Neither of them seemed to be able to stop smiling.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt this comfortable with anyone before, Grace. Just walking side by side, we don’t even have to be talking, it just feels right to be here with you. Does that sound a bit mad? Am I scaring you with too much too soon?’ he asked.

‘Not at all, I love it!’ she responded. ‘It just feels good and right and I feel like I’ve known you all my life, if that doesn’t sound too forward.’

They smiled at each other and a kind of deep understanding passed between them. They’d got to the end of the walk and were nearing the car park again. ‘What are you doing for the rest of the day, Grace?’ Vinnie asked.

‘Not much planned to be honest. I have to be back by six as that’s what time Archie is back but apart from that, nothing.’

‘So can I persuade you and Becks to come back to mine and curl up on the settee and watch a film, do you think?’

‘Are you sure you want that furry smelly monster in your house? He needs a good wipe down first.’

‘Well, I’ve got some old towels and a sponge knocking around in the airing cupboard. I’m sure we could give him a bed bath!’

‘Ooh, he’d love that! Not!’

‘He’ll be fine, won’t you, mate?’ he said to the dog while ruffling the fur on his head. Becks licked his hand and raised his head in a look of complete adoration.

‘See, he’s my buddy! Leave it to me.’

‘OK, if you insist, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

When they got back, Vinnie went into the house first and grabbed some old towels and a sponge. He kneeled down by the front door. ‘Come on then, boy,’ he said as he patted his knees. Becks bounded up to him and jumped up, nearly knocking him over. Where Mark would have hit the roof, Vinnie just laughed and rolled around on the floor with him, Becks licking his face. Then Becks sat obediently and did everything Vinnie told him to while he gave him a wash down and dried him.

‘Amazing!’ said Grace. ‘I definitely think you have a new best friend.’

‘Come on, boy, let’s see what we can find you for a treat,’ he said, opening and closing cupboard doors. ‘What can I give him?’ He looked at Grace for advice.

‘This might sound a bit mad, but do you have any carrots?’

‘I do. They’re in the fridge. Will that be OK? I’ve never heard of a dog eating carrots before. Are you sure?’

‘I hadn’t either, but they’re good for their teeth apparently and it’ll keep him quiet for a while.’

He gave Becks the carrot and walked over to where Grace was standing, putting his hands on her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. ‘Fancy a cuppa?’

‘Mmm, please,’ she responded. ‘Can I do anything?’

‘No, sweetheart, all under control. Why don’t you go in the lounge and see what films we can watch.’

Grace walked into the room that Vinnie had indicated and took a look around. It was obvious that it was a man’s room. It had a black leather suite and there was a footrest with some car and men’s health magazines on it. His Apple Mac sat on a low black glass-topped table in the far corner and there were very few knick-knacks around. As she looked around the room, her eyes caught a photograph on the mantelpiece of him and Ruth together and another of him with his arms around a beautiful young woman, standing on the side of a mountain, bathed in sunshine. It was the lady whose picture was in his wallet. Vinnie looked like he adored the very ground that she walked on. You could see the love in his eyes. Her heart caught in her mouth.

She picked up the photo and looked at it in detail. The woman was tall, slender, blonde, beautiful, young, vibrant and full of life. She was wearing a white skimpy vest and very short shorts. She was quite simply stunning. Grace was gutted. Her heart sank to the bottom of her boots. She felt green with envy and could feel jealousy surging through her body. This girl couldn’t be further away from herself – she was everything that Grace wasn’t. Grace was short, curvaceous and dark, and she couldn’t help but wonder who this beautiful lady was. She was obviously someone very important to Vinnie, if the photo was still on the mantelpiece, yet everything she knew about him told her that he was single.

‘Ah, you’ve seen the photo then,’ Vinnie said as he walked into the lounge balancing a tray in his hands while Becks danced around his ankles.

‘Yep!’ Grace looked at him.

‘I should explain,’ he said as he put the tray down and took the photo out of Grace’s hand and touched the glass, stroking the girl’s face tenderly. Grace felt sick with jealousy.

‘This is Meredith. I loved her so much. She’s stunning, isn’t she?’

‘She is indeed,’ replied Grace, wondering what on earth was going on and why he was telling her about how much he loved another girl.

‘My beautiful brave girl,’ he said, his voice catching on his words. He took a deep breath.

‘Are you OK, Vinnie?’ Grace asked, wondering about his emotional reaction.

‘Yes thanks, I might just need a hug though.’

Grace stepped over to him and hugged him, even though she was confused as to why she was comforting him when he was clearly so devasted about an ex-girlfriend. Especially one who was stunning to look at!

‘Perhaps I’d better tell you about my Meredith. Sit down, Grace.’ He sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. ‘Meredith was the most incredible girl I’ve ever known. Full of life, full of adventure and full of love. She meant the world to me. I loved her so much.’

Grace couldn’t move; she felt compelled to listen even though she knew he was about to say something she really didn’t want to hear.

‘She was just twenty-one when she died of leukaemia. It was discovered way too late and the illness was short and over quickly and we could do nothing to help her. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. I loved that girl with all my heart. I still can’t believe that my little sister was taken away from me!’

‘Your sister? Oh my God, Vinnie, your sister? How awful.’ She hugged him tightly, knowing that it was hard for him to have to explain. She wanted to kick herself for being such a jealous bitch, but she really had thought it was an ex. Now that she knew the truth, she felt dismayed at her initial jealous reaction, and empathy for this man, having to go through the pain of losing a sibling. She couldn’t imagine how that must have felt and she vowed to ring Hannah as soon as she could to tell her how much she loved her.

Vinnie wiped his eyes. ‘God, I’m so sorry! I’m not normally so open. I’ve shielded my heart for so long because I thought it would never mend after Meredith had gone, but I feel like I can – and need to – open up to you, Grace, and let you into my life. What have you done to me?’

She put her hands on either side of his face and wiped away his tears with her thumbs. She kissed the place where the tears had gently rolled down his cheeks. ‘I am so sorry that you went through this Vinnie,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t even begin to imagine how you could get over something like this.’

‘But it’s strange, Grace, because for the first time in a very long time, I actually feel like I’m ready to move on from this part of my life and start a new chapter. It’s almost like she’s willing me to do it. Meredith leaving us hit Ruth and me really hard, but we know that we can’t continue to live in the past, wishing that she was going to walk through the door, because it’s never going to happen. I know it’s time to move on. We’ll never forget Meredith but we have to learn to live our lives without her.

‘Since I met you, Grace, I feel like I finally have something special to look forward to. I feel like I can finally start to see some light at the end of a very dark tunnel. I haven’t had anyone special in my life for a long time. I suppose what happened with Meredith broke my heart and I just didn’t want to put my feelings out there again to be bashed around any further.

‘I don’t know what the future holds for you and I but I have a good feeling, a really good feeling, that we could have something really special together and I’d like us to explore that. God, I hope that’s not too heavy for a Sunday afternoon. I sound like a big girl’s blouse and a stalker rolled into one!’

Grace laughed, realising that she was relieved he’d acknowledged the fact that there wasn’t anyone else in his life. ‘You don’t sound like those things at all, you sound like a wonderful human being who adored his little sister. I do know what you mean about us, though. I know we’ve not known each other for long but this just feels so right. I know it’s early days but I also think we have something special, and I’d love to see where this goes. How does that sound?’ She kissed him long and lingeringly on the lips and gave him a hug that said lots of things. Becks started barking and jumped up excitedly, which made them both laugh out loud. ‘Now, are you going to pour that coffee out or not?’

They sat side by side on the sofa watching a comedy, which lightened the mood somewhat. Becks crept up onto the sofa and put his head on Vinnie’s lap. Grace went to move him off but Vinnie said he was happy for Becks to join them. He rested one hand on Becks’s head and the other held Grace’s, as she snuggled into his shoulder and realised that she never wanted to move from that spot. They stayed like that until Grace realised the time; she needed to head home soon as Mark would be bringing back Archie. Grace felt that this afternoon had been a pivotal point in her and Vinnie’s relationship and that they had shared something incredibly special. She hoped that it would be the first of many special moments.

Vinnie popped to the loo, and his phone was on the coffee table. It pinged to say there was a message and she couldn’t help but look at it. It was from someone called Ellie and it simply said:

Ring me, it’s urgent.

Her heart sank and she had a really bad feeling in her tummy. She knew it could be something, and she knew it could be nothing.

When Vinnie came back downstairs, he quickly looked at the phone, frowned and put it in his back pocket. Grace kissed him on the cheek and drove home, her mind full of what ifs and maybes.

Would she ever learn to trust someone again? Perhaps she was better off with Mark. At least she already knew he was a shit sometimes. At least she wasn’t trying to get the measure of someone all over again. Perhaps it was a case of better the devil you know.