Chapter 17
The birthday party that Jenna and Alison had planned for the twins – complete with dainty sandwiches, little quiches, sausages on sticks, fairy buns and jelly and ice cream – had somehow been overturned in favour of a birthday barbecue.
Mac had decided that it would be a good idea to be able to offer his future guests in the shepherd’s huts the use of a barbecue, so he and Alison had headed into Hull to the nearest large DIY store, where they’d spent hours because they’d completely lost track of time.
While Mac examined the pros and cons of every single barbecue he could find, Alison had apparently wandered off to look at rugs, pictures, battery-operated fairy lights, curtains, cushions and bedding.
They’d both been enjoying themselves so much that Jenna had got quite worried about them and was relieved when they finally returned to Watersmeet with Mac’s battered old estate car absolutely packed with bags and boxes.
‘You only went for a barbecue!’ Jenna laughed, as she helped her mum and Mac unload, watched by two very curious and excited little girls.
‘I know,’ Mum said sheepishly. ‘But there was so much stuff to look at. I couldn’t resist. You should see what I’ve got, Jenna. Those huts are going to look adorable!’
The furniture for the huts had already been delivered earlier that week, and Jenna knew her mum was itching to get on and add the finishing touches to make them pretty.
‘Did you find a barbecue you liked?’ she asked Mac.
He and her mum exchanged amused glances, and Mum rolled her eyes.
‘Don’t get him started, please,’ she implored. ‘I’ve heard nothing but how marvellous this barbecue is all the way home. He’s dying to try it out.’
‘We should have a barbecue very soon,’ Mac said. ‘A test run. After all, I can’t offer it to my guests if I haven’t used it myself, can I?’
‘A test run for the new toilet block, too,’ Mum said. ‘Save everyone tramping through the house. We definitely need to make sure everything’s in order there. We could invite Stella round. And Evan and Tricia.’
Jenna frowned. ‘Who are Evan and Tricia?’
‘Evan’s our vet and Mac’s friend,’ her mum explained. ‘And Tricia’s his wife. She’s a friend of Stella’s and she’s lovely. That’s a good idea,’ she added, turning to Mac. ‘Inviting those two, I mean. Stella will feel more comfortable with her friend there.’
‘And we must invite the rest of your family, of course,’ Mac added. ‘The trouble is figuring out what day to have it on.’
‘What about our birthday?’ Hallie said immediately. ‘We can have a barbie cue for that instead of a party!’
She looked at Ada for confirmation, and Ada nodded before asking warily, ‘What’s a barbie cue?’
‘A barbecue,’ Mac told them, an excited gleam in his eyes, ‘is like an outdoor cooking party, where instead of sandwiches and buns and boring stuff like that, you get to eat chicken and steak and sausages and burgers and…’ He turned to Alison and Jenna. ‘They’ve never been to a barbecue?’
‘Joel and I were never very sociable,’ Jenna admitted, ashamed. ‘It never seemed worth bothering with, and although Niall and Kendra invited us to theirs a few times we never got round to it somehow…’
‘And I haven’t had a barbecue since Drew died,’ her mum confessed. ‘He was the one who took charge of them, not me.’
‘Wow!’ Mac said, shaking his head. ‘Well, girls, you’re going to love this then. I think a birthday barbecue would be perfect, if your mum agrees.’
‘Yay!’ The twins turned to Jenna, their faces eager. ‘Can we, Mum? Can we have a birthday barbie cue instead of a party?’
The adults all exchanged glances.
‘It’s not really a children’s thing, is it?’ Alison asked uncertainly.
‘I think it would be quite fun actually,’ Jenna said, after a moment’s thought. ‘The girls are obviously keen, and it’s their birthday, after all. And it would be better for the adults. I think it could be a winner all round.’
Mac beamed at her. ‘I agree!’
‘Well, you would,’ Alison said wryly. ‘Mind you, I have to admit it does sound like fun. I can think of someone who’ll be in their element.’
‘Grandad!’ Jenna said, and they all laughed, imagining him heaping his plate up with chicken and steak while his wife shook her head and told him what a glutton he was.
‘That’s settled then,’ Mac said happily. ‘We’d better warn your guests there’s a change of plan, although I can’t see anyone objecting.’
Joel might, Jenna thought. He wasn’t one for barbecues or picnics or eating outside at all really.
She considered messaging him to warn him but decided against it.
He’d only think she was using it as an excuse to contact him, and she couldn’t bear him to think that.
Even worse, she couldn’t bear Annette to think that.
Besides, she had a strong feeling he’d no intention of being there. He’d practically said as much.
‘Oh,’ Mac said suddenly, ‘is it still okay to invite Evan and Tricia? I mean, you don’t even know them, and it’s the twins’ special day, after all.’
‘They won’t mind that,’ Jenna said. ‘Evan and his wife will be very welcome.’
So the birthday party was now a birthday barbecue, and although Auntie Elaine had said she didn’t think it was appropriate for a children’s party, everyone else was very excited and pleased about it.
Even Ryan turned up with his mum, dad and sister, and Jenna was fairly certain he wouldn’t have bothered for an ordinary children’s party.
Mac was in his element at the barbecue, although he was surrounded by men all eager to tell him what he was doing wrong, and making (often contradictory) suggestions as to what would make it even better.
‘Honestly,’ Rosie said, nodding towards them in bewilderment, ‘what is it with men and barbecues? Women cook meat every bloody day of the year, but stick it on a grill in the garden and suddenly it’s an art form that only men are capable of mastering.’
‘It’s definitely a man thing,’ Jenna agreed. ‘Dad was just the same.’
Rosie’s eyes softened. ‘Aw, Drew’s barbecues were legendary. Now there was a man who knew how to marinate a chicken thigh.’ She nudged Jenna suddenly. ‘Ooh, we’ve got another guest. Nice to see him out of the pub for once, and doesn’t he look sexy in those jeans and that shirt?’
Jenna was shocked by the sudden leap of joy her heart made as Sam walked round the side of the house into the garden. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt like she was seeing him properly for the first time.
Rosie was right. In black jeans and a pink shirt, he did look…
Well, she couldn’t bring herself to use the word Rosie had.
It just didn’t seem right. This was, after all, Sam.
But he did look attractive. Tall and lean, with a kindly expression in his twinkling blue eyes, windblown dark hair, and a warm smile on his lips, Sam was so relaxed and friendly with everyone that she couldn’t help but compare him favourably to her often distinctly unsociable husband.
‘I do love a man in pink,’ Rosie said. ‘Especially when they’ve got dark hair like Sam. It shows they’re secure in their own masculinity, too. I can’t be doing with all that “Oh, I’m a bloke, I can’t wear pink” rubbish, can you? He wears it well, doesn’t he?’
Jenna couldn’t help noticing that Sam did indeed wear it well.
She also couldn’t help but notice the enthusiastic greeting he got from the twins, who rushed to meet him and told him all about the food that Mac was cooking, and about the birthday cake that was sitting right now in the kitchen cupboard, well out of the way of Mrs Beddows the cat, who’d decided to grace them with her presence today.
‘He’s won them two over anyway,’ Rosie observed. ‘Interesting, eh?’
She winked at Jenna and headed off to talk to Ryan and Poppy, who were currently exchanging news with their grandparents – Jenna’s Great-Aunt Elaine and Great-Uncle Christopher.
Jenna turned back to the twins, who were demanding to know where Seb was, and she saw Mac and her mum were listening keenly to Sam’s reply, while trying valiantly to pretend they weren’t eavesdropping.
‘He, er, doesn’t think he’s up to a visit today, but he says to wish you both a very happy birthday, and he’s signed your birthday cards.’ He handed the twins two envelopes, which they tore open eagerly.
‘Not many people get them a birthday card each,’ Jenna told him gratefully. ‘They do tend to get lumped together as “the twins”. It was very thoughtful of you both.’
‘We’ve got them a present, too,’ Sam said awkwardly. ‘I hope it’s okay and you don’t object, but Mac told us about them wanting to ride the ponies and not being able to, and me and Dad thought this might be something they’d enjoy.’
He gave the twins another envelope each, which they opened then whooped in delight, as they each pulled out a voucher entitling them to a riding lesson at the stables in Weltringham.
‘That’s so kind of you,’ Jenna said, deeply touched by his thoughtfulness.
‘Look at those big smiles!’ Mum laughed. ‘They’re over the moon.’
‘You’ll have lost them now,’ Niall warned with a grin. ‘Once they get into that horsey lark there’s no going back. They’ll be wanting to join the Pony Club next.’
‘Mac, are you doing prawns on that barbecue by any chance?’ Grandad asked plaintively.
Hallie and Ada received some lovely presents and were clearly having a wonderful time.
Evan introduced himself and his wife to Jenna, and Stella – who always looked a bit awkward when surrounded by Alison’s large and noisy family – seemed to relax straight away when she spotted Tricia, which was lovely to see.
Evan was a very cheerful and genial man, and Jenna could see that the twins liked him immediately, as did Poppy, who, despite having now reached the grand age of thirteen, seemed perfectly willing to graciously spend time with the birthday girls.