Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
L evi
“Come and join us,” Keith shouts across the pub, just as I’m about to take my break. “Get a drink, I’ll pay.”
I quickly pull half a pint—I don’t have time to drink much more and also I’m working for the rest of the evening—and make my way over to their table.
Keith has grabbed a spare stool from the next table and I sit, grateful for the invitation. On my left is Josh and he gives me a mischievous smile.
“Well done, you’ve joined the exclusive club. You’re one of us now.”
A few shouts of “one of us” drift across the table, and Keith laughs.
“It’s not that exclusive; we let you join,” he directs at Josh, who just quips back.
“More fool you, then.”
I don’t know how they can banter so easily; I’ve never been any good at it. I guess I’ve not been comfortable enough with anyone to try. I join in their conversation, which tonight seems to revolve around speculation on how Johan and Cole are doing. They went on holiday a few days ago and will be away for nearly a month from what I can gather. They’ve gone to New Zealand on a tour of locations for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.
“I still can’t believe your brother managed to persuade mine to go anywhere,” Tom says to Ben. “But then, Cole did manage to get himself over to Sweden, so I guess I shouldn’t be.”
“I’m sure my brother can be very persuasive,” Ben replies, giving nothing away but a twinkle in his eye, which is met with good-natured laughter and a guffaw from Keith.
Talk then turns to when Jackson and Luca are due back from Australia, where they’ve been visiting Jackson’s sister.
“I’m not sure,” Duncan adds. “The last time I spoke to them, they were saying the end of February. I can’t think they’ll be much longer as I’m sure Jackson wants to open the gardens at Easter.”
I still struggle to get my head round how everyone seems to be related. I do know Duncan is Jackson’s father, and that they hadn’t seen each other for years but reunited last spring at Jackson and Luca’s wedding. Also, now Duncan is with Harlen, a friend from back in his uni days. Harlen doesn’t speak all that often, but then I can’t blame him. No one can get a word in with the louder members of the group taking up most of the conversation. But no one’s left out, so it seems to work, and now I seem to be a part of it, which makes me feel glad I stumbled across this village last summer.
I take a mouthful of my beer and look over at the bar. I’m still on my break but I want to make sure Darla is coping alright and doesn’t need help. If she does, I can always find a few minutes later when it’s quiet to catch up.
I nearly drop my glass when I see Mac standing at the bar talking to Darla. I look away quickly and drop my eyes. What the fuck is he doing here? But also fuck, he’s here and I don’t know what to do. I take a few deep breaths. It’s fine, I can act perfectly ordinary. Who am I kidding, I can already feel my heart thudding in my chest. I look up again and he’s no longer at the bar. Shit, where did he go? I swivel my head and see him making his way to the door, threading his way through a group of people who’ve just entered. He stops and looks straight at me and then he’s gone. Did I see a slight tilt of his head, or am I reading a signal that’s not there? Hope makes me believe the impossible. There’s only one way to find out.
I down the last of my drink and stand.
“Thanks guys, but I need to get back to work.” They don’t need to know I still have five minutes of my break left. There’s a general chorus of goodbyes, but no one pays much attention. I place my empty glass on the counter and keep on walking briskly along the bar, then out to the kitchen and the door that leads to the alley behind the pub.
I stand there for a few seconds, catching my breath, and the only sound I can hear is the blood pumping through my veins. Maybe I was wrong. Then Mac steps out of the shadows looking incredibly handsome and a little bit dangerous.
“What are you doing here?” I half whisper.
“I called to see my mum, but also . . .”
He moves into my space and I step back, not because I want to be further away, but so I can have the support of the wall behind me.
“I wanted to see you.”
Has it only been a few days since he fucked me on the kitchen table? The one I spent an hour scrubbing with bleach.
He rests a forearm on the wall beside my head, and with the other hand gently runs a finger along my jaw. My breath hitches.
“Did you want to see me?” He frowns slightly as if he’s not sure, so I answer him by reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss. It’s soft and slow and just perfect.
“I need to go back in,” I say when we part, though there’s nothing more I’d like than to stay there all night in his arms. “If I don’t, Darla will come and find me.” I grimace slightly and his lips curl upwards.
“When’s your next evening off?” he whispers.
“Wednesday.”
“My mum is out at her knitting group that night, isn’t she?”
I nod. It’s always on Wednesday evenings.
“Good, I’ll be there at seven.”
He presses a kiss to my lips and then melts away back into the shadows, and I dart back inside before Darla really does come out to see where I’ve got to. I try to focus for the rest of the evening but it’s difficult.
I have no idea how I’m going to get through the next five days.