Chapter 12
Jenna settled into a routine quite easily. She was surprised by how quickly she remembered what working in a pub was like and was also astonished to discover that she really enjoyed the job.
It was lovely to go to work in such a pretty, cosy building and get to chat to so many different people. She also enjoyed the fact that there was nothing to think about when she went home. No marking to do. No lesson planning. No responsibility.
She loved working with Sam, who was kind and funny and patient.
The rest of the staff were friendly enough, too.
She’d had a few doubts about Kenny at first, but Sam had tipped her off that flattery was the way to his heart, so Jenna told the chef how she remembered visiting the pub with her family one St Patrick’s Day a couple of years ago, and how she’d eaten some of his Guinness chocolate cake, which she still believed was one of the most delicious cakes she’d ever tasted in her life – actually true.
That seemed to do the trick, and he’d thawed quickly after that. Now they got on very well, which amused her no end.
Still, she couldn’t help worrying that her mum resented taking on the twins every evening.
Since Mac had started working at The North Star during the days and with Jenna there in the evenings, she hoped Mum wouldn’t feel that she’d been abandoned by them both.
Although, it had to be said that she showed no signs of it and was always full of welcoming smiles when Jenna arrived home at the end of her shift, so maybe she was overthinking it.
Not surprising, given how things had been between them not so many months ago.
One night, though – nearly a week after Jenna started working at the pub – her mum wasn’t smiling when she got home. In fact, she looked very concerned.
‘I’m so sorry, love, but we’ve got a bit of a problem. I won’t be able to mind the twins for you tomorrow night. Do you think Sam will give you the evening off?’
Jenna looked from her mum to Mac. ‘Not really. I mean, I suppose he would, but I know he needs me and it wouldn’t really be fair to drop him in it at such short notice. What’s the problem?’
‘It’s not a problem as such,’ her mum said, her gaze sliding towards Mac.
‘What it is, Jenna,’ Mac said, ‘is that your Uncle Christopher and Auntie Elaine are taking your gran and grandad and us to a show at the New Theatre in Hull, and we don’t feel as if we can refuse.’
‘It was going to be a surprise, you see,’ Mum explained. ‘And when they bought the tickets, they didn’t know you’d be staying in Kelsea Sands or working at the pub, did they? So, it’s all a bit awkward…’
‘It’s okay,’ Jenna reassured her. ‘Honestly, don’t worry about it. Maybe Rosie can—’
‘We’ve already asked Rosie, but of course she’s working a shift at the chippy in Millensea tomorrow evening, so she can’t have them. Otherwise, she said, she’d love to have babysat for you.’
‘Right.’ Jenna frowned. ‘I wonder if Niall and Kendra could have them overnight? They mentioned a sleepover, didn’t they?’
‘Niall and Kendra are going out for a meal in that Michelin-starred restaurant we were reading about in the paper the other day,’ Mum said apologetically.
‘It’s their wedding anniversary. August 1, remember?
Yorkshire Day. And you know how Niall likes to make a fuss of Kendra.
Ryan’s keeping an eye on Poppy for them, but we can’t really ask him to mind seven-year-old twins, can we? ’
‘They’d run rings round him,’ Jenna agreed. ‘Well, that’s that then. I guess I’ll have to tell Sam.’
‘I’m so sorry, Jenna,’ Mum said, clearly feeling terrible. ‘Especially since he’s letting you come in late on Tuesday when you have that dental appointment.’
‘Mum, honestly, don’t worry about it. He’ll understand. It couldn’t be helped and it’s not your problem. Sam’s not the type to get annoyed, is he? Just go and have a wonderful time.’
Sam, though, had other ideas when she broke the news to him the next morning. She’d nipped out early and knocked on the side door of The North Star. He let her in, smiling widely to see her there so early.
‘You’re keen. We’re not even open yet and your shift doesn’t start for another nine hours,’ he joked.
‘Sorry, Sam. I won’t be able to make it after all.’ Briefly, she explained the situation to him and he listened patiently as she went through all the people who were unable to babysit that evening.
‘Why don’t you bring them here?’ he asked with a shrug when she’d finally finished telling him everything.
Jenna’s brow furrowed. ‘Here? To the pub?’
‘Why not? I don’t mean to sit in the bar, of course. I mean, upstairs. With Dad. They can watch TV or play on their games. Eat crisps – we’ve plenty of those. They’ll be fine if you don’t mind them having one late night.’
‘One late night won’t kill them,’ Jenna said doubtfully, ‘but what about your dad?’
‘He won’t kill them either,’ Sam said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
‘You know what I mean. Won’t he object to having two young children cluttering up the place while he’s trying to watch Corrie?’
‘Corrie’s not on on a Saturday night,’ he said with a grin.
‘I think they’ll be safe.’ When she continued to look unconvinced, he added, ‘Honestly, Jenna, my dad might be many things, but he’s never mean to kids.
He’s got a real soft spot for them, and they’ll be fine with him.
And if it makes you feel better you can pop up and check on them whenever you like. Trust me.’
Jenna did trust him, but she still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
Mac tried to reassure her, later. ‘Look, your mum and I have known Seb since he was a little boy himself, and he’s got a heart of gold. I know he’s not himself lately, but he’ll be kind to the twins, never worry about that.’
‘Yeah, but will they be kind to him?’ she asked. She knew all too well what a handful they could be if the mood took them. Besides, they might not want to spend the evening in a flat above the pub with a person who was, to all intents and purposes, a stranger to them.
But when she tentatively asked the girls if they’d object to the plan, they made it very clear that they thought it was a brilliant idea. They immediately started packing a little bag to take with them, with all the games and toys they thought Seb would appreciate.
Jenna tried to gently explain that it might be best to leave him to watch TV, but they didn’t agree.
‘Just in case,’ Ada said. ‘You never know, he might not want to watch telly!’
‘You don’t even know him,’ Jenna pointed out.
‘But he’s Sam’s dad,’ Hallie said. ‘Sam’s lovely so his dad’s bound to be nice.’
The twins had met Sam on several occasions when they’d visited their great-grandparents, as Jenna’s grandad dragged them into the pub on every possible occasion – not for the beer but for Kenny’s chicken pies.
Sam had always been very welcoming to them and often gave them free crisps, so they were his friends for life.
‘It doesn’t always work that way,’ Jenna explained worriedly. ‘We’ve had that talk, remember? About strangers.’
Hallie nodded. ‘We know.’
‘I’ll be right downstairs,’ Jenna told them. ‘I’ll keep checking on you, I promise. And remember, if there’s anything that worries you or makes you feel uncertain or scared, come and get me. You understand?’
The twins nodded, suddenly wide-eyed, and Jenna thought she’d probably made them think that Seb was the devil incarnate now. How could you win?
When she took them across to The North Star, she was still feeling uncertain. Sam sensed there was something wrong immediately.
‘If you’d rather not leave them here, I’ll understand. I’ll manage, really I will. Don’t feel you have to do this if it makes you feel anxious.’
‘I’m really sorry,’ Jenna said. ‘It’s not that I think your dad’s… Well, you know. It’s just…’
‘Just that you don’t know him, and of course that makes sense.’
‘My mum knows him, though, and so does Mac. And then there’s you, of course. You’re a great advertisement for him. But they’re my babies, and my responsibility. I have to keep them safe.’
She liked Seb. Behind the gruffness she could see the sadness in his eyes, and she knew from what her mum had said that he’d been such a lovely person until his wife had died.
She also knew that he’d been Mac’s protector at school.
He’d never joined in with the bullying and had defended his friend from the lads who’d thought it great fun to kick and punch the quiet little boy with the expensive satchel.
But could you ever be too protective of your children?
‘Can we go upstairs now?’ Hallie pleaded, clearly wondering what the hold-up was and dying to see what the flat looked like.
Jenna sighed. ‘Come on then.’
When she took the girls upstairs, she was still nervous, wondering how Seb would react to their presence, even though Sam had promised that he’d checked it was okay and his dad had been fine about it.
‘He understands why they’re coming to us,’ he told Jenna. ‘He says they’re welcome and not to worry.’
Seb certainly sounded less gruff than usual and even managed a smile for the twins. He listened patiently as they told him their names and showed him the games they’d brought with them.
‘I’ll get you some lemonade,’ he said. ‘I expect you’ll want something to eat, too. When I was seven, I always wanted something to eat.’
‘We’re nearly eight, though,’ Hallie informed him. ‘It’s our birthday soon and Grandma says we can have a party in the garden.’
‘Is that right? Well, maybe you won’t want anything to eat then, being nearly eight,’ he said thoughtfully.
‘Oh no! We’re still seven now,’ Ada said hastily. ‘And we haven’t had our supper yet anyway.’
Jenna rolled her eyes and Seb grinned. ‘Well, we’d best see what we’ve got then. Make yourselves at home while me and your mum go in the kitchen and have a look in them cupboards.’
He gestured to Jenna to follow him and, as the twins settled down in the living room, he closed the kitchen door behind them.
‘You all right with this?’ he asked abruptly.
Jenna frowned. ‘With what?’
‘With leaving your girls with me. You barely know me, and they don’t know me at all. I could be a maniac for all you know.’
‘Believe me,’ Jenna said, ‘it’s crossed my mind. But I’ll be checking up on you, and the girls have strict instructions in case of emergencies.’
Seb stared at her, then he grinned widely.
‘That’s all right then. Don’t worry, love.
You check up on them as much as you like.
I reckon it’s me who’s going to need rescuing by the end of this evening.
It’s a long time since I had kids pestering me for attention, and judging by what they’ve brought with them, I reckon any hopes I had of a peaceful night in front of the telly have gone for a burton. ’
Jenna smiled. ‘I reckon you’re right. Thanks, Seb.’
‘No worries.’ He threw open the fridge door. ‘Now, what do you think they’d like to eat from this little lot, eh?’
Jenna checked up on the girls several times throughout the evening and each time she found them happily playing snakes and ladders with Seb, or colouring pictures in their colouring books and showing the results of their hard work to him, or slurping on hot chocolate, which they’d managed to persuade him to make for them.
They seemed perfectly content and Seb was smiling, so she felt a bit easier, and Sam was great because whenever he had a spare moment he dashed upstairs, too, just so he could report back to her.
She knew he had no concerns at all and was simply trying to put her mind at ease, but she trusted him and was grateful that he’d gone to so much effort for her.
At the end of the shift, when the last of the customers had drifted home, she and Sam headed wearily upstairs, exchanging glances as excited shrieks and bursts of laughter drifted towards them.
They opened the living room door and saw Seb and the twins on the floor, playing what looked like a frantic game of Frustration.
‘A six!’ Ada shrieked. ‘That means I can get my last piece out and… haha, I can knock you out, Seb.’
‘Never in this world,’ Seb said, shaking his head. ‘How do you keep getting all these sixes? I’ve only got one of my pieces home and you’re on your last one now. Are you sure you two aren’t cheating?’
‘How can we cheat? We just pop the bubble like you do,’ Hallie said, all wide-eyed and innocent.
As Sam cleared his throat, Seb and the twins looked up, and Jenna’s hand flew to her throat at the unexpected sight of the laughter in his eyes. His face was completely transformed. She’d never seen him look so bright and happy – and alive.
She glanced at Sam and saw from his expression that it was a long time since he’d seen it, too. She saw him swallow and his fists clench as if he was trying to keep a rein on his emotions. Without thinking, she reached over and put her hand on his arm.
‘These two are little monkeys,’ Seb said, shaking his head. ‘You ought to send them out pickpocketing. They’d make you a fortune. Born crooks they are! Devious.’
Hallie and Ada giggled even as they protested their innocence. Jenna suspected that, between them, they’d found plenty of ways to steal the game from Seb, and that he didn’t really mind a bit.
Sam turned to look at her as his dad and the twins began to – regretfully – pack the board game away.
She saw the tears gleaming in his eyes and knew that tonight Sam had seen a glimpse of his dad the way he used to be, before life had played its cruellest trick on him, before he’d given up and withdrawn into himself, becoming a mere shadow of the person he once was.
She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
Unbidden, the words of William Wordsworth came to her mind. Like the image of the daffodils that had lifted the poet’s heart whenever he remembered them, she knew that in future times this scene would return to Sam, and his heart, too, would fill with pleasure and dance.
It had been a long time since he’d had any reason to hope that his dad was still in there somewhere, trapped inside that shell of a man. Being with the twins had worked a miracle. It might not last, but it was hope.
She knew that it was what Sam had needed, more than anything.