Chapter 17 #2
Sixteen-year-old Ryan, meanwhile, was clearly feeling very grown-up and mature since his father had allowed him a can of beer, and he was now standing with the men, trying to look as if he knew what he was talking about as they discussed the merits of gas barbecues over charcoal ones, which local garage was currently selling the cheapest fuel, and how well (or badly) they expected Hull City to play in the forthcoming season.
Jenna watched as Hallie and Ada, along with Poppy, engaged in conversation with a clearly amused Stella and Tricia. She grinned to herself, wondering what they were talking about.
Then she saw Stella look towards the house, her eyes widening in surprise, and her heart thudded as she thought for one awful moment that Joel had turned up after all.
She felt weak with relief as she realised it was actually Seb who’d arrived, although the relief was rapidly replaced in turn by shock and delight.
She could see from their faces that Stella, her mum, Mac and Sam were experiencing the same emotions.
‘Dad!’ The look in Sam’s eyes made Jenna almost want to cry for him. He was clearly overwhelmed that his father had changed his mind and had ventured out of the pub to be at the twins’ birthday event.
She couldn’t help feeling touched herself as her daughters greeted Seb like an old friend, and his expression – till that point rather guarded and uncertain – changed to one of amusement.
Alison and Mac hurried over to welcome their old schoolfriend, although she noticed they tried very hard not to make a big deal about it. To Jenna’s surprise, Stella joined them.
‘Smashing to see you,’ Mac said, clapping Seb on the back. ‘Just in time to give me some advice on the barbecue. First time I’ve used it, so you can imagine it’s a nerve-wracking time.’
Jenna grinned. As if Mac didn’t have enough men eager to give him advice already! But it seemed to do the trick, as Seb nodded and headed over to the barbecue, where Grandad was hovering in the hope that the next lot of sausages would soon be ready to dish out.
Everyone knew that this was a massive deal, but no one made a fuss or crowded Seb at all, which Jenna could see Sam was profoundly grateful for.
‘Bit like approaching a wounded animal,’ someone murmured in her ear.
She looked round to see Evan standing behind her, glass of beer in his hand.
He nodded over to where Seb was engaged in conversation with Mac, and judging by the pointing of fingers and shaking of heads, they were already debating his barbecuing style.
‘You approach them carefully, gently. No fuss. Don’t overwhelm them or scare them.
Act normal, reassuring. Before you know it, they’re eating out of your hand. ’
He grinned with satisfaction and Jenna laughed. ‘I guess you’re right.’
‘I’m very pleased to see him out and about,’ he said.
‘I suppose that’s the magic of a barbecue.
Few men can resist. We’re all cavemen eager to gather round the fire and cook the steak, when it comes right down to it.
’ He frowned. ‘Good lord, you’re not a vegetarian, are you? Didn’t mean to offend.’
She shook her head. ‘No, I’m not. You’re safe.’
‘Jolly good. Not that I object to vegetarians, of course, but we didn’t go out hunting packets of tofu back in prehistoric days, did we? It just doesn’t have the same allure.’
‘Can you believe it?’ Sam said a few moments later, as Evan wandered off to ‘check out the new lavatory block’.
‘Dad’s here! He actually came. Stella’s just been asking him why he’s so set on selling the pub and I thought he’d make a bolt for it, but they started chatting instead.
Look at them, having a proper chinwag! It’s like…
like he’s the person he used to be. Well, almost.’
‘Oh, Sam, that’s smashing! He really has been making giant steps forward this summer, hasn’t he?’
‘It’s the twins,’ Sam said, shaking his head in amazement.
‘Honestly, I’m not kidding. I tried everything to get through to him.
We all did. But I’ve never seen him light up the way he did when he was playing Frustration with them that night at the pub.
Seems, in the end, he couldn’t bear to let them down today.
They’re little miracle workers, they really are. ’
‘I’m glad if they’ve helped, Sam,’ Jenna told him. ‘And I’m glad you’re here, too.’
Sam shuffled awkwardly, then met her gaze. ‘Are you?’ he asked quietly.
Jenna’s insides twisted with an emotion she couldn’t or wouldn’t put a name to. ‘Yes,’ she said, her voice sounding a bit peculiar. ‘I am.’
They both remained still, not moving any closer to each other, but unable to break their gaze.
‘Daddy!’
Jenna blinked and turned round in panic at the sound of Ada’s excited call.
‘Oh, bloody hell,’ she murmured.
‘Is that him?’ Sam asked, his voice different, harsher. ‘Is that Joel?’
She nodded, unable to speak as her husband strode along the path towards his daughters, carrying two bags of birthday presents and wearing a very guarded expression as he caught sight of the crowd in the garden.
‘I-I’d better go and…’
Sam nodded. ‘Yeah, you’d better.’
She gave him a look that was meant to convey something, but she wasn’t sure what. Regret? An apology? A plea for understanding? A question? She really couldn’t say.