Chapter 42 #2
‘Off you go,’ she said. ‘If I had a handsome chap like that waiting for me, I’d not hang about.’
Still reeling after Beryl’s revelation, Vee made her way to where Rick was standing, deep in conversation with Anthea. They both looked up and beamed when they saw her.
‘Am I still invited for Christmas dinner, mark two?’ Rick said hopefully. ‘The German version was interesting, but I’ve been looking forward to this one so much more.’
‘You are. Let’s go, or we won’t be eating until midnight,’ said Vee.
They left the hall, after saying a quick goodbye to anyone within reach.
The Saga Louts and their men were going to be following once the tidying up was done and would join Vee and her guests for a quick glass of fizz before dinner to toast Ben and Yolanda’s reunion.
Sam and Elsie were coming too. Vee and Rick walked in silence, their breath billowing out in clouds of mist in the chilly early-evening air.
A strange kind of constraint had fallen upon them, and Vee was beginning to regret inviting Rick to eat at Dragonfly Cottage.
It was a good job she’d asked Sam and Elsie to join them. That might make things less awkward.
‘I’ve got something I want to tell you,’ Rick said, as they reached home. ‘It can wait though, I know Finn has… well, anyway, there’s no rush.’
Vee, feeling as if she’d been told quite enough already tonight, was about to ask him what he was talking about when Finn came to meet them. He was wearing Vee’s old apron; a flowered one of her mum’s that had been locked away in the box room with a few other precious mementos.
‘I’m glad you got here before the others.
I need to give you something,’ Finn said, taking Vee by the hand.
He led her to the Christmas tree. Underneath it lay a large and beautifully wrapped parcel.
‘I had to pay for extra luggage allowance to get this to England,’ he said.
‘But it’s okay. I wanted to bring an extra case, as I’m staying. ’
He reached down and picked up the parcel, presenting it to Vee with a flourish. ‘For your new permanent home, and mine too. At least for now,’ he added hastily when he saw her expression. ‘I mean, I don’t want to take advantage.’
‘As if you ever could,’ Vee said, taking the gift and tearing off the glossy paper.
She gasped in delight when she saw what was inside, once she’d unwrapped the layers of bubble wrap and tissue paper.
It was a beautiful wooden dragonfly, delicately carved.
Underneath it was a sign, painted in subtle shades of green, blue and gold to match its wings.
‘Dragonfly Cottage,’ Vee read aloud. ‘Oh, Finn, these are gorgeous. You made them for me? Thank you so, so much.’
Finn was pink in the face now as Vee kissed him on both cheeks. ‘I loved doing them,’ he said. ‘And now Rick wants to talk to you about something else. Another present. I’m off to tend to my awesome potatoes.’
He made shooing motions to them, and Rick led the way to the back door. Vee followed, still stunned by the magnificent gift.
‘Where are we going? It’s freezing out there,’ Vee protested as Rick headed down the garden. When they reached the bottom, he stopped.
‘I had a quick chat to Finn before he went back to Boston last time,’ he said.
‘I told him that my dream was to build you a magnificent henhouse to replace your mum’s old one.
’ He pointed to the wooden shed that was now leaning at a precarious angle.
‘Finn said that he was intending to be here this year, at least for a while, so we’re going to do it together and then I’ll help you to find some chickens to live in it. ’
Vee was so overwhelmed that she swayed slightly. Rick’s arms went round her as if they were meant to be there.
‘Why are you doing this?’ she whispered. ‘I thought you were getting back with Stacey and you’d be moving to Germany.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Rick leaned away to look Vee in the eye. ‘Stacey already has another poor sod lined up to be her next husband and I couldn’t be with her now if she was the last woman on earth.’
‘You couldn’t?’
‘No, because I’m in love with someone else.
I think I’ve loved this person since I was about fourteen years old, but she didn’t notice me then, or if she did, she thought I was a complete prat.
She’s gorgeous; loving, caring and absolutely perfect.
I’ve heard she even makes a banging Christmas dinner but the jury’s out on that one at the moment.
I’m going to tell her how amazing she is just as soon as I can stop myself burbling like a loon. ’
Vee reached up a hand and placed it gently over his mouth until he was quiet. Then she put both arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
For a while, there was no sound in the garden.
The kiss that had been waiting to happen since 1985 took a long, long time.
Eventually, they surfaced and clung together as if they were afraid to let go.
In the distance, Vee could hear the sounds of a noisy crowd approaching down the road, but on reflection it was probably only Beryl and co.
‘We’d better go inside,’ she said. ‘They’ll get the wrong idea.’
‘Or the right one,’ said Rick, kissing her again.
When Rick and Vee finally made it into the cottage, they were greeted by cheers.
‘What took you so long?’ said Maurice. ‘You young ’uns are very slow on the uptake. It’s a good job some of us have a bit more go in us. You missed all the action. We’ve just been told that Beryl and Frank are engaged and Winnie and Sid are officially walking out.’
‘Walking out where?’ asked Finn. Beryl took him to one side to explain as Vee and Rick congratulated the other two couples.
‘You might end up having a quadruple wedding at this rate,’ said Finn, turning as Sam and Elsie came in, followed by Yolanda and Ben. ‘Hey, guys, everyone’s getting it together. I’m beginning to feel left out.’
Sam gave Finn a long, lingering look, as Vee held up a hand for silence.
‘I just want to say that I have no intention of getting married, and neither has Rick,’ she said firmly.
Rick didn’t comment, so Vee carried on. ‘We’re going to see how things go,’ she said.
‘I’ve only just moved back to this lovely place and my wonderful son has come to stay for what I’m hoping will be ages and ages.
So, for now, let’s just enjoy what’s going on right at this moment. Having an epiphany’s exhausting work.’
Ben had skirted around them into the kitchen and was now deftly removing the cork from the first of the bottles of champagne that Vee realised he must have brought with him earlier.
‘Let’s drink to that,’ he said, as he filled the glasses already lined up on the table. ‘A toast to the good life, and may we all continue to live it well.’
‘Hold it one moment,’ cried Beryl. ‘I just want to say thank you to everyone for being such fantastic friends – and talking of weddings, let’s add a toast to new beginnings, new partnerships and many more wonderful holidays. There’s life in the old girls yet!’
Champagne flutes were raised, and the only sound was the fearsome shriek of the smoke alarm.
‘My potatoes!’ Finn cried, hurling himself towards the cooker, oven gloves in hand.
In the hubbub that followed, Rick turned to Vee. ‘Did I mention that I love you?’ he asked. ‘But I’m hoping that in future, you let me take charge of the potatoes.’
Vee smiled at him. Suddenly, this new life of hers was looking very good. Very good indeed.