Chapter 25 #2
While they waited for them to return, Harry and Liam rearranged a group of tables next to the window overlooking the road and close enough to the counter that Issy could stop by whenever she had a free moment.
Sitting there meant they could also see both the empty shop and the restaurant and weren’t hogging any of the prime tables that overlooked the beach and the ocean beyond.
Rick and Anya arrived not long after with Anya’s daughter, Freya, nestled in Rick’s arms. At one look at the expression on Anya’s face, Harry pointed towards the kitchen door. ‘They’re in there.’
She took off without a word, leaving Harry and Rick to exchange a look. ‘Was it like this when you and Anya got together?’ Harry asked him.
Rick nodded. ‘Pretty much. They come as a job lot.’ He glanced over at Liam. ‘How was it when you and Issy got together?’
‘Same.’ He turned to Freya who was still nestled in Rick’s arms. ‘Hello, poppet, how are you?’
‘Uncle Liam!’ Freya reached for him, almost tipping out of Rick’s hold as she tried to get to him.
Luckily Liam was ready to catch her and he swung her up over his head. ‘Oof! You’re getting so big and strong,’ he said, lowering her with a laugh. ‘Has Ma been feeding you up?’
‘We did caking yesterday!’ Freya exclaimed as she pressed a kiss to Liam’s cheek. ‘We made rocks.’
‘You made cakes out of rocks?’ Liam asked her, eyes shining with amusement as he glanced over Freya’s shoulder towards Harry.
Harry grinned back at his gentle teasing of the girl.
His brothers were both so natural with her and Harry suspected it wouldn’t be too long before his parents had some more grandchildren to play with.
Freya might not be of their blood, but she was as much a part of their family as the rest of them.
Assuming Anya and Issy were on board with the idea, of course.
Thinking about them made him wonder if Kat might want kids of her own one day.
It wasn’t a question Harry had ever thought that deeply about but he supposed he should at some point.
It was mad, really, that those kind of long-term possibilities were now something he would have to consider.
He hadn’t expected to fall into a relationship with anyone, never mind Kat of all people.
She’d always been special, though, and perhaps a bit of his brain had kept him from recognising what she might mean to him until he was in the right place in his life for him to appreciate her fully.
‘No, silly! That’s their name,’ Freya giggled.
Liam smacked a hand to his forehead. ‘Oh, of course, silly me. And how many did you eat?’
Freya held up three fingers.
‘Three? Oh wow, they must’ve been good!’
‘Ma’s rock cakes are the best in the world,’ Harry said. He reached out to chuck Freya’s cheek. ‘Hello, Munchkin.’
‘Uncle Harry!’ Freya held out her arms and Harry took his turn at holding her. ‘Mummy says she has to help you today.’
‘She certainly does because she’s very clever, just like you.’ He hoisted her up so their eyes were level. ‘Have you come to help me today, too?’
Freya shook her head. ‘I’m going to draw Ma and Pa a picture.’ She tilted her head to one side and gave him a considering look that was older than her years. ‘I could draw you a picture too.’
‘I’d love that.’ Harry carried her over to where they’d pushed the tables together. ‘Where do you want to sit? By the window?’
‘I’ll sit with her,’ Rick said, coming over to join them. He unhooked a pink backpack covered in butterflies from his shoulder and set it down on the table, then leaned over to kiss Harry on the cheek in greeting. ‘How’s it all going? Making progress?’
‘Yeah, I think so. I feel a lot less muddled since Kat came on board and got everything organised,’ Harry said as he set Freya down in the seat by the window and she began rummaging in her backpack.
‘Things going well with you two, then?’ There was a teasing edge to Rick’s smile.
‘Don’t you start,’ Harry grumbled.
Rick laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘I’m really happy for you, bro.’
‘I’m really happy for me too,’ Harry admitted with a grin.
Liam came over to see what they wanted to drink. ‘I’m going to keep an eye on things until Issy reappears.’
‘I’ll give you a hand.’
Harry was gathering dirty cups from an empty table when the café door flew open.
He glanced up to see Chloe standing there, one hand pressed to her heaving chest as if she’d run all the way.
Which, knowing Chloe, she probably had. ‘Kitchen,’ Harry said, pointing back over his shoulder.
She paused only long enough to scowl at him before hurrying away.
Harry rolled his eyes and went to close the door she’d left open when Matt and Adam both appeared.
‘Morning,’ Matt said to Harry.
‘Morning. Liam’s sorting out drinks for everyone.’ He smiled past his cousin towards Adam. ‘Hey, I didn’t know you’d be joining us today.’
‘You don’t mind, do you?’ Adam asked as he held out a hand for Harry to shake.
‘Not at all. I’d be interested to hear what you think. I was going to get in contact with you anyway; I just wanted to make sure I had all my ducks in a row, first.’
Adam grinned. ‘Well, I’m here now so maybe I can help you get them lined up nice and neat.’
Kat and the others appeared from the kitchen at that moment on a gale of laughter.
‘Whatever they’re laughing at, I’m probably not going to like it,’ Harry muttered.
‘Probably not.’ Adam clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Come on. How bad can it be?’
‘How bad can it be?’ Harry glanced over at Kat and her friends and caught another laser-beam glare from Chloe for his troubles.
‘Very bloody bad.’ Still, it would take more than his cousin giving him evils to put Harry off, so he picked up the dirty plates he’d been collecting and headed over to the counter.
Issy stepped forward to intercept him, reaching for the stack he was holding with a smile. ‘I’ll take those, shall I?’
‘Thanks.’ He wasn’t really paying attention as he handed them over, his focus all on Kat. ‘Everything okay?’ he asked as soon as Issy had walked away.
‘Everything’s fine. They’re very happy for us.’
Harry cast a look towards Chloe, who was still shooting daggers his way. ‘Even her?’
Kat laughed. ‘Oh, you know what Chloe’s like. She’ll threaten you with all sorts of tortures, no doubt, but she’s harmless.’
‘Clearly you’ve never been on the receiving end of a kick in the shins from her,’ Harry grumbled.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,’ Kat said with a grin as she put her arm around his waist and patted his chest with her other hand. ‘Let’s sit down, shall we?’
They settled around the tables with the exception of Issy, who was busy ferrying plates of waffles, bowls of berries and crème fraiche and other tasty treats.
The sea air had given Harry an appetite and he wasn’t the only one as everyone fell on the delicious food.
It didn’t take them long to polish everything off and once the plates were cleared, Kat unloaded the contents of the rucksack they’d brought with them.
There was a rustle around the table as the others produced various notebooks, sketches, catalogues and folders.
Harry thought he’d be better off leaving Kat to run things, but she seemed determined to centre him in the conversation and soon he was bent over a supplier catalogue with Matt as they tried to finalise choices for fixtures so Matt could price everything up.
Across from them, Chloe and Anya were having what they called a spirited debate and what Harry thought was getting close to a full-blown row over the merits of two different shades of paint that looked pretty much the same to him.
He decided to let them figure it out between them when Chloe suddenly rounded on him. ‘What do you think, Harry?’
‘Umm…’ He cast a pleading glance at Kat but she was busy tapping and scribbling and he didn’t want to disturb her. He looked back at the two paint charts his cousin had thrust across the table towards him. ‘Isn’t cream a bit boring?’
‘It isn’t cream, it’s buttermilk or ivory,’ Chloe corrected, as if that made the slightest bit of difference. ‘And I thought you said you wanted something neutral.’
‘The walls are just a backdrop,’ Anya added. ‘Remember we talked about getting some professional photographs taken of dishes you’ll be teaching on the courses and putting prints up?’
‘And if you go with the idea of different-coloured equipment for each workstation, then you don’t want colour on the walls,’ Chloe chipped in again.
‘Exactly.’ Anya smiled at Chloe and it seemed their little spat was over now they’d decided to unite against him.
‘Buttermilk,’ Matt said. And they all turned to look at him. ‘It’s a bit warmer in my experience, less clinical-looking.’
‘Buttermilk,’ Harry repeated with a nod of his head even though he had no idea which of the two shades that was. He smiled at Matt. ‘Thanks.’
‘How’s it going?’ Issy asked as she came to stand behind Harry’s chair. ‘Are you winning?’
‘We’re getting there.’
Her gaze turned slightly unfocused as though she was looking at something over his head. A small frown creased her brow. ‘Hey, Kat, isn’t that your dad?’
They turned as one to stare out the window.
Sure enough, Gavin Bailey was standing on the pavement outside the Nicholsons’ empty shop with two men.
Harry had no idea who the tall, thin man on the left was, but there was no mistaking Trevor the estate agent’s beaming smile and generous frame.
Harry looked across the table at Kat, whose naturally pale complexion had turned positively ghostly. ‘Kat?’
Without a word, she shoved her chair back and ran hell for leather out of the café and across the road.
‘What the he—’ Matt cut himself off with a quick glance at Freya. ‘Heck is that all about?’
Harry shook his head as he pushed his own chair back. ‘I have no idea.’
But he was sure the heck going to find out.