Chapter 51
Evie crouched down to look inside Oscar’s house.
‘Nope, he’s not here.’ She looked up at Ben. ‘Do you think he’ll ever come back?’
‘I really hope so,’ Ben replied. ‘We’ve done everything we can to try and find him.’
Evie nodded solemnly. ‘I saw the posters on the trees. Poor Oscar.’
‘We’ll keep looking. Jenni, his owner, thinks we should put up some new posters at the weekend, so you could help me design them if you like?’ Ben suggested.
‘Okay,’ said Evie, looking pleased to be asked to help. ‘I’ll get my glitter pens from my bag.’
Penny had rung that morning in a flap. She’d been called into court unexpectedly and needed him to pick up Evie from school. Quite frankly, he’d been pleased to have a distraction from the endless worry about Oscar. And Jenni.
Something had definitely shifted between them. The boundaries had moved and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He could see the pain she was in, how worried she was about Oscar, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to resist gathering her up in his arms.
He took Evie the long way through the park, stopping at Scrambled on the way home.
As Evie worked her way through the squirted cream piled high on the ‘don’t tell your Mum’ hot chocolate, Ben looked around the café, quieter now after the rush of the post-school pick-up, and remembered sitting here with Jenni that very first time.
How they’d ended up chatting for ages, how easy and comfortable it had been, the pulse of electricity that he’d felt when his leg had bumped hers under the table, and when he’d caught her looking at him, her dark eyes wide and beautiful.
Yes, it was – he searched for the right word – odd.
Odd that she’d also been the person he’d been sending notes to, had told things to that he hadn’t told anyone else, even before he’d realised it was her he was writing to.
It felt awful to admit, especially while Oscar was missing, but he really liked her, really liked spending time with her, and couldn’t help but worry that it all might stop when they did, finally, find the cat.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone pinging with a new message, and he smiled, despite himself, to read a text from Jenni.
Thanks for checking for Oscar at mine earlier. Felt terrible leaving for work today in case he came home. I know you would have let me know if you saw him, but just checking anyway?
Ben quickly typed a response.
No, sorry, no sign of him, I’m afraid.
He paused before adding more.
But listen, do you want to come to mine tonight? I’ve got my niece with me till her mum picks her up later, but I could cook?
He waited nervously for a reply as the three dots appeared, indicating she was typing, then stopped, then appeared again.
That would be lovely, thank you.