Chapter Twenty-Three
‘I’ll be up as soon as I’ve locked the shop for the night.’ Gage kissed Tamara’s cheek.
‘Okay. I’ll put the kettle on.’
He stepped outside first to enjoy one of his favourite parts of the day.
It’d become something of a habit to take a few moments to soak up the village’s increasingly festive vibe.
Today, the house three doors up from the shop had fixed a couple of gaudy plastic reindeer, a sleigh and Father Christmas to their roof.
Presumably because, at least in their view, the giant inflatable candy canes and Christmas stocking on the front lawn didn’t make enough of a show.
He glanced towards the brightly lit village tree and smiled. No one had dared to mess with it again, probably because they knew the wrath of most of the locals would come down on them.
The sound of Noddy Holder’s raspy voice drifted out from the pub’s open door. If Gage never heard Slade’s ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ again he’d be a happy man.
He wished he could come up with something to get Tamara and Pixie back on speaking terms. Nathan hadn’t been any help the other night because he was too caught up in his own misery.
Instead of bringing him and Melissa closer, their inability to get pregnant was straining the marriage.
His friend had teetered on the edge of breaking down when he’d mentioned his wife’s travel plans.
Tamara had naturally shared what had happened at book club, so he knew it wasn’t all in Nathan’s overactive imagination.
‘Goodness me, GG, you do look miserable. Not that it’s any wonder in this place. Whatever made you bury yourself here?’
‘Victoria?’ His ex-wife materialised in front of him and he noticed the taxi she must’ve arrived in pulling away. ‘What on earth are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that you weren’t to come.’
‘I needed to talk to you.’
‘That’s what phones are for.’
‘In person. I need a favour.’
A trickle of uncertainty edged into her voice and his heart sank. Whatever it was, Gage was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear it.
‘Don’t I at least get invited in for a few minutes?
I’ve come all the way from Exeter in this awful weather.
I’ve been on my feet all day, shivering and dressed in next to nothing while being forced into every conceivable pose by an incredibly arrogant photographer who thinks he’s the next Nick Knight. ’
‘Nick who?’
Victoria rolled her eyes. ‘You’re such a philistine. He’s the iconic fashion photographer every model would give his or her soul to work with. Of course he’s done me many times.’ She shuddered. ‘Are you going to keep me standing here all night?’
‘I suppose you’d better come up to the flat.’
* * *
At the top of the stairs, Gage flung the door open and shouted to Tamara, ‘We’ve got a guest.’
She drifted out from the kitchen in the middle of drying her hands on a towel. ‘Oh, who—’
‘So you’re his little girlfriend. I should have guessed.’ Victoria looked smug. ‘I hope I’m not interrupting your evening, but I absolutely have to talk to GG.’
‘I’d prefer it if you stopped calling me by that idiotic name.’ Gage gritted his teeth. In the beginning she’d used it as an affectionate nickname, but when their marriage had started unravelling and she’d realised the name irked him, Victoria had wielded it as a petty act of revenge.
Tamara plastered on a bright smile. ‘Would you like a cup of tea, Victoria? We were just about to have one. I’ve got some freshly baked mince pies as well.
With Cornish clotted cream of course. Now it’s December we have free licence to eat them every day, not that Gage indulges so I have his share too. ’
‘Oh, gosh, not for me, but thank you.’ His ex shuddered. ‘I rarely touch carbs because they show up dreadfully on camera.’ A tiny frown marred her smooth brow.
Botox, had to be.
‘The younger models can get away with it, but when you reach your thirties, things change.’
‘Thirties?’ Gage spluttered. ‘You’re—’
‘That must be so hard. You have amazing discipline and self-control,’ Tamara interrupted.
Now he felt guilty as relief skittered across Victoria’s face.
A lot of people, and women in particular, were sensitive about their age.
Who could blame them if it threatened their livelihoods?
Men in the public eye tended to get a lot more latitude when it came to showing grey hair and a few extra kilos.
Women were frequently sidelined in favour of younger replacements. He should’ve thought before he spoke.
‘I don’t know why I was surprised when Taff told me you’d opened this place. At least you’re getting paid for sticking your nose in a book now, so that’s something.’
Victoria’s pointed remark almost made him blow up at her again, but Tamara caught his eye and gave a tiny shake of her head. She was right. He had no need to be petty and vindictive.
Gage surprised himself by talking about Becky and his newly rediscovered family.
‘My eldest niece, Emily, is working in the shop on Saturdays. She’s a great character and not at all shy.
Ems absolutely loves books too, although she despairs of what she calls my dull taste in reading.
She just turned eighteen and gets mad when her parents still treat her like a child, at least from her point of view. ’
‘She’s lucky her parents care so much,’ Victoria said. ‘Mine were always very distant and packed me off to boarding school as soon as they could.’
‘Your grandmother was different, though. A really lovely lady.’ His gaze clouded over. ‘I always found it amazing that she liked me and was supportive of us.’ The corners of his mouth dragged down. ‘I wish I’d kept in touch with her. How is she?’
‘Grandmama is actually the reason why I’m here.’ Victoria dabbed her eyes with a white lace handkerchief and he noticed her hand shaking.
Gage felt his colour drain away. ‘She’s not—’
‘Dead? No. I’d hardly make a big deal of seeing you in that case, would I?’
‘I suppose not. So why then?’
‘It’s a bit awkward, but I need a huge favour.’
Here we go.
‘I expect she took our divorce hard?’
Victoria squirmed in the chair. ‘I’m sure she would’ve done if I’d told her. Mummy and Daddy persuaded me to keep it from her because they were furious with me. They insisted if I’d been what they called “a good wife”, you wouldn’t have left me.’
‘That’s totally unfair.’ Gage couldn’t let her take all the blame. ‘Our lifestyles were poles apart and we didn’t love each other enough to compromise. Anyway, your parents always made it plain I wasn’t good enough for you, so I assumed they were pleased to get rid of me!’
‘Yah, well that’s typical. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their only daughter became a model, she insists on marrying a common soldier and it’s an abject failure.’ Victoria gave a resigned shrug. ‘I’m afraid Grandmama isn’t well and for some reason she keeps asking for you.’
‘Me? Where does she think I’ve been the last two years?’
A flush crept up his ex’s long, thin neck. ‘On assignment in Australia. A secret mission where I wasn’t able to join you.’
‘Australia?’ Gage spluttered.
‘I didn’t know what to say, GG.’ Her eyes turned misty with unshed tears.
Victoria’s love for her grandmother was genuine. Maybe the only real thing about her.
Tamara wasn’t famous, wealthy or classically beautiful, but at least her life was grounded and authentic. He caught her eye this time and as they locked gazes, her thoughts seemed to mirror his own.
‘So.’ He cleared his throat. ‘What do you need me to do, Victoria? No offence, but I’m not marrying you again.’
‘I’m not suggesting we go that far!’ Her shock might’ve been laughable under different circumstances. ‘All I need is for you to come to Kingston upon Thames and visit her with me.’ Her voice wobbled. ‘Just once.’ She shot a worried look Tamara’s way. ‘You wouldn’t mind, would you?’
‘Of course not. Although, Gage doesn’t need my permission for anything because that’s not how we are together.’ She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.
‘When do you need me?’ He sounded resigned.
‘I don’t suppose you could come tomorrow?
’ Victoria shot them another anxious look.
‘It’s about a five-hour drive, so I’m afraid you’ll pretty much have to stay the night.
My taxi is coming back for me in about ten minutes to take me to Exeter.
I’ll get the quarter-past-ten train tomorrow morning and there are only two changes, so I’ll be at Kingston by about a quarter to two.
We could meet at the station.’ Her brow furrowed slightly. ‘I hope that’s all right?’
‘Yeah, that’s fine.’
Tamara did her best to stifle a yawn. ‘I think I’ll make a move.
It’s been a long day. I could do with a lie-in, and I can get that better at my place if you’re going to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.
If you’ll be staying the night in Kingston that means you won’t be back to open the shop on Monday morning, so do you want me to do it? ’
‘Bloody hell, I hadn’t given it a thought.’ Gage smacked his head. ‘Are you sure that’s okay?’
‘Daft question. Of course it is.’ She slipped her coat on and found her bag. ‘Bye, Tori — I’m sorry, but that name comes more naturally — you don’t mind?’
‘Why should I? It’s who I am these days.’ There was little joy in the statement.
‘I’ll come down and lock the door behind you,’ he said, his eyes locking with Tamara’s.
The twinkle in her eyes relayed that she knew he had in mind much more than a simple good night.
They were both in fits of giggles by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs. He pressed her up against the wall with his mouth crushing hers. There was a wonderful illicitness about sensing each other’s frustration through their clothes.
‘This will be quite a story to spread around book club.’ Gage felt Tamara’s hot blush against his skin. ‘Hey, it’s fine. I’m good with you telling them. It doesn’t need to be a secret.’ He dropped a soft kiss on her mouth.
‘I was proud of you tonight when you didn’t let Victoria needle you.’
He lifted his broad shoulders in a shrug.
‘I’m working at being more laid back. Those of us connected to the forces, or emergency services or the medical profession, deal with making life-or-death decisions all the time.
It’s one reason that so many struggle with regular life.
We don’t understand when someone makes a fuss over things like their cubicle being smaller than their workplace neighbour. ’
‘I need to put things right with Pixie, don’t I? We have to find a way to deal with the situation without ripping apart a decade of incredible friendship.’
‘I wasn’t getting at you. That wasn’t over something trivial. All you tried to do was help an old friend see that she was being made a fool of by an unscrupulous man. I know you held some stuff back, but I’m pretty sure she would’ve been even angrier if you’d told her everything.’
‘Maybe, but us not talking to each other needs to end.’ She eked out a smile. ‘Apart from anything else, the choice of entertainment venues in Penworthal is limited and if I let my quiz team down again this month, Proper Choughed might start thinking the trophy is permanently theirs.’
‘Maybe I shouldn’t encourage you to hold out an olive branch after all,’ he mused. ‘They might ostracise me if they find out.’
‘All the more reason for me to put on those Bridget Jones panties again. While you’re away I’ll go to the pub and sort this out once and for all.’
‘I love when you turn all fierce and take charge.’ Gage’s voice turned husky. ‘You’d better go before I behave in a very ungentlemanly manner, in public, where anyone might see us.’
‘It’s dark. Who’s going to see?’
‘You’re wicked.’ Gage wriggled his hand under her red T-shirt and stroked warm, bare skin, making her shudder.
‘So are you, and you’re making me want to do all sorts of naughty things to you right now.’ With a reluctant sigh, she pushed him gently away.
‘I’ll hold you to that when you get back.’
‘You could hold me to anything, anywhere and I wouldn’t object,’ Tamara said teasingly and his laughing response followed her down the street.