Chapter 24
Frankie had expected to spend the day with Ed, and at first she’d been disappointed when he’d taken her to one side after breakfast and told her he needed to keep an eye out for Rick because his brother was absolutely swamped keeping everything on track.
It didn’t take her long to get over it and she liked the fact he was willing to put his family first. Given the way Rick’s phone had rung all through breakfast, it was clear he needed all the help he could get, so Frankie had smiled and sent Ed on his way with a kiss and a promise they’d catch up for lunch.
There were still a couple of hours before the event started so she made herself useful where she could, helping Anya and Chloe set up their stall and keeping them, Rick, Ed and Matt well supplied with hot drinks from the café.
Liam had headed to the hotel straight after breakfast to keep an eye on things there, but the counter in The Cosy Coffee Pot was in safe hands because Issy’s grandmother, Maud, had shown up and taken control.
Though she must’ve been well into her seventies, if not a bit older, Maud was an absolute livewire from the top of her bright pink bobbed hair to the tips of the sequin-covered boots on her feet.
Her enviably slender hips were poured into a pair of stone-washed drainpipe jeans and beneath her apron she wore a pink and purple tie-dyed top that somehow managed not to clash with her hair.
Christmas-tree earrings complete with tiny flashing lights dangled from her ears.
Frankie had met her a couple of times before and adored her.
She’d also made a secret wish to grow old like Maud one day, full of fun and with absolutely zero fucks to give about what anyone else thought about her.
‘I was so happy when Issy told me you were staying on for a couple more weeks,’ Maud told her as she pressed several takeaway cups into a cardboard holder.
‘I know she has the others, but I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many friends.
’ She smiled at Frankie as she secured the last cup.
‘I can tell how much your friendship means to her from the way she talks about you.’
A warm glow spread through Frankie. ‘That’s very sweet of you to say so, and Issy means a lot to me too.’
‘It must be hard keeping in touch with people, what with you moving around all over the place for your work.’ There was a perceptive gleam in Maud’s eye that made Frankie want to shift uncomfortably. She might look a bit wacky, but Maud was nobody’s fool.
‘It can be hard,’ Frankie found herself admitting. ‘But I love what I do.’
‘Loving your job is important,’ Maud agreed. ‘But don’t forget what they say about all work and no play. Anyway, it’s a good thing you’re having a little break to enjoy the holidays. I hear you’re joining us on Christmas Day, so that’ll be nice.’
Frankie’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘You’ll be at the Penroses’ too?’
Maud laughed. ‘Of course I will, my darling, I’m a Penrose myself in all but name. I shacked up with the boys’ great-uncle, Davy, last year, for my sins.’ The sparkle in her eye told Frankie she was very much enjoying being a sinner.
Feeling a bit dazed, Frankie wove her way through the building crowds in search of Ed and the others.
They weren’t hard to spot as Matt was halfway up a stepladder fixing a sign that had come loose on one of the lamp posts.
She waited until they’d finished then handed him, Ed and Rick a coffee each.
‘You’re a lifesaver,’ Rick said with a tired smile that made her worry how he was going to get through the day and stay on his feet.
‘It’s the least I can do and it doesn’t feel like nearly enough.’
‘It’ll slow down once the fayre gets going,’ Matt said as he propped his steps against the seawall, sat beside them and took a sip of his coffee.
‘That hits the spot,’ he added with a grateful smile.
He jerked his thumb at the space next to him.
‘Sit your arse down for five minutes, Rick. The world won’t fall apart if you take a quick break. ’
Rick sank down beside him and stretched his legs out with a sigh. ‘I’m hoping it’s just everyone having a last-minute flap and they’ll be too busy once we open to fuss over every little thing.’ His phone rang, but before he could answer it Ed snatched it out of his hand.
‘Hello, Rick’s phone. No, he’s busy, what’s up?’
Frankie had to bite her lip so as not to laugh as Rick flailed in vain to reach his phone. As though they’d agreed the action in advance, Ed took a couple of steps back while Matt placed a beefy arm across Rick’s chest to prevent him from standing up.
Ed listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone then said, ‘There’s a box of cable ties under Chloe’s stall.
A couple of them should do the trick. Yep.
No probs. Bye.’ He hung up and tucked the phone in his coat pocket.
‘You can have it back once you’ve finished your coffee,’ he told Rick, then took Frankie’s hand and led her over to a gap on the seawall a few feet away.
He spread his thighs wide, making room for her to stand between them.
‘You sure you’re going to be all right on your own?
’ he asked as he placed his free hand on her hip.
It was like he couldn’t be near her without needing to touch her.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she promised him, placing a hand on his shoulder because she couldn’t not touch him either.
‘I’ve been having a good nose around and there’s loads of stalls I want to explore properly once they open.
I’ve already checked out the wreath-making and the lady running it let me sneak my name onto the sign-up sheet for eleven o’clock. ’
‘I’ll come and find you there, and when you’re finished we can ask Harry if we can pop it out the back somewhere in the cookery school so it’s safe.’ Ed took a sip of his coffee then offered her the cup.
It was a strangely intimate thing to do, sharing a drink with him, and it made her pause for a second.
It seemed silly, given what they’d got up to the night before, but still there was something different to this, a relaxed familiarity she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
Whatever the feeling was, she liked it. She raised the cup to her lips and took a sip.
‘Oh, hey, I need to find out how many people are going to be at your parents’ house on Christmas Day.
I was talking to Maud just now and she told me she’d be there with your great-uncle Davy.
’ She laughed. ‘I didn’t even know you had a great-uncle Davy. ’
‘There are rather a lot of us.’ She held the coffee as he ran through a list of names, ticking them off on his fingers as he went.
‘Mum and Dad, us four brothers and other halves is ten. Little Freya, of course. Ma, Pa, Davy and Maud. Matt, Chloe and their folks.’ He frowned. ‘How many’s that? Nineteen?’
‘Good Lord, where on earth is your mother going to put everyone?’
‘She’ll find room, don’t worry. Lunch will be a massive buffet and everyone brings something with them, so there’ll be enough to feed the five thousand.’
Frankie nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous about how many people would be there. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t come…’
‘Nonsense!’ Ed placed his other hand on her hip.
‘Everyone wants you there.’ He squeezed her waist, gently.
‘I want you there.’ His encouraging smile faded a little.
‘Unless you’ve changed your mind? If it’s all going to be too much for you then you don’t have to come.
If you’d rather just have a quiet day, I can come to yours instead. ’
‘And miss Christmas Day with your parents? They’d never forgive me!’
Ed laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘It’s not like I’m a little kid any more, and there’ll be so many people there they’d hardly notice if I’m not around.’
It was sweet of him to offer, but he’d come home to spend the holidays with his family and she wouldn’t let her anxiety about being in such a big crowd of people spoil that.
Besides, as nervous as she was, the idea of being a part of something special like that was too good a chance to pass up.
‘If you’re sure it’s okay then I’d really love to come.
I’ll have to find some more gifts though.
I can’t turn up without something for everyone. ’
‘No one will expect you to bring anything, I already told you that,’ Ed replied, his tone just a touch exasperated. ‘Just bring yourself and it’ll be fine.’
‘Shh,’ she told him, leaning down to press a quick kiss on his lips. ‘I don’t get the opportunity to shop for presents very often, so let me enjoy myself.’
‘As long as you’re doing it because you want to and not because you feel like you need to,’ he conceded.
She did need to, but it was too difficult a feeling to try and explain to him right then. Thankfully the phone he’d stolen from Rick began to ring. ‘Coffee break’s over, it seems,’ she said as she tried to step back.
Ed held on to her hips for a few seconds longer, his eyes deep pools of concern. ‘If you have second thoughts about Christmas Day, you must promise you’ll let me know.’
‘I will.’ She shifted her weight as Rick marched over and held out his hand for his phone. Ed let Frankie go and soon the two brothers were caught up in a friendly argument over who was going to take the call.
‘I’d make a break for it while you can,’ Matt suggested with a mock-weary shake of his head. ‘This might go on for a while.’
‘Good idea.’ Frankie caught Ed’s eye as he surrendered the phone to Rick and gave him a little wave as she backed a few steps further away.
* * *
By the time Frankie arrived at the wreath-making stall, she was laden down with bags.
There’d been something that appealed to her at almost every stall she’d visited and everyone had been so lovely to her that she’d found it hard to walk away without adding at least a little bit of something to her shopping haul.