Chapter 1 #2
Eleven years ago, the couple had moved up from London, where many of Andreas’s Greek-Cypriot family still resided.
The characterful pair had become an integral part of the community here in the Northumbrian village of Tilldale, and had helped form the supper club along with Cath, when she’d arrived freshly divorced and in need of a new start.
Their friendship, and a shared love of good home-cooked food, had been the start of something very special at its core.
‘Never fear, the cosy blankets are up there, just in case.’ And this time around, she had Will to snuggle up to, Cath realised. Hmm, it wasn’t like him to be late. She hoped everything was okay.
Shifting her thoughts on to the evening meal and her cooking, she swapped her glass for her oven gloves. As she opened the oven door, the kitchen filled with mouthwatering savoury aromas. She lifted a large casserole dish out and onto the hob, ready to give it a stir.
‘Oh, and what’s on the menu this evening, my lovely?’ asked Dan.
‘Mmm, it smells divine,’ added Andreas.
‘It’s my one pot wonder. Kind of an all-in-one roast chicken dinner,’ Cath explained.
It was one of her son Adam’s favourites, especially in the chilly winter and spring months.
How she still missed cooking those family meals.
The times spent chatting and catching up around the dinner table back in Leeds.
With her and Trev now divorced, and Adam having been off to uni, done some travelling, and now starting his new wildlife park job in Yorkshire, family life wasn’t the same at all.
Would never be the same again, after the bomb of divorce, she’d realised.
But they were finding a new normal between them.
And she was still close to her son, which was lovely.
‘Spring chicken, then,’ commented Dan. ‘Sounds wonderful.’
‘Well, that’s none of us anymore, except Lily,’ added Nikki wryly.
‘You’re certainly a bit of an old rooster by now, Daniel,’ chipped in Andreas, mischievously, Dan being older than him by a couple of years.
‘Cut the cheek. You’re no spring chicken yourself.’
Cath smiled at the banter as she stirred the dish; aromas of chicken-herby gravy filling the cosy cottage kitchen.
‘Well, whatever kind of chicken it is, it smells absolutely delicious,’ said Lily.
At that point, the doorbell rang. With her hands full at the hob, Cath shouted out, ‘Come on in.’
A few seconds later in waltzed Will. Dark conker-coloured hair with just a hint of salt and pepper to the sides, and his expressive hazel-brown eyes – sometimes they looked like rich toffee to Cath, and at others a myriad of verdant shades like the greens and browns of the woods.
This evening, he was dressed in dark indigo jeans, teamed with a pale-blue T-shirt, under a navy-and-black-checked lumber-style jacket.
She couldn’t help it; her heart still gave a leap every time she saw him. Flipped like a bloody pancake in a pan, in fact. It felt like being a teenager again, just like when they’d first ever met, way back when … A long story, and for another time.
‘Hi, sorry I’m a little late, Cath. Hey, guys, hope you’re all fine.’
‘Hi.’ ‘Hey, Will.’ ‘Good to see you, mate.’ Greetings rang out around the kitchen.
Will paused to catch his breath, as though he’d been rushing, then moved towards Cath at the hob, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.
‘Woohoo!’ Nikki called out, still delighted with the outcome of the group’s matchmaking.
‘Ah, you’re so cute, you two,’ added Lily, grinning away.
Cath half turned, wooden spoon in hand, finding herself blushing, though more than happy to be wrapped in his brief hug.
His aftershave smelt gorgeously woody and citrus fresh.
She loved the smell, the feel of him near to her, even in a kitchen filled with friends, she relished those few simple moments of togetherness. ‘Hi.’
She still couldn’t believe her luck. Finding Will again after all these years, and then, rather unbelievably, moving on to form a relationship together.
‘Sorry,’ he began to explain, ‘Sophie was on the phone. A bit upset about something that’s happened at uni. Nothing major, she just needed a sympathetic ear. I didn’t want to cut her off too soon, though.’
‘Ah, it’s no problem.’ Cath knew how important his girls were to him.
Sophie, aged twenty-one, was studying law at York University.
His elder daughter, Maddie, was an oncology nurse, working and living down in Newcastle.
He was a good dad. Cath knew how hard he’d been trying with his two daughters, the three of them navigating their way through a minefield of grief, since losing their mother to pancreatic cancer almost three years ago.
‘I hope she’s okay?’ Cath asked caringly.
‘She will be, I’m sure. And oh, something’s looking good.’ He moved the conversation on.
Cath had to smile, as he was no longer looking at her but gazing down at the huge dish filled with crispy chicken, potatoes, carrots and herby-gravy sauce, now out on the stove top.
‘Chicken à la Cath.’ Years back, she’d kind of made this recipe up, from a mix of roast chicken dinner ingredients, and a splash of wine, all in one dish. As a busy working mum and teacher, it had seemed easier than the faff of cooking all the roast dinner components separately.
‘Looks delicious … I can’t wait.’ He looked rather sexy, excited by her cooking and giving her a cheeky grin.
‘Sounds delightful,’ said Andreas.
‘My tummy’s rumbling already at the scrummy aromas,’ added Nikki.
‘Glass of fizz, mate?’ offered Dan.
‘Yes, please. And can I help with anything?’ Will asked, looking to Cath.
‘Ahm, yes, can you uncork the bottle of white wine that’s chilling in the fridge, please,’ she responded. ‘Then we can take it up with us, as we’ll soon be heading up to the summerhouse.’
‘Perfect.’
And she hoped it all would be. She loved cooking and hosting, but there was always an edge of anxiety just before serving, that the meal would work out well, and the guests would enjoy it.
*
Cath had spent a happy hour this afternoon getting the garden shed back in order, after having shut it down for the winter months.
She’d swept it out, dusted high and low – how did those tiny leaves, grains of soil and bits of garden debris find their way in?
– and cleaned the glass of the windows and doors.
It was all ready for her garden supper with crockery, cutlery, wine glasses and more.
With bowls of nibbles to hand, and each guest now carrying a fresh glass of wine, the fizz savoured and gone, she led them up the garden path (literally!) and the half-dozen stone steps to the pretty sage-colour culinary retreat.
The wood-framed glass-panelled doors were left welcomingly open, the sanded-down table all set and mix-and-match chairs – some painted in a dove grey, others a natural faded pine – at the ready.
It all looked very much the part for this evening’s supper.
‘Welcome back!’ Cath stood proudly at the entrance. This little garden shed meant so much to them all.
Nikki was first through the open doors. ‘Wow, this looks gorgeous, Cath. Oh, I’ve missed it.’ She beamed.
‘This is soo lush.’ Lily stepped in behind her. ‘One of my fave places.’
Cath had placed sprigs of delicately scented freesias and primroses from her garden into two posy vases, which sat alongside some green-glass tea-light holders on the table, which she now lit, watching them glow and flicker.
The wooden shelves had their vintage terracotta pots (basically Reggie’s old ones) filled with fragrant herbs back in place; they’d been nestled on Cath’s kitchen windowsill through the chilly winter months.
And the views from the shed, at this top level of the garden, out and across the rolling green countryside and to the moorland hills beyond, were gorgeous.
Dusk would soon be settling, and it was wonderful from up here to watch the colours of the day fade through to cooler blues, then into peach and mauve hues, finally changing to the dark indigo of night-time.
‘Right, well, no need to stand on ceremony, folks. Take a seat. Nibbles, anyone?’ Cath passed around some crispy cheese snacks, purchased earlier from the lads’ shop: delicious bite-sized biscuits made with strong cheese from the dairy at the nearby market town of Kirkton.
‘Cheers, lovely.’ Dan raised his glass.
‘This is fab-u-lous, thank you so much for having us,’ added Andreas, sounding very like the judge Craig Revel Horwood from Strictly Come Dancing. It was, of course, one of the lads’ favourite TV programmes.
‘The supper club is back! Yippee!’ Nikki grinned. ‘I’ve missed you guys.’
‘Yes, after the Christmas festivities, we’ve all been holed up through the chilly winter,’ Dan took up.
Will gave Cath a knowing glance across the table, quirking an eyebrow. The cheeky spark was back in his eye once more, which was lovely for Cath to see. They shared a secret smile. Oh yes, they’d certainly been doing their fair share of staying in … together.
‘Yeah, well, after that mammoth village event, think we all felt a bit knackered,’ admitted Nikki.
‘Aw, it was hard work, but it was fab though. The residents at the care home are still talking about it,’ Cath added with a smile.
‘Oh, I loved doing that. The oldies were so sweet,’ said Lily.
They’d put on a huge Christmas lunch with turkey and all the trimmings for the local community and elderly – also doing up the old village hall in the process.
And though bloody hard work, what a fantastic, heartwarming celebration it had been.
It wasn’t surprising they’d all needed some downtime after that.
Having taken up their seats at the supper table, with Cath nestled beside Will at the end beside the door, the conversation rolled on.
‘So, how’s life at the village stores, guys?’ asked Will.