Chapter 35
LOUISA
It was wonderful to be back on Anchor Island.
She’d checked into the inn already and followed the straightforward route from there up to Evergreen Close, where she was meeting Gayle, Susanna and Addie for a big surprise for Gayle’s birthday.
Her birthday wasn’t until February, but she would be getting her present early when they could all give it to her together.
In November, Louisa had brought her mum to meet Gayle.
Her mum hadn’t wanted to come initially – she was the other woman, after all – but Louisa had talked her round, and despite the nerves it had gone really well.
Gayle had cushioned any awkwardness with servings of pudding on repeat until none of them could fit another thing in.
Her mum hadn’t wanted to return for New Year’s, even though she’d been invited – she’d finally booked the trip to New York that she’d always dreamed of, her best friend accompanying her for the seven days, but she’d agreed to come back to Anchor Island in the summer for another visit with Louisa.
She reached the cottage, but before she could knock on the front door a voice from the side of the house caught her attention.
‘Psst…’ it said.
She crept past the front window and found Addie crouched down, looking her way.
‘Do you have the ribbons?’ Addie asked in a whisper.
She took off her rucksack. ‘I certainly do.’ They had been in cahoots about this gift for over a month and organised between the three of them how this was going to work.
They crept around the back of the house and in the shed – which Addie had unlocked without Gayle being any the wiser – she took off her gloves and put the final accessories on the gift.
Then she went outside and closed the door, ducked down and ran alongside the house so she wouldn’t be seen, and loudly knocked on the front door.
Gayle opened up seconds later, thrilled to see her, and ushered her in out of the cold.
Susanna came out of the kitchen beaming. ‘You’re here.’ She opened her arms to give her a welcoming hug.
The Raffertys could very well have wanted nothing to do with the love-child of the woman who Harry had risked his marriage for when he cheated, but all three of these women had hearts bigger than Louisa could ever have hoped for.
Her mum hadn’t mentioned until long after their visit that she and Gayle had had a lengthy chat one quiet day at the café, while Louisa had been talking to Nancy about her gardening needs.
Gayle had engineered it that way, with Nancy in on the plan – of course she had, because that was Gayle, a determined woman who wanted things to be right.
She and Lily had talked candidly about the circumstances of her affair with Harry before Gayle had assured Lily that she had every intention of embracing Louisa as part of the Rafferty family, as long as that was all right with Lily.
‘The puddings are all ready for collection from the café,’ Addie announced.
‘We’re eating those while watching the fireworks,’ Susanna confided with a nudge at Louisa’s side. ‘And there’s custard.’
‘And I’ve got some Prosecco,’ whispered Addie.
Isaac was right on it. ‘Can I try one of those. Is it a pudding?’
Addie ruffled his hair. ‘It’s not a pudding, and no you may not. Prosecco is a grown-up drink, but you get as much hot chocolate as you like, remember. I’m taking a very big flask just for you.’
His eyes lit up much in the same way they had over FaceTime on Christmas Day, when he’d thanked Louisa for the Lego kit she’d gifted him.
Addie looked at her sisters. That was another thing – they’d decided it was enough of the half reference. Technicalities, Addie had said, Susanna agreeing readily, Louisa touched with emotion.
‘Ready?’ Addie asked.
Both Louisa and Susanna nodded.
Susanna clapped her hands together. ‘Gayle, Gayle, where are you?’ She found her in the hallway, fiddling with a piece of Lego wedged in the sole of her boot.
‘Put your boots on,’ said Susanna, ‘we’re going outside.’ She grabbed Gayle’s coat from the peg.
‘Whatever for?’ Gayle asked, as she succeeded in removing the offending Lego piece.
‘Just do it,’ said Susanna, passing over her coat.
Addie and Louisa put their own coats on, and Louisa held Isaac’s hand as they all filed out of the back door.
‘It’s not fireworks time yet,’ Isaac pointed out.
‘No,’ said Louisa, ‘but we have a surprise for Gayle.’
‘A surprise for Nanna? What is it?’
Louisa laughed. ‘Well, if we told you then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?’
They reached the shed and stood in front until Susanna put her hands across Gayle’s eyes.
Gayle was understandably confused. ‘It’s not my birthday, and Christmas has long gone.’
‘This is an early birthday gift,’ Addie told her. ‘You’re getting it now so we can all be here to give it to you.’
When Addie nodded, Susanna took her hands from Gayle’s eyes.
‘Ta-da!’ the three girls called out, Isaac following on with his own ‘ta-da!’, never one to miss out.
Gayle stepped into the shed. ‘It’s a bicycle.’
‘It’s not just any bicycle,’ said Susanna. ‘It’s your bicycle.’
Gayle put one hand on the handlebar of the aquamarine bike. ‘This is for me?’ She ran her hand across the wicker basket attached to the front. ‘But I’m too old…’
‘Never too old,’ claimed Louisa.
‘I don’t think my doctor would approve,’ said Gayle.
‘Nonsense,’ Addie argued. ‘I think he would approve very much. Now, look in the basket.’
Gayle peered inside and pulled out a turquoise helmet. She roared with laughter. ‘You think I’m going to put this on?’
‘We know you’re going to put it on,’ Addie said.
‘Put it on, Nanna!’ cried Isaac.
Gayle always found it hard to say no to Isaac, and his request did the trick. ‘What’s the verdict?’ she asked.
Addie stepped forwards. ‘It needs adjusting. Here, let me.’
Gayle spotted that in addition to her bike there were three more in the shed besides the girls’ old rusty bikes they’d long since outgrown. ‘Where did those come from?’
‘We borrowed them,’ said Louisa, ‘For us three.’ She indicated herself, Susanna and Addie.
Gayle was clearly happy, if not a little emotional. ‘You have all gone to such a lot of effort.’
‘You deserve it,’ Susanna assured her aunt, putting an arm around her shoulders. ‘Remember when we first rode bikes on the island? Well, you said another time when Addie wanted you to come with us. And it never happened.’
‘Until now,’ said Addie with a grin.
‘Don’t worry,’ Louisa added, ‘we were all very rusty when we rode the bikes up here from the hire place. I think I wobbled the most.’
Gayle smiled. ‘That does make me feel a little better, Louisa.’
Gayle had been putting Louisa’s mind at ease ever since she came to the island for the first time, and now it was Gayle’s turn to be looked after. She had a heart of gold, and Louisa wasn’t alone in thinking she deserved any bit of happiness that came her way from now on.