Chapter 34
‘I can’t believe you brought that with you,’ Cooper said, waking from a doze and stretching under the duvet.
We were both curled up in the warmth of his bed, sated and boneless.
As lovely as watching him sleep had been for the first forty minutes, a girl could have too much of a good thing, and I’d never been one to sit with idle hands.
‘I never leave home without a project, or the means to start one,’ I said, carefully completing my stitch before laying down my hook and the beginnings of a sock on the duvet. ‘And, you know, since we’re taking a break…’
‘Romantic,’ Cooper chuckled, rolling over to lie on his front, chin propped on one hand while the other stroked my thigh.
‘I’m making this for you and your ridiculously cold feet anyway – that’s romantic as hell.’ I leant over and kissed him. ‘Speaking of, get those hand warmers on, you. I don’t want to be jumping out of my skin when we get going again.’ I picked up my hook again. ‘Not because of the cold anyway.’
He rubbed his stubble over the inside of my knee and I shivered pleasantly.
‘Yes, miss,’ he muttered. ‘Cup of tea?’
‘Oooh… yes, please.’
Cooper rolled out of bed, pulled the jumper over his head and padded to the kitchen. Looking at the slightly too-big jumper, and his lovely bare legs, I thought it was worth every hour I’d spent on it after all.
My handbag, still on the floor amongst my cast-off clothes, started to hum.
I grimaced but hunted for my phone anyway.
I’d been too occupied to notice but there were several missed calls and texts waiting for me.
Two from Emma letting me know that Richard had come by the shop looking for me, and another to say she hoped I was okay.
I shot her back a quick message that I was in fact great (so great), and remembered with a wince of guilt that the Stitch and Witch was happening tonight and I would need to get back for it. I messaged to assure her I’d be there.
Then there were also several messages from Mum and one from Dad. He wasn’t a big texter and it just said ‘glad u r shot of him’. Mum on the other hand was going off in my messages. Not exactly scolding me or getting arsey, but she seemed confused and hurt.
Richard’s here, he said you’re seeing someone else and just broke up with him? What happened?? You were going into business together! Now he’s crying in the front room – I had to put him on a towel, he’s all wet! He said some man pushed him in the canal?
Of course he’d said Cooper did it. Richard would never admit that a woman had topped him over. I rolled my eyes and quickly read her other messages.
He said it’s the boat man everyone’s talking about on Facebook. Are you all right, Tabby? Is it the stress from the shop? I’m sure Dad and I can help out if you’re stressed, there’s no need to throw everything away.
Dad just threw Richard out – he won’t tell me what R said to him but he’s very angry with him. I rang the shop and your friend told me about this river person – she said he gave you a cheque for 5k as a joke?? That’s not something people do, Tabby!
Okay, so she was right about that one. I wondered what Richard had said to make Dad snap and throw him out.
I could only imagine. I was glad he wasn’t at their house any more, though.
Richard didn’t belong there any more than I belonged on his beloved golf course.
If he’d ever even played golf there. For all I knew, he’d been with that other woman the entire time.
He was probably with her now, mourning the fact that he wouldn’t have me stripping wallpaper for him for free.
My first idea was to message Mum so I could avoid a direct confrontation. But I’d been doing enough of that. It was time to face her head-on and treat her with the respect I was asking for. It was only fair.
I tapped her number and she picked up almost at once. ‘Tabby? What is going on?’
‘Hi, Mum. Everything’s fine. I um… I broke up with Richard again and he didn’t take it too well.’
‘For this… boat man?’ Mum asked.
‘No, for cheating on me and for being a terrible boyfriend. He wasn’t right for me, Mum. I’m… sorry, because I hid that from you and it wasn’t fair of me to make you think he was perfect and then kick him to the kerb without explaining. I should have just been honest from the start.’
‘But he was perfect for you—’ Mum started.
‘He really wasn’t,’ I interrupted, gently but firmly. ‘He didn’t care about my business, he thought my best friend was a flake, he was ungrateful, messy and obnoxious… and I had to practically force him to come and visit my family.’
That stunned her. ‘But… he always seemed to like coming over for our get-togethers.’
I took a breath. Time to tell the truth.
All of it. ‘He called your garden a “lower-middle-class eyesore” the first time I brought him over. And I don’t think he kept a single present you guys ever got him for a birthday or Christmas.
He once told me he saw you guys in Asda and ran away so he wouldn’t get “trapped talking to you”.
And I was too desperate to keep a boyfriend that you liked to realise that I didn’t like him, and if you knew him, you wouldn’t either. ’
There was a long pause as Mum digested this. Or rather, choked it down like a fish bone. I knew it was hard to swallow the truth after so long feeding myself a diet of lies.
‘… what a… tosser,’ Mum said slowly. ‘Tabby, I had no idea! I’d never have suggested you take him back if I knew he was such a…’
‘Grubby little classist worm?’ I supplied.
‘Exactly. You’re better off without him.
And… I’m sorry too, for not listening to you that day, in your old room.
I’ve been talking to Dad and he made me realise that maybe it’s not always obvious that I just want you to be happy.
I don’t mind if that’s on your own, or with a man, or a woman! Like your Aunt Lou.’
My jaw dropped in shock. ‘Aunt Lou?’ I repeated.
Mum laughed. ‘Well, yes. Tabby, don’t tell me you never knew she and Gail were together.’
‘I did know but you never talk about it,’ I sputtered.
‘She was so hurt when she lost Gail, I suppose I just got used to not talking about her,’ Mum sighed sadly. ‘That and this town hasn’t always been as accepting, old habits are hard to break.’
You’re telling me, I thought.
‘Anyway…’ Mum said, ‘you’re welcome to move back in. I’ll see about shifting a few things to Dad’s shed—’
‘Oooh, actually,’ I interrupted, having a brainwave. ‘Do you think Dad would mind if I moved into the shed for a while? Then I could have a bit of… space?’
‘I don’t see why not. He can always pop round to Terry’s to watch the football,’ Mum said. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll sweet-talk him.’ She paused and I could almost hear her mind working. ‘So… about this river man… are you seeing him? Is he…’
Homeless?
Jobless?
A good future father for my grandbabies?
‘… coming to Sunday dinner next week?’ Mum finished. ‘Only if he is, I’ll get a family-size pud out and get a bigger bit of beef.’
‘That… would be great actually, Mum,’ I said, surprised at her welcoming attitude. Maybe I needed to stop pre-emptively upsetting myself over comments she may or may not make. ‘That’s really nice of you.’
Mum made a ‘pssshht’ noise. ‘If you like him, that’s all I need to know. Anyway… it’ll be one in the eye for Margaret, he’s public enemy number one in her book,’ she trilled gleefully.
I giggled as Cooper returned with two mugs of tea, a packet of custard creams dangling from his teeth.
‘All right, calm down, Satan… We’ll see you on Sunday.’
Cooper raised an eyebrow as I hung up. ‘Are we going somewhere?’
‘Mum’s invited you over for Sunday lunch,’ I said, suddenly realising that I really ought to have asked him first. ‘You don’t have to…’
‘A hot meal and a chance to see your embarrassing teenage pictures? You try and stop me.’ He set my mug down and carefully turned the handle towards me. ‘Besides, I’ve got a great new jumper to show off.’
‘That you do.’ I grinned as he set the custard creams down. ‘Tea and biscuits? I’m very spoiled.’ I pulled the duvet aside so Cooper could get underneath and warm up again. The boat really was quite chilly.
‘Full service aboard The Lady Di,’ Cooper said. ‘Though I’ve been thinking of changing the name.’
Charlie, who’d followed Cooper in, leapt up on the bed, interested in the biscuits and my bare feet.
I wondered where his owners were and if they’d ever contact me.
If I was being honest, I’d been thinking of him as Cooper’s dog for a while now.
From the way Cooper looked at him, I wasn’t the only one.
‘Got to get the engine working first,’ I pointed out. ‘Maybe after this, I can take a look? You still have those photocopies?’
‘I do, though they’re a bit covered in oil and my tears,’ Cooper huffed. ‘Gorgeous and knows her way around an engine – you’re not leaving this boat.’
I kissed him, buzzing with warmth. ‘I will have to, unfortunately. I’ve got Emma’s coven coming in for a crochet night tonight and I really need to get back for it. Then there’s the cleaning up after…’
‘Your luck’s in – I am really good at cleaning,’ Cooper gestured around us. ‘Exhibit A.’
I swatted his leg through the duvet. ‘You don’t want to clean the shop with me.’
Cooper took my hand and kissed it. ‘I’d snake the drains if you were there.’
‘Charmer.’
‘I try. Besides, a gaggle of crocheting witches? This could be the most interesting evening of my life.’
I loved the way he said it. Not as if he was poking fun, but as if he was genuinely excited to see what was going on.
To be part of my life, of my world. I didn’t have the slightest qualm about him meeting Mum, I realised.
He really was perfect – for me anyway. Which was all that mattered really, when you got right down to it.
Tea and the start of a new sock forgotten, we fell back into bed.
Scandalised, Charlie skittered back to his bed with a snaffled custard cream.
Outside a goose honked and water lapped at the sides of the boat.
I smiled against Cooper’s mouth. I couldn’t help but think that Aunt Lou would have approved.