by Agatha Frost
“I’m sorry for doing that tonight of all nights. I should have waited.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” Claire squeezed tight. “I’m proud of you, Mum.”
It took another round of drinks and Theresa turning up the music for the party atmosphere to return. Ryan and Claire beat Sally and Damon at pool three times in a row before they gave up and stopped asking for rematches.
“I probably should have mentioned I got quite good at pool in Spain,” Ryan whispered to Claire as Sally and Damon wandered off. “Is something going on with those two?”
“Oh, absolutely,” she whispered back as they slunk off through the front door one after the other. “I don’t know what, exactly, but it’s sweet they think I haven’t noticed.”
“I would never have put them together,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “but it kind of works.”
“Apparently they have chemistry.” Claire chuckled as she took the first sip of her third pint. “Not that Sally admitted who she was talking about, but I know.”
In the corner, Ash and his father stood after almost an hour of deep conversation. As they walked to the door, Janet followed them out.
“Glad to see his dad showed up,” Ryan said, pulling away to line up the pool balls for another game. “Do you remember your fourteenth birthday party?”
“I do,” she said. “Do you remember my hat?”
“The hat.” Ryan laughed. “The haircut.”
“And your dad.”
“You remember?”
“Of course.” She passed him his pool cue. “Maybe if I’d remembered earlier, I would have understood your point of view about the card. You were right. I didn’t get it.”
“No.” Ryan rubbed chalk on the cue. “You were right. I showed Amelia, and we had a very long, honest talk about how it might just be a card and nothing more. It wasn’t easy, but being a single dad doesn’t come with a guidebook.”
“You’re doing a better job than most,” Claire said. Ryan sent the white ball hurtling to the triangle of red and yellow. The balls scattered, immediately potting a yellow. “Maybe it’s my old age, but I don’t remember you mentioning your dad after that.”
“I didn’t.” He passed the cue to Claire and helped her line it up on the corner. “When he didn’t show up, I called and told him to leave me alone. I didn’t want any more disappointment. I expected him to apologise, but he just said ‘Okay’, and that was that.”
“Oh, Ryan.”
“I’ve had years to get over it.” He finished lining up her shot. “Go on. Give it some welly.”
Claire struck the white ball, though the red ball he’d lined her up to pocket missed by an inch and rolled back to the middle.
Instead of pushing the topic further, they continued their game of pool. Claire could tell Ryan was holding back, but she still lost.
“I just saw Sally and Damon snogging by the clock!” Janet cried when she returned. “I thought I was seeing things.”
“As long as they’re having fun.” Claire laughed before realising her mother was alone. “Where’s Ash?”
“He’s gone home with his father,” she said with a tight smile. “I spoke with Justin on the phone for hours last night. I didn’t expect it, but I had him sobbing by the end of the call. Somehow, he didn’t realise how much pain rejecting his child had caused until I spelt it out for him.”
“Do you think they’ll be okay?”
“I really hope so,” she said, glancing at the door. “I grew fond of Ash. He brought out my soft side, I think. I’ll be checking in every day to make sure they’re on the right track. One whiff of trouble, and Justin will have me to answer to.”
“If that doesn’t scare him, nothing will.”
“Very funny.” Janet winked. “By the way, I’ve had a thought about my future. It might be the drama of the evening or the wine talking, but it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.”
“Go on.”
“I think I might start my own business,” she whispered, glancing around the pub. “If you can do it, why can’t I? I think I’d be quite good at it.”
“Are you kidding?” Claire laughed. “You could send an army into battle and win. Of course you’d be good at it. What kind of business?”
“A cleaning business,” she said, gazing off into the middle distance. “I can see it now. A fleet of employees cleaning the length and breadth of Lancashire. Perhaps even the whole country!”
Claire arched an amused brow. “Maybe start with Northash?”
“Janet’s Angels, bringing sparkle and shine one home at a time.” She squinted into the corner of the room as though seeing something nobody else could. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Nature calls.”
“Oh, and me.” Claire took another gulp of her drink. “Watch that, Ryan.”
After a quick bathroom break where they discussed the business idea more thoroughly through the stall walls, Claire returned to find her pint and Ryan gone. As she looked around for him, Em caught her eye.
“He’s out back,” she said with a badly suppressed smile. “He’s waiting for you.”
Unsure if she could handle any more surprises tonight, Claire headed into the beer garden. The twinkling fairy lights beat back the darkness with their warm glow.
Ryan leaned against the railing beside the canal, staring at the dark forest. As Claire approached, she noticed he was holding a rectangular shape wrapped in brown paper.
“Should we go on a narrowboat trip?” he asked when Claire leaned against the railing beside him. “Em keeps suggesting it.”
“Ask me when I don’t have a belly full of beer.” Her stomach turned at the very thought. “That for me?”
“It is.” He sucked air through his teeth as he handed over the package, and the shadows of the night didn’t hide how flushed his cheeks were. “Didn’t want to give it to you with everyone around.”
Claire ripped back the paper to reveal the back of a frame. She turned it over to see the image of them together on the stairs from her sixteenth birthday, only this time in delicate watercolours.
“I don’t know what to say.” She blinked back her tears. “It’s beautiful. You’ve outdone yourself.”
“Thanks.” His blush deepened. “Do you remember that party?”
“Too well.”
“Doesn’t seem like twenty years ago.”
“No,” she said, looking out at the water. “And yes. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely.” He chuckled. “Do you want to know something funny about that party? I almost asked you to be my girlfriend.”
Claire almost dropped the frame into the canal as her heart skipped several beats.
“R-really?” she stammered, barely able to feign casualness. “I never knew that.”
“Sally said something to me,” he explained, slow laughing. “She said ‘Don’t you think you and Claire would make a great couple?’ after I’d had a can of cider. I hadn’t thought about it before, but I reckoned she might be right. I was all set to ask you, but I chickened out when I saw you.”
“That’s funny.” Claire could hardly look at him. “Weird.”
“Yeah.”
As the party roared behind them, they gazed out at the water together. In the silence, what if scenarios swirled in Claire’s mind.
“Claire?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” he said. “I just realised I hadn’t asked.”
Claire ducked her head and laughed.
“That reaction is the reason I didn’t ask twenty years ago.”
“No, it’s not that,” she said, still laughing. “I already thought I was.”
Safe in their little bubble of calm by the railing, they kissed. Behind them, the party grew louder and louder. Finally, the back door burst open, and they reluctantly pulled apart.
“C’mon, you two!” Sally cried from the front of a conga line, with Damon behind her. “Join on the back! We’re doing a
lap of the square.”
As the conga line passed, Claire joined Granny Greta, and Ryan held on to her. They danced down the side path to the square until they couldn’t even hear the pub’s music – only their laughter and chanting as they kicked out their legs.
She didn’t know if it was her birthday, the homebrew, or Ryan’s arms around her waist, but her chest swelled with warmth.
Claire no longer loved Ryan the way she’d done as a teenager; she loved him more.
And for the first time in her life, she let herself believe Ryan might feel the same way.
I hope you enjoyed another trip to Northash! If you did, DON’T FORGET TO RATE AND REVIEW ON AMAZON!
The 6th book in the Claire’s Candles series, TOFFEE APPLE TORMENT, is coming AUGUST 31st 2021! PRE-ORDER now!
Thank you for reading!
DON’T FORGET TO RATE AND REVIEW ON AMAZON!
I hope you enjoyed another visit to Northash!
Reviews are more important than ever, so show your support for the series by rating and reviewing the book on Amazon! Reviews are CRUCIAL for the longevity of any series, and they’re the best way to let authors know you want more! They help us reach more people! I appreciate any feedback, no matter how long or short. It’s a great way of letting other cozy mystery fans know what you thought about the book.
Being an independent author means this is my livelihood, and every review really does make a huge difference. Reviews are the best way to support me so I can continue doing what I love, which is bringing you, the readers, more fun cozy adventures!
The 6th book in the Claire’s Candles series, TOFFEE APPLE TORMENT, is coming AUGUST 31st 2021! PRE-ORDER now!
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