by Kate Hardy
She clipped Archie’s harness into the seatbelt, then drove over to Ben’s house.
When he opened the door to her, his smile warmed her all the way through.
‘Thanks for coming,’ he said, and stole a kiss. ‘Come and meet everyone.’
‘Okay.’
‘Toni, this is my sister Jessie, my brother-in-law Kit, my niece Kelly and my nephew Josh,’ he said, shepherding her through to the kitchen where his sister was chopping a salad.
‘Lovely to meet you,’ Toni said with a smile.
‘Everyone, this is Toni, and her dog, Archie,’ Ben said.
‘Lovely to meet you, too,’ Jessie said.
‘I’ve brought pudding,’ Toni said. ‘Vanilla cheesecake—home-made—and strawberries that I picked from my garden just before I left.’ She handed Ben two plastic boxes and a bottle of wine.
‘I love cheesecake,’ Jessie said.
‘I love strawberries,’ Kelly added shyly.
Josh simply cooed from his father’s arms and pointed at the dog.
‘Would you like to come and play with Archie in the garden, Kelly?’ Toni asked. ‘He’s been looking forward to meeting you.’
Kelly looked at her mother.
‘We’ll both come and we’ll leave the men to finish making the salad,’ Jessie said.
Meaning Jessie would be able to ask questions without making it awkward for Ben, Toni thought.
‘OK,’ Ben said. He stroked Archie’s head. ‘And, yes, I’ll make sure we save a sausage for you.’
Archie gave a soft woof of appreciation.
‘That’s something I’d never thought I’d see,’ Jessie said. ‘Ben isn’t a dog person.’
‘He’s kind of got used to Archie being around,’ Toni said. ‘Sit, Archie, and give Kelly a high five.’
To the little girl’s obvious delight, the dog sat nicely and lifted his paw.
‘That’s so cool!’ Kelly said, looking thrilled.
‘Ben said he’s a therapy dog. How does that work?’ Jessie asked.
‘We do a session once a week at the nursing home, where basically he sits and lets them make a fuss of him and talk to him. Having him around is brilliant for the residents, because having a canine visitor gives them something to focus on apart from their illness. Plus studies show that making a fuss of a dog brings down people’s blood pressure, so it’s good for them physically as well as mentally,’ Toni said. ‘The team at our nursing home say that Archie helps with more than just the residents’ moods; they tend to interact more with each other and the staff after they’ve seen him. So he’s really good for them. And he enjoys his work.’
‘That sounds lovely,’ Jessie said.
‘It’s nice to give something back—it’s the nursing home where my grandmother was when her dementia meant she needed more care than my sister and I could give her. Her best friend Ginny, who was kind of like a second grandmother to me and my sister when we were growing up, ended up being cared for there, too. And once a week we go to the local infant school and the reluctant readers read to Archie. I know that sounds a bit airy-fairy,’ Toni said with a smile, ‘but it’s brought their reading age on by an average of three months in the last term. They stop worrying so much when they read to him, and it helps them focus.’
‘That,’ Jessie said, ‘is amazing.’
‘It’s lovely to be able to make such a difference. And Archie loves it, too. He’s a very sociable dog.’ Toni paused. ‘Ben told me you’re a research chemist.’
Jessie nodded. ‘I’m a biochemist. I’ve just gone back after maternity leave and I’m working on a new cancer drug at the moment.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ Toni said.
‘I’m so glad Ben’s settled in. He keeps telling me he’s fine, but I’ve been worrying about him,’ Jessie said. ‘Seeing him for myself has made me feel a lot better. He looks a lot more relaxed.’
‘He’s a good man, and everyone in the village has responded to that,’ Toni said. ‘And I think this place is good for him, too.’
‘Did he tell you about...?’ Jessie bit her lip, looking awkward.
Toni guessed what Jessie meant. The thing that had driven Ben away from London. ‘His ex falling for his best friend and them having a baby while she was still married to Ben, yes. That was pretty rough on him.’
‘It pretty much broke his he—’ Jessie stopped and gave an over-bright smile. ‘Hey, Ben.’
‘As it’s warm out here, I thought you might like a drink,’ he said, nodding at the tray he was carrying, which contained a pitcher of home-made lemonade and glasses.
Jessie blushed. ‘Thank you. Sorry. I wasn’t gossiping.’
‘You’re my little sister and you worry about me, I know. But I’m fine. I’m moving on,’ he said gently, and ruffled her hair.
Jessie didn’t bring up the subject after Ben had gone back to the kitchen, so they chatted while Kelly threw the tennis ball for Archie, who brought it back, dropped it at her feet and wagged his tail hopefully at her until she did it all over again.
By the time that Ben and Kit emerged from the kitchen together, ready to start the barbecue, Jessie and Toni had become firm friends.
Once the food was ready, they ate out in the garden, with Archie waiting patiently for his share of sausages and chicken to cool. And baby Josh—who’d woken briefly to eat puréed chicken casserole and mashed banana—was asleep in his pram.
‘You’re so lucky, living by the sea,’ Jessie said. ‘Have you always lived here, Toni?’
‘Since I was twelve—my grandmother brought my sister Stacey and me to live with her after our mum and dad were killed in a car crash,’ Toni said. ‘I trained in London and worked in the emergency department at the London Victoria, but I moved back here when Gran became ill and needed support. But it’s a wonderful village.’ She smiled. ‘And Ben has the entire village falling at his feet since the nineteen-forties weekend. Half of them were bowled over by his baking and the other half by his dancing.’
‘I wish I’d known about it,’ Jessie said. ‘It sounds like a lot of fun.’
‘It is. Come next year,’ Toni suggested. ‘Ben told me he went to dance lessons with you. Maybe you can do a demo of the jitterbug for us at the village hall.’ She gave Jessie a sidelong look. ‘You could always give me a demo now...’
Jessie laughed. ‘I’m a bit out of practice.’
‘Go on, love. You’re fabulous,’ Kit said.
‘Please, Mummy? Please, Uncle Ben?’ Kelly asked. ‘And I can dance with Daddy.’
‘What about Toni?’ Jessie asked.
‘Don’t ask me to dance. I have two left feet. Archie and I can give you marks—just like in Strictly Come Dancing,’ Toni said with a grin. ‘I think you should earn your cheesecake, Jessie.’
Ben found some music on his phone, and the four of them danced a very energetic jitterbug. Toni clapped when they had finished. ‘I award both couples a perfect ten,’ she said. ‘What about you, Archie?’
The dog barked softly twice.
‘That’s Archie-speak for “me, too”,’ Toni said.
‘But you’re not getting away without dancing,’ Ben said, and took her hand.
‘Me and Archie will be the judges now,’ Kelly said.
So what could she do but join in? Ben led her round the garden and, just like the first time she’d danced with him, she felt as if she was dancing on air. Everything melted away, as if it was just the two of them, while the sun began to set.
For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. His sea-green eyes were dark and deep with emotion. But then the music ended and Kelly started clapping, breaking the spell, and Josh woke up and began crying.
Kit lifted the baby out of the pram. ‘Bath and a change for you, young man, and then some milk.’
Toni was thrilled
when Jessie asked her if she’d like to feed the baby. ‘I love babies,’ she said. ‘I have a fourteen-month-old niece. It’s been fabulous seeing her grow and change.’
* * *
Ben looked at the two parts of his life colliding. Seeing Toni cuddling his nephew felt odd. And then he realised why: he didn’t feel as if he had to insulate his heart any more. Seeing his girlfriend holding a baby didn’t remind him of what he’d lost; instead, it gave him hope that he was finally moving on.
After Toni had fed the baby and handed him back to his mum, she ended up reading a story to Kelly, with the little girl sitting on her lap and Archie’s head on both their knees. When the little girl’s eyelids started to droop and the spaniel’s eyes were closed, she said gently, ‘I think I need to take Archie home to bed now, Kelly. He’s really tired. But we’ve had a lovely time with you all today and we’re both very glad we met you.’
‘Can you come back tomorrow? Uncle Ben is taking us on a steam train,’ Kelly said.
Toni smiled. ‘Thank you for asking me, and although I’d love to join you I’m afraid I can’t because I’m seeing my sister tomorrow.’
‘She can come, too,’ Kelly said.
Toni ruffled her hair. ‘Another time. That’s a definite date.’
Once she’d said her goodbyes, Ben saw her to the door. ‘Thank you for coming today.’
‘I’ve had a wonderful time. I like your family very much.’
‘It’s entirely mutual.’ He kissed her. ‘I’ll call you later.’
‘OK.’ She snatched a last kiss. ‘Have fun at the steam train tomorrow.’
* * *
Jessie waited until Kit was putting Kelly to bed before tackling Ben. ‘She’s lovely. And so is that beautiful dog.’
‘He’s a therapy dog. He’s trained to be like that.’
‘I liked Toni a lot. She’s kind, she’s sweet and she’s great with Kelly. I know it’s early days,’ Jessie continued. ‘But I saw the way you look at each other. And Kelly was going to say a last goodbye to Toni and Archie, but she said you were kissing Toni so she thought she’d better come back.’
‘I didn’t even hear Kelly coming into the hallway,’ Ben admitted.
‘You’ve got it bad,’ Jessie said with a smile. ‘I gather you’ve told her about Karen and the baby?’
He nodded.
‘I’m glad. I liked her a lot. She was telling me about the therapy dog work. That’s such a lovely thing to do. She’s definitely one of the good guys.’
‘And she’s been hurt before,’ he said. ‘By someone who sounds as if he was incredibly selfish. So we’re taking things slowly.’ He and Toni hadn’t exactly taken things slowly so far, he thought, trying to hold back the colour that threatened to rush into his face. But they were dating properly now. Getting to know each other. Seeing where this thing took them—and if he could finally let go and learn to trust again.
‘I think,’ Jessie said, ‘you might be just what each other needs.’
And he had a feeling his sister was right.
CHAPTER NINE
‘YOU MADE A real hit with my sister,’ Ben told Toni on Monday evening, when they’d taken Archie for a long walk on the beach.
‘I liked her very much, too,’ Toni said. ‘Kit seemed lovely—and Kelly and Josh are adorable.’
‘So,’ Ben said, ‘are you.’
Which thrilled her to her bones, and they walked back down to the harbour with their arms wrapped around each other.
* * *
On Thursday, it was Ginny’s funeral; although it was good to share memories with Ginny’s family and friends, it also made Toni really miss her grandmother and her parents, and by the time she got home she felt really flat and miserable. Even a cuddle with Archie wasn’t enough to fill the empty spaces.
That evening Ben brought dinner round to Toni’s—for Stacey, Nick and Scarlett, too.
Stacey gave him a hug. ‘I know I’m not supposed to know anything about what’s going on between you two, but I’m glad you and Toni have found each other.’
‘Me, too,’ Ben said softly.
On Saturday it was the practice’s pot-luck dinner. Ranjit had a trestle table set up for the food and plenty of chairs; although Toni and Ben arrived separately, they managed to sit together in the garden.
Ben had brought lemon-glazed chicken and sweet potato wedges; and Toni had made a lemon tart with an almond pastry base, supplementing it with fruit from her garden. By the time everyone from the practice arrived, the table was groaning.
After dinner, Toni instigated a round of charades that had everyone enjoying themselves, from the younger children through to the teenagers as well as the entire practice team. When Ranjit put some music on, Ben ended up giving everyone an impromptu dance lesson. And at the end of the evening Ben insisted on walking Toni home.
‘I really enjoyed tonight,’ he said. ‘Our team is lovely, and so are their families.’
‘Plus we’ve got loads of recipes now for our patients. I’ll need to run them all through one of the nutrition sites so I can work out the calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein content,’ she said, ‘but I think we’ve got a really good base for our meal plans now.’
‘I’ll send you the photographs I took of all the dishes,’ Ben said.
‘Thanks. A picture might be the thing that persuades someone to try making a dish,’ she said.
At her doorstep, she asked, ‘Would you like to come in?’
‘Very much,’ he said. ‘I want to dance with you again.’
‘You sort out the music, and I’ll pour the wine.’
Swaying with her to a soft bluesy track, with their arms wrapped round each other, made Ben feel at peace with the world. And it was a wrench saying goodnight to her. He was oh, so close to asking her if he could stay. But he knew that rushing things wasn’t the way forward. He still needed time to learn to trust. To put the past behind him. To be sure that he could give his heart again.
* * *
On Wednesday, Toni’s eyes were sparkling when they took Archie for a run on the beach. ‘Stacey texted me earlier to see if you’re free on Sunday. She and Nick are hiring a boat on the Broads. Would you like to come with us?’
‘The Norfolk Broads, as in the Bowie song?’ he asked.
She smiled. ‘Absolutely. They’re actually medieval peat diggings which filled up over the years to make a series of lakes and channels. The scenery is amazing, and so is the wildlife. I know you enjoyed the seals, so I thought you might enjoy this, too.’
‘So is this an official date with your family?’ Like the barbecue had been with his sister.
‘If you want it to be,’ she said.
He thought about it. This would be the next step. And when he was with her like this, just the two of them and her dog, he felt so light of spirit. Would it change things if they went public? Would she change?
He decided to take the risk. ‘Official. OK. That’s good with me.’
‘We’re leaving at about ten. We’re taking sandwiches for lunch and stopping for dinner at a pub on the way home, if that’s all right with you.’
‘That’s great.’
She smiled. ‘Then I’ll pick you up at ten minutes to ten.’
‘I’ll be ready,’ he promised.
On Sunday, when she picked him up, Ben wasn’t that surprised when he discovered that Archie was coming, too; but he was surprised to discover that the dog had a lifejacket.
‘I had no idea they made lifejackets for dogs,’ he said.
‘The same as for small children,’ Stacey told him with a smile, and he saw that Scarlett, too, had a special lifejacket.
Nick and Ben took turns steering the boat while Toni and Stacey took turns cuddling Scarlett and pointing out all the wildlife to her—coots and moorhens on the water, along with the ducks, huge swallo
wtail butterflies in the bushes, and even a bright blue kingfisher swooping down.
Ben watched Toni cuddling her niece, patiently teaching her new words and clapping when she got them right.
She was so good with children. She’d make a brilliant mother.
But he’d thought that about Karen, and look where that had got him.
He pulled himself up sharply. It was time he put the past to rest. To draw a line, put it behind him and focus on the good—on his new life here, in a little seaside village full of people who were prepared to open their hearts to him, instead of brooding.
‘You’re quiet,’ Toni said, coming to join him at the front of the boat while Nick went to see his wife and daughter.
‘I’m fine,’ he fibbed.
‘Are you feeling a bit seasick or anything?’
‘No.’ He didn’t want to tell her how ridiculous and self-indulgent he was being. He wanted her to enjoy the day. ‘Show me what you were showing Scarlett. I’m a city boy at heart so I know absolutely nothing about flora and fauna.’
To his relief she didn’t push him. Instead she did what he’d asked. ‘OK. See all those water grasses at the edge of the Broads? Sedges have edges, and reeds are round. The reeds are the ones that are harvested and dried to make roofs for the thatched cottages around here.’
‘Right.’
‘And those black birds swimming over there are moorhens and coots.’
‘What’s the difference?’ He frowned. ‘I’ve heard the saying “bald as a coot”, but they don’t actually look bald.’
She laughed. ‘No, they’re not. I’ve no idea where that saying comes from.’
‘Maybe it’s the same as “bald eagle”,’ he said, ‘so it’s to do with having white feathers?’
‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘The coots have the white bills and the moorhens have the red bills. The way to remember which one is “moorhen, more colour”.’
