by Fay Keenan
‘Maybe not. But don’t rush into anything, Katie. Yes, this could be a sign from the universe, and in Willowbury there are plenty of people who believe in that sort of thing, but the hard facts are a little more difficult to ignore. You need to think this through, for you and the boys. And even for Phil.’
‘I know.’ Kate saw a silver BMW estate pulling up to the kerb. A tall, lean guy wearing a plaid shirt got out, slammed the door and locked the car before heading towards them.
‘Hi,’ he said as he approached. ‘I’m Chris. Kate?’
‘That’s right,’ Kate replied. ‘And this is my brother, Sam, who lives next door.’
Chris smiled at Sam. ‘Yeah, I know Sam – we were in the town’s production of “Much Ado About Christmas” a couple of years back.’
‘Much against my better judgement!’ Sam laughed at the memory. ‘Although it all turned out okay in the end. Chris played Don John to my Benedick… it was an experience, all right.’
‘At least you didn’t end up getting dunked in a barrel of cider!’ Chris grinned.
‘True.’ Directing his attention back to Kate again, Sam added, ‘Not that I can offer any constructive help, but do you want me to come and take a look at the house with you?’
Kate shook her head. ‘You go and grab what you need to from the shops and get back to Florence and Mia. I’ll see you later.’
‘Okay.’ He turned back to Chris. ‘Nice to see you again.’
‘You too. Shall we?’ Chris asked. Kate nodded, and he continued talking as they neared the front door. ‘It had the central heating done, and the damp proofing when I bought it a couple of years ago but I wasn’t really thinking too much about décor.’ He glanced back at her as he opened the front door, which squeaked when it moved. ‘The plan was to hang on to it until the market rose, but I’ve got a bigger project on the go, and I really need a cash injection, so it’s time to get it ready to sell.’
‘I see,’ Kate said. As she stepped through the front door after Chris, despite her best intentions, she felt a frisson of excitement. But it was too soon for that. She needed proof that this could be what she’d daydreamed about. Or proof, indeed, that it could never be.
As they walked through the ground floor, Kate noticed the rather more generous dimensions of the place compared to the two other houses on the terrace. Her observations about an extension had largely been correct, and although it had obviously been done over twenty years ago, it had been a sympathetic addition. The kitchen, like Florence and Sam’s, was at the back, and there was a small room off to one side of it with a window overlooking the back garden.
‘It’s got great space,’ Kate said. ‘When, er, were you thinking about getting it up on the market?’
‘As soon as possible,’ Chris replied. ‘The place my wife and I are working on right now has some serious issues, and we need to get them sorted before we get any further. It’s a shame, really, but something has to give.’
Looking at the state of the place, Kate knew almost immediately that she wouldn’t have time to tackle a project this big before she went back to Cambridge. Gazing up at the ceilings, which had Artex swirls all over them, she turned back to Chris.
‘I’m afraid this is too big a job, even if it was just a couple of coats of paint that you wanted, for me to get done before I go home,’ she said.
‘Fair enough,’ Chris replied. ‘I’ve got a local guy coming round this afternoon to take a look, but Jack seemed keen for you to get first refusal.’
‘That was kind of him.’ Kate smiled. It was another example of small-town spirit that appealed to her about Willowbury.
‘Well, if you’re sure, then I’d better get back,’ Chris said. ‘I’ve got a ton more lime plaster to mix and spread before today’s over.’
It’s now or never, Kate thought. ‘Look, Chris…’
‘Yeah?’
‘I like this place. A lot. I’m not promising anything, but do you think you could give me an idea of what you’re planning on selling for?’
Chris looked surprised. ‘Well… in its current condition, or with the decorating done?’
Kate grinned. ‘I think you and I both know that a paint job adds value, which is fine. But, and as I said, I’m not promising anything, if the price was right, and you were looking to move it quickly… I might be interested in buying.’
‘You clearly get on better with your brother than I do with mine, if you’re thinking of moving next door!’ Chris laughed. ‘But each to their own. I need to get a valuer in, but I can let you know when I have, if that’s a serious proposal.’
‘To be honest, I’m not sure if it is, right now,’ Kate conceded. ‘I’ve got three sons to consider, and a lot of thinking to do. But I’d like to keep my options open.’
‘Fair enough.’ Chris glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll be in touch.’ He shook his head.
As they headed back out of the house, Kate’s knees started to shake. This could be the beginning of something very exciting, very terrifying, or both.
61
That evening, Kate flopped down onto the sofa in Aidan and Tom’s living room and wondered if she would ever get up again. She and the boys had hired some mountain bikes and had spent most of the day cycling the paths that criss-crossed the hills around Willowbury, discovering the trails that led to secluded woodland spots, perfect for the picnic Kate had packed to take with them after she’d got back from looking at number three. The boys were sprawled around the living room, loose limbed as Labradors and utterly knackered, and were still talking about the ‘Wall of Death’ trail that ran through the beech and oak woodland on the other side of Willowbury Hill. Kate, genuinely afraid she was going to fly off her bike and break her neck, had taken things rather more steadily as all three boys had raced ahead. Harry had given Corey the day off, and it was wonderful to have all three of them outside in the open air, just having fun again, even if the speeds they tackled the trail made her very nervous.
Kate hadn’t yet mentioned going to see the house on the end of the terrace; every time she’d thought about it during the day, she’d bottled out, not wanting to change the mood. But now, as she tried to relax on the sofa, she realised it was time to broach the subject. Replete from a dinner at the pub on the way back, the boys seemed amenable and relaxed.
‘Did you have a good time today?’ she asked Tom as he stretched out across the living room floor, lazily reaching for his phone.
‘It was cool,’ Tom said. ‘Would have been better to have had my own bike, but the ones we hired weren’t bad.’
‘Perhaps next time we can do it on our own bikes,’ Kate said.
Noticing a slightly reticent tone in her voice, all three boys swivelled their gaze towards their mother. ‘What?’ She laughed. ‘Was it something I said?’
Corey, ever the natural spokesman for the brothers, broke the silence first. ‘We’ve been thinking about what you said, Mum.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Kate laughed nervously. ‘What’s that, then?’
‘About us moving here.’
‘Look,’ Kate began, ‘I told you. I haven’t made any decisions about anything, yet, and I wouldn’t do it without talking to you all first, seeing what you think. It’s been a lovely day… let’s not start rowing.’
‘It’s all right, Mum,’ Will interjected. ‘We know all that. But we had a bit of a chance to think about what you said to us, and… well, we just want you to know… we’re cool with whatever you decide.’
Kate’s eyes filled with tears at the sincerity in her middle son’s voice. ‘That means a lot. Thank you.’ She looked at her three sons, each in turn. ‘Where’s this come from, then?’
Will shrugged. ‘We like it here. And we know you do, too.’
‘But that’s not the same as coming to live here, is it?’
‘Well,’ Tom said, picking up from his brother swiftly, ‘it’s not like, with Dad still being back home, we’d never see anyone again. Or like you’re going to make us come
to live here tomorrow, is it?’
‘No,’ Kate conceded. ‘Even if I had found somewhere to live.’ Which, she thought quickly, technically I haven’t, yet; pipe dreams didn’t count. ‘It would take a few months to get everything in place.’
‘So we’re still, like, going back to school in September, then?’ Will said.
Kate grinned. ‘Yup. ’Fraid so.’ She looked again at her sons. ‘But thank you, boys. What you’ve said means a lot. And I promise, no big decisions without consulting you first.’
At that moment, Kate’s phone rang, and with an excited lurch, she saw Chris Charlton’s name flashing up on screen. Jumping up from the sofa, she wandered through to the kitchen.
‘Wow,’ she said as she answered. ‘I wasn’t expecting to hear back from you so quickly.’
‘I’ve got a good contact in the local estate agency,’ Chris said. ‘And I wanted to come back to you as quickly as I could. After all, if you decide it’s not for you, I need to get it listed.’
‘So what’s the verdict?’
As Chris told her the figure he had in mind, Kate sank onto one of the kitchen chairs. ‘I see,’ she said softly. ‘I’ll be in touch. Thank you.’ Ending the call, she couldn’t work out if things had just got a whole lot simpler, or even more complicated.
62
Much later that evening, after the boys had gone to bed, Kate came downstairs after making sure all three of them had sleeping bags and enough space, and weren’t about to punch each other’s lights out. True to her word, she’d levelled with them immediately about Chris’s phone call, and while they seemed shocked, they had again reminded her that they would be okay, whatever her decision was. As she entered the living room again, she found Aidan, who’d been round to see Sam and Florence earlier, sitting on the sofa watching News at Ten. Flumping down next to him, she let out a long sigh.
‘So what gives, sis?’ Aidan, eyes still fixed on the news, asked gently.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ve been on edge all evening. Want to tell me why?’
Kate sighed. ‘Chris Charlton, the guy who owns the house at the end of Bay Tree Terrace, rang earlier let me know the price he wants to sell it for.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Aidan raised an eyebrow. ‘And?’
‘And… I could afford it.’ She put her head briefly in her hands, before looking back up at her brother.
‘You could… but do you want to?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Now that it’s real… I just don’t know. There’s a part of me that’s jumping for joy. I mean, buying that house would be the answer to one set of problems, but am I letting myself in for even more? The boys have said they’re okay with it, but are they really?’
‘They’ll adapt,’ Aidan said gently. ‘They’re such good kids. You’ll probably get a hard time for a while, but they’ve said themselves that they like it here.’
‘But new schools, having to make new friends… a whole new house that at the moment’s in shit order…?’
‘People move across the country all the time,’ Aidan said. ‘Most of them, I’m sure, work it out in the end. And it’s not as if you’re moving somewhere you don’t know anyone else. I’m here, Sam’s here… Harry’s here.’
At the mention of Harry’s name, Kate’s heart jumped. ‘True,’ she conceded. ‘And with Phil still back in Cambridge, they’ll be able to keep in touch with their mates.’
‘And, to be fair, even if you do buy number three, the annexe at Mum’s is going to be home for you for a little while. That place needs some serious work!’
‘Fair point,’ Kate said. ‘When did you end up being the one who talked all the sense, out of the three of us?’
Aidan grinned. ‘Someone has to pick up your slack, big sis. You can’t be the sensible one all the time.’
‘Phil’s going to need keeping in the loop, too,’ Kate said, ‘if I do decide to go ahead with this.’
‘Absolutely,’ Aidan said. ‘In spite of everything, you’re going to need his help if you do. After all, doing up that house means weekends and free time over here.’
Kate again felt a huge flutter of nerves. ‘I’m quite scared, actually.’
Aidan put an arm around her shoulders. ‘Don’t be. You’ve got all of us here to help.’
‘Thanks,’ Kate replied. ‘You sound just like Dad.’
Aidan laughed a little. ‘Who’d have thought I’d ever sound like a father?’
‘Maybe one day you’ll find out what that’s like for real,’ Kate said.
Aidan shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. It’s great being an uncle, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for being a parent, even if Mia does make me feel broody. Besides, if Tom ends up touring with this play, or the next one, I’d quite like to be able to drop everything and go with him. Couldn’t do that if I had a kid to worry about.’ He glanced down at his lap, where Lucifer the cat was curled up, content to have his real owner back. ‘And you can always feed this lump if we do go on tour.’
Kate shook her head. ‘Providing you leave me a pair of thick gloves and a very long spoon! He doesn’t like me at all.’ As if he understood, Lucifer opened one brilliant green eye and regarded Kate with disdain.
‘Yes, I think cats are about all the responsibility I can handle for the time being.’ Aidan ruffled Lucifer under the chin and the cat stretched voluptuously.
‘Fair enough,’ Kate said. ‘But never say never. You might find yourself wanting the nappy changes and the sleepless nights eventually.’
‘You make it sound so appealing!’ Aidan laughed. He paused, then looked thoughtful. ‘You should probably sleep on it before you make any serious decisions about that house.’
Kate nodded. ‘Definitely. I’m knackered. And I need to show the boys the house before I commit to anything.’
‘What about Harry?’ Aidan asked. ‘Have you told him what’s going on?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Not yet.’ She paused. ‘I know it sounds weird, but I kind of want to set this in motion for myself before I tell him for sure.’
Aidan turned towards Kate on the sofa. ‘It’s not admitting weakness to acknowledge that seeing more of Harry is a good reason to be here.’
‘I know.’ Kate sighed. ‘I just don’t want to tempt fate. I mean, a holiday fling is one thing, but what happens when I’m literally just down the road? What if we decide we should have just called it a day when this house was done?’
‘Then you’ll be grown-ups about it, and walk away as friends,’ Aidan said. ‘I mean, come on, sis, I know you’ve been out of the dating game for bloody years, but you’re not eighteen any more. You can handle it, whatever happens.’
‘Thanks,’ Kate said dryly.
Suddenly, Aidan yawned. ‘Well, I’m off to bed. If you’re still up when Tom gets back from his rehearsal, can you tell him there’s a pasty in the fridge if he wants it?’
‘How domesticated!’ Kate teased.
Aidan grinned again. ‘Everything changes, sis,’ he said, ruffling her hair as he got up off the sofa. ‘And with a bit of luck, it’s all for the better.’
Long after Aidan had gone to bed, Kate was still sitting on the sofa. She hoped, with every bit of her being, that Aidan’s last words were right. Suddenly, despite everything she’d said to Aidan, she picked up her phone.
‘Hey,’ she said softly when the call was answered. ‘It’s me.’
The voice on the end was sleepy, understandably, seeing as it was nearly midnight. ‘Yes, everything’s fine,’ she said. Then she took a deep breath. ‘I just thought you should know something.’ She settled back against the comfy cushions of the sofa. ‘Harry,’ she said gently. ‘Don’t get excited, but I have a very strong feeling that Willowbury wasn’t just for the summer.’
Epilogue
Nine months later
‘Oh, thank goodness, the weather’s going to hold,’ Kate said as she checked the BBC weather app on her phone. ‘I don’t think we could have held this party
indoors, now that everyone who was invited has decided to turn up!’ Even Lorna, Kate’s former next-door neighbour and close friend in Cambridge, who very rarely ventured out of the county unless she had to, had booked a room at the Avalon Rise Bed and Breakfast, so she could come to the housewarming party. She’d actually visited a couple of times while Kate had been renovating, and had eventually conceded that she could see the point in an upheaval to such a beautiful place.
Harry looked up from his laptop, where he was trying to make sense of the latest stock spreadsheet for Vale Volumes. ‘We’d have managed,’ he said mildly. Kate’s middle son, Will, had settled well into his GCSE in Business Studies, despite the change of schools halfway through the year, and had been creating a searchable database for the bookshop as part of his coursework. Harry, unfortunately, still had yet to be able to make head or tail of it without his assistance, but that was more down to Harry’s capacity for understanding it than Will’s lack of skill in building it in the first place.
The renovations on number three, Bay Tree Terrace had been completed a month ago, and Kate had finally been persuaded that she could relax a little. Tom and Will had enrolled at Willowbury Academy after the Easter holiday and, despite some early reservations, had settled in well. They still spent every other weekend at Phil’s place, and had bonded well with their new half-sister, who had been born a few months back. Although it was a long way to trek, they enjoyed the chance to spend time back in their old haunts. Tom had joined a local football team recently, which might mean fewer visits to Phil, but Kate was sure, like everything, it could all be worked out. Phil, despite his initial reservations about Kate’s move, had eventually been persuaded that it was for the best.
Corey was in the Sixth Form at the academy and was working for Harry at the weekends. He’d settled well in Willowbury, was seeing the girl he’d met at Artemis Bane’s book launch and was preparing to sit his AS Level exams. He was tickled to be taking English Literature with Florence’s maternity cover teacher, and was jokingly looking forward to Florence’s return to the classroom the following September, when, she’d assured him, there would be absolutely no favouritism.
