The Never Have I Ever Club

by Mary Jayne Baker

  He stooped to give Robyn a kiss, then pulled Will to him for a hug as applause echoed around the room.

  ‘See, I’m not such a bad brother in the end, am I?’ he whispered. ‘Take good care of her for me.’

  ‘Ash, I can’t. You love her.’

  ‘I do.’ He cast a fond look at Robyn. ‘I always will. But not quite as much as you do, I think, or at least not in the same way. Mine already feels like it’s starting to settle into a more friendly sort of attachment. Perhaps that’s all the two of us were meant to be in the end.’ He smiled. ‘What do you think, Rob?’

  ‘I think… I’m a bit dizzy.’ She glanced at Will. ‘Would you walk me home?’

  ‘Er, yeah,’ Will said, feeling pretty dizzy himself. ‘If Ash doesn’t mind.’

  ‘Course I don’t. Go on, off you go.’

  Robyn gave him a hug.

  ‘Ash Barnes, that was a beautiful thing you just did,’ she whispered.

  Ash blinked away a tear as he hugged her back. ‘Well, I’m not saying it was easy. Make each other happy, eh? Love you, Rob.’

  ‘I love you too. Goodnight, Ash, and thanks. For everything.’

  She slipped her hand into Will’s as they floated through the room, submitting to hugs and back-slaps from friends they could barely focus on. It felt like they were in a dream.

  ‘Robyn!’

  She heard Felicity’s call just as they left the pub.

  ‘Oh.’ She stopped and waited for her aunt to catch them up. ‘Fliss, I’m so sorry. I forgot to say goodbye. I’m just feeling a bit… befuddled.’

  ‘Oh, never mind about that, you’ve got more important things than me to worry about. I just wanted a quick word with Will.’

  Will blinked. ‘Me?’

  ‘Well, you are my GP. Now, that cancer specialist – would she be available to see me next week, do you think?’

  ‘Specialist…’ His eyes widened. ‘You didn’t change your mind?’

  ‘I was given a badge tonight that I plan on earning. Yes, Dr Barnes, I did.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Robyn threw herself at Fliss for a hug. ‘Really, Aunty?’

  ‘Really.’

  ‘Arghh! I’m so relieved, Fliss, so happy, I can’t tell you… What made you decide to have the treatment after all?’

  Felicity smiled at Will. ‘You did – I mean, the two of you. As painful as it’s going to be, I’d like to try and live a little bit longer so I can see my Robyn happy. Who knows where we’ll be in another couple of Eurovisions? Perhaps I might get to meet a great-great-niece or nephew before I leave you.’

  Robyn reddened, casting a glance at Will. ‘Well, let’s not frighten the boy. I think we’re both in shock as it is.’

  Felicity gave her a kiss, then hobbled over to Will to plant one on his cheek too. ‘You’ve got a treasure there, young man. Take care of her.’

  ‘I will. Thanks, Felicity.’

  ‘I’d better go back in. It’s a bit rude to sneak out of a party that’s being held in your honour, I suppose. Night, you two.’

  Robyn slipped her arm into Will’s and they started walking home. Neither of them spoke a word, measuring their steps mechanically in a stunned silence.

  ‘How did he know?’ Will said at last. ‘How did he know how you felt about me?’

  Robyn flushed. ‘I told him, last week when he came to the house. He asked and… well, I tried to lie, but he already seemed to know the answer.’

  ‘And so he planned all this. To do it in front of everyone.’ Will half smiled. ‘That’s our Ash. Ever the showman.’

  Robyn shook her head. ‘That’s not why he waited until tonight. Don’t you get it?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It’s not just Ash’s blessing we need, Will, it’s everyone’s.’ She nodded to Mrs Carlton’s place across the road. ‘This is Kettlewick. They had to understand, or life would be unbearable for us here. Ash just made sure the whole village was on our side.’

  ‘I guess he did,’ Will said, remembering the warm applause when he and Ash had hugged. He frowned. ‘Hey. That was smart.’

  ‘Turns out your brother’s a smart guy. Who knew, eh?’

  ‘There’ll still be gossip though.’

  ‘Probably, but after Arty’s memoirs I think our little triangle will seem pretty tame. I bet it’ll dry up quickly.’

  They reached Robyn’s front door.

  ‘So will you come in?’ she asked. ‘I guess we need to talk.’

  ‘Okay.’

  He followed her to the living room and sat down, still half dazed.

  Robyn smiled as she took a seat too. ‘I think you can take the blazer off now, Will. And, er, maybe lose the dog collar.’

  ‘Oh. Right.’ He took off the collar, then struggled out of the shiny blue jacket and stashed it under the sofa where they wouldn’t be blinded by the glare.

  After sitting in thoughtful silence for a moment, he turned to Robyn.

  ‘Do you think it’s okay? Are we really allowed to do this?’

  ‘We’ve just been given permission from the one person who stood in our way.’

  ‘I know, but it still feels…’ He blinked hard. ‘I’ve fought it for so long.’

  ‘I’m not saying there won’t be some awkwardness, for a little while at least. But together we can work through it. I love you, Will, and I don’t intend giving up on that.’

  His brow, creased and thoughtful all the way home, finally lifted.

  ‘I love you too, Bloom.’

  She wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss on his mouth.

  ‘So how did that feel?’ she whispered. ‘Right or wrong?’

  Will touched his lips.

  ‘Right. Definitely right.’

  ‘You sure? You don’t need another test?’

  ‘You know, I think maybe I do. For control purposes.’

  He drew her to him, and for a long moment they were lost in each other, in kisses and exploring hands, the sense that this was something forbidden gradually evaporating as they held on tight to one another.

  ‘Oh God, Bloom,’ Will said, pressing his eyes closed. ‘Are you mine, properly? This is real?’

  ‘Yes, Will,’ she whispered. ‘I think the three of us have slotted into our right places at last.’

  ‘And Ash…’

  ‘I love Ash. But like he said, that had already evolved into something more friendly, long before tonight. At least, for me it had, and I think perhaps for him too, although it took him longer to realise it. I know we’ll always be friends.’

  ‘And family too, maybe?’

  She smiled. ‘Don’t you start. We’re already likely to have Fliss and my parents banging on the bedroom door, demanding we make some babies ASAP. Let’s take it one day at a time, eh?’

  ‘I like the sound of that.’

  ‘And we’re going to New York next week.’ She shook her head. ‘I can hardly believe it. I’ve never been to the States before.’

  ‘Nor me.’ He drew a finger over her cheekbone. ‘I’m glad I get to lose my America virginity with you, Bloomy.’

  She smiled, tilting her head so he could kiss her neck. ‘I love hearing you call me that.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I guess because no one else ever does. It makes me think of you whenever I hear it. And thinking about you makes me happy.’

  ‘Because you love me.’

  ‘You know I do.’

  ‘Good, then I won’t feel slutty asking if you fancy taking this upstairs. You look really hot in that dress.’

  She laughed. ‘You like a bit of retro Geri, do you?’

  He slid his hand up her thigh. ‘No, but I like a bit of Robyn Bloom. What do you think, shall we do some day-seizing under the covers?’

  ‘What better way to celebrate Eurovision night?’ She slapped her forehead. ‘Oh! We never found out who won.’

  Will looked up from kissing her shoulder to cock an eyebrow. ‘I’m seducing you here, Bloom. It’s doing very little for
my fragile male ego that you’re too distracted by the Eurovision bloody Song Contest to even notice.’

  She smiled. ‘Sorry. Seduce away, Will, you’re doing a cracking job.’

  ‘I’ll do a better job in the bedroom when I’ve peeled that dress off you. Come on.’

  Will took her hand. As he led her upstairs, Robyn felt a surge of warmth and happiness, feeling that everything – and everyone – had finally found its proper place.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks as ever to my agent, Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents, and to my brilliant editor Hannah Smith at Aria, as well as all of the amazing Aria team who worked so hard to publication and beyond to make this book a success.

  Much love always to my beta reader and long-suffering author-widower, Mark Anslow, epic provider of feedback, snacks and wine who always knows when they’ll be needed. Also big thanks go to all my supportive, not to mention talented, author friends online and off: Rachel Burton, Sophie Claire, Victoria Cooke, Jacqui Cooper, Rachel Dove, Kiley Dunbar, Helena Fairfax, Kate Field, Melinda Hammond, Elisabeth Hobbes, Jenni Keer, Marie Laval, Katey Lovell, Kim Nash, Helen Pollard, Rachael Stewart, Victoria Walters, Angela Wren and many others. And a special pat on the back to Kiley Dunbar and Victoria Walters for helping me to name my Eurovision cocktails!

  Family, friends and colleagues have been supportive as ever, and deserve thanks and apologies for my usual state of zombie-like waking sleep while this draft was completed. Thanks to the Firth, Braham and Anslow clans, friends Nigel and Lynette Emsley, Amy Smith and Bob Fletcher, and to all my co-workers at Dalesman Publishing.

  The Romantic Novelists’ Association is an amazing, supportive professional body for those of us who write love stories, offering everything from an annual conference to a highly effective scheme for new writers. This year they celebrate their 60th birthday and I’m very proud to be a member. Absolutely huge thanks to them for everything they do.

  And finally, to the brilliant book bloggers who work so tirelessly to champion our books – thank you all, and please never stop doing what you do!

  About the Author

  MARY JAYNE BAKER grew up in rural West Yorkshire, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she's still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

  Mary Jayne’s novel A Question of Us was the winner of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award 2020. She also writes uplifting women’s fiction as Lisa Swift.

  More information can be found about Mary Jayne on her website at www.maryjaynebaker.co.uk. You can also follow her on Twitter, @MaryJayneBaker, or like her Facebook page by going to Facebook.com/MaryJayneWrites

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