Starry Skies at Castle Court

by Holly Hepburn

  ‘Oh my god, what an arsehole!’ Sadie blurted out, before remembering that Lissy was standing right beside her and clamping a hand over her mouth.

  ‘Yeah,’ Cat agreed. ‘And now I don’t know what to do. I mean, I made it very clear to Jaren that we could only be business partners – it’s too late to go back on that now.’

  Sadie gave her a sideways look. ‘Is it? Are you sure?’

  Cat sighed. ‘Pretty sure.’

  ‘What if you explained? Jaren is the most reasonable person I know – he’ll understand.’

  ‘There’s still the bistro?’

  ‘So?’ Sadie asked, exasperated. ‘I know it’s important, Cat, but it’s not the be all and end all. Work won’t snuggle up to you after a long day, and it won’t bring you a cup of tea in bed on a Sunday morning.’

  ‘You might be right,’ Cat mumbled but she looked unconvinced.

  Remembering her promise not to lecture, Sadie tried another tack. ‘What did you say earlier, as Andrew and Earl were coming back down the aisle?’

  A hunted expression crossed Cat’s face. ‘I don’t remember.’

  ‘Yes, you do. You said, “If that doesn’t restore your faith in love, I don’t know what will.” ’

  ‘Okay,’ Cat said, folding her arms. ‘I might have said that. What’s your point?’

  Lissy’s hand started to twist in Sadie’s, a sure sign she was getting bored. ‘Don’t you want that?’ she asked Cat. ‘Don’t you want someone to look at you the way Earl looked at Andrew during that ceremony? Don’t you want to be Leia to someone’s Han?’

  A look of yearning flitted across Cat’s face and was quickly hidden. Her gaze flicked towards Smart Cookies. ‘Speaking of which, don’t you think we’d better—’

  ‘Don’t change the subject,’ Sadie warned, as Lissy began to hop from one foot to the other. ‘Tell Jaren what happened. If you don’t, I will.’

  ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ Cat said, raising her chin in challenge.

  Sadie smiled. ‘Watch me.’

  Cat opened her mouth to speak, just as Adam appeared with the most enormous ice-cream cornet Sadie had ever seen. ‘Special dino delivery for Lissy Smart,’ he said, bending down to hand her the ice cream. ‘One Strawberry Sensation, all the way from Cornwall, just for you!’

  Cat tilted her head to one side and smiled at Sadie. ‘What was that you were saying about Leia and Han?’

  Chapter Nine

  It was much later. The wedding breakfast had been served and speeches had been made. Andrew’s father, a hale and hearty logger from Oregon, had made everyone cry by describing the moment he first realised his son was gay and how happy he was to be gaining another son. Kirsty’s best woman speech had made everyone cry again, but this time with laughter. And both Andrew and Earl had gone into raptures over Sadie and Cat’s special gift to them – a Millennium Falcon made entirely from gingerbread.

  Eventually the shadows had grown longer and day had become night. As Cat had predicted, the fairy lights sprinkled magic over the Court and crowd-pleasing music from the band encouraged people to dance beneath them. Cat was delighted to see Cherie from the patisserie dancing with an older gentleman and gazing shyly into his eyes; could it be she was finally ready to let go of the ghost of her beloved husband? Cat hoped so; if anyone deserved a second chance at love it was Cherie, who’d been widowed far too young.

  She sat for a moment, allowing her heart to warm at the sight of so many people having fun, then shuffled back in her seat and tilted her face towards the sky. The first few stars were twinkling into view, making Cat recall her wish from a week earlier. It still held, she decided, staring up at the stars. She still needed a fairy godmother to sort everything out.

  ‘A euro for your thoughts.’

  She blinked and looked around to see Jaren standing beside her, a golden flute of champagne in each hand. She smiled, remembering another time he’d used exactly the same phrase. ‘They’re definitely not worth that much,’ she replied.

  ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’ He held out a glass. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’

  Cat’s smile vanished as her heart began to thud. ‘Pull up a chair.’

  He settled beside her. ‘Do you remember the first time we met?’

  She nodded, wondering if he had any idea how many times she’d thought of that moment since. ‘You came into the shop, just before we were due to open.’

  ‘I did,’ he agreed. ‘But that wasn’t the first time I’d seen you. I’d been watching you coming and going for weeks – always in a hurry, always with your head down. And then one time, you walked into the Court and stopped to admire the oak tree, as though you were noticing it for the first time.’

  ‘Did I?’ Cat gave a self-conscious laugh and took a gulp of her drink. ‘I don’t remember.’

  Jaren’s dark eyes fixed hers. ‘I do,’ he said quietly. ‘It was the first time I’d seen your face. And I remember thinking you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.’

  The breath caught in Cat’s throat. She couldn’t speak.

  He smiled. ‘I think that was the moment I fell in love with you, although I didn’t realise it for some time. And by then you were mixed up with Seb and there was nothing I could do. So I resigned myself to being your friend and tried to move on. But that was easier said than done.’

  Warmth stole over Cat like a cashmere blanket as she gazed at him. She didn’t dare interrupt in case she broke the spell.

  ‘Eventually, Seb ruined things, as I suspected he would, although I was sorry to see you get hurt. I was sorry for Elin too, because she didn’t deserve what happened and I think she always knew she was second-choice to you for both of us.’ He looked away. ‘I’m not especially proud of that. But I still thought I could get over you then.’

  Cat found her voice. ‘Jaren—’

  He held up a hand. ‘No, I have to say it all now. If I stop then my courage will fail.’ He took a long sip from his glass and carried on. ‘Then we cooked together and I finally summoned up the courage to kiss you. It was the best moment of my life – anything seemed possible – but afterwards, you started to avoid me and I thought you had decided our kiss had been a mistake. When you told me we should be business partners and nothing more, I became even more convinced that you regretted what had happened between us.’ His gaze met hers once more. ‘But now I know differently.’

  In a flash, Cat knew what had happened. ‘Sadie.’

  Jaren tipped his head. ‘No, not Sadie. It was Elin. She told me that Seb had lied to you, made it seem as though it was her I wanted and not you. And it gave me hope that maybe – maybe all was not lost.’

  Cat sat very still, her heart racing as she tried to process everything Jaren had told her. He loved her, just as Elin had said – had always loved her, even before she’d known he was there. And the kiss they’d shared had been the best moment of his life, until she’d ruined it. Yet he still had hope, in spite of everything she’d said about remaining colleagues.

  ‘But the bistro . . .’ she said weakly, trailing off.

  ‘I resign,’ he said promptly. ‘If I have to make a choice then there is no contest. I choose you, if you’ll have me. Will you, Cat?’

  He looked so vulnerable at that moment that Cat wanted to pull him into her arms there and then. But she didn’t. Instead, she stayed still, watching the other guests swaying to the music and allowing the tumultuous thoughts in her head to settle. ‘Do you want to dance?’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Now?’

  She smiled. ‘Yes, now. I want to feel your arms around me and that can’t happen if we’re both sat in different chairs.’

  His eyes lit up from within. Taking her glass, he placed it on a nearby table and held out a hand. ‘Then I would love to dance.’

  Once they were beneath the fairy lights, Jaren slid his hands carefully around Cat’s waist and held her. Scarcely believing it was happening, Cat leaned into him and breathed in his scent. They swayed
gently, gazing at each other in wonder. ‘You smell like vanilla and sugar,’ he murmured as he pulled her closer, and she felt his smile curve against her hair. ‘I knew you would.’

  As the song ended, Jaren drew his head back. ‘I’ve just realised you didn’t answer my question.’

  ‘Which one?’ Cat asked.

  ‘The one where I asked whether you would have me.’

  ‘Oh,’ she said, reaching up to stroke his cheek. ‘Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I’ll have you. I love you, Jaren.’

  His eyes closed for the briefest of seconds, as though he was celebrating a prayer that had been answered. Then he bent his head to kiss her. Feeling as though her heart would burst, Cat kissed him back and all the misery and uncertainty of the last week melted away. She sank into him, feeling as though she’d been on a very long journey, one that had taken her far from home, but now, finally, she was back where she belonged. And she never wanted to leave again.

  *

  Sadie sat on the far side of the court, a sleeping Lissy in her lap, and watched Cat and Jaren kiss. A grin of total satisfaction crossed her face and she allowed herself a quiet, ‘Yes!’ as she cradled her daughter.

  ‘About time,’ a voice said, and she craned her neck to see Adam standing behind her.

  ‘It certainly is,’ she said. ‘I was beginning to think it was never going to happen at all.’

  ‘Good for them,’ he said. ‘They’ll make a great couple.’

  Sadie raised her eyebrows. ‘They’ll make a scary couple – with his business brains and her culinary expertise, I think they might just take over the world. At the very least, they’re going to take over the city.’

  Adam gave her a sidelong look. ‘Where does that leave you?’

  ‘Oh, I’ll be fine,’ Sadie said briskly. ‘Cat and I talked everything through weeks ago – she’ll step back from Smart Cookies for a while and I’ll step up, employ more staff and promote Clare. I’m pretty sure she’s ready for more responsibility and it’s not as though Cat’s going to be a million miles away, after all.’

  He sat down beside her with an admiring glance. ‘It sounds like you’ve got it all worked out. Unsurprisingly.’

  ‘Do you really think so?’ Sadie asked, fighting a sudden burst of hysterical laughter. ‘Honestly, I’m just making it up as I go along.’

  ‘Well, it doesn’t look that way from the outside.’ He paused and looked at her shyly. ‘Cat said earlier that the thing you needed most was a friend. And I want you to know that I’m here for you – anything you need, no matter how small, just let me know.’

  Sadie wasn’t sure if it was the champagne she’d drunk or the stars that twinkled over Castle Court like sparkling dew, but she turned her head towards Adam. ‘There is something you can do,’ she said.

  ‘Anything,’ Adam said.

  Sadie took a deep breath and gathered up every bit of bravery she had. ‘You can kiss me.’

  Adam blinked and blushed to the very tips of his ears, in a way that Sadie was becoming very familiar with. He glanced down at the sleeping Lissy. ‘Are you sure—’

  ‘Please kiss me,’ she said, praying he wouldn’t make her ask a third time. ‘Or I can kiss you. The way I did on Christmas Eve.’

  For one stuttering heartbeat, she thought he might say no. But then he tilted his head to one side and leaned forward to brush her mouth softly with his. A moment later, he pulled back to gaze uncertainly into her eyes. ‘Like this?’

  Sadie bit her lower lip. ‘Very much like that,’ she whispered. ‘But longer.’

  This time Adam didn’t break the kiss. It went on and on, growing and deepening, until Sadie felt as though she never wanted it to end. It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of the Court; it didn’t matter who saw them. It didn’t even matter that Lissy lay slumbering in her arms – what the little girl didn’t know couldn’t hurt her. But eventually, Sadie felt her daughter start to stir and she pulled gently away to gaze into Adam’s wondering eyes.

  He swallowed hard. ‘That was . . .’

  ‘Not a bad start?’ Sadie finished his sentence with a gentle smile as Lissy raised her head and opened one eye to gaze blearily upwards.

  ‘Mummy,’ she said, her voice thick with sleep as she opened one eye. ‘What’s a narsehole?’

  ‘Never you mind,’ Sadie said, swallowing a wildly inappropriate snort of laughter. ‘Go back to sleep. I’ll tell you in the morning.’

  Adam was watching her, his expression still dazed. ‘Is this . . . just a one-night thing?’ he whispered. ‘Just because you’re here and I’m here and it’s a wedding?’

  Sadie rocked Lissy gently as she studied him. ‘Do you want it to be?’

  ‘No! I mean, not unless that’s all you want it to be.’

  She gazed at him, taking in his flushed cheeks and untidy hair and uncertain hazel eyes, and explored the new thoughts and ideas that had suddenly blossomed inside her. ‘No, that’s not what I want, Adam. I want to wake up with you each morning and I want you to kiss me like that every day. But,’ she paused to rest her cheek on Lissy’s head, ‘we come as a package. So if you love me, then you have to love Lissy too. Do you think you can do that?’

  He sat back, staring first at Lissy, then at Sadie. Then a slow, tentative smile crept across his face. ‘Are you kidding? It’s all I’ve ever wanted.’

  And Sadie found herself blinking back tears for the second time that day. But this time she didn’t mind at all.

  Epilogue

  Halloween was in full swing at Castle Court. The doorway of Smart Cookies was draped with thick white cobwebs and a creepy, echoing laugh sounded each time anyone went in or out. The Court itself was awash with swirling fog, courtesy of a dry-ice machine tucked away beneath the oak tree, and every now and then the haunting howl of a wolf floated into the chilly autumn air.

  ‘Neeg ang maw noogies?’ Clare called up the stairs from the basement, before realising her vampire fangs were causing a communication problem. ‘Sorry, Sadie. I said, do you need any more cookies?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Sadie called back, glancing at the almost empty basket by the till. They were free to any child brave enough to enter the ghostly Court. There’d been plenty of visitors earlier but trick-or-treaters were appearing with less regularity now. Sadie checked the time: six-fifteen. The Halloween icing party Clare was hosting in the basement kitchen was due to finish in fifteen minutes, by which time Sadie hoped Adam would have returned with Lissy. She also hoped he’d heeded her warning not to let the six-year-old eat too many sweets on their travels, otherwise they would have an excitable and doubtless high-pitched journey home.

  She was laying the fresh skull-shaped cookies from Clare out in the basket when the door cackled and Cat walked in. ‘Hello,’ she said, beaming at Sadie. ‘Ooh, I’ll have one of those.’

  She bit into the biscuit and let out a sigh of pleasure. ‘Just as good as ever.’

  Sadie gave her a mildly affronted look. ‘Were you expecting something different? Just because it’s Delilah and not you that bakes our biscuits now doesn’t mean they won’t taste as good. She’s still using your recipe, after all.’

  ‘True,’ Cat said, entirely unruffled. ‘How are things?’

  ‘Good,’ Sadie replied. ‘Clare says the new trainees seem promising and sales of the Spooky collection have been amazing. How are things over at the bistro?’

  Cat pulled a face. ‘Stressful.’

  Sadie gave her best friend an appraising look. ‘But nothing you can’t handle.’

  ‘No,’ Cat agreed, ‘nothing we can’t handle, although I think Jaren may be about to murder one of the workmen. You know the guy who fitted our oven downstairs?’

  Sadie wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully. ‘The one you wanted to bury underneath the concrete floor?’

  ‘That’s the one. He’s part of the team putting in the appliances over at La Clé d’Argent and – well – let’s just say his skills haven’t improved much.’


  ‘Poor Jaren,’ Sadie said, trying not to laugh. ‘You’ll have to come round for dinner one night and tell us all about it.’

  Cat smiled. ‘That sounds like an offer I can’t refuse. Just tell me when and we’ll be there.’ Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an envelope. ‘Oh, and before I forget, this is for you.’

  ‘What is it?’ Sadie asked, frowning.

  ‘Open it and find out.’

  With another curious look at her friend, Sadie did as she was instructed. ‘Happy anniversary?’

  Cat shook her head in mock-sorrow. ‘I can’t believe you’ve forgotten our one-year anniversary.’

  ‘Oh!’ Sadie exclaimed and clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘It’s a year since we signed the lease and took over the shop, isn’t it? How could I have forgotten?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I nearly did too. It was only the reminder for the insurance policy renewal that jogged my memory.’

  Sadie reached under the counter, suddenly nervous. ‘I do have something for you, as it happens. It’s not quite an anniversary card, though.’

  Cat’s eyes gleamed. ‘Is it a copy of your decree nisi? That must be due soon.’

  ‘It’s due any day now, but that’s not what I have here.’ Sadie swallowed hard and handed over a little gold and blue Smart Cookies box, her nerves twanging unbearably.

  ‘I hope there’s another biscuit in here,’ Cat said, lifting the shiny black layer of corrugated cardboard. ‘I didn’t have time for lunch – I’m starving.’

  Sadie held her breath, watching her best friend’s expression change from puzzlement to astonishment as she lifted the delicate white pram from the box. ‘A baby?’ she said, staring at Sadie with questioning eyes. ‘You’re going to have a baby?’

  ‘Due in March next year,’ Sadie said, feeling herself blush. ‘You look how I felt when I first saw the pregnancy test.’

  Cat’s expression transformed from amazement to pure delight. She hurried around the counter to pull Sadie into a gentle hug. ‘This is wonderful news! How does Adam feel about it? And Lissy?’