The Second Chance Tea Shop

by Fay Keenan

  ‘Sorry,’ Matthew said as he walked in the front door a moment later. ‘Didn’t mean to frighten you, but if you won’t get that damned doorbell fixed, what else am I supposed to do?’

  Anna raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, some bloke did say he was going to fix it for me, but he’s not made good on his promise yet!’

  ‘Bugger, I’d forgotten about that – things have been a bit mad at my end.’

  ‘Mine too,’ Anna wandered through to the kitchen and put the kettle on. ‘Tea or coffee?’

  ‘Oh, sod the tea, just come here!’ Matthew said, pulling her to him.

  Since their first proper encounter on the barn gantry, kissing Matthew, Anna decided, was definitely her new favourite pastime.

  ‘So how’s Merry?’ she asked, once she’d got her breath back.

  ‘Not bad,’ he said carefully. ‘I take it she’s not popped in this week, then?’

  ‘Haven’t seen her since last Thursday,’ Anna replied. ‘She must have been busy with her schoolwork.’

  ‘Hmmm…’

  ‘Is that a note of scepticism in your voice?’ Anna teased.

  Matthew looked troubled. ‘She’s been singularly elusive lately, and even when she has graced me with her presence, she’s spent most of her time texting or in her room. If I didn’t know better…’

  Anna passed him a mug of tea and joined him at the kitchen table. ‘What would you think?’ she asked gently.

  ‘Well, I know she’s not doing drugs or drinking – growing up around a cider farm has been enough to put her off the latter, and she’s too savvy to do the former. That only leaves the opposite sex as enough of a distraction to keep her at school and texting at all hours.’ He looked directly at Anna with an inquisitor’s stare she found distinctly unnerving. ‘Has she said anything to you?’

  ‘Well,’ Anna hedged, wondering how to put it without dropping Meredith into something she couldn’t get out of. ‘She did mention she was quite keen on a boy.’

  ‘I knew it!’ Matthew grimaced. ‘I’ve been dreading this.’

  ‘It’s nothing serious,’ Anna replied. ‘He’s just asked her to go out with him next week. I’m sure it’s all above board.’

  ‘And I suppose he’s the real reason she’s been staying late at school as well.’

  Anna grinned. ‘I would suspect you’re onto something there, Sherlock! But, you know, she might be learning something, too.’

  ‘So long as it’s only world politics she’s getting acquainted with.’ Matthew frowned. ‘She’s not expressed any interest in boys before.’

  ‘She’s fifteen,’ Anna said, mindful that she was speaking to a very overprotective father. ‘In teenage girl terms, she’s a late starter.’

  ‘You mean I’ve got off lightly so far?’ Matthew shook his head.

  ‘Let’s just say that if Flynn’s the first boy she’s shown an interest in, she’s likely to be taking things rather cautiously. Despite the inevitable hormones.’

  ‘Sounds like the voice of experience.’

  ‘No comment,’ Anna said wryly. ‘After all, you must remember being that age?’

  ‘That’s what worries me!’ Matthew said. ‘If this Flynn boy is anywhere near as – er, teenaged as I was, I’m going to lock Meredith up until she’s twenty-one!’

  ‘Perhaps it’s time to give her a little freedom,’ Anna said. ‘She might surprise you. She’s a responsible girl, and far too sensible to take any chances.’

  ‘So what do you suggest?’ Matthew asked.

  ‘Let her go out with him,’ Anna said. She placed a hand over one of Matthew’s on the kitchen table. ‘I mean, if you don’t, she’s likely to see it as a challenge.’

  ‘It’s just so hard to let go of the reins,’ Matthew said. ‘She’s still a baby.’

  ‘She’s halfway through her teens, Matthew,’ Anna said. ‘And if you give her a little bit of freedom now, she’ll respect you more for it. Trust me.’

  ‘The voice of experience again?’

  ‘Well, let’s just say I kissed a few boys before I got married, and I think I turned out all right!’ Anna smiled.

  Matthew stood up and pulled Anna up from her chair and into his arms. ‘What did I do to be blessed with such a paragon of good sense?’

  ‘Something terrible,’ Anna murmured, leaning upwards to kiss him. ‘Now, you’d better get going – she’ll be expecting you for dinner, and probably an answer about this date.’

  ‘Yes, Boss!’ Matthew grinned. ‘But you do know I’m holding you personally responsible if she elopes with him?’

  ‘It’s a deal,’ Anna said, ushering Matthew to the door.

  ‘I’ll agree to it on one condition,’ Matthew said before he left.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Will you hold my hand on the night she goes out with him, and take my mind off it all?’ He turned serious brown eyes on her.

  ‘Of course. I’ll even cook you some dinner if you like.’ Still grinning as she closed the door behind him, she wished she could be a fly on the wall for the dinner table discussion at the Carters’ house that night.

  *

  ‘So did she get off alright?’ Anna asked as Matthew came through the front door the following Friday evening. Having put Ellie to bed half an hour earlier, she was at her desk working out a potential new menu for the summer months. There were so many amazing local food producers around, she was desperate to include as many as possible on her ‘Flavours of Somerset’ light lunch menu. She’d already contacted an apiary just outside Taunton which sold the most exquisite local honey, an artisan charcuterie manufacturer in nearby Wrington that made juniper infused hams and, of course, there was plenty of cheese down the road in Cheddar, not to mention strawberries that were regularly supplied to Wimbledon. Even for a menu that was essentially sandwiches and cakes, there was so much to choose from, and to innovate with.

  ‘Apparently,’ Matthew muttered. ‘His mother’s acting as a taxi service for tonight, so at least I don’t have to worry about him hurtling down the back lanes with her in some death trap car.’ Matthew must have seen the shadow that passed over Anna’s face as the words came out. In a flash, he was apologetic.

  ‘It’s OK,’ Anna said softly. Despite her reaction, she’d never wanted people to feel they had to mind their language around her because of what had happened to James. She leaned into him and gave him a quick hug to break the tension. ‘Dinner’ll be ready in about ten minutes, so pour yourself a drink and come and sit at the table.’

  ‘Ought I to drink?’ Matthew worried. ‘I mean, what if she calls me and wants picking up?’

  ‘Don’t panic,’ Anna replied. ‘I’ve bought us some elderflower fizz for tonight – strictly non-alcoholic.’

  ‘Just in case he messes her about?’ Matthew frowned.

  ‘I’m sure he won’t,’ Anna said soothingly. ‘But something tells me you don’t want to take any risks.’ She put a hand on his shoulder as she passed him to stir the bolognese sauce that was simmering on the stove top.

  Matthew sighed. ‘You’re right, of course. And I’ve told her to be home by eleven. Or she’s never going out again.’

  ‘Eleven?’ Anna asked.

  ‘Well, the first curfew was nine-thirty but she told me I was being so nineteenth century, Dad, that I had to negotiate. She wanted midnight!’ Matthew shook his head. ‘Even when she left, she still looked entirely too young to be going out alone with a young man.’

  ‘She’ll be fine, Matthew, trust me,’ Anna said. ‘Now, can you do me a favour and get the garlic bread out of the oven?’

  After a hearty meal and a glass or two of the elderflower cordial, despite the lack of booze, Matthew was starting to relax. As the two of them settled down on the sofa, Anna broke the companionable silence.

  ‘So who was your first date with, and where did you go?’

  Matthew smiled. ‘You’re asking me to think back a long time. Let me see. I was about sixteen, I think. She was the same age. We spen
t an afternoon walking around the village fete, and then a couple of hours snogging behind the tithe barn.’

  ‘How very quaint!’ Anna laughed. ‘What happened to her?’

  Settling back onto the sofa, and putting an arm around Anna, Matthew grinned ruefully. ‘Well, we went out for a few weeks, and then she decided my best mate was more her cup of tea and that was that.’

  ‘What a rat! What did you do?’

  ‘Took it on the chin,’ Matthew replied. ‘Mates are difficult to replace, whereas women…’ he winked.

  ‘I’ll pretend you never said that,’ Anna said, swatting at his arm. She was secretly relieved he made such light of it, given his rather more recent experiences. She hadn’t said anything to him about what Pat had told her about Tara, and hoped he’d tell her in his own time.

  ‘So what about you? Come on, it’s only fair!’

  ‘Oh, I was a bit of an early starter,’ Anna said. ‘I was thirteen and he was fifteen. We went to a school disco together. We kissed on the climbing bars in the gym and got a round of applause from the entire year!’

  ‘Exhibitionist!’ Matthew chided. ‘I didn’t know you had it in you.’

  ‘I was young and carefree back then,’ Anna sighed.

  ‘So what happened to him?’

  ‘Oh, the usual –he snogged some other girl. You trust, and forgive, so much more easily at that age, don’t you? Before life throws a whole load of baggage at you.’

  ‘Definitely true,’ Matthew said. ‘But I wouldn’t want to go back there.’

  ‘Me neither,’ Anna agreed. ‘The highs are so much higher, but the lows…’

  ‘All of those teenage hormones flying around – far too much hassle.’

  Anna looked thoughtful. ‘You know, you might have to do a bit of mopping up if and when Flynn and Meredith come to an end. Are you prepared for that?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ Matthew said lightly. ‘I’ll put him in one of the cider vats if he messes her about.’ He paused, giving a wicked, irresistible grin. ‘Head first.’

  ‘Seriously,’ Anna said. ‘She might need you to be… tactful. It could be worth filling one of those vats with Chew Moo ice cream in the eventuality of a split.’

  Matthew sighed. ‘This is why she really needs a woman around. Not that I’m suggesting you take that role, or anything,’ he added hastily.

  ‘I’m happy to be a sounding board for her, don’t worry,’ Anna said. ‘But you might want to keep the lines of communication open with her – that way she’ll keep you in the loop.’

  ‘You are wise beyond your years,’ Matthew said, kissing the top of her head. ‘Now how long have I got left before I can stop worrying?’

  Anna looked at her watch. ‘An hour and a half. What can we do in that time to take your mind off things?’

  ‘What do you suggest?’ Matthew asked, pulling her towards him.

  ‘Well, there’s an episode of Midsomer Murders on the hard drive recorder!’ Anna teased.

  Matthew didn’t grace that with a vocal response. Anna quickly found out it wasn’t just teenagers who enjoyed kissing in quiet places.

  16

  ‘Now before you start, please think about what you tell me,’ Anna said, semi-seriously, as she placed a plate of hot buttered doorstep toast on the coffee table in front of the tea shop sofas the following Monday afternoon. ‘I can promise discretion, but not complete confidentiality when it comes to your father!’

  ‘Oh chillax!’ Meredith rolled her eyes. ‘We went to see a film and then got some food at Nando’s. Nothing my dad would freak over.’

  ‘Glad to hear it!’ Anna said. ‘Right, now that’s done, do you want a drink with that toast?’

  ‘You’re not going to ask me anything?’

  Anna grinned. ‘Oh, go on then. Did you get on OK?’

  Meredith sighed dramatically. ‘He’s lush. He paid for the cinema tickets, and the food afterwards. And walked me back to my door, although his mum was watching so he just kissed me on the cheek.’

  All good signs, Anna thought. Perhaps Matthew didn’t need to worry quite yet.

  ‘And he got you back on time?’

  ‘Well, his mum was doing the driving, so really she did!’ Meredith tucked her long legs underneath her on the sofa. Anna thought about reminding her that she wasn’t in her own home, but, mindful of the other customers, merely swatted the teenager’s knees and, with a grimace, Meredith lowered them again. ‘But he’s hoping to have passed his driving test in a few weeks so I guess then I’ll be able to tell you about his timekeeping.’

  ‘That’ll be one more thing for your dad to worry about!’ Anna quipped, although her own alarm bells were ringing faintly. She didn’t want to think too much about teen drivers.

  ‘Add it to the list!’ Meredith replied. ‘He’s already given me the third degree about Flynn’s A Levels, what his mum and dad do, is he a hard worker, has he had any previous girlfriends. I think I spent more time finding out the answers to Dad’s questions than the ones I wanted to ask him!’

  ‘So what film did you see?’

  ‘I can’t remember… didn’t see much of it!’ Meredith gave a wicked grin.

  Anna raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Oh OK, I’m joking! It was some vampire teen thing.’

  Anna felt secretly glad that particular trend had passed her by. ‘So are you going to see him again?’

  ‘I should think so – he’s persuaded me to join some political group at school – the Model United Nations or something, so I daresay we’ll get the odd evening together.’

  Anna suppressed a smile. ‘Well, your dad’ll be pleased you’re learning something, as well as seeing vampire teen films!’

  ‘I hadn’t, like, realised how interesting world politics was until I met Flynn,’ Meredith sighed again. ‘He’s so clever. But not a geek,’ she added hastily.

  Turning away to hide her smile, Anna busied herself clearing away the plates and teacups from the adjacent table. She remembered all too well how love made everything more seductive when you were a teenager; even, it seemed, world policies on hunger and war.

  ‘So you think you might be learning something, then?’

  ‘Oh yeah!’ Meredith said. ‘And Granddad has promised to fill me in on some of the finer points of the functions of the UN committees, so I don’t look like a complete twonk during the first meetings of the group.’

  Good for Granddad, Anna thought. Jack Carter was clearly an erudite man, which made it all the more surprising he’d never clocked what had happened right under his nose between his beloved sons. She wondered if she’d ever be present at a gathering of all three around the table, and how, if she ever was, it would be likely to end.

  After Meredith had left, Anna remembered that she’d intended to put up a poster in the front window. In an attempt to broaden the appeal of the tea shop, she’d decided to draw on her former career as a librarian and start a book exchange. On holiday in Cornwall a few years back, she’d been tickled by the contents of an old red phone box in the village where they’d been staying. It was filled to the roof with shelves and shelves of books; everything from mainstream fiction to tomes on history and biography. She’d been particularly amused by the juxtaposition of a novel by Katie Price and Margaret Thatcher’s autobiography, and wondered what the two formidable women would have made of each other. Since she’d never got around to buying new shelving for the books she couldn’t accommodate at Pippin Cottage, she’d decided to bring them into the tea shop and convert the Welsh dresser, which had hitherto been filled with a wide variety of somewhat garishly flowered crockery, into a bookshelf.

  During a quiet spell the previous week, she’d taken down the plates and cups and had brought the cardboard boxes of her books from home over. After a moment’s deliberation about how to arrange them, she decided to throw caution to the wind – not to mention her considerable training – and arrange them by colour. Somehow, in the world of the tea shop, this seemed to make more sense than by
genre or surname. The colours of the countryside; deep, luscious greens of fielded hills, pearlescent whites of the new elderflowers that frothed and fizzed over the hedges like sparkling wine, the heavenly scented lilac that spilled down to the Strawberry Line and filled the air around it with such a gorgeous aroma, all seemed to have worked their way into her subconscious.

  As she worked, she heard the tea shop’s door open again and smiled at the two women who’d come in with their children, dressed in the colours of the local primary school. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ she called as they settled themselves at the table nearest the counter. Anna smiled as she heard the children, two girls, requesting one each of her rose-pink cupcakes. The tea shop was becoming more and more her haven every day.

  *

  Matthew had taken to popping into the cottage after he’d had dinner with Merry and during Sefton’s evening walk. The collie seemed to appreciate it, too, and he was rather at home on Anna’s red poppy embroidered rug in front of the wood burner. The March weather was gradually warming during the day, but there was still a chill in the air at night, so Anna was still lighting it most evenings. They would sit on her battered leather sofa and talk, sometimes sharing a glass of wine.

  ‘This is nice,’ Anna snuggled closer to Matthew. A warmth and relaxation gradually spread through her, down to her bones.

  ‘I’d forgotten how good it is to relax,’ Matthew murmured into Anna’s hair. ‘Things are getting really busy at work. I’m lucky to be getting home at all.’

  ‘Does Merry mind?’ Anna asked, tilting her head up to look at Matthew. He had dark rings around his eyes, and although his body was relaxed, she sensed his mind was still racing.

  ‘She’s been doing a lot of stuff herself,’ Matthew said. ‘Model United Nations or something. I keep meaning to ask her a bit more about it, but either she’s late back or I am, and then we’re both too shattered to do anything other than eat off our knees. She’s gone back up to school tonight for some meeting or other.’