D’you wanna come over? Mum says you can stay for supper.
An affirmative reply appeared seconds later, and leaving her phone on the table, Kate made her mother a cup of tea, then rummaged in the cupboard for cake. She found a tub containing two cupcakes and some flapjacks, and helped herself to one of each.
“Kate, really!” Helen straightened up from the dishwasher. “How can you eat that now, just after that enormous lunch? You’re going to get fat. Or are you eating for two? You can tell me, darling.”
“For god’s sake, Mum! No, I’m not pregnant. How many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t eat all that much dinner, and I like cake. Leave me alone. I’m taking these up to my room to wait for Jen. Send her up, will you?” She left the room carrying the cakes, and wandered back upstairs.
The bed was still unmade from her pre-lunch romp with Richard, and she put the cakes on her dressing table while she sorted it out.
As usual, the sex had been good, but she was feeling a little out of sorts about it. Richard’s reluctance had annoyed her, and even when they were doing it she felt he wasn’t totally committed to it. Pity. She had needed another really good encounter to set her up for the week and keep her reminded why she was marrying him.
The bed made, she collected the cakes and sat down cross-legged in the middle to eat them. A nice afternoon with Jen would make her feel better. They could talk about something other than the wedding. Or Richard. Or Sam. Definitely not talk about Sam. Or even think about him. Sam must not exist for the next week. Or indeed at any time after that. Kate wriggled backwards so she could lean against the wall, and stuffed the flapjack into her mouth. It would probably be better if he went off travelling again. Then in another eight years when he came back, she’d either be divorced and therefore available, or she’d be happily married with several children, and therefore immune to his charms.
She heard her mother’s voice greeting someone downstairs, followed by the sound of feet coming nearer. Jenny opened the bedroom door without knocking and grinned at her.
“Hello. What’s up?”
“Nothing much. Just fancied a bit of a gossip. Sorry, just ate all the cake. There’s more downstairs if you want some.”
Jenny sat down on the end of the bed and shook her head. “It’s okay. Your mum is bringing me up a cup of tea. I’ve not long had lunch anyway. Has Richard gone, then?”
Kate nodded, wiping the last remaining crumbs from her mouth. “Yeah, he’s back in London again this week.”
“Did you do it?”
“What?”
“Sex. Did you have sex? You’ve been going on about it all week.”
Kate laughed. “You usually don’t want to know, but yes, we did. Three times.”
“Good. Maybe you’ll be in a better mood, then. Did it remind you why you love him?”
“Meh.” Kate made a face. “Sort of. The first time, yes, and I guess the second. But this morning—he wasn’t really in the mood, but I persuaded him. It was still good, but I just felt he wasn’t really there. D’you know what I mean?”
Jenny wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe I really don’t want to hear about this after all. But you’re still marrying him?”
“Yeah.” Kate sighed. “We had to go to church this morning to hear the banns again. I kept hoping someone would walk in and say we couldn’t get married. Does that make me a bad person? It’s just that then I wouldn’t need to think about it.”
Jenny looked at her in consternation. “I think that’s rather worrying. Who were you hoping would walk in and say that? I really don’t think you’re taking this wedding seriously enough. It’s not fair on Richard to marry him if you’re not sure.”
Kate shook her head. “No. It’s not fair on Mum and Dad if I don’t marry him. They’ve paid for this, and organised it and everything. And Granny has paid for some of it, too. I’d forgotten that. It’s better I go through with it, and it may all turn out fine. I do love Richard, and we’ll probably get on fine and still be married in eighty years, but if not, we can always get divorced.”
“Shit, Kate, you can’t go into a marriage like that! It’s meant to be forever.”
“It’s meant to be forever in an ideal world,” Kate agreed. “But life isn’t like that. I’ve thought about this, and I reckon it would hurt more people if I back out now than if I marry him and see how it goes. If I back out now, Richard is going to be devastated, Dad and Granny are going to be furious, and Mum will probably have a nervous breakdown and feel she has to move away. It’s better this way. I’ll see how it goes, and if in a year or so we’re not getting on, we can split up then and no one will mind.”
“And Sam?”
“What about Sam?”
“Well, Sam is the reason that any of this is happening. Before he came back, you were perfectly happy with Richard.”
“Ish.” Kate shrugged. “Okay, Sam made it worse, but I always had some reservations about Richard. He has some annoying habits, and I’m not really myself when I’m with him. But I always thought that didn’t matter.”
“But do you want to be with Sam?”
“That’s not the point.” Kate stood up and brushed the crumbs off her jeans. “It’s not an option, is it? My way is the best. But I do need to make sure I don’t see Sam again before the weekend. Just to be on the safe side.” She grinned at Jenny. “Now let’s go and get some cake and have a fun afternoon. No wedding talk.”
Chapter 14
Wednesday 22nd July
Kate opened the gate quietly and started off towards the village. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes momentarily. She just had to get away from her mother. She was driving her crazy. Wedding talk all day, every day. Surely everything was organised by now. It was only three days away. She was beginning to regret taking the whole of the week off work, and was actually thinking fondly of hiding in the staff room on the pretext of making coffee. Even the company of the loquacious Holly would be preferable to that of her mother, at the moment.
She just needed to get out of the house. Didn’t really matter where she went. A walk through the village would do. She stopped at the end of the cul-de-sac to check for traffic and was just about to cross the road when a vehicle appeared from the direction of the village and pulled up alongside her.
Sam wound down the window of the Land Rover and grinned at her. “Katy. I was hoping to run into you. Where are you off to? You look a bit frazzled.”
Kate bent down and peered in at him. “I am. I’m trying to escape my mother. She won’t shut up about the wedding, and I’ve got to get out.”
Sam smirked. “Ah. Mothers and weddings, eh? Isn’t that her coming now?”
Kate glanced back over her shoulder just in time to see Helen emerge from their garden and stare down the road towards her. In a flash she had opened the door of the Land Rover and jumped in. She ducked down on the floor. “Drive! Just get me away from her.”
Sam chuckled and set off along the road, leaving a bemused Helen wondering where her daughter had disappeared to.
After a few moments, Sam glanced over at her. “You can probably get up now. She can’t see you from here.”
Kate scrambled up and sat on the seat with a sigh. “Thanks. Sorry about that. I was at the end of my tether. Just needed to get out of the house for a bit. Almost wish I was at work.”
“Oh, dear, it must be bad.” Sam was grinning as he drove. “You can come with me, if you like. I was hoping to see you again before the big day.”
Suddenly aware of her situation, Kate awkwardly licked her lips and glanced at him. “Oh. No, thanks. I’d better not.” She was silent for a moment, then cleared her throat. “Well, where are you going anyway?”
“Dartmoor.”
“Dartmoor? Why are you going there?”
“To deliver some barrels of beer to a pub. It’s a friend of my dad. They have a supplier problem, and Dad offered to sell them some of ours to keep them going. You’re welcome to come if you want
. Dartmoor’s nice on a day like this.”
Kate thought for a moment. The idea of a day in the sun on Dartmoor, in the company of Sam Somerville, was extremely appealing. But maybe it was too appealing. She had spent the last week trying to avoid him, even to avoid thinking about him, and now here she was actually considering going on a road trip with him. Oh, what the hell. It was probably the last time she’d ever be able to do something like this. She smiled at him.
“Okay, I’d love to come. If you don’t mind?”
“Fine by me.” Sam shrugged. “But you’ll need to do up your seatbelt if you’re staying.”
Kate tugged hard on the belt and managed to fasten it around herself. She smiled at him again. “Thanks. Only thing is I have nothing with me. No bag, no money, no coat. Nothing. I was just going for a walk. I only have my phone because it was already in my pocket.”
“S’okay, you won’t need anything.” Sam shrugged. “It’s a hot day, and if you do get cold, I have a jacket in the back, and I’ll buy you lunch.”
“I can’t let you do that,” Kate protested half-heartedly, feeling her face begin to get hot. Maybe this was one of those Very Bad Ideas she kept having.
“Not that again.” Sam grinned. “Why, just because you’re getting married? Does that mean I’m not allowed to buy you food? How’s the wedding going, then? How’s Robert?”
“It’s Richard.” Kate was aware that her face was flaming, and turned to look out the window. “It’s all going well, thank you.”
“Ah, yes, Richard. So where’s he today, then? Shouldn’t you be with him?”
“He’s working. In London. I don’t have to be with him all the time.” Kate was defensive.
“Well, clearly not.” Sam manoeuvred a tight bend. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here with me now. You might have to be with him all the time after Saturday, though.”
“Look, I think this was a bad idea.” Kate started to take off her seatbelt. “Let me out here. I can walk back.”
Sam put out his hand and touched her arm. “Sorry, only teasing you. Please stay. I’d love the company. I promise not to talk about the wedding or Richard. Okay? Will you stay?”
Slowly Kate did up the belt again, acutely aware of where his hand had touched her arm. “Okay, then. But no more teasing.”
“No more teasing. It’ll take about an hour to get where we’re going. Would you like to listen to some music?”
“You have a working CD player in here?” Kate looked around in surprise.
“No need to be rude, but yes, I actually do. We’re a little limited with choice, but have a rummage in that box under the seat. You may find something we both like.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Kate pulled the box out and heaved it onto her knee. “Is it anywhere near the prison? I always think that looks really spooky.”
“Not that close. The pub is near Hexworthy, but right in the middle of nowhere. We could go and see the prison after, if you like. Unless you’re in a hurry to get back?”
“God, no.” Kate picked up a CD, then discarded it. “The longer I stay out the better.” She picked up another disc and smiled. “Ha, remember this? We kept playing it when we were revising for our A levels. Fancy a listen?” She waved In Your Honor, by the Foo Fighters, in the air.
Sam laughed. “Go on, then, haven’t heard that one for ages. That takes me back.”
Kate turned on the CD player and inserted the disc. She was well aware that what she was doing was potentially dangerous, and a Very Bad Idea, but something, possibly the newly discovered misbehaving side of her, was egging her on. She managed to persuade herself that she needed a complete break from wedding things, and that this would be good for her. As the music started, she settled back in her seat and closed her eyes. In three days she would be married. She may as well have one more naughty day. And it wasn’t as if it was like a date this time. There would be no opportunity for kissing.
They travelled in silence for a while, Sam concentrating on his driving and Kate on getting lost in the music, until they came to the end of the M5 and turned off down the A38 towards Ashburton.
“Not telling you what to do”—Sam glanced at her—“but should you let your mother know where you’ve gone? She may be worried.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “I know. I thought that just now. I’m not telling her where I actually am, though. Imagine what she’d think of that? Three days before my wedding and I’m off on a jaunt to Dartmoor with another man.”
“An old friend,” Sam supplied. “Just tell her an old friend. Will she ask who?”
“Maybe.” Kate shrugged. “I can lie.” She fished her phone out of her pocket and discovered she already had a missed call from her mother. She had put the phone on silent when she left the house. With a sigh she wrote a message.
Had to get away for a bit. Gone out for lunch and a walk with a friend. Back this evening. Don’t worry, it’s doing me good. xx
She watched the message send, then smiled over at Sam. “There, done. Can we have fun, then?”
Sam glanced at her. “Of course. What did you have in mind? We could have a picnic again, if you like. You said you’d like that, when we met last week.”
“Maybe.” Kate felt suddenly awkward, and turned away. What the hell was she doing? They couldn’t have another picnic. That would turn it into a date again. The very thing she had been trying to avoid for the last week. She had to make sure she didn’t enjoy herself too much. She needed to keep thinking about sex. With Richard.
“Katy? Are you all right? You’ve gone a bit quiet.”
“I’m fine.” Kate smiled over-brightly. “Still feeling a bit stressed out, that’s all.”
“Well, we’ll be there soon. Then we can have some lunch and decide what to do this afternoon. The weather’s still glorious. We could go for a walk.”
“Yeah, that sounds nice.” Kate nodded and smiled at him. “Thank you.” Her phone bleeped, and she looked down at it. “Oh, great, Mum’s asking who I’m with. Need to get creative here.”
“Jen?”
“No, far too easy for her to find out. Anyway…” Kate tailed off looking awkward.
“Anyway?”
“Nothing. No, I’ll think of a friend she never speaks to.” Kate’s finger hovered over the screen, then quickly typed a message and pressed Send. “I told her I was with a girl from work. I said I bumped into her in the village.”
“Okay.” Sam glanced over at her. “You won’t tell Jen about this, will you?”
“What?”
“You’re not going to tell Jen you’re with me, are you? And yet you tell her everything. Does she even know we went out the other week?”
“Why does that matter?” Kate wriggled uncomfortably in her seat. “But yes, she does know, as it happens.”
“And I expect she was shocked because you ‘forgot’ to tell me you were getting married?”
Kate didn’t reply, instead folding her arms defiantly.
“Katy, why are you here?”
Kate looked at him in surprise. “Because you invited me, and I was running away from my mother.”
Sam looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then indicated to turn off the main road and onto the moor. They drove in silence for a while, the lanes becoming more and more narrow as they neared their destination, and Kate tried to force herself to relax and enjoy the scenery.
When they finally drew up outside a tiny whitewashed building, tucked away on a bend in the road and backing onto the river, it was just on midday. Sam pulled the Land Rover into the car park and turned off the engine.
“Is this it?” Kate peered out in surprise. “This doesn’t look like a pub. It’s tiny.”
“They’ve only just opened.” Sam undid his seatbelt and opened the door. “They haven’t got the sign up yet. These barrels are to help get them started. You stay here a minute. I’ll just go and check they’re home.” He slid out of the vehicle and strode off towards the plain wooden door at the
back of the building. Kate watched him go, her mind in turmoil. Why did she feel so strange around him? And what on earth had possessed her to come on this ill-conceived jaunt anyway? She had managed successfully to avoid him for a week, had got things back on track with Richard—more or less—and now here she was, in the middle of nowhere, without even any money. And Sam was looking as delicious as ever. Kate screwed her eyes shut and stamped her feet in frustration. Why did she do these things? Was she actually terminally stupid? She was getting married in three days. Three days. And she was in the middle of Dartmoor with a man she should most definitely stay away from. It was not as though he was doing anything wrong. He hadn’t made any moves, or even suggested they should be anything more than friends. At least not since the picnic, and that may have been in her imagination. The kiss could have just been friendly. She needed to believe that if she was going to get through the day.
Sam reappeared from behind the pub and opened the back doors of the Land Rover.
“Shall I help?” Kate twisted round to see him.
“Too heavy for you. Thanks anyway. Steve has gone to fetch a trolley. You sit tight. This won’t take long.”
“We’re not having lunch here, then?” Kate barely kept the relief out of her voice.
“No. As I said, they’ve only just opened. They’re not doing food yet.”
Kate watched as Sam was joined by a tall blonde middle-aged man, and between them they moved the barrels from the back of the Land Rover into the pub. When they’d finished, Kate saw the man hand Sam a large wad of notes, which he stowed in the back pocket of his jeans. Then they shook hands, and Sam came back to join her. He got into the driver’s seat and did up his seatbelt.
“There, job done.” He grinned at her. “Rest of the day is our own now. Where shall we go?”
“You mentioned lunch?” Kate raised her eyebrows tentatively.
“You and food.” Sam laughed and started the engine. “Come on, then, I know a nice pub not far from here.” He reversed back out onto the narrow lane and set off again, the sides of the vehicle brushing against the overgrown hedges to either side of them.
Breaking All the Rules Page 15
