‘Well yes,’ she agreed. ‘We could be friends. I think that would be okay.’
‘Friends that salsa together, meet up for a drink every now and then, have Sunday lunch together?’
‘I suppose so – Sunday lunch?’
‘Yes, I thought it would be nice. There’s a fantastic little restaurant I know, does the most amazing lunches. I thought we could go this Sunday.’
‘But I can’t …’
‘As friends of course, because that’s what friends do isn’t it?’
Kate shook her head in frustration. ‘’I can’t go for Sunday lunch with you!’ she exclaimed. ‘Of course I can’t!’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I have a baby, remember? I’m fairly certain I told you that as well.’
‘You did,’ agreed Josh. ‘Millie. 9 months old, actually probably 10 months old now, blonde curls, very cute, a bit loud, loves bananas.’
Kate stopped, he really had been listening.
‘Well, you should understand why I can’t go with you,’ she said huffily.
‘Millie also enjoys chicken and potatoes and loves sprouts!’
Kate stared at him. Had she really told him all that?
‘That’s why I thought lunch would be better than dinner and why I chose this restaurant. They do the most amazing roast chicken.’
Kate continued to stare.
‘Millie will love it,’ he said, ‘I’m sure she’ll enjoy the chicken and we can ask if they’ve got any bananas.’
‘You want to take Millie with us?’
Now it was Josh’s turn to stare. ‘Of course! Not going to leave her at home are we? I’m taking you both out – only as friends of course,’ and he smiled a great big smile before clapping Alan on the back and telling him that he really had got the making of a salsa dancer.
Chapter 18
Kate told Millie several times on Sunday that they were not going for lunch with Josh. She told Fiona that they were not going for lunch with Josh. She picked up the phone on three occasions to tell Josh that she would not be joining him for lunch.
But each time she simply held the receiver in her hand for a few minutes contemplating what to say and on all three occasions she put the phone back down.
She couldn’t deny that the idea of going out was appealing. Just getting out of the house was a treat and the idea of spending a lazy Sunday lunch letting someone else do the cooking and the washing up was very tempting. She had stopped cooking anything approaching proper meals since Alex had gone, the effort just didn’t seem worth it and the very thought of a plate of roast chicken was making her stomach rumble.
Sunday lunch seemed a very good idea.
But that it was Josh taking them to the lunch had left Kate nibbling on her lip.
He wanted them to be friends and that was okay, she reasoned. She’d had lots of male friends in the past, good genuine friends who she wouldn’t have hesitated to join for a drink or lunch. They had all fallen by the road side after she had met Alex. He hadn’t felt comfortable with the idea and even though Kate had laughed and told him he really had nothing to worry about, he had pouted and been rather cold whenever the occasion arose. In the end Kate had stopped going, not even trying to explain the situation to her friends but just claiming that she was busy or that she had a prior engagement until the invitations inevitably stopped coming.
But this was different. Josh had told Kate that he was attracted to her. And as far as Kate was concerned that was dangerous territory.
But even as she decided again that she most definitely was not going to lunch with Josh, she remembered that the reason she was quite lonely and in desperate need of a change of scenery was because her husband had walked out on her to be with someone else. Why on earth shouldn’t Kate have some fun on a Sunday that would otherwise be spent washing Millie’s clothes? After all, she reminded herself, the whole point of going out was to catch Alex’s attention. And it had worked so far. He had been on the phone as soon as he’d heard reports of Kate and a handsome stranger at salsa. Maybe news of her spending Sunday afternoon in a restaurant would prompt him pick up the phone again. Why shouldn’t she go to lunch with a friend?
Because if she were honest, Kate thought, she’d also felt a little flutter of attraction when Josh looked at her with those lovely blue eyes. They’d all stayed behind after salsa on Friday and although Josh had behaved impeccably and made no attempt to push the boundaries of their new friendship, Kate had to admit she had enjoyed sitting next to him, feeling the warmth of his body so close to her own, watching him as he chatted and laughed. She had intercepted more than one sideways glance in her direction and he had a way of holding her eyes and smiling, a big, slow smile that stretched the corners of his mouth and drew her eyes to the dimple in his chin and did funny things to her stomach. As they had all hugged and said their goodbyes, she had felt Josh’s very strong arm slide round her waist and pull her closer so he could drop a chaste kiss on her cheek as he whispered goodbye in her ear. Except for a chaste kiss it had left a surprisingly hot imprint on Kate’s skin, one that lingered long after Kate had arrived home and climbed into bed.
No, she was definitely not going to let Josh take her and Millie for lunch.
When the doorbell rang Kate’s heart gave a huge leap. She looked down at Millie sitting in her high chair chewing donkey’s ear.
‘Oh Millie darling, I don’t think we should do this, I’ll tell him we just can’t go with him,’ and then she went to open the door and let Josh enter.
He followed her to the kitchen where Millie stopped chewing briefly to give him a considered gaze.
‘Hello Millie,’ Josh said softly. ‘How very nice to meet you.’
He kept his distance for which Kate was grateful. Millie could be funny with new people she met.
He smiled at the little girl who stared back for a long moment before giving him a big beam and then turned her attention back to donkey’s ear.
Kate looked at Josh in surprise. ‘She seems to like you.’
Josh grinned, ‘Didn’t you think she would?’
‘Well not exactly but she can be a little shy with strangers.’
‘My sister has three children so I’m used to them,’ explained Josh easily, ‘Millie can probably tell I’m a seasoned hand!’
Kate nodded slowly. ‘I suppose.’
‘Are you both ready?’
‘Ah well, yes, about lunch…’
‘Do you have a car seat?’
‘Oh, er yes. It’s in the hall cupboard.’
Shortly after Kate had decided not to go to lunch with Josh she had dug the car seat from the garage where it usually lived and brought it into the house.
‘I’ll put it in the car while you get Millie wrapped up, it’s cold out there,’ and he was gone leaving Kate and Millie staring at each other.
‘It seems rude to say we can’t go with him now Millie, don’t you think?’
Millie said nothing and sighing Kate quickly checked her reflection in the mirror and tucked Millie into her pink duffle coat.
She had refused to accept any advice from Fiona about what outfit to wear.
‘I’m not going Fee so you don’t need to worry about what I should wear.’
But last night she had gone through her wardrobe and decided what she would wear if she were ever to go out for Sunday lunch with a friend and this morning she had dressed in a long boucle skirt that made her look positively svelte, with a pair of knee length boots and a soft knitted cardigan that was decorated with tiny pearls and clung to her shrinking figure. She told Millie that it was just because she was fed up with spending her life in jeans and slightly crusty tops and then she took care with her makeup telling Millie it was nice to make an effort occasionally, even if she were staying in all day. She had been pleased to find that the purple circles under her eyes were much reduced and her cheeks had lost some of the dreadful pallor of the last few weeks.
‘Ready?’
; It was Josh, back in the hallway and taking a deep breath Kate nodded and scooped Millie into her arms, conceding that maybe Sunday lunch with a friend was actually perfectly acceptable.
The restaurant wasn’t too far away and Josh chatted to her on the way, asking about Millie and talking about the weather and the pretty villages they were driving through and keeping everything very comfortable.
When they pulled into the car park, Josh unbuckled the car seat while Kate rescued Millie’s bag and as she turned round he had lifted Millie out and was holding her in his arms as Millie chuckled and patted the unfamiliar face.
Kate caught her breath, Millie looked so adorable in Josh’s arms, so small and sweet. It made her sad that Alex had been gone so long and didn’t seem to be part of Millie’s life any more.
Josh passed Millie to her mother and they walked into the warm restaurant and were soon seated at a table with Millie ensconced in a high chair between them.
‘This is lovely,’ said Kate looking around.
‘They do great food and I know they’re very child friendly. I’ve been here before with my sister and her brood.’
Kate nodded, she was nervous although just why, she was having trouble putting her finger on.
‘Kate.’
She looked up and Josh reached out to place his hand gently over her own.
‘It’s just lunch Kate. I’m taking my two new friends out for lunch.’
He grinned at Millie who beamed back.
‘I know that you are hoping Alex comes back …’
‘He will,’ interrupted Kate.
‘And I will be happy for you but in the meantime there’s no reason for you to be sitting at home miserable. We agreed that we would be friends and this is what friends do, spend time with each other.’
Whipping out his hand he caught donkey as it flew past his ear. ‘And maybe it’s nice to have someone else who can spend some time with Millie, save you having to do everything?’
Kate felt the prick of tears in her eyes.
‘You’re a very nice man Josh,’ she said softly, ‘very nice,’ and then the conversation halted as a waiter came to enthuse over Millie’s little pink hairband and ask what they would like to drink.
The restaurant was almost full, the air heavy with the aroma of cooking and as warm as toast despite the frost gathering outside and Kate couldn’t help but relax as the afternoon wore on.
Josh was good company. He didn’t bat an eyelash when Millie jerked her head to one side just as Kate was feeding her a spoonful of mashed potato and it splattered onto his sleeve.
When Millie became a tiny bit fractious and her bottom lip started to tremble he carried on his conversation with Kate but retrieved donkey from under the table and enchanted Millie by having it disappear under her highchair tray only to pop back out again.
He told Kate about his sister and her three children and how her husband worked on the oil rigs in the North Sea and was away for weeks at a time.
‘She goes a little stir crazy every now and then,’ he said. ‘It’s tough for her being on her own for such long stretches so sometimes I’ll go over for the day and send her off to the shops or to meet some friends.’
‘I bet she really appreciates that,’ said Kate with feeling. Thinking about it, Alex had never offered to take care of Millie for an entire day while Kate had some time to herself.
They talked about salsa and Josh admitted that it wasn’t something that he would ever have done if he hadn’t seen Kate and Sophie dancing.
‘It wasn’t really the salsa that attracted me,’ he teased and Kate couldn’t help both the blush and the smile.
‘I just wish I were a little bit better,’ he said mournfully. ‘I can see you abandoning me for a better partner!’
Kate laughed. ‘I don’t think I’m quite as good as you think I am Josh. I just enjoy it.’
Josh moved some roast beef around his plate. ‘Do you think you’ll carry on with salsa if - when Alex comes back?’
Kate stared at her wine glass. ‘I think I will,’ she answered surprising herself.
‘I enjoy dancing and maybe going out and doing what you enjoy is just as important as all the other things you have to do in life.’
‘Do you think Alex will join you?’
Kate thought hard. Alex would say that it was a great idea, yes they should definitely go dancing. They might even go one Friday evening. Then he would suggest that maybe it wasn’t quite his thing, that it was a bit noisy and hectic after a day at work, that perhaps they should go out for a meal instead, just the two of them where they could talk. Or maybe a takeaway and a film, wouldn’t that be lovely and they could sit on the sofa and relax and enjoy each other’s company.
‘No, it’s not really the sort of thing Alex likes,’ Kate answered eventually. ‘But I love dancing and I’ll carry on going,’ she smiled at Josh, ‘so you won’t be getting off that easily!’
They shared a grin and carried on eating, watching Millie’s delight at the tiny pieces of sprout Kate had cut and mashed for her daughter.
‘I don’t know any other baby that loves sprouts like Millie does,’ Josh had chuckled. ‘Look at her tucking in!’
But he was talking to a frozen faced Kate who was sitting in her chair, ramrod straight with ashen cheeks.
‘Kate? Are you alright?’
She didn’t answer but carried on staring over Josh’s shoulder.
‘Kate! What’s wrong?’
Kate’s hand was trembling. She ignored her wine and took a large gulp of water. Her eyes were wide and shocked.
‘It’s Alex,’ she whispered, putting the glass down unsteadily. ‘He’s just walked in with Sandra Maddison.’
Josh didn’t look round, he carried on watching Kate and as her eyes followed the couple across the restaurant floor, he leant over and put his hand over hers gently.
‘Do you want to leave?’ he asked softly. ‘I’ll get the bill, we can be in the car in five minutes.’
Kate barely heard him. Her heart was drumming and the blood was rushing round her veins so loudly she could hear nothing but her own body screaming out for Alex.
She watched as Alex and Sandra sat down at a table in a corner some distance from her and Josh. She watched as Alex gallantly pulled out a chair for Sandra to sit on and carried on watching as Sandra leant across the table and blew Alex a kiss. Her heart was thudding painfully but her eyes were fixed on the couple and she didn’t seem able to tear her gaze away, no matter how hard she tried.
Sandra was dressed to impress and far from the understated outfit Kate was wearing, her dress would have been more at home at a cocktail party. But she did look good, admitted Kate to herself. Her hair was gleaming and freshly styled, the dress hugged the curve of her body and her red glossy lips pouted and smiled in Alex’s direction as he sat and admired her across the table.
‘Kate?’
She whipped her eyes back to Josh who was still watching her anxiously. ‘Kate are you okay?’
She nodded, her eyes shiny with tears. ‘Sorry, just a bit of a shock,’ she mumbled.
Josh smiled sympathetically. ‘We can leave, just say the word.’
But Kate shook her head, straightening her shoulders and blinking away the tears.
‘No,’ she said calmly. ‘No, we’ll stay and finish our meal. I’m not leaving without trying some of that bread and butter pudding,’ and she reached out for her glass, her hand almost steady as she took a sip of wine and smiled a determined smile in Josh’s direction.
Chapter 19
The conversation was understandably strained following Alex’s arrival and although Kate tried her best, she couldn’t help her eyes from straying in the direction of her husband and the carefree laughter she could hear coming from his table.
But she was determined to see the afternoon out. Josh ate the rest of his meal while Kate pushed hers around her plate and then they ordered pudding which Kate made an admirable effort to eat and they even aske
d for coffee which Kate used to warm her suddenly cold fingers.
Eventually Josh suggested that it was time to go and Kate nodded her head, slightly relieved.
Standing, she asked if Josh was okay with Millie for two minutes while she visited the bathroom and thankful that the entrance was in completely the opposite direction to where Alex was seated, Kate followed the sign through a large oak door and into a long corridor. As soon as she was away from the gaze of the public room Kate stopped. Putting a hand on the wall to steady herself she took a sharp breath and almost doubled over with the pain in her heart. She could never have envisioned the day when she would be in the same restaurant as Alex but sitting at separate tables with separate people; never have imagined that Millie would be sitting next to Kate while her father sat next to another woman, none the wiser that his daughter was even in the same room.
She stood up, the effort considerable. Did Alex have any idea how much he had hurt her she wondered, did he even care?
‘Kate!’
Kate didn’t turn round.
‘Kate!’
Kate still didn’t turn round. She needed time, she needed her eyes to clear from the tears that were threatening. She needed her breathing to slow and her heart to stop hammering.
‘Kate?’
Kate turned.
‘Hello Alex.’
‘What on earth are you doing here?’
Kate tilted her head. He sounded shocked, almost challenging.
‘Having lunch, the same as you.’
‘Right, of course you are -sorry.’
Kate’s heart twisted. She wanted to drag Alex back to her table, remind him of the daughter he had walked away from and insist he came home with her.
He was staring at her. ‘You look fantastic.’
‘Oh, er thankyou.’
‘Who are you with?’
‘A friend,’ she answered lightly.
Google Your Husband Back Page 15
