Page 27 of Happier Days (Family Life in Somerley #1)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Once they were seated, a wine glass apiece, and Poppy had spent ten minutes filling them in about her busy school life, Ruby made sure Poppy was settled in her bed.
Eliza took the opportunity to start their previous conversation again. ‘What would you do if you weren’t working in PR, Ava?’
Ava’s eyes narrowed. ‘Have you been talking to Jack?’
‘No, I’m just curious. I never knew my brother had ambitions to be an author until he showed me the manuscript he’d written. I was gobsmacked, both by how good it was and by how he’d kept it to himself.’
‘He’s doing so well. I am in awe of his work.’
‘But you’re such a fantastic photographer,’ Ruby joined in when she stepped back into the room. ‘Haven’t you ever wanted to freelance?’
‘Jack says you’re wasted working for someone else,’ Eliza added.
‘You have been talking to him.’ Ava stared at her pointedly. ‘I suppose I’d like to, but I’m always scared to try.’
‘Why?’
‘Maybe my age. I’m too old to start thinking of my own business.’
‘That’s nuts,’ Ruby cried. ‘You’re barely a pup.’
‘I mean, there is so much to learn, and having to do it all myself seems a tad overwhelming. I might be great at the creative side of things, but I don’t have a clue how to run a business.’
‘You’re making up excuses.’
‘I know.’ Ava looked at Eliza then, hoping to change the conversation over to her. ‘But we were talking earlier about you. You weren’t too sure if you wanted to stay at the hotel?’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Eliza sighed. ‘I assumed I’d be there as general manager forever.’
‘It’s not a bad position to be in.’
‘Granted, but it’s so samey.’
‘Maybe you should follow the advice that you dish out then, and go for your dreams,’ Ruby said. ‘There’s always compromises to be made. Why don’t you talk to your parents about it?’
‘Because anything to do with Dan isn’t allowed to be talked over.’
‘This is about you . I can see how tied you are,’ Ruby added, frustration clear in her voice. ‘I’ve been able to do what I wanted, but you Broadhurst kids had a family business to join.’
A silence fell while they each thought about things they’d discussed.
‘If I follow my dreams, then you need to follow yours,’ Eliza said to Ava.
‘It’s not that easy.’
‘See?’ Eliza rolled her eyes in jest. ‘ She gives advice but won’t take it as well. Your stuff is good, Ava, but you’re the only one who can make your dreams come true.’
Another bottle of wine was opened. Ava felt blessed as she sat across from the two friends, and a little teary to be part of their gang again.
‘I bet it was weird seeing Harry,’ Ruby said to Eliza.
‘It was a shock, I can tell you.’ Eliza nodded. ‘After so many years away.’
‘Not as long as me. I was twenty-two years between visits!’
Ruby and Eliza glanced at each other.
Ruby shrugged. ‘It’s up to you,’ she told Eliza. ‘But it’ll have to come out soon.’
‘If there’s something you don’t want me to know, then I can nip to the loo,’ Ava said.
‘Harry and I.’ Eliza blew out a breath. ‘We had a thing before he left.’
‘Like me and Jack, you mean?’
‘It went further than a few kisses. And then a little further still.’
Ava paused, trying to work out what wasn’t being said between the lines. Then she gasped. ‘Are you telling me that Harry is Willow’s dad?’
Eliza nodded. ‘I found out I was pregnant a month after he’d left.’
‘And he doesn’t know?’
‘I hadn’t seen sight nor sound of him since then, so I wasn’t able to tell him.’
‘Didn’t his father guess?’
‘I would have denied it if he had.’
‘What about your parents?’
‘Mum knows, but Dad doesn’t. He thinks I slept with a boy one summer and got caught.’
Ava, who was wide-eyed at the revelation, sat forward. ‘Does Jack know?’
Eliza shook her head. ‘But when Willow visits, now that he’s seen Harry again, he might guess.’
‘Do you think she looks like him? I mean, I’ve seen photos of Willow, but I haven’t met her.’
‘Thankfully she has the Broadhurst’s side mostly. Or maybe that’s because I haven’t seen Harry for two decades and there’s no other family.’
‘Are you going to tell him before she does visit?’ Ruby asked.
‘Of course I am.’ Eliza pouted. ‘I just don’t know how.’
Ruby reached for Eliza’s hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘It’s best to get it over with as soon as you can. Then you can decide whether to tell Willow or not.’
‘You’re thinking of not telling her?’ Ava asked, a bit shocked.
Eliza shook her head. ‘I’m going to gauge his reaction first. I don’t want him in Willow’s life if he doesn’t want to know.’
‘I think that’s wise, actually.’
‘Bloody men,’ Ruby cried. ‘Let’s have more wine to drown our sorrows!’