Page 20 of The Second Chance Supper Club

She had also popped a bottle of sauvignon in the fridge earlier.

Luckily, she kept a little stash of ‘emergency’ wine in her rack.

A glass or two had helped get her through some lonely evenings over the past few months.

It was heartwarming that she now had friends to share those bottles with, she mused, with a small smile.

Hi-ball glasses were placed on the kitchen side, lemon slices cut, and ice in the freezer.

In the garden, the shed doors were opened, mix-and-match chairs at the ready, and the table set out with two green-glass tealight holders and a pretty patterned bowl filled with crisps.

Cath found herself hovering, waiting for the doorbell to ring.

Who would be first, she wondered. And an image popped to mind …

ah, for goodness’ sake, stop thinking about those tightly toned muscles .

It wasn’t long before her question was answered.

She responded to the doorbell’s chime to find Will standing there, thankfully in jeans and a shirt, with a small bunch of yellow and pink carnations, a bottle of red, and a smile.

Oh, and those gentle hazel-brown eyes fixed right on her, beneath the salt-and-pepper-edged dark hair.

‘Thanks so much for organising this last minute.’

‘You’re very welcome. And thank you, these are lovely.’ She took the colourful bouquet.

‘Have you heard anything from the lads? About Andreas’s mother?’

‘Yes, I had a brief message back, saying that she was having some tests and that she was stable.’

‘Oh, well that’s reasonable news at least. Such a worry.’ ‘Yeah, it is. Oh, and come on in … sorry, we’re still stood on the step.’

He followed her through to the little kitchen.

Just the two of them for now. He was wearing smart dark-denim jeans and a navy-and-white paisley patterned shirt.

It suited him. Cath found herself feeling awfully warm, and she busied herself with finding a vase to pop the flowers in. What was the matter with her?

‘A G&T, or would you rather a glass of wine?’ she offered.

‘A gin would be lovely, thanks.’

She clinked some ice cubes into two of the glasses. But, before she had a chance to pour it, the doorbell was off again – phew, saved by the bell. ‘Oh, that must be Nikki. Won’t be a mo.’

‘Shall I do the honours?’ Will gestured towards the gin bottle.

‘That’d be great, thanks.’

‘I’d better make it three.’ Even with her back turned she could tell from his tone that he was smiling. ‘Nikki’s bound to want one.’

‘Helloo!’ There she was, a blast of brightness in a vivid yellow polka-dot top and denim three-quarter jeans. ‘Boy, am I ready for this. Full on at work, craziness at home as per usual, but I’m away, a three-hour window just to be me. Thank you so much for stepping in, Cath.’

‘It’s fine, no problem at all.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t have time to make anything, but I picked up a box of chocolate truffles on my way back from Alnwick – good old M&S.’

‘Perfect, they’ll be wonderful after the meal with a nice coffee.’

‘Gin’s ready.’ There was Will with three tall glasses that were filled and lightly fizzing.

‘Thank you. Cheers, my lovelies.’ Nikki took one.

‘Cheers.’

‘Chin-chin.’ Cath smiled. ‘And here’s to Andreas’s mum getting better very soon.’

‘Absolutely. Get well soon, Maria.’ Will lifted his glass.

‘She’s such a lovely lady,’ Nikki said. ‘I met her in the village a while back. The boys had her out to lunch at The Star. Bit of a character, she was. She was enjoying bossing Andreas about, as I remember. He was trying to stop her having an extra glass of wine, something to do with her meds, and she was having none of it.’

‘Hah, I like the sound of her. Fingers crossed that all is well.’

‘Yeah, absolutely.’

‘Ooh, are we up in the shed? I loved it there last time,’ asked Nikki, glancing up the garden, as the trio stood chatting in the kitchen.

‘If you’d like to be, yeah. I’ve set it up for us, just in case.’ ‘Ah, yes, please. It was so gorgeous. I still can’t believe how you’ve transformed it. Plus, up there, you get a view across the hills, as well as your lovely garden.’

‘And the evening sun’s on it for now, too,’ added Will, gazing out of the back door. ‘May as well make the most of it.’

There was in fact quite a lot of grey cloud bubbling up as well as that golden glimpse of sunshine, but Cath was more than happy to head up there. With a bowl of nibbles to hand, she led the way.

‘So, how’s everyone’s week been so far?’ Cath started the conversational ball rolling as they took up their seats near the open summerhouse doors. ‘Sounds like you’ve had a busy one, Nikki.’

‘Don’t I always … What’s gone on this week?

There’s always some caper. Oh, yes, Mrs Douglas’s cat got stuck up a tree in her garden.

The old dear was all stressed about it. So, there’s me wobbling on stepladders trying to get the little bugger down – for forty bloody minutes, no less.

Not a chance, he just kept going further up.

Then, when I gave up, ready to crack on with the cleaning I was meant to be doing, he climbed down himself.

I’m sure he was smirking at me as he waltzed back into the house, tail and head held high. ’

Cath and Will were chuckling. Nikki’s life always seemed to be full of drama, and she had a great way of telling a tale.

‘Mine was a bit quieter than that,’ added Will.

‘Steady away at the cycle shop. Did a coastal run, then went out on the bikes, fifty miles with a mate. And yesterday, I went off for a bit of a hike in the hills. It was stunning up there.’

Blimey, he really was a bit of an action man. Don’t think of the Lycra …

‘Yeah, I love the walking around here, too,’ added Cath. ‘The countryside is so beautiful.’

‘Hah, no need for all that huffing and puffing. I do enough of all that at work. It’s lovely just sitting here.’ Nikki stretched her legs out, lifting her face to the evening sun. ‘Your cottage is so peaceful.’

‘Yes, it’s really beginning to feel like home.’ And it was, Cath realised with a glow.

‘That’s good. Oh, by the way, you two, would you mind if I invited my niece along if we had another supper night … if I did it at mine?’

‘Of course not. The more the merrier,’ said Cath.

‘She’s a bit younger than us lot, only seventeen, and she adores cooking.

Told me she wants to be a chef one day. A pastry chef actually.

She loves watching all the cookery programmes.

Bake Off and MasterChef are her favourites.

In fact, I’m hoping she might come up with some patisserie style puds for us all.

There’s a method in my madness.’ Nikki winked.

‘Sounds great,’ added Will. ‘She’s just a little younger than my daughters. A great age, the whole world’s ahead of them.’ ‘Yes, all those dreams and good times ahead,’ added Cath rather nostalgically, unable to stop herself thinking, before it all goes wrong.

‘It’s a confusing time too, mind. So many choices and pressures,’ expanded Nikki.

‘Yes, you’re right, it can be.’ Cath used to love chatting with her pupils at school, guiding them where appropriate.

So many paths to choose, and so easy, seemingly, to get it wrong, but every child, every person was different.

You just had to try to make the best decisions you could, once you’d taken everything into consideration.

Better to take a chance than miss out on an opportunity in life.

Even the failing was a lesson in itself, that’s what she told her students – you could always learn and take something forward from that.

‘That’s the thing. Her parents – my brother Jason and his wife – well, they aren’t too keen on her going down the catering route.

She’s a bright girl, and I think they’re pushing hard for her to take up a traditional university place, something like a Geography or an English degree – those are her other A Level subjects.

I’ve heard they’re at loggerheads, just now.

I think she might need a bit of moral support. ’

‘We can certainly provide that,’ added Will.

‘And I’ve had lots of experience with youngsters in my teaching role. Our supper group might be a nice space for her to try out her cooking skills, and also to take a bit of time out. That’s important too. A Levels can be a really stressful time.’

‘Aw, thanks, guys, that sounds brilliant.’

They sat for a while longer, enjoying the evening sunshine and sipping refreshing gin, continuing to chat about their prospective weeks so far.

‘Right, well, I just need to nip back to the house to get the starter ready.’ Cath was getting up on her feet.

‘Lovely Andreas dropped in the most amazing feta dish that he’d prepared for us.

It just takes a short while in the oven, so I won’t be long.

Another gin, guys? Or are you ready for a glass of wine?

I can bring up a bottle of white if you like and then one of you can do the honours. ’

‘Wine sounds good.’ Nikki was settled in to her chair with a tired but relaxed smile.

‘Yep, and I’ll come down and fetch it. No need to be dashing around for us. We can help,’ offered Will thoughtfully, those meltingly dark eyes fixed on hers.

‘Ah, thank you.’

He followed her down the slightly rickety paved steps. ‘It’s great of you to step in this evening, Cath. But I hope we’ve not put too much on you.’

‘Honestly, it’s fine. It’s nice to have company …

and well, I was really looking forward to this evening, getting together again.

Shame for the lads, and the circumstances of course, but we’ll have to do something special for them another time.

’ ‘Yeah, we will. Andreas and Dan are such fun … and they’re so kind, too.

Honestly, they try and look after everyone in the village, where they can.

That little shop is more than just a store, it’s a kind of community hub.

’ He took a slow breath and looked a bit wistful.

‘Oh yes, I’ve got that impression already.’

‘I’d love to be able to thank them by hosting a meal. I just wish my cooking skills were up to scratch. I’m not sure if I can match any of this …’ He gestured at the food already prepped and on the side. ‘Hah, we might have to go to the pub when it’s my turn. Probably be the safest option …’

Cath looked up. He really did seem a nice guy, despite her early misgivings.

‘And if so, I’m sure that would be lovely, too.

But cooking wise, it’s all about keeping it simple and using good ingredients, nothing too fancy.

But hey, if you’d like any lessons …’ The words were out before she’d even had time to think about it, oops.

An image rose of her and Will all cosy in her galley kitchen cooking together.

And why did that suddenly make her blush?

It wasn’t as though there was anything at all between them.

She was still in her no-go relationship-free zone. Far too problematic.

‘Ah, well, one day I might just have to take you up on that.’ Will’s smile was warm, yet there was a flicker of lingering sadness in his eyes.

And that touched her heart, too. The poor guy must have had a hell of a lot to deal with losing his wife. The cooking offer, well, it was just a friend helping out a friend after all, Cath told herself. But why was she feeling a bit flustered?

After opening the bottle of chilled white wine, and passing it to Will to take back up to the summerhouse, Cath popped a sourdough baguette to warm in the oven beside the feta bake.

That’s when the doorbell went. Oh, had the lads managed to get away early?

Perhaps visiting hours were over or something?

Hopefully, it might mean that Maria was suddenly better and had been let out quickly.

Cath nipped to the door to find out … and there, stood facing her, was not at all who she’d imagined.