Page 22 of The Second Chance Supper Club

‘Ah, great.’ Trevor was nodding at this point, Cath knowing full well that cycling had never been his forte. The golf course, other than work, was his go-to place where he exhibited his sporting prowess.

‘And then I enjoy the odd hike,’ Will went on. ‘The Cheviot Hills are great here for that. And sometimes, I’ll head up to the Highlands or over to Cumbria. Scafell Pike is a good climb, love that one. Stunning scenery.’

‘Ah, yes, I’ve done that one. Damn good hike, I remember,’ Trevor chipped in, puffing out his chest a little.

Cath looked up, not knowing whether to laugh or expose the truth.

Trevor had only ever rambled, and generally to a pub pit-stop at that.

Suddenly, he’s scaling Scafell Pike in the Lake District.

She was certain they’d only got to the lower slopes of that mountain on their holiday several years ago now.

She gave a knowing smile. There was Will talking about his cycling and hiking, and Trevor was suddenly going into one-upmanship.

‘Yeah, I’d love to do some climbing in the Alps next year, actually,’ Trevor added, as though he was Roundhay’s answer to Bear Grylls.

‘Really?’ Cath couldn’t help herself, pursing her lips, with her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

‘Yeah.’ Trevor remained serious.

Hah, perhaps the new bit of fluff was a gym instructor or into serious hiking or something. He’d have his work cut out there then, as he’d never been particularly sporty. But she had a feeling this was all bluff. Did he see Will as some kind of a threat? This was quite amusing.

In response, Will told him about the amazing treks he’d done up the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, recommending certain Alpine routes, adding whether you needed crampons or not at certain times of the year. Interestingly, Trevor went rather quiet at that point.

Cath had excused herself from the group to return to the cottage kitchen and put the final touches to the koftas.

She was enjoying a few minutes out, when Trevor snuck up behind her, with empty glass to hand.

‘Just coming for a top-up. Bottle’s empty.

’ He then began ferreting in the fridge, looking far too comfortable for her liking.

She was regretting her decision to let him to stay for some food.

‘Hey, Cath,’ he said, as he pulled out a new bottle of Sauvignon, ‘this … tonight.’ There was a hint of concern in Trevor’s voice.

‘Well, it isn’t some kind of singles club, is it?

’ He’d evidently established that Nikki and Will weren’t an item.

‘No, Trevor, it’s a supper club. But well…

’ She couldn’t resist winding him up a bit.

‘We do usually have the lads Andreas and Dan here too, but they couldn’t make it tonight.

’ She didn’t enlighten him any further, and she certainly wasn’t going to tell him that they were a couple. Hah, let him stew in his own thoughts.

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah, we get on really well, all of us.’

Life didn’t stop when you left me. I have a new home, and a social life of my own. I’m doing okay. That was what she wanted him to take from that. He didn’t need to know about the recent wobbles, the ongoing hurt, and the loneliness.

‘Right, well, main course is ready.’ She took the koftas out from the grill.

‘You can take these up for me. And after that, you’ll be you fed and watered, and I really would appreciate some time to spend with my friends.

’ She spelled out a reminder that he wasn’t to get too comfy.

‘And if you haven’t already booked, you’ll have to get going and see if the pub has any rooms left. ’

‘Yep, noted.’

He had to have some other agenda, she mused warily, her guard firmly up. But whatever it was, she’d rather leave it until tomorrow to find out.

At last, with the main course over, Trevor left.

He gave Cath a clumsy hug on the doorstep, after thanking her for the lovely meal.

Cath felt a weight lift watching him go.

She’d been so damned tense through the whole meal, she hadn’t particularly enjoyed her food.

How did cheating Trevor still manage to do that to her?

After closing the door with a sigh, she headed back to her friends and poured herself another glass of wine. ‘Well, that was awkward. Sorry, folks, I had absolutely no idea he was going to turn up like that.’

‘And hey, I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought to find out who he was before putting my foot in it about supper.’ Will looked abashed. ‘It’s okay. We were always going to have to face each other at some point, I suppose. And it made it easier in some ways having you two by my side.’

‘No worries,’ Nikki replied. ‘He seemed all right to be fair, except for being a dick about mountaineering – even I know he hasn’t got a clue about climbing in the Alps.

’ The three of them laughed at that. ‘But obviously we don’t know the full history …

’ Nikki added cautiously, knowing full well that relationships and exes were tricky business.

‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Been married for thirty years, and then he did the dirty on me eighteen months ago,’ Cath began to explain.

‘It’s been a long and messy journey. But hey, I’ll keep that little gem of a story for another time …

’ She tried to keep her tone light, though the hurt still squished her inside.

‘Hey, I’m sorry to hear that.’ Will sounded caring without being nosy.

‘I hope you’re feeling okay. And I’m sorry if I made it more awkward.

That couldn’t have been at all easy this evening. ’

‘Ah, I’m all right. Feeling better now he’s away.’ She meant for tonight, and also her life.

‘Right, well I’m going down to the kitchen to nab those chocolates.’ Nikki stood up purposefully. ‘This situation needs something sweet.’

Cath smiled. ‘Actually, it is getting a little chilly up here, and the sky looks a bit ominous.’ Inky-grey clouds were massing above them. ‘Shall we head back down to the cottage?’

‘Sounds a good idea, before we get a rain shower,’ agreed Will.

Settled in the lounge fifteen minutes later, with mugs of freshly ground coffee and delightful chocolate truffles, they chatted some more.

It wasn’t long before Nikki managed to nod off.

She must have been exhausted, bless her.

Aside from this evening, she never seemed to stop.

Her head had bobbed to one side, and a light snore escaped from her lips.

‘I think she’s out for the count,’ commented Will, with a kind smile on his face.

‘I know. Her life sounds so full on, it’s no wonder. Three kids, her cleaning business … It’s exhausting just listening to everything she has to cram into one day.’

‘Yeah, it’s like that with young families, when you’re full-on working, isn’t it. And then, all of a sudden, it’s all gone.’ Will’s brow creased and his eyes looked a little melancholy. ‘Suddenly they’re all grown up, and you wonder where the time went …’ He sounded nostalgic.

‘True.’ Cath felt for him, knowing that his wife had died not so long ago.

And then she thought of her own little family unit.

Her, Trevor, Adam … The good times, and there were good times over the years, especially those early years of marriage and motherhood.

Yes, and there were the times when she was bloody worn out, and it had still felt right, worth it.

They were a team. A unit. Now Adam was off and away, and Trevor had done his disappearing act, too. How things had changed.

‘Well, I’m just glad it’s not Trevor making himself comfy there on the sofa,’ Cath added wryly, ‘I was beginning to wonder if I’d actually be able to get rid of him this evening.’

‘Ah, I see. So, has he headed back to Leeds now?’ Will quirked a dark eyebrow.

‘No such luck, staying over at the pub, as far as I know … We’ve a lot to talk about, apparently. He’s coming back tomorrow morning for coffee.’

‘Oh, ri-ight.’

Was that her imagination, or was there a trace of disappointment in his tone?