Page 40 of The Second Chance Supper Club

They looked at each other for a second, then shared a small clumsy hug in the hallway.

And she felt so confused. Buzzing with emotions that she struggled to name or place – could it be longing, loneliness, sympathy, attraction …

all of it ? However her feelings were growing for Will, they needed to be kept in check.

He was evidently grieving, and in a vulnerable place, too.

‘Once bitten, twice shy’ rang in her head as she closed the door. And well, Trevor had certainly taken a big chunk out of her.

‘Okay, little lady? Am I forgiven?’ Cath said to Shirley, an hour or so later, stroking the terrier’s silky white head. They were back on the sofa together, all dry now and cosy. She was about to put the late lunchtime news on, when her mobile rang.

‘Ooh, it’s your dad.’ She pressed to take the call. ‘Hi, Dan. How are you getting on?’

‘Hi, lovely. Good news, the op has gone well. Maria’s back out of sedation and settled, so I’m going to head back up. I’ll go back to fetch Andreas later, as he wants to stay with her. We’re not sure when she’ll be allowed out yet, depends on how things go today.’

‘Ah, thank goodness. Well, that is good news. I’ll keep Shirley with me for now then, and you just say when you’re ready for me to bring her over, okay? And anything else, ask away.’

‘Thank you, lovely.’

‘No problem. See you later.’

As soon as Cath heard Dan was coming back, as promised, she gave Will a call.

They arranged to meet at the flat, ready to re-fill the lads’ fridge with the food saved from the beach.

Gosh, the fun and games they’d had seemed like a world away, not a mere twenty-four hours.

Cath added a few extra items including a cottage pie (which she had whipped up last night, just in case), some salad leaves fresh from her raised beds in the garden, and sunflower-and-honey seeded bread rolls which she’d baked and batch frozen.

She left a little handwritten note for the boys on the kitchen side.

Yes, she’d realised that there might well be the basics downstairs in the shop, but the two lads might just want to collapse with some ready-made supper to hand.

‘Aw, that’s really kind of you,’ commented Will, spotting the extra food she’d made.

‘Ah, the boys have been great since I first landed here in the village. So warm and welcoming. It’s the least I can do for them.’

‘Yeah, they are good lads. They really do look out for the village folk. And it’s not just for their own gain.’ He sighed, and looked tired suddenly.

Their gaze snagged. She wondered if they’d helped him too, when his world fell apart, with the onset of Jane’s illness. Again, there was that feeling that she should reach over, touch his arm, or shoulder perhaps. Show him that she cared, too. But something held her back.

‘Right, well, that’s it all delivered. Job done.’ Will turned, ready to go.

‘Yeah, and I’d better get back to Shirley. Thanks.’

‘Uhm … there’s a village pub quiz coming up. For the local hospice,’ Will ventured. ‘Maybe you’d like to come along? We might even raise a team, if the lads feel up to it, that is. Next Thursday, here at The Star Inn.’

‘That sounds good, thanks. I’d like that.’ She felt a buzz at the thought of spending the evening with Will. Another chance to get to know each other a little bit more.

Dan was back at their flat fifty minutes later, and had phoned Cath, all emotional, after finding the food supplies left in the fridge for them.

He explained that he needed an hour or so to get sorted, and the shop re-opened.

So, in the meanwhile she took Shirley for a little walk around the village.

Several locals, including the elderly couple next door, John and Mary, had stopped her on seeing the familiar Westie, asking about the lads and Maria’s welfare, having heard the news on the village grapevine.

There was a real sense of community in this village, and of coming together. She had a feeling more offers of help and goodies might well be arriving at the shop soon. Dan and Andreas’s past kindnesses across the community being remembered and acknowledged.

As she dropped Shirley off later, Cath repeated her offer to help out in the shop for a couple of hours, if that might ever help.

‘I’ll just get everything straight here today, lovely … but we might well take you up on that sometime,’ said Dan. ‘And thanks so much for looking after our little diva. I hope she’s been good for you?’

Shirley barked on cue, as if to say yes, of course I have , which made them both smile.

‘She’s been perfect. I’ve enjoyed having her. Been good company, to be honest.’

Dan rubbed the little dog behind the ears, then declared, ‘Right, up we go, missy. I’ll pop you away. No loitering on the shop floor for you.’ And up he went, taking the little dog and her things with him. ‘I’ll be straight back …’

‘No worries.’ Cath waited, browsing the shelves and the local crafts until Dan returned.

They then said their goodbyes, Cath aware that Dan would have plenty to be getting on with.

‘Thank you so much again, my lovely.’

‘It’s no problem at all. See you soon. And send my love to Andreas and Maria.’

‘Will do. Bye.’

Cath missed her little canine pal very much that night, and the following day, vowing to ‘borrow’ Shirley more often.

The cottage seemed so much emptier without the occasional yap, bark and snuggle, as the terrier had followed her around the house.

It seemed all too quiet, once more, serving to remind her how solitary her new life could sometimes feel.