Page 56 of The Second Chance Supper Club

Back at home, the cup of tea tasted like dishwater, and she felt dreadful, blaming herself for being inept, and along with seemingly everybody else, bloody annoyed with herself.

How could she have been so stupid as to imagine it was okay to let the little dog off the lead?

Okay, so she’d seen the lads do that occasionally in the past, but they were Shirley’s owners.

The message she’d been longing for came in a half hour later …

finally. She was almost too afraid to open the WhatsApp from Dan.

But there they were, the best words ever …

She’s back at last. Search over . Phew. She’s muddy, knackered, but fine .

Ah, thank God .

She later learned from Nikki that after an hour-and-three-quarters, and much doggie-type fun, Shirley had come home all of her own accord.

Dan had discovered her sitting in the shop’s doorway, tongue lolling, covered in mud, totally shattered, but unharmed.

There were big licks all round for Andreas and Dan, who hadn’t minded their clothes and faces getting muddied at all.

Everyone was so relieved, but Cath couldn’t forget the lads’ earlier words, and the feeling that she’d let everyone down.

In bed that night, she lay restless, unable to stop blaming herself.

She was so relieved the dog was safe and sound in the end.

But it was no thanks to her; she’d only wanted to give the dog a bit of freedom, but she dreaded to think how things might have ended differently.

What would happen with her lovely supper group now?

Will was hardly speaking to her anyhow even before all this today.

Oh, and Dan and Andreas would never trust her with Shirley again – and rightfully so.

And she’d loved spending time with that little dog.

A few hot tears ran down her cheeks and into her pillows, before she finally drifted off.

She buried herself under the duvet, the emotions of the day all too much.

The next morning, Cath turned up at the village stores, with a homemade lemon drizzle cake, made in the early hours of the morning when she couldn’t sleep, so sorry for all the bother she’d caused.

In fact, with a ‘tail between her legs’, very much like Shirley must have done the day before.

After her restless night, Cath was determined to face things head on.

The lads might not feel very much like trusting her again, and fair enough, but she needed to apologise properly.

She also held a hand-tied bunch of flowers; a beautiful circle of white lilies, white carnations, purple agapanthus and blue Scottish thistles, which she’d just collected from the florist in Kirkton.

She paused for a second or two, waited for a customer to leave the village stores, then took a deep breath and went on in.

Thankfully, the shop was now empty. It was a careworn-looking Andreas who was at the counter, and he looked up with an ‘Oh.’

Cath took a breath. ‘I’m here to say how truly sorry I am.

I should never have let Shirley off the lead, and I’m so gutted to have caused you both all that worry.

’ There was a lump catching in her throat, as she re-lived the dreadful emotions of yesterday afternoon.

‘For you and Dan.’ She passed over the bouquet.

‘Oh, they are beautiful.’ Andreas’s tone was cool but gentle. ‘Dan, it’s Cath …’

‘Oh, Cath …’ Dan appeared, having come down the stairs from the flat.

‘By way of an apology …’ Cath said, as Andreas lifted the flowers for Dan to see.

‘Thank you, lovely.’

‘Well, it’s me who should be saying sorry, too …’ Andreas looked a little sheepish.

‘You … how?’ Cath couldn’t work out what he was trying to say.

‘Yesterday … I reacted in the heat of the moment. I was tired and emotional – it had been a long and tough weekend – and well, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have growled at you like I did.

’ ‘Well, I deserved it. And it was at such a difficult time for you both, that’s why I feel even worse.

It was me who was stupid enough to decide to let the dog off.

I-I just never expected her to do that …

She’s always been so calm and steady in my back garden. ’

‘We should have thought to warn you,’ Dan added softly. They’d obviously been chatting together about the incident.

‘It wasn’t the first time,’ Andreas confessed. ‘She can be a little madam. Saves it for once in a blue moon, so just when you think she’s calmed down, then … bumph … spots a squirrel … and she’s offski.’

‘Or a hare …’ added Dan. ‘But she can’t really keep up with them. And she is most partial to a rabbit hunt.’

‘Oh, don’t I know it.’ Cath let this news sink in.

‘Did it as a teenage pup the first time … that was a rabbit … We lost her for a whole hour. We were having heart failure by the time she came back, I can tell you.’

‘Yes, swanned back to us, casual as you like, to exactly the place we’d lost her. But we couldn’t be cross with her, as it was such a relief.’

‘So, she’s been kept on the leash in open countryside for years now,’ Dan added.

‘She’s fine around the village streets and in the garden …

but in a field … uh oh.’ He shook his head knowingly.

‘I bet she thought she’d won the lottery when you let her off,’ continued Andreas.

The lads managed a wry smile at that. ‘Hey, why don’t you come on up to the flat,’ added Andreas kindly, ‘I’ll put some coffee on.

Dan, would you be okay minding the shop a short while? ’

‘My pleasure.’

It was an olive branch back to their friendship, and Cath began to relax a little. Little sparks of hope for a happier future here in the village began to flicker within her as the two of them mounted the stairs.

‘Here she is, the little minx.’

Shirley looked so innocent, stood there on the landing, all fluffy and white, wagging her tail and giving an excited bark to welcome Cath.

‘Well, no more country escapes for you, little lady.’ Cath patted her soft white head. The dog’s behaviour all began to make sense, and though she’d made the daft decision to let Shirley off, Cath had truly learnt her dog-walking lesson.

‘She’s a right madam, and a natural hunter, however cuddly she looks, so it isn’t all your fault, petal.

So, let’s move on, hey. The antics of a critter-chasing Westie shouldn’t spoil a lovely friendship.

’ Andreas’s hand was on her shoulder, and Cath suddenly felt like she might cry, relieved and thankful all at once.

She’d been dreading how life in the village might pan out, believing she’d fallen out with her new companions.

The coffee was rich, warm and soothing, as was the conversation, the two of them chatting about how lovely the funeral had been despite it being such a sad occasion.

Andreas then mooted another Supper Club evening, much to Cath’s ongoing relief.

‘Oh yes, we absolutely need to have another supper get-together, now that Mama’s funeral is over.

Bless her, she always said that cooking was caring.

Yes, a little bit of time to chill out with some foodie fun and friends would be lovely again. ’

‘I’d really like that,’ said Cath, a glint of happiness lighting within.

‘Okay, I’ll put something out on the group chat, see what we fancy doing. Oh, and isn’t it Will’s turn to host?’ commented Andreas.

Cath felt her heart flip. How the heck would that go down? ‘Or perhaps we could …’ Andreas continued. ‘We never really hosted as such at the beach. It was more a communal effort.’

‘Ah, but you’ve had so much to deal with lately,’ Cath countered.

‘Let us look after you both again, for this time at least. And if it’s a no-go for Will,’ she mooted, her thoughts flailing wildly, wondering if he’d be prepared to invite her to his place ever again, ‘I’m always on standby at the cottage. ’

‘Well, let’s put it out there, and see what the others think, first.’ Andreas was already reaching for his phone, ready to message.

Her heart gave a little lift. Phew, one hurdle was over, it looked like the supper club would continue, but there was yet a bigger hill to climb: the massive mountain between her and Will.

The next supper meet-up might well be a test. Could Will cope with the thought of having her there at his house for a supper?

Should she even go or should she politely duck out this time to give them all some space and save his feelings?

She wasn’t at all sure what to do for the best. She remembered the way he’d so coolly sent her away, whilst they continued looking for the terrier.

That had felt like another brick in their own personal wall.

It was a brick that weighed on her heart.

After everything, he might not even want to host or stay a part of their supper club group any more, not when it involved seeing her.

Despite all her best intentions of steering clear of any new relationships, her heart had led her that way anyhow … and yet again, it was hurting. Yes, she’d made a positive step forward with Andreas and Dan for sure, and that was great, but another challenge awaited her …