Page 68 of The Weekend Getaway

“Is he a friend or boyfriend?” he asked in a stage whisper.

“Oh my god.” She dropped her chin to her chest and covered her face with her hands.

Sue clicked her tongue. “You’re embarrassing her.”

“That’s what dads are for! It’s a straightforward question, mind you, so I’m not sure what the problem is.”

“I’m sorry,” Keira said, peeking at Noah.

A dimple appeared in his cheek as his lips twitched to a smile. “Boyfriend,” he said, glancing in the rear-view mirror again.

“Thought so.” Ron patted Keira’s shoulder heavily, making her shrink down in the seat. “That’s why you don’t have time for your poor old parents these days, is it?”

Keira chose to keep quiet.

As the traffic lights turned green, Sue asked how the two of them had met, then how long they’d known each other. Noah chatted easily, while Keira wondered how much her dad could embarrass her in one evening. Taking steady breaths, she told herself that Noah wouldn’t care. He liked her and that wouldn’t change because her parents could be a little hard to take. Well, mostly her dad. If it was just her mum she wouldn’t worry at all.

Noah parked the car on the road outside the restaurant, and Keira grabbed at his arm when his parents got out in unison.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, clutching his forearm hard. “Just ignore everything my dad says.”

“It’s fine.” His hand cupped her face and pulled her into the briefest of kisses. “I wanted to meet your parents, remember?”

“Yes. But I didn’t want you to. We’ll eat quick and leave.” She pulled on the door handle and shot him an apologetic look.

“I used to work in pubs,” Ron told Noah when they were seated in the cosy restaurant with solid wooden tables and exposed brickwork on the walls. “Loved it. I can’t imagine being tied to a desk in some stuffy office.”

“I work in an office,” Keira reminded him.

“And we’re very proud.” Her dad wiped beer from his top lip. “She’s brainy, this one. Not sure where she got that from.” He sat back in his chair, his chest hitching as he burped. “Good money she earns too. She’s done well for herself. Not that money’s the be-all and end-all. If you’re going to spend most of your life working, you should do something you enjoy. I always liked working in pubs. I’m very sociable so it suited me.”

“What do you do now?” Noah asked.

“I work in the betting shop on Union Street. Do you know it?”

“No. I’m not much of a gambler.”

“I can give you some tips if you want?”

Noah smiled lightly. “I don’t think I’d have a lot of luck with betting.”

“It’s not luck if you’ve got inside info.” Ron tapped the side of his nose, then laughed so loudly it made Keira flinch. “I have a little flutter now and again. Everyone has their vice, don’t they?”

“He’s got two,” Sue said, nudging him good-naturedly. “The horses and the lottery.”

“Do you win much?” Noah asked, while Keira willed the food to arrive as a distraction from the conversation.

“Now and again,” her dad replied. “I’m expecting a big windfall on the lottery any time now. When you’ve been playing as long as I have the numbers are bound to come up.”

“Ten lines a week he has!” Sue said with a playful tut. “The same numbers.”

“I can’t stop now,” he said with a laugh. “Every week that I don’t win brings me closer to hitting the jackpot. My odds are getting better and better!”

Noah’s eyebrows rose slightly. “That’s not really how the lottery works though, is it?”

“How do you mean?”

“Your odds are the same every week. Not winning last week doesn’t mean you’ve got more chance this week.”