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Authors: Marcie Steele
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her breathing. She knew she was being silly but she hadn’t felt this excited in ages. This woman was giving her the opportunity to be there from the beginning of a new venture. She’d be able to have some say in the remodelling of the décor, choosing the new menu and variety of coffees. She’d be able to help with the promotion and build up of the business. And she’d be able to have a new start, away from Brentside, away from the house, away from the memories and, most of all, away from Nick. She had to give it a chance, even if it turned out to be a temporary thing.
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I would be.’
‘Good, then I’d like to welcome you to my coffee shop. Is there anything else you’d like to ask before you leave to catch your train?’
‘Actually,’ Kate opened the folder again and pulled out the photograph of Rosie she’d pushed in at the back. ‘There is one small item I need to discuss.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘Here’s to you then, Chloe.’ Ben raised his pint glass high in the air. ‘May the female of the family be a successful servant.’
‘It’s a waitress, actually,’ his sister corrected him as she touched her glass to his. ‘And I’m going to be the best and the cutest by far.’
They were sat in Carlo’s Pizza House. Chloe had chosen it as her farewell dining treat before she left for Somerley that Sunday afternoon. It had been a favourite of her mums and one she knew kept the memories alive for all three of them. The fact that it hadn’t changed over the years was an instant appeal. She’d always liked its simple sense of style, right down to the gingham checked table cloths and wooden chairs with raffia matting that criss-crossed the back of your legs if your skirt was too short. Plastic ivy entwined itself realistically around the window frames, and café nets added a touch of privacy from the passing crowds.
The overpowering smell of garlic brought her back to the present. Even at seven-thirty, most of the tables were full of diners.
‘What time will Dad be here?’ Chloe asked. She reached across the table for a chunk of Ciabatta bread.
Ben gently slapped her hand away. ‘You know you never finish your meal if you start picking now.’
Ignoring his remark, Chloe grabbed the bread anyway and ferociously ripped it into two.
‘He’ll be finished around eight. He’s told me to order champagne.’
Chloe threw him a look. ‘He isn’t glad to see me off, you know.’
‘Clever girl,’ Ben teased, and then his tone changed. ‘I still think you should have invited Maddy.’
Although Graham’s arrival saved her from the usual lecture, Chloe didn’t need reminding of her childish behaviour. She’d regretted not inviting her the minute she’d told Graham of her decision. It had been so obvious he was trying to hide his disappointment at her failure to at least try and understand how important Maddy was to him. But instead of relenting, Chloe had explained how she’d wanted it to be just the three of them. She’d almost gone back on her word when she saw how miserable it had made him, almost.
Ben got up to meet his dad halfway across the room. Chloe smiled. She loved to see men shaking hands. It seemed such an intimate gesture.
Graham kissed her cheek, his eyes scanning lightly over the low cut of her greentop. ‘You look fabulous as usual,’ he remarked with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment as there was too much of his daughter’s cleavage on show for his liking. ‘I suppose you’ve ordered a calzone?’
‘You know me so well,’ Chloe answered. All guilty thoughts around her treatment of Maddy disappeared.
‘I do, my little one,’ Graham smiled, all thoughts of her treatment of Maddy still at the forefront of his mind. He handed her a colourful, squishy parcel. ‘Present from Maddy. She says you can swap it if you don’t like it, but she usually knows your taste.’
Chloe opened the tissue paper carefully. Inside was a halter neck top
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I would be.’
‘Good, then I’d like to welcome you to my coffee shop. Is there anything else you’d like to ask before you leave to catch your train?’
‘Actually,’ Kate opened the folder again and pulled out the photograph of Rosie she’d pushed in at the back. ‘There is one small item I need to discuss.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘Here’s to you then, Chloe.’ Ben raised his pint glass high in the air. ‘May the female of the family be a successful servant.’
‘It’s a waitress, actually,’ his sister corrected him as she touched her glass to his. ‘And I’m going to be the best and the cutest by far.’
They were sat in Carlo’s Pizza House. Chloe had chosen it as her farewell dining treat before she left for Somerley that Sunday afternoon. It had been a favourite of her mums and one she knew kept the memories alive for all three of them. The fact that it hadn’t changed over the years was an instant appeal. She’d always liked its simple sense of style, right down to the gingham checked table cloths and wooden chairs with raffia matting that criss-crossed the back of your legs if your skirt was too short. Plastic ivy entwined itself realistically around the window frames, and café nets added a touch of privacy from the passing crowds.
The overpowering smell of garlic brought her back to the present. Even at seven-thirty, most of the tables were full of diners.
‘What time will Dad be here?’ Chloe asked. She reached across the table for a chunk of Ciabatta bread.
Ben gently slapped her hand away. ‘You know you never finish your meal if you start picking now.’
Ignoring his remark, Chloe grabbed the bread anyway and ferociously ripped it into two.
‘He’ll be finished around eight. He’s told me to order champagne.’
Chloe threw him a look. ‘He isn’t glad to see me off, you know.’
‘Clever girl,’ Ben teased, and then his tone changed. ‘I still think you should have invited Maddy.’
Although Graham’s arrival saved her from the usual lecture, Chloe didn’t need reminding of her childish behaviour. She’d regretted not inviting her the minute she’d told Graham of her decision. It had been so obvious he was trying to hide his disappointment at her failure to at least try and understand how important Maddy was to him. But instead of relenting, Chloe had explained how she’d wanted it to be just the three of them. She’d almost gone back on her word when she saw how miserable it had made him, almost.
Ben got up to meet his dad halfway across the room. Chloe smiled. She loved to see men shaking hands. It seemed such an intimate gesture.
Graham kissed her cheek, his eyes scanning lightly over the low cut of her greentop. ‘You look fabulous as usual,’ he remarked with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment as there was too much of his daughter’s cleavage on show for his liking. ‘I suppose you’ve ordered a calzone?’
‘You know me so well,’ Chloe answered. All guilty thoughts around her treatment of Maddy disappeared.
‘I do, my little one,’ Graham smiled, all thoughts of her treatment of Maddy still at the forefront of his mind. He handed her a colourful, squishy parcel. ‘Present from Maddy. She says you can swap it if you don’t like it, but she usually knows your taste.’
Chloe opened the tissue paper carefully. Inside was a halter neck top
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