Page 23 of Teacakes & Tangos
‘It is.’ I grinned. ‘Well, anyway, so I’d promised Dad I’d start dating again and obviously I didn’t want to let him down. Not with him being in a coma. But my very first date has clearly gone and letmedown.’
I was trying to make a joke of it, but Xander wasn’t laughing now. He must have picked up on my bravado because he was looking at me rather sadly. ‘Hey, I’m so sorry about your dad. It must have been a terrible shock.’
I swallowed hard. ‘It was.’ I felt my mouth tremble. People’s sympathetic reaction to Dad being in a coma always made me emotional.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ he murmured. ‘I could buy you a coffee?’ He nodded across the green, in the direction of the Little Duck Pond Café. ‘It looks as if it’s still open.’
‘I think it stays open late to host the monthly book group meeting.’ I gave him a watery smile. ‘A cup of tea would be good, thanks.’
‘It’s horrible, isn’t it, when something happens to a parent? I was devastated when my dad had his stroke. It was touch and go for a while but thankfully he pulled through.’
‘It’s the pits,’ I agreed, tears pricking my eyelids. ‘I’m glad your dad’s doing okay now.’
I felt the comfort of his arm, lightly at my back as he guided me across the road to the café.
‘He’s fine now. And I’m sure your dad will be, too.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘Oh, I usually am.’ Our eyes met. He was smiling cheekily and I felt his optimism lift me a little. The relief of being able to talkhonestly to someone about how I was feeling was like a weight rolling off my shoulders.
Even with Lyndsay I’d been feeling I had to keep up an air of positivity about Dad and not give in too much to the gloom... to show her I was okay and she didn’t need to worry about me.
But I had a sense that with Xander, I could tell it as it really was.
*****
In the café, Xander went up to the counter and ordered, while I sat down at a table in the window overlooking the village green.
When he came back with a tray, it was piled with pastries and a range of cupcakes along with coffee for him and a pot of tea for me.
I took one look at the impressive display of goodies and burst out laughing. ‘Still up to your old tricks, then? Your plate was always piled high in the canteen at the bank.’
Grinning sheepishly, he unloaded the tray. ‘What can I say? I’m a rubbish cook and I get fed up with ready meals and baked beans on toast, so it’s best to strike while the iron’s hot.’
‘By loading up in cafés so you don’t have to cook later.’ I smiled up at him. ‘I remember it well. How’s the canteen at your new place?’
‘Good. Very good, actually. I’m already on first name terms with all the staff and I’ve only been working there a few weeks.’
I laughed. ‘Honestly, Xander, you’re such a charmer.’
He pushed a hand through his dark hair and sat down. ‘Janicemakes sure I get a double helping of cauliflower cheese with my Cumberland sausages on a Tuesday.’ A mischievous smile spread across his handsome face. ‘Flattery gets you everywhere. I tell her it’s the best cauliflower cheese I’ve ever tasted, which to be fair it is.’
‘Well, as long as you don’t try it on with me because I’m sureIcould see straight through your BS.’
‘I bet you make a great cauliflower cheese.’
‘Never tried.’
‘Really? Aw, you don’t half know how to ruin a man’s day,’ he joked. ‘I could give you the recipe?’
I frowned, pretending to think about this. ‘If you let me have one of those apricot pastries, I might consider it.’
‘You’re on. Eat away.’ He popped two pastries on a plate and handed it over. ‘They were for you, anyway. Both of them.’
‘Oh.’ I looked at him in surprise. ‘You remembered.’
‘Of course. It was always an apricot pastry for you and an almond twist for Lyndsay.’
