Page 84 of Teacakes & Tangos
‘I do know that, Dad. It can’t be easy. But... Minnie will be sorry not to see you. She’s your biggest fan and I know for a fact that she’s been singing your praises to all her friends.’
He smiled. ‘Minnie wants to be my first client when I get the business back up and running.’
‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘She phoned me yesterday to check how I am and she asked me if I’d landscape her back garden.’
‘Oh, that’s brilliant. I hope you’re going to do it.’
The doorbell rang.
‘Of course I will. She says she’s going to take pictures afterwards and show all her friends at the W.I. and get me some more work.’
Walking to the door, I called back, ‘Minnie’s so lovely.’ Then I smiled at Xander who was standing there looking utterly gorgeous in dark jeans and a white linen shirt. I felt a little leap of happiness inside. ‘We’re just talking about your gran and how amazing she is.’
Xander nodded at Dad over my shoulder. ‘She’s one in a million and she’ll be forever grateful to you.’ He grinned. ‘And so will I.’
Dad looked down rather bashfully, and when he glanced up again, his eyes looked watery. ‘I’m very grateful for her support. And yours, of course. He looked from Xander to me, then he reached for my hand and squeezed it. ‘Now, what about this engagement party? You’ll be late if you’re not careful.’ He gave me a rueful smile. ‘You deserve some fun after everything that’s happened recently.’
In the car, I asked Xander if the police had caught up with Freddie.
He nodded. ‘He called me last night, actually. Right out of the blue. He said he was about to hand himself in to the police and he knew he was going down for what he did. He wanted to know if I’d visit him in prison.’
‘Really? What did you say?’
Xander have a heavy sigh. ‘I said I would, as long as he changed his ways. And he said he’d already decided he was fed up with the life he’d chosen. He said he envied me because I had a reason to get up every day and would I support him in becoming a better person.’
‘Oh, wow.’
He shrugged. ‘Who knows if these feelings of his will last, but he sounded genuine. He’d lost that scathing way of talking to me as if I was the idiot for following the rules and not trying to buck the system. I think Freddie might be growing up at last.’
‘Let’s hope so.’ I reached over and squeezed his hand. ‘He’s lucky to have you in his corner. He’d better not waste this opportunity.’
Xander smiled at me wistfully. ‘He won’t. Not if I have anything to do with it.’
He started the engine, and as we were leaving, a car I recognised drew into the close.
‘Oh, it’s Janet!’ I waved and we both slowed at the entrance so the cars were parallel and I called hello through Rory’s open window. ‘Are you here to see Dad?’
She smiled a little anxiously. ‘Do you think he’s up for a visitor? He told me you and Xander are off to an engagement party, so I thought maybe he’d like a bit of company?’
I nodded. ‘He would. I’m sure of it. He’d love to see you, Janet.’
She smiled and stuck up a thumb. ‘Have a lovely evening,’ she called, as she drove on.
‘Can you wait a minute?’ I asked Xander, turning in my seat to look back.
He grinned. ‘I wish I’d brought my binoculars. You’d get a better view.’
I gave him a sheepish smile. ‘I just worry about Dad. I want to make sure he’s okay with Janet visiting.’
She was parking outside the house now and hurrying up the path. And a few seconds later, the door opened and they smiled at each other. Janet said a few words. And then they hugged tightly, right there on the doorstep.
‘Your neighbour Mavis is going to be having a field day, twitching those curtains of hers,’ remarked Xander.
I chuckled, watching Janet step over the threshold. The door closed and I breathed a happy sigh. ‘It’s people like you and Clara, and Janet and Minnie who’ll eventually give Dad the confidence to start living his life to the full again.’
Xander nodded. ‘It looks as if he’s on his way already with Janet in his corner.’
