Page 34 of A Fresh Start at Bramble Cottage
“I promised . . .”
“But I’m here now.”
“I know.” She tried an apologetic smile. “But I promised before I knew you were coming.”
He exploded. “Oh, this is ridiculous! Ring her and tell her you can’t come.”
“I can’t do that.” She confronted his angry glare. “I can’t let her down. Anyway, it’s only for a couple of hours. Why don’t you both come down too?”
“To a kids’ party?”
“It’s only taking up part of the café — the rest will be open.” She was struggling to suppress the irritation that was building inside her. She hadtoldhim not to come down. “And Debbie makes fabulous cakes.”
“I don’t eat cake.”
“We’ll come down later,” Jayde suggested. “I haven’t tried any of the cakes yet — they look delicious. And she has lots of other things if you prefer. Men always like savouries better than sweet stuff.” Thus spoke the oracle on men’s tastes.
“Ah. Yes, okay.” Jeremy’s cheeks looked a little flushed, his eyes darting around as if to avoid looking directly at anything.
“And I can show Jerry round the house properly,” Jayde added, inspired. “So he can check all the things that need to be done.”
“Okay.” Vicky smiled thinly.
Jerry?He hated being called Jerry. And when had her sister become so familiar with him?
An unpleasant suspicion was niggling in the back of her mind. But Jayde and Jeremy? No — her sister was absolutely not his type. And he wasn’t hers. They had nothing in common — they didn’t even like each other very much. She was just being stupid.
Chapter Seven
“Ah, they’re so cute.”
“Aren’t they?”
The birthday party was in one corner of the café, cordoned off with an archway of pink and blue balloons tied to a frame of garden canes. Eight small children — several fairies, a couple of juvenile cowboys and a pirate, and two clones of Elsa fromFrozen— were seated around a table cluttered with the remains of mini pizzas and fruit jellies and multicoloured ice cream, and glasses of home-made lemonade.
“They do seem to be enjoying themselves.”
“Of course they are.” Vicky smiled at her friend. “You’ve done a great job. And Amy looks so pretty in that little dress.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” Debbie beamed with pride. “Mum made it.”
“How is your mum?”
“Not too bad today. The doctor says she can come down to the café next week, but only to sit at the till.” She laughed. “I may have to tie her to the chair!” She turned as the door opened, and a sudden blush spread up over her cheeks. Bill. She glanced quickly at Vicky. “Oh... er... will you... ?”
Vicky laughed, shaking her head. “No — you serve him.”
A look of desperation flickered in her friend’s eyes, but she hesitated only for a moment then hurried behind the counter. “Hello, Bill.” A shy smile. “Your usual?”
“Yes, please.” If anything he looked even more awkward. “Two pasties.”
Little Amy had spotted him and ran over to hug him. The awkwardness vanished and he picked up the child and swung her high in the air. “How’s my best girl?”
She giggled excitedly. “We’re having a party. It’s Robyn’s birthday. She’s my bestest friend.”
“Ah. Is that why you’ve got that pretty party dress on?”
“It is pretty.” As he set her down on her feet again she spread her skirt and did a little dance on her pointed toes. “Nanna made it for me.”
