Page 32 of Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay
She nodded vigorously. “Yes, please.”
“Right. Sit still then. No wriggling or it’ll all go wrong.”
She took the blue pen and began to draw carefully on the child’s shoulder. Beside her, Nanna and Arthur Crocombe were still bickering happily. A thrush was singing in a beech tree nearby, and a heavy bumblebee was lumbering lazily over the long grass.
A summer Sunday at a village cricket match. Heaven.
The home team had won the toss and had chosen to bat first. The fielders were walking out to their places, the bowlers were taking a few practise run-ups, the wicket-keepers were checking the stumps. Cassie’s dad had taken up his umpire position as Liam and his brother strolled out onto the field swinging their bats.
“That’s my daddy,” Robyn announced with pride.
“Yes, it is. Is he going to get lots of runs?”
“I bet he’ll get ahundred.”
Cassie gave her a little hug. “Let’s hope so, then we’ll be bound to win.”
It took a couple of deliveries for bowler and batsmen to get the measure of each other, then Luke knocked the ball towards the outfield and he and Liam began to run.
“Go, Daddy!” Robyn squealed, clapping her hands with excitement. “Go, go.”
“Hold still!” Cassie protested. “I nearly made a smudge then.”
The child twisted her head around to beam up at her. It wasn’t clear which was more important to her — the tattoo or cheering her daddy on.
Out on the pitch, the match was beginning to warm up. Cassie watched the play. If she happened to be watching Liam more than any of the others, no one would be any the wiser.
Even hampered by the bulky shin pads, he moved with an easy athleticism as he ran between the stumps, his wide shoulders hinting at leashed power as he swung the bat.
She enjoyed these traditional village cricket matches — liked the slow, easy pace, no one needing to really raise a sweat. The essential politeness of it, even when questioning a call or bowling a viciously fast ball, and the archaic names for the fielding positions — backward square leg, fly slip, silly mid-off.
She had often watched them when she was young — she had even been drafted into the team a couple of times when they were short of players. They had always taken them seriously, although the main purpose had been fun, enjoying the game with your friends and neighbours.
And she’d watched quite a few matches at all levels in Australia, where they took the game more seriously than almost anything except beer and Aussie rules football. The staff of the water-sports resort where she had worked had even had their own team, competing in a local league.
She managed to finish Robyn’s ‘tappoo’, being careful to lift the pen away at moments it seemed likely that the child would wriggle. The little girl’s face lit up with delight as she twisted her head over her shoulder to see it.
“Oh, it’s pretty. It’sexacklythe same as yours.” The child flung her arms round Cassie’s neck and planted a smacking kiss on her cheek. “Thank you. It’s the bestest tappoo ever.”
Cassie felt as if her heart was wrapping itself around this adorable little girl. “It’s not quite the same — I’m afraid I’m not as good at drawing as the man who did mine.”
“I’m going to show my granny and Auntie Julia.” She bounced over to them and proudly showed off the colourful design. They duly admired it, and Diane Ellis smiled across at Cassie.
“Thank you. She’s gone on about nothing else since she saw yours.”
“I’m not very good,” Cassie admitted. “The artists in New Zealand are amazing. But I hope it’ll keep her happy, at least until it fades or washes off.”
“Oh, she’ll have forgotten all about it by then.”
Luke had run up a score of fifty-six in seven overs before getting caught out at cover point. As he walked back from the crease, Tom Cullen strolled down to take his place.
“Good luck, Tom,” Vicky called to him.
He smiled down at her as he passed.
Oh, wow! That man was seriously in love! What would it be like to have someone smile at her like that? She glanced out towards the crease where Liam was treading down a divot with his foot.
Something like hot lava seeped through her bones.Oh no, don’t even think it. That time had come and gone. She couldn’t imagine that he would want to revisit it.
