Page 12 of Winter at the Cornish Garden Café
‘No decorations up yet then?’ Finn looked around.
‘Rosie said we have to do it tomorrow,’ Thora said before taking a sip of wine and placing her glass on the side table. Barry had opened both eyes now and was gazing longingly at her plate. He didn’t seem to have noticed Finn yet, but then when there was food around, he was often more interested in that than in anything else. As for Christmas, it had been more fun when the children were young. These days it was more expensive than ever and she’d been saving all year for it because Rosie and Reggie were at an age where the things they wanted were more costly. Finn paid child maintenance, of course, but even so, Thora wanted to give her children a good Christmas so she worked hard to do so.
‘Titus said we have to wait until the 1st of December, so I’m being good but I can’t wait!’ Finn loved Christmas and got more excited than the twins about it. Thora had liked that about him because it always made the festive season even better.
‘Do you want to watch something while we eat?’
‘Definitely! Isn’t there some dancing competition show on that we both enjoy?’ He winked at her and she laughed as she found it on the TV guide.
They ate and drank while watching the show and commenting on the dancing, the outfits and who they thought would win this year. Finn was fun company because he enjoyed watching the same programmes as Thora. She’d always felt very comfortable with him and that was why they’d lasted so long, she often thought. That and the fact they had two children together and because she loved him. But loved him in a friendly, family kind of way and not in a romantic way. She’d thought she did love him that way once upon a time, but that had been years ago and now they were simply the best of friends who shared children.
After Finn had taken the plates out and loaded the dishwasher, telling Thora to stay where she was because Barry had now slid across the sofa and claimed her lap, she sat back and sighed with contentment. Her belly was full, she was warm and relaxed, and she had a dog snuggling up to her. What more could a woman want?
‘More wine and ice cream!’ Finn announced as he returned with a bowl of salted caramel ice cream and another glass of wine.
‘You spoil me,’ she said, accepting the bowl and glass.
‘You deserve to be spoilt. You’ve been on your feet all day serving people, so now it’s your time to relax.’
Finn went and got his ice cream, and wine, then sat on the sofa when he came back. Barry stared at him before flopping against Thora and starting to snore again.
‘So how are things with you?’ he asked before spooning ice cream into his mouth. With his sandy hair and green eyes, he reminded Thora so much of their daughter, especially when he was eating because they both had such hearty appetites. They also wrinkled their noses in exactly the same way when something tickled them. Finn was mad about water sports like Rosie and despite the fact that he was a food critic who really loved food, he was as thin and wiry as he’d been in his teens when they’d been friends at school. All the activity kept him from gaining any weight, and Thora wished she had the same ability to keep the pounds at bay. Despite walking dogs for clients in the village on a daily basis, and being on her feet several days a week at the café, since she’d hit forty, she seemed to be gaining weight like never before. Not that she was fat, not at the moment, but she could no longer eat what she wanted without dealing with the consequences.
‘I’m good. I’ve been busy as usual but that’s fine. Keeps me out of mischief,’ she said, falling back on a worn-out phrase.
Finn put his bowl on the table and picked up his wine. ‘That’s not true though, is it?’
‘What do you mean?’ She frowned then licked her spoon before placing it in the empty bowl.
‘Thora, I know he’s back in the village.’
‘Who?’
Finn rolled his eyes. ‘Thora…’
‘Oh OK. Yes, Lucas is back and yes I’ve seen him but it’s fine. I’m fine.’
‘Really?’ He peered at her over his wine glass. ‘I have known you a very long time.’
‘I know.’ She sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes. ‘I was a bit shocked to see him. Well, he actually knocked into me at the café and knocked a tray of mince pies out of my hands, so I was also a bit annoyed too, but…’ She shrugged.
‘How does he look? I saw him from a distance earlier driving his father out of the village, but didn’t get a proper look at him.’
‘Good, I guess. For a man of our age.’
Finn snorted. ‘A man of our age. What does that mean? Brad Pitt looks good, and he’s older than us. Pierce Brosnan looks delicious, and he’s older than us. But then there are some men who are younger than us and they don’t look so … good. What I’m trying to ask is ifyoufound our Lucas attractive still?’
Thora took a sip of wine to buy some time, but she knew there was no point lying to Finn. He knew her too well for that.
‘He looks great. Very hot and handsome and age has improved him the way it does some men.’ She ran a hand over her belly, thinking that he probably didn’t think time had been as kind to her.
‘I bet he thought you look incredible too!’ Finn grinned at her. ‘Now stop trying to squish your belly in. There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of a pot.’
‘What?’ Barry jumped at Thora’s tone and looked around like a meerkat for the source of her horror. ‘It’s OK, Barry. I’m fine.’ She pulled him back to her and stroked his head with one hand while holding the wine glass in the other.
‘Curves are sexy, Thora.’ Finn patted his washboard stomach. ‘Everyone knows that.’
‘It’s fine for you to say that. You have the body of a twenty-year-old man.’
