Page 79 of Coming Home to Wishington Bay
‘Yes. But I don’t think you alone can take the blame for the decline of Britain’s high street.’
He gave me a smile but I could see it was something that bothered him. I guessed, from my own experience, the reasoning went a lot deeper than the fact he hadn’t visited the local bakery. It was just another way of holding a mirror up to our lives and sometimes – often, in my own case until recently – the reflection wasn’t always something we particularly wanted to see.
‘OK. How about this? Next time you have a day off, assuming you don’t already have something planned, we take a wander up to the village. We can go in every single shop if you like. And then you won’t be able to say you’ve never set foot in them.’
‘You’re making fun.’
‘Only a little. But I’m serious about the rest of it.’
‘OK. That sounds great. Although my next day off, I do already have something planned.’
‘No problem,’ I said, surprised at how much my heart sunk on hearing this. ‘Another time.’
‘Actually, I needed to talk to you about that.’
‘If it’s about having Bryan, you know you don’t need to ask. I love having him. Just bring him round.’
‘Thanks. But it’s not. I was actually wondering if you were free?’
‘When?’
He gave himself an eye roll. ‘That’d be helpful. Yes, sorry. Tuesday.’
‘Yes, I think so. I’m just getting on with stuff here really. Why?’
‘Do you fancy a day out?’
‘With your parents?’
‘No. Just me. And Bryan.’
‘Oh! Where to?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
‘OK.’ Even I heard the uncertainty.
‘I can tell you if you want.’
‘No, no really. God, sorry. I’m not very good at this, am I? Can I start again? Of course, Gabe, that sounds lovely!’
He grinned. ‘Great.’
‘Do I need to bring anything, or wear anything special?’
‘Nope. Whatever you want.’
‘OK.’ I glanced up at him. ‘What?’
‘You look excited.’
‘I sort of am. Bearing in mind the last couple of surprises I’ve been given haven’t been all that great, I’m actually looking forward to this.’
‘No pressure.’ Gabe laughed.
‘No. Really.’ My words were serious. ‘There really isn’t any.’
His smile was soft and his eyes did that sparkly thing and somewhere in the hard, protective shell I’d built around my heart, I felt a crack.
