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They both nodded and then they all crossed their arms over their chests. Definitely the three wise monkeys.
“You don’t need to. You’ve got a new baby; you’re dealing with the Jimmy crap, and you have a proposal to make.”
Beau’s mouth dropped open. “Who said I’m doing it this week?”
“No one.” I grinned. “I just guessed. Plus, I saw you coming out of that expensive jewellers in Knutsford.”
“When were you in Knutsford?” Ronnie gasped. “And why didn’t you come to the house?”
“Two weeks ago,” Beau said.
At the same time as I said, “I did, it was the day I helped you to build that changing table for the twins’ room.”
“Oh, yeah,” Ronnie said, his face breaking into a smile. “You hit your thumb with a hammer.” He then turned to Beau. “Are you going to propose before we go on tour?”
“No, I’m not.” He glared at me. “I’m doing it at Christmas. We’re taking Ethan to some country park to see Santa and staying overnight in an elf cottage. I’m doing it there.”
We looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“An elf cottage,” I cried. “What the fuck is that?”
“It’s just a cottage but all the staff at the place are dressed as elves. It’s for Ethan really. We see Santa and then there’s carols with the elves. We get hot chocolate and Ethan then gets to feed the reindeers.”
My miserable cold heart warmed at the idea of it, and when I looked at Elliot and Ronnie they were looking like a pair of soppy dopes, too.
What the hell was happening to us?
“We’re all coming next year,” Elliot announced. “Lily and the twins will love it.”
“Lily and the twins will be too young to know,” Beau protested, understandably wanting to keep his elf cottage all to himself.
“No, they won’t,” Ronnie argued. “It’ll be amazing.”
Beau didn’t look like he agreed but kept his mouth shut. We’d all come to realise over the years the more we complained about something, the more the others were likely to do the opposite to what we wanted. I could almost see his brain working, deciding if he didn’t mention it the other two would soon forget the idea.
“Congratulations anyway, mate,” I said to Beau. “Well pleased for you.”
His smile was huge and there was even a hint of pink on his cheeks. Ronnie and Elliot added their best wishes, with Ronnie also pulling him in for a hug.
“Right,” I announced. “I’ll make that tea.”
“Yeah,” Ronnie replied. “And then we’ll decide what the plans are for the funeral.”
It seemed that staying quiet wasn’t going to work this time. They all started talking about the plane, whether we could do it there and back in a day and if they should get flowers. I knewthere was no point in arguing so let them get on with it while I made a cup of tea and handed out the biscuits.
It wasn’t until later that I realised Destiny hadn’t said goodbye. That unsettled me more than the fact the boys were insisting on going to my dad’s funeral, even though I wasn’t sure I even wanted to go myself.
CHAPTER 20
DESTINY
I’d tossed and turned from the early hours in Laura’s spare bedroom. It wasn’t that the bed wasn’t comfy, it was. I was hot on and off, but that wasn’t unusual. The menopause had come early for me, and I’d been dealing with it without medication, natural or otherwise. It was getting gradually harder to do, though, and I knew the time was coming to visit my doctor.
Thinking of being in that phase in my life was another reason why I should avoid Joey. Feelings were starting to bubble beneath my skin, desperately trying to burst through and that was not a good idea. Neither of us needed a relationship, especially with each other, besides which, he was a drummer. My experience with that species of musician was not a healthy one. Which was why I’d turned up on Laura’s doorstep the night before begging for a bed for the night. As I lay there looking at the ceiling, I wondered whether I could eek my stay out for another couple of nights, until Amber and Ronnie could leave my place and I could go back home.
The problem was, while I might have been thinking about how to stay longer with Laura, I wasn’t sure I really wanted to. I liked staying at Joey’s place. The real problem was I liked spending time with him. He could be a tit at times, but he mademe laugh and he made me feel safe, and I hated that more than anything.
I wasn’t some sweet little woman who needed a man to take care of me. I could handle myself. I could break a man’s nose if I had to, seeing as I’d taken self-defence classes after my relationship with the bastard who beat me daily. I could break Joey’s arm if he even looked at me the wrong way… if I had to. I knew, though, that I’d never need to. Admittedly, I couldn’t be accused of being the best judge of character, I wouldn’t have spent years in an abusive relationship if I was, but I knew Joey and he wouldn’t hurt me. With my whole being and heart I knew that much.
