Page 29 of The Second Chance Supper Club

At last, with the main course over, Trevor left. He gave Cath a clumsy hug on the doorstep, after thanking her for the lovely meal. Cath felt a weight lift watching him go. She’d been so damned tense through the whole meal, she hadn’t particularly enjoyed her food. How did cheating Trevor still manage to do that to her?

After closing the door with a sigh, she headed back to her friends and poured herself another glass of wine. ‘Well, that was awkward. Sorry, folks, I had absolutely no idea he was going to turn up like that.’

‘And hey, I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought to find out who he was before putting my foot in it about supper.’ Will looked abashed. ‘It’s okay. We were always going to have to face each other at some point, I suppose. And it made it easier in some ways having you two by my side.’

‘No worries,’ Nikki replied. ‘He seemed all right to be fair, except for being a dick about mountaineering – even I know he hasn’t got a clue about climbing in the Alps.’ The three of them laughed at that. ‘But obviously we don’t know the full history …’ Nikki added cautiously, knowing full well that relationships and exes were tricky business.

‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Been married for thirty years, and then he did the dirty on me eighteen months ago,’ Cath began to explain. ‘It’s been a long and messy journey. But hey, I’ll keep that little gem of a story for another time …’ She tried to keep her tone light, though the hurt still squished her inside. ‘Hey, I’m sorry to hear that.’ Will sounded caring without being nosy. ‘I hope you’re feeling okay. And I’m sorry if I made it more awkward. That couldn’t have been at all easy this evening.’

‘Ah, I’m all right. Feeling better now he’s away.’ She meant for tonight, and also her life.

‘Right, well I’m going down to the kitchen to nab those chocolates.’ Nikki stood up purposefully. ‘This situation needs something sweet.’

Cath smiled. ‘Actually, it is getting a little chilly up here, and the sky looks a bit ominous.’ Inky-grey clouds were massing above them. ‘Shall we head back down to the cottage?’

‘Sounds a good idea, before we get a rain shower,’ agreed Will.

Settled in the lounge fifteen minutes later, with mugs of freshly ground coffee and delightful chocolate truffles, they chatted some more. It wasn’t long before Nikki managed to nod off. She must have been exhausted, bless her. Aside from this evening, she never seemed to stop. Her head had bobbed to one side, and a light snore escaped from her lips.

‘I think she’s out for the count,’ commented Will, with a kind smile on his face.

‘I know. Her life sounds so full on, it’s no wonder. Three kids, her cleaning business … It’s exhausting just listening to everything she has to cram into one day.’

‘Yeah, it’s like that with young families, when you’re full-on working, isn’t it. And then, all of a sudden, it’s all gone.’ Will’s brow creased and his eyes looked a little melancholy. ‘Suddenly they’re all grown up, and you wonder where the time went …’ He sounded nostalgic.

‘True.’ Cath felt for him, knowing that his wife had died not so long ago. And then she thought of her own little family unit. Her, Trevor, Adam … The good times, and there were good times over the years, especially those early years of marriage and motherhood. Yes, and there were the times when she was bloody worn out, and it had still felt right, worth it. They were a team. A unit. Now Adam was off and away, and Trevor had done his disappearing act, too. How things had changed.

‘Well, I’m just glad it’s not Trevor making himself comfy there on the sofa,’ Cath added wryly, ‘I was beginning to wonder if I’d actually be able to get rid of him this evening.’

‘Ah, I see. So, has he headed back to Leeds now?’ Will quirked a dark eyebrow.

‘No such luck, staying over at the pub, as far as I know … We’ve a lot to talk about, apparently. He’s coming back tomorrow morning for coffee.’

‘Oh, ri-ight.’

Was that her imagination, or was there a trace of disappointment in his tone?

Chapter 19

The wolf in sheep’s clothing was back on her threshold looking, well … rather sheepish.

‘Morning, Trevor. Well then, you’d better come on in.’

Her husband had become the enemy, the betrayer. But now, after all that had happened between them, he looked rather lost. But, she steeled herself, after these past eighteen months, they were still very much on different sides.

He followed her through to the kitchen where she clicked the kettle on. Her finger on the trigger – hmm, was it coffee or another bout of marital war they’d be making?

Small talk was safer to start, she figured. ‘So, how was the pub … or the B&B, or wherever it was you ended up last night?’ ‘Ah, fine. It was the pub, got the last room. Mattress was a bit thin, didn’t sleep that great. But breakfast was good.’

She hadn’t slept that well either, with everything buzzing through her mind after his unexpected arrival. But the more she’d thought about things, the more she’d come to the conclusion that there really was no going back. ‘Glad it was okay,’ she managed. ‘Coffee all right for you?’ Polite, polite, and you’ll be all right. The words sang in her head. She had no idea where they had come from.

‘Yep … please.’

She pulled the cafetière down from the cupboard, and began spooning out roasted coffee. The aromatic smell took her back. She used to do this every morning for the two of them as they got ready for work. Kick-start with a strong coffee, juice, toast and butter, getting Adam’s PE kit ready or whatever necessary item of the day it was, geeing the lad on – their son was always on slow mode in the mornings – packed lunches at the ready, coats, keys, and finally off to work to a day of deputy headship at the secondary school. A life they once lived. A life no longer shared.

She popped biscuits onto a plate, plain digestives. He wasn’t getting any of her chocolate ones. And moved the cafetière and cups to the small kitchen table. She was using her bistro patio set in here now. After lugging the wooden kitchen table up to the shed, that was precisely where it was staying.

Trevor took up a seat. Hers, she moved a little further apart, subconsciously emphasising the distance between them, before sitting down.