‘No, not selfish. It’s a shock and Iwillworry, no matter what you tell me. But I needed to know …’
‘Thanks. Thanks for being here for me.’
‘You’ve always been here for me.’
‘You’re a remarkable young woman, Tammy. Your dad would be so proud to see how you’ve turned out.’
‘No, don’t start talking about Dad. Not now.’
‘OK, look. You need to focus on yourself and look at things rationally. Ruan didn’t really hide anything from you, and it isn’t his fault he’s got the house, so why don’t you go and talk to him?’
She nodded mutely, knowing everything Davey said made sense yet finding even getting up from the chair an effort.
‘Please try not to fret,’ Davey said in a reassuring tone that made her even more nervous. ‘I’m a lucky man. This thing has been found very early and I’ve as good a chance as anyone my age of being here in ten years’ time. I’ll be here to see you get married and meet Neil’s grandkids.’
‘Yeah.’ Grandkids seemed about as likely as the LochNess Monster surfacing in Porthmellow Harbour, but Tammy needed to be positive for Davey.
It had been a day for hammer blows and she was reeling.
‘Go on, go and tidy up the flat and invite Ruan round now,’ he said gruffly.
She gasped in mock horror. ‘I never tidy up for anyone and I don’t want to leave you on your own here, brooding.’
‘When have I ever brooded?’ he asked, wide-eyed and innocent. ‘Anyway, you needn’t worry. Breda’s coming round to hold my hand, cook me dinner and listen to me moan.’
‘I told you you’re lucky to have her,’ Tammy said, relieved he wouldn’t be alone.
‘Don’t gloat,’ Davey said with the old glint in his eye. ‘I’ll be fine, I promise. I have the two best women in the world to make sure of that.’
With a quick peck on his cheek, Tammy left him and went up to the flat before she lost it in front of him.
The last thing she wanted to do was invite Ruan round so she curled up on the bed and let herself cry, trying to remind herself she’d had to cope on her own before. She was a survivor; she would go on somehow, though the prospect of life without Ruan and Davey was almost too bleak to contemplate.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
With no kitesurfing on the agenda, and no heart to tackle any work on the house – along with no offer of a reconciliation with Tammy – Ruan had arranged to visit his parents in Bristol for the weekend.
When he arrived, they both seemed happy. His mum was in her Pilates gear, having just returned from a class, reminding Ruan instantly of Tammy. His father, in shorts and an Adidas T-shirt, looked fit too, though Ruan couldn’t put his finger on why.
‘You both look well,’ he said.
‘Your dad has taken up badminton again,’ his mother said with some pride and possibly surprise. ‘Did you know he used to play for the county before you came along?’
‘No …’ Ruan said.
‘He was always too busy after that, but when he picked me up from Pilates one night, our instructor’s partner was playing badminton and they got talking. Now your dad is really enjoying it again and in a veterans’ team.’
‘I’d forgotten how bloody hard it is,’ his dad said, then patted his stomach. ‘But I’ve lost half a stone and I’m back in these shorts.’
‘You look good, Dad. Olympics next, eh?’
‘Ha ha.’ His dad hugged him. ‘Good to see you. You look as if you’ve been enjoying yourself too. Proper beach bum.’
‘It’s the tan and the longer hair,’ his mother said. ‘Probably from being back on the water.’ She shuddered. ‘Not that I’mthatkeen to hear about it. Shall we go through to the garden and I’ll bring the coffee out there? Your dad’s made a cake. He’s been eating healthily now he’s in training, but you’ve given us both an excuse to fall off the wagon.’
Ruan relaxed into a deckchair, put his mug on the lawn and grabbed a plate with a large slice of chocolate cake. He was hungry after the journey. It was good to see his father happier than he’d been for years. A new interest, better health – he and his mum had made a fresh start after their business crashed. They hadn’t let it ruin their lives.
‘Nice cake, Dad,’ Ruan said. ‘I’m impressed.’
