Caitlin felt her cheeks warming. ‘Yes, same.’ She didn’t say anything further as she knew what Ruby and Jules were like for reading between the lines, and for adding two and two and making nonsense. ‘Bye, Gracie! Have fun and don’t make yourself sick on marshmallows and cake.’
Grace waved. ‘Bye, Mum! I won’t. Evin will probably eat more than me.’
Evin shrugged and nodded. ‘Yeah, she’s probably right.’
12
Caitlin knocked on Lyle’s door and waited. Within a few seconds, he was there with a wide, handsome smile on his face as he stepped aside to let her in.
‘You look as lovely as ever,’ he said as he kissed her on the cheek.
‘Thank you. I’ve brought a bottle of wine for you, and a bottle of alcohol-free for me,’ she said as she handed over the gifts.
‘Great! I hope you like lasagne. Cora says it’s the thing I cook best so…’
‘I do. One of my favourites,’ she replied with a warm smile. ‘So where is the lovely young lady this evening?’
‘She’s round at my neighbours. Aggie is like a grandma to her.’
Caitlin smiled but felt a twinge of sadness for her own daughter and her lack of living grandparents. ‘Aw, that’s so sweet.’
Once inside the modern kitchen, she began to relax. Lyle poured them each a drink, handed her a glass and kept one for himself.
He appeared nervous and a little fidgety. ‘Look, before we sit down to eat, I want to apologise. Looking back on the things I said when we went for drinks, I realise I was an arse. Who am I to judge you for your desire to have a child?’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘I know how much I wanted Cora when she arrived, and to be without her now… Well, it just doesn’t bear thinking about. Please accept my apologies. I don’t judge you for your decisions.’ Sincerity shone through in his eyes. ‘How can I? In all honesty, I think you were incredibly brave for what you did. And Grace is lucky to have you. You really are a wonderful mum.’
Relieved, Caitlin felt heat flaring in her face. ‘Thank you.’
‘And as for the crap about me cheating when I was younger and comparing that to your situation…’ He closed his eyes for a moment. ‘God, I can’t believe you agreed to come back. I really am a prize numpty. Please don’t let that put you off. The cheating bit and the numpty bit.’ He smiled shyly. ‘I’m not like that any more. Well, not the cheating bit anyway.’
She nodded. ‘Good to know. And… you’re forgiven. I know it can be a hard thing for people to get their heads around, but… I really hoped you were okay with it.’
He stepped closer and bowed his head, so his lips were hovering dangerously close to hers. ‘I really am okay with it. More than okay.’ He gently touched his lips to hers and slipped his free hand around her waist to pull her close. The feel of his lips on hers was soft at first, but he placed his glass on the countertop and cupped the back of her head to deepen the kiss.
Caitlin felt a little light-headed and her heart skipped as parts of her body that had been sleeping were awakened in the most delightful way. She too placed her glass down and slipped her hands up and around the back of his neck. She could have easily got completely carried away, both literally and figuratively, but he pulled away.
‘Shit, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.’ He huffed and paused for a moment. ‘Actually, that’s not necessarily true.’ He gave a knowing grin.
She touched her lips as her legs weakened. ‘Perhaps we should eat?’
‘Perhaps we should.’
The lasagne was delicious. The bechamel sauce a creamy delight on her tongue and Caitlin found herself wondering if he’d made it from scratch.Eat your heart out Paul Hollywood.
‘So, it’s Grace’s birthday next weekend. Are you ready to be the mother of a teenager?’ Lyle asked once he had cleared the plates away.
‘Nope. She’s growing up way too fast.’
‘I totally agree. Good that she has her birthday just after they break for summer though. Easy to make sure people attend. Unlike Cora’s, which lands during the holidays. We never know who’s coming until they turn up. What has Grace asked for? In the way of gifts, I mean.’
Grace was not the type of child who wrote lists and circled things in catalogues. She was always grateful for whatever gifts she received. During her early childhood, money had been fairly tight, and she had always understood this. But it saddened Caitlin to know it was something she had been aware of at such a young age. ‘Nothing in particular. She just wants to have a party at the new village hall.’
Lyle frowned. ‘That’s it? No demands for a pony or a spending spree?’
Caitlin laughed. ‘Oh, I’m sure she would enjoy a spree if I took her on one, but no, just a party. I’ve booked the hall, but now that Donny has moved away from the village, there’s no one locally to ask about DJing. So, not sure what I will do about that.’
‘Just stick an iPod in a docking station and turn up the volume. I reckon they’ll be satisfied.’
Caitlin nodded. ‘You’re probably right.’
