‘Hmm, well I suppose he did the right thing eventually. Maybe I won’t throttle Dex after all.’
Jules sighed in evident relief. ‘Thank you. He only did what he thought was right.’
‘Aye, well, I’ll let him off. I’ll see you up at Archie’s.’
Jules hugged her. ‘You will, honey. Good luck with Bram.’
Jules and her family left with Grace in the direction of Archie’s house and Caitlin spotted a vintage, two-seater sports car, with the top down, pulling into the village from the direction of the pub. Her stomach knotted.
Bram parked up outside the bakery and climbed out of the car. He looked smart in dark blue denim jeans and a turquoise polo shirt with shades atop his head. He was carrying a bottle bag with what looked like a bottle of wine and a bottle of cola. He struck a great first impression and her nerves subsided a little.
‘Hey. Caitlin, right?’ He held out his free hand.
Caitlin smiled and took his hand to shake it. ‘Yes, nice to meet you, Bram. I hope you’re hungry because Archie loves to barbecue, and I’m told he pretty much cleared out the butcher’s van when it came around earlier.’
Bram laughed lightly. ‘I love a good burger. Are you ready to go? I’m sorry. I’m a little early, I think.’ He glanced at his wristwatch.
‘I’m ready, yes. We can have a wander up. I just need to get the tray bake I’ve made.’ She nipped back to the kitchen and slipped her handbag over her shoulder before picking up the large, weighty, flat box.
Bram’s eyes widened. ‘When you said tray bake, I was expecting something a little smaller. Here, let me,’ he said as he handed the bottle bag to Caitlin and swapped her for the cake. ‘This smells incredible.’
‘Thanks. I just hope wee Sophie loves it.’
As they walked towards Archie’s house, Bram asked, ‘So is this a barbecue for your friend’s little girl’s birthday?’
‘In a way. He’s just taken guardianship of her after her mum sadly passed away. She’s been through a lot and he’s trying to help her settle in.’
‘Ah, that’s sweet. And your daughter, she’s thirteen, is that right?’
She laughed. ‘I see Morag has been filling you in.’
‘Just a wee bit, aye. I have to say I’m pretty rubbish with kids, but a teenager I think I can manage.’
Caitlin smiled. He seemed warm and not too intense which was a good sign. ‘She’s a great girl. My pride and joy.’
‘I look forward to meeting her.’
When they arrived at the house, Archie greeted them with a wide smile. He shook Bram’s hand and hugged Caitlin, then apologised to Bram for doing so. Typical Archie, Caitlin thought. Bram was evidently oblivious to the issue, another good sign.
He took the tray-bake box from Bram and told them, ‘Go on through. Everyone’s in the back garden. Dex is soaked already. The kids thought it would be fun to gang up on him with the water pistols. Sophie’s having the best time.’ The pride he felt was clear in his expression. Caitlin had never seen him looking so happy and it warmed her heart.
When they arrived in the back garden, they were greeted by the sound of laughter and the tantalising, smoky aroma of barbecued burgers. The garden was decked out with balloons and bunting and a home-made sign that saidWelcome Sophie!Just like the tray bake she had made.
For a moment, they watched Grace, Evin and Sophie running around firing streams of water at each other as they squealed, and Dexter went running after them, reciting the giant’s line fromJack and the Beanstalk. In amongst all the chaos, Cleo, Chewie and Bowie raced around as if they were having the time of their lives.
Archie came from the house and made a beeline for Caitlin. ‘That cake is incredible, and I can’t thank you enough for making it. You need to let me know what I owe you though, it’s huge and I wasn’t expecting you to go to so much trouble.’
‘Archie, you know me, I can’t go anywhere without bringing sweet treats along. And after Grace’s party, let’s just call it quits.’
Archie grinned. ‘You’re a star. Oh, hey, let me get Rosabeth and I’ll introduce you.’ He jogged off to where a tall, slim brunette was standing chatting to Jules and Ruby. She wore a slinky mini dress and strappy sandals, and had that perfect, shiny hair that fell in natural waves down her back. Something about the look of her made Caitlin bristle. Archie whispered something and she turned to Caitlin’s direction to wave. The couple walked over to where she stood with Bram.
‘Guys, this is Rosabeth. Rosabeth, this is Bram and my good friend Caitlin.’
Rosabeth held out her hand. ‘Lovely to meet you. This one can’t stop talking about you. If I didn’t know better, I’d be so jealous.’
Caitlin shook her hand. ‘Great to meet you too. And you’ve no need to be jealous, Archie and I are just good friends.’
‘Really good friends,’ Archie added.
