Page 46 of Love Grows

Then I noticed that Steph had stepped right inside the cafe, walked straight over to Ted, and hugged him.

In fact, everyone received a brief hug or a wave, but her smile was tentative.

Then Steph turned to me and it was as if the lights chose that moment just to shine on us.

“You…” I started. I wanted to say ‘I miss you’, ‘I want you,’ ‘I love you’ but maybe not in front of eleven people and a dog.

“You look amazing,” Steph said, her eyes only for me.

“So do you.” Then I pointed at Ted, but spoke to Steph. “Why are you here?”

“Ted invited me to explain myself.” Steph grimaced, and her eyebrows wrinkled. “Again.” Then she cast a wobbly smile at everyone. “Can I crash your party for a bit? I like that I’ve been given the chance to explain everything while you’re all here. I know I’ve seen each of you this week but…well, it’s important.”

Jules pulled a chair out from the nearest table and gave it a little shove so it skidded across the tiles to the middle of the floor area, so if Steph did sit there, then we’d be arranged in a sort of ‘U’ shape.

“Aaaaaand…go!” Jules declared.

While Steph tentatively took her seat, I heard Mr G ask Lucas what a kangaroo court was.

Mrs G piped up, halting all conversational murmurings. “I know this. It is when we do the talking about the decision but this decision is already made so right here we have young and sweet Steph Thatcher, or Steph Walker, whichever Steph she is, she is Steph, yes?

She looked pointedly at me.

“Oh, come on. I don’t…I can’t do—” Talk about deer in a pair of headlights.

“I didn’t lie,” Steph said, softly.

“She didn’t lie,” Pip agreed.

“Oh my god,” I sighed. My face must have looked like an emotional Picasso, but I was beginning to see after all the chats this week that maybe I hadn’t seen the grey. All I’d been looking at was too much black and too much white. And right then, all I was looking at was Steph sitting there in the spotlight and I wanted to pick her up and kiss her.

I had to find out one thing, though. “There was never any need to lodge a ninety-day complaint, was there?” I asked.

Steph frowned. "Of course there was. It was necessary to keep Walker’s on their toes.”

I scoffed. “You talk about the company like it’s a whole seperate thing from you.”

“It is!” Steph stood and crossed her arms, staring me down. We stood like two opposing chess pieces. “How many times can I say this, Angel? I’m Steph Walker. Yes, I will admit that. But in my heart, I’m Steph Thatcher because I carry on what my mother instilled in me, which is that community is paramount to creating good society. And you all are good people. I am more my mother than Walker’s Industries.” Steph waved her hands about. “You’re a community and I would never have known that unless I became part of it. Although I think I knew from the very first day you welcomed me and took me for coffee next door. Your community welcomed me in whether I was a Walker or a Thatcher. You welcomed me and I couldn’t ever let that be lost because I fell in love with all of you.” Steph inhaled. “I uphold my mother’s ideals despite it frustrating Benjamin. I walk a fine line between creating profit for the company and not alienating the shareholders by vetoing what I think are poor decisions.” She inhaled again. “I’m not about to shit all over my parents’ gift by being a ‘yes man’. Natalie Thatcher raised both of us to be more than that. To see the big picture as well as the tiny details. Benjamin has lost sight occasionally of some of the details in a few of the proposals, which is why I go and find out the bigger picture.”

Steph placed her hands on her hips and glared. “So, yes, I inserted myself and I’m sorry. But you all made the council rethink its plans. You fought for your place, your shops, and you won. But Walker’s is not the dragon. It can exist and will continue to. But not there.” She pointed to the highway. “Anyway, I’m glad the council agreed to your terms, I’m glad you won, and I’m glad that you invited me to say what I had to say.” Steph seemed to run out of puff.

“I’m mad at you,” I said, emotions running rampant in my voice. “I’m mad at you because I feel hurt and betrayed. But mostly I’m mad at you because I’ve fallen for a person who I thought could be my someone. And now I find out that you’re a company representative, and not that person.”

Steph hung her head and I desperately wanted to take one more step closer so I could lift her chin with my finger and tell her I loved her but I couldn’t.

“You were so unexpected,” Steph said, quietly. “I?—”

We stood. Frozen.

“Steph,” I said. “You walked into the shop, right through the plants all beautifully arranged and knocked on the door to my heart. And I let you in.”

“I let you in, too.” Then Steph took that step forward so we were within the boundaries of hand-holding. Slowly I reached for her hand, brushing her fingertips with mine, so eventually when our palms held each other, it was a relief. “That moment when I kissed you, when I held you, when I touched you…I knew. I knew love and now I’ve painted it with rust. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for anything to happen with us. It just did and I’m so sorry for hurting you even—what are you doing?”

I’d kissed her.

Then I did it again with more feeling and depth and I would have continued but a polite cough alerted me to that fact that we had an audience.

“Right,” Ted declared. “I think you two need a moment alone.”

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