Page 92 of The Damaged Hearts Bargain

Pen laughed.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Imagining the two of you in a tent,” Pen giggled. “Now give me that child back, I need my cuddles.”

???

Cal took a deep breath, her hand on the door handle.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lucy said.

“Yes, yes I do,” said Cal. “Apart from anything else, I need to put all these fears to bed. Everyone here knows the truth about me, I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.”

“And you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of if you decide to walk away,” said Lucy, taking hold of her arm. “It’s alright to decide that you don’t want something, Cal.”

Cal grinned at her. “I know. But you know what? I think I need to do this. One night behind the bar here, it might be good for me.”

“You might like it,” Lucy pointed out.

Cal sighed. “I might.” She didn’t know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing, to be completely honest.

The second that George had passed baby Beth to her and asked her to be her godmother, Cal’s heart had swelled in her chest. And something had happened. She’d truly seen what Billy and George had together, what they were building together, and a part of her had been… jealous perhaps.

Jealous enough that she’d wanted to turn around immediately and ask Lucy to marry her so that they could get started on building a stable life together right that very second. But then there was the question of where they were to go, what they were to do. Those big questions scared her.

“If you don’t open the door soon, it’s going to smack you in the nose as someone comes out looking for a barmaid,” Lucy said.

“Bartender,” said Cal. “Not barmaid, thank you very much.”

“Can we go inside?” Lucy asked. “I’m dying for a drink out here.”

Cal took a final deep breath and opened the door, pushing through into the main room of the pub before she realized just how full it was. And she was half way to the bar before she realized that the clapping had started.

By the time she was behind the bar, there were cheers to join the applause and she was redder than a tomato.

“What’s all this?” she asked Rosalee.

Rosalee shrugged. “They’re pleased to see you?” she said. “No one wants an outsider coming in, changing this into a gastropub and putting on raves and slot machines and all the rest of it.”

“Enough, enough,” Cal said, lifting her arms up. “I’m here to work, get back to your drinking.”

The crowd quietened and went back to their conversations. Mr Gupta was the first up to the bar.

“Cal,” he said. “I am glad you are here, and I would like to apologize for any misconceptions I’ve held about you. I would also like to order one coca-cola.”

Cal started pouring. “To be fair, you’re the only one that I have actually stolen something off. Four packets of Monster Munch, a pack of Rollo’s, four penny chews and a copy of Smash Hits, remember?”

“Well, let us let bygones be bygones,” Mr Gupta said with a smile accepting his glass. “Although I have to be honest in that I haven’t completely forgiven you for stealing away my most valuable assistant yet.”

“Oh well, I suppose I can live with that,” said Cal, accepting his money.

“I’ll have a pint and a half pint,” Mikey Hadley said as Mr Gupta stepped aside. He sniffed. “And, um, I need to apologize. I was an arsehole and I know it.” He looked up at Cal. “I’m sorry. Won’t happen again. Well, I mean, the being an arsehole part probably will, but not directed at you. I’m really sorry, Cal.”

“Give me seven fifty for those drinks and we’ll call it even,” Cal said mildly.

Chastened, Mikey handed over the money.

For the rest of the evening, Cal was overwhelmed with ordersand apologies and eventually jokes and teasing and gossip until by closing time she was almost feeling like she’d never left.

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