Page 67 of Just the Beginning

Davy was silent until she set a clean cup, a small jug of milk and a pot of tea on the table beside his chair. ‘Thank you.’

‘My pleasure.’

He held out his hand to her and she took it without hesitation. His skin was warm, almost papery beneath her fingers. She held it gently, conscious of the bruise. ‘I’m going to see the doctor as soon as he gets my results through and I’ve already promised to take either Jago or Ryan with me.’ He huffed inamusement. ‘It’ll be both of them, if I know anything about my family.’

Anya smiled. ‘Bloody Penrose men, you’re all as stubborn as each other.’

‘Aye, aren’t we just. Anyway, I can’t make any promises until I know the full picture, but I’ll follow the doctor’s advice.’ He gave a little chuckle. ‘I thought I’d made my peace, that I was ready to accept I’d had my allotted time and shuffle off quietly. Then you showed up and I’ve watched you dig yourself out of rock bottom and it makes me ashamed that I didn’t show the same kind of courage. Not just about the cancer, but years ago.’

Anya knelt beside his chair. ‘What happened?’

Davy’s smile was soft and sad. ‘Oh, nothing earth shattering. Just that I thought I’d met the person I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with, but she had other ideas. I kind of gave up after that. Withdrew into my shell and even when there might have been another chance at happiness, I didn’t take the risk.’ He reached out and stroked her hair. ‘Don’t close yourself off to love. I know you’ve suffered more than anyone at your age should ever have to, but if a foolish old man is allowed to offer one piece of wisdom, it’s to always keep your heart open to possibilities.’

Anya lowered her head. ‘It hurts too much.’

Davy’s gnarled fingers stroked her hair once more. ‘You only think it does, but when you reach my age and look back on all the chances you’ve missed, it’ll hurt so much more.’

She lifted her watery eyes to meet his. ‘He lied to me.’

‘I know, but only because he was trying to do the right thing by me. I should never have put Rick in that position and I’ll regret it for whatever days are left to me that I’m the one who caused problems for the two of you.’

She sighed. ‘It wasn’t just you. I rushed into a relationshipwith Rick before I was ready. I mean I thought I was, but it’s become clear to me over the past couple of days that it all got a bit too much too soon.’ She quirked her lips in a wry smile. ‘You Penrose men are too damn easy to love and it was so nice to have someone to lean on. But Rick deserves someone who can give support, not just take it, and that can’t be me until I learn how to stand on my own.’

‘There’s nothing to say you can’t try again. Take your time.’ He gave her a bittersweet grin. ‘You’ve got plenty of that at least.’

‘You’re as bad as your great-nephew, always wanting to fix things,’ she admonished, though she smiled as she wagged her finger at him. ‘If I’m sticking around here, you need to promise to keep your nose out of my private life.’

Davy grinned, a hint of his old sparkle in his eyes. ‘I’ve got better things to do than worry about what you’re up to. I’ve got plans of my own, including for this place.’

Whatever she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t this. ‘I thought the hotel meant everything to you.’

Davy sighed. ‘So did I. Turns out you’re never too old to learn what’s really important in life.’ He squeezed her fingers. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see you right.’

She shuffled closer to lean her head against his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.’

‘I know you will.’ Davy turned his head and brushed a kiss against her temple. ‘And I intend to stick around if I can and watch you go from strength to strength.’

Anya sat back on her heels. ‘I’m going to hold you to that. So, are you going to tell me what your plans are for the hotel?’

Davy tapped the side of his nose. ‘It’s all in hand. You’ll see.’

33

The heat of the past few weeks had broken with a spectacular downpour which entirely suited Rick’s own gloomy mood as he wove his way through Port Petroc towards the railway station and parked up in the twenty-minute pickup zone. According to the train company’s app, the rush hour service from London was running only five minutes late – a miracle in itself. A handful of taxis filled the rank opposite and several other cars formed a queue behind Rick’sSUV. The train pulled in and Rick turned on the engine, activating the wipers so he could peer through the heavy rain as people emerged from the front of the station. They peeled off in different directions, some towards the taxis, others putting up umbrellas or lifting the collars on their summer jackets as they headed out on foot. A group of four men dashed across the road and into the pub, which made Rick smile before he turned his attention back to the station entrance.

Where is he?

The rush of people had slowed to a trickle, the last few stragglers making their way out, and then a familiar figurestepped into view, struggling with two large suitcases, one of which appeared determined to steer off in the opposite direction to where Liam wanted it to go. Clicking off his seat belt, Rick jumped out and ran over to help, wincing as a large raindrop managed to sneak inside his shirt collar, splatting down his neck. ‘Blimey, I thought you’d missed the train for a minute!’ he exclaimed as he grabbed the handle of the rogue case.

‘Bloody lift’s out of action,’ Liam grumbled. ‘So I had to wrestle these up the stairs and over the footbridge.’

They hurried towards the car, Rick pressing the button so the automatic mechanism on the boot opened it by the time they got there. ‘You sure you’ve brought enough with you?’ he asked as he heaved the first case into the rear compartment. ‘You look like you’re planning to stay for a month, not just a couple of nights.’

‘Yeah, about that…’ Liam lifted the other case and wrestled it in beside the first.

Rick shut the boot and stared at him in surprise. ‘What’s happened?’ Another raindrop splashed off the end of his nose. ‘No, tell me in the car.’

They jumped inside and Rick turned the air up full blast to fight the mist forming on the inside of the window from the sudden rise in humidity caused by their wet clothing.

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