Page 9 of Just the Beginning

Davy shook him off. ‘And what if I don’t want your help, eh? What if I want to be left in peace to live out whatever time I’ve got left?’

Rick’s sense of disbelief grew. Things couldn’t be as dire as his great-uncle was making out, could they? ‘What can I do to help, Davy? Tell me what you need and I’ll do it.’

Davy placed a hand on his cheek, a gentle smile spreading across his face. ‘I don’t want you to do anything other than promise you won’t tell anyone else about this.’

Rick rocked backed on his heels. ‘You can’t be serious?’

‘Oh, but I am.’ The smile his uncle gave him held none ofthe anger and pain he’d been showing since Rick had shown up in his office. ‘I’ve lived a good life, my boy, and I want to end things on my terms.’ When Rick opened his mouth to protest, Davy held up a hand. ‘I don’t want whatever time I have left to be spent in a hospital bed, or feeling too sick to do anything while the doctors pump one type of poison into my veins in the faint hope they can kill the other that’s already inside me. I feel okay right now and I want my last summer to be as normal and as enjoyable as it can be. I’m so sorry you found out. If I’d have had my way none of you would be any the wiser until the end.’

Rick closed his eyes. ‘You can’t expect me to lie to everyone.’

He felt his uncle’s fingers stroking his hair the way they had when he was a little boy. ‘It’s not a lie, it’s an omission. You’re a good man, Frederick Penrose, the very best there is. I am so glad I got to see you and your brothers grow into fine young men, and I couldn’t love you all more if you were my own grandchildren.’

Rick opened his eyes, unashamed of the tears washing down his cheeks. ‘Uncle Davy, please…’

With a shaky thumb, his uncle did his best to brush the tears away. ‘It’ll be all right, lad. It’ll all work out, you’ll see.’

Rick scrubbed the back of his hand across his face as he sucked in a deep breath and swallowed the rest of his tears. It was clear that his uncle had made up his mind, but if he thought Rick was going to just go along with things, then he was about to find out who was the most stubborn of the Penrose clan. He needed time to work on a plan, a way to persuade his uncle that it wasn’t too late. The doctor might have made a mistake, and if not, then there were always new treatments being developed. What he really needed was someone to keep an eye on Davy while he worked out the best way to talk him round. Someone who wouldn’t rouse the family’s suspicions,someone he trusted. When the solution hit him, it was so perfect he would’ve grinned if things weren’t so serious. ‘You won’t be able to keep this a secret, not without help.’

‘I don’t need a babysitter!’

It would be easy to argue the point given Davy’s current state, but Rick opted for a different tactic. ‘What if I told you I know someone who can assist you with running this place without making it look like you’re the one who needs help. It’ll be the opposite, in fact. If you offer this person a job, no one will think twice about your motivation; they’ll just assume you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart. It’ll give you time to rest and make the most of the summer. Isn’t that what you said you wanted?’

Davy narrowed his eyes at him. ‘Do I have a choice in the matter?’

Rick rose to his feet. ‘Sure you do. You can say yes and I’ll go and fetch the first aid box and do my best to patch you up, or you can say no and I’ll call Mum and she’ll call Ma and Aunty Helen and you’ll be sitting in Doc Ferguson’s office faster than you can blink.’

His uncle sighed and nodded his head, because they both knew there was only one person more stubborn than a Penrose man and that was the remarkable women they married. ‘Who do you have in mind?’

6

‘Thank you again for lunch,’ Anya said to Issy as she reached for the final bite of the chicken and salad sandwich her friend had made for her.

‘It was my pleasure. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you agreed to come and stay with Chloe and her folks for a while. I’ve missed you!’

‘I missed you too. I wish I could’ve come sooner, but what with everything that’s happened…’

Smiling, Issy reached across the table and touched her hand. ‘Hey, I know how tough things have been. All that matters is you and Freya are here now.’ The door opened and Issy slipped out of her seat to go and serve a couple of women who’d walked in.

Anya sipped her drink while she waited. They’d deliberately sat at the table closest to the counter so Issy could jump up and serve anyone who came in. It had meant their conversation was one of fits and starts, but Anya was happy to spend whatever time her friend could snatch between customers. Still, Amy and Ron hadn’t agreed to babysit so she could sit around chatting.Anya needed to get off her bum and get back to job hunting. There were plenty of shops around the village, and with the summer season fast approaching, surely someone would be looking for some help. She wiped her hands on her napkin then rose to gather their plates and mugs. Placing them on a clear spot on the counter, she waited for the two ladies to finish their order and head for a table by the window.

Issy frowned when she spotted her. ‘You’re not leaving are you?’

Anya nodded. ‘You’re busy and I need to get back on the job hunt.’

Issy moved away to the fancy coffee machine that took up a large part of the counter behind her. She placed a jug of milk under the steamer and turned one of the dials. Glancing back at Anya, she raised her voice over the hiss of the machine. ‘You can’t spare a few more minutes? Not even for a slice of caramel shortbread?’

Anya’s willpower wavered at the mention of her favourite treat but she resisted. ‘That’s very tempting, but I really should go.’

Issy nodded as she moved to another part of the machine and began measuring out fresh ground coffee. ‘Next time, then. Let me know how you get on, yeah?’

‘I’ll message you later if I have any news,’ Anya promised, taking a step back from the counter.

‘Message me anyway!’ Issy called as she turned her attention back to the drinks she was preparing. Her mobile phone started vibrating on the counter. ‘What now?’

‘That’s definitely my cue to leave!’ With a smile and a wave Anya headed out the door.

She was waiting at the crossing for the lights to change when she heard Issy calling her name. Turning, she spotted herfriend waving to her from the door of the café, one hand holding her phone in the air. She pointed to the open door and disappeared back inside. Curious, Anya retraced her steps and reached the counter in time to hear Issy saying, ‘Here she is for you. You can tell her the good news yourself.’ With a grin she thrust her phone at Anya. ‘It’s Rick.’

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