Page 46 of The Winter of Second Chances
Annie sighed. It was the same as always: sentimental words sandwiched between thinly veiled passive aggression. She replied right away to prevent a follow-up call.
I did find it. Thank you. And yes, I do remember. The baskets were a nice touch.
She dared not say more. She added no kiss at the end. Max needed only the scantiest crumb of encouragement and he’d be like a Jack Russell down a rabbit hole.
The candles were lit, the tartlets were warming through in the oven and the Calor gas fire glowed merrily in the corner. As she added the ingredients for the hot apple punch to the saucepan Annie began to feel nervous. She barely knew any of these women. What if they didn’t get on? What if they decided they didn’t like her? What kind of impression did she give as a newly single, newly unemployed woman stumbling around her forties, undecided as to whether she should wear leather trousers or fair isle cardigans, or both?
The warm apple and cinnamon added their perfume to the vanilla-scented candles, and Annie shook crisps into bowls and set them on the table. Sally was the first to arrive.
‘Oh, this is lovely,’ said Sally as Annie closed the door behind her.
‘Sweet, isn’t it?’ said Annie. ‘It’s like a time capsule.’
‘It’s great,’ said Sally. ‘Are you going to open it up? It would make a fab little bistro in the evenings.’
‘Maybe,’ said Annie, inwardly fist-pumping herself: opening the tea room was her latest planning fantasy and it was nice to hear the idea positively mooted by someone outside of her own brain. ‘Would you like some non-alcoholic punch?’
‘Yes please,’ Sally replied and moved a chair away from the table and inserted her own in its place. She plonked her copy ofThe Woman in Whiteon the table and grabbed a handful of crisps. ‘So, how’s it been?’ she asked. ‘New place and all that?’
‘The place is great,’ said Annie. ‘I love it. I know already it’s going to be a huge wrench to leave here in the spring. There’s something about it that seems to wrap you into it. I feel’ – Annie stopped, pondering the right word for how she felt – ‘ensconced,’ she said. ‘I feel ensconced.’
‘That’s really good news,’ said Sally. ‘I am genuinely pleased for you.’ She shoved in another crisp. ‘I won’t lie to you, when I first spoke to you, that day on the phone, I was seriously worried about your mental health.’
‘So was I,’ said Annie. ‘I think I needed to reboot.’
‘Everyone gets body-slammed by life at least once,’ said Sally. ‘But look at you now! You’ve got a nice little place – in the arse end of nowhere admittedly – and you’re back on top of your personal hygiene, it’s all good.’
Annie laughed.
‘I have to admit, I didn’t expect to be quite so settled so soon,’ said Annie.
‘And what about the ex?’ asked Sally.
‘Not so settled,’ said Annie.
‘Those shelves look well stocked,’ Sally said, casting a look around.
‘Yes.’ Annie smiled. ‘I may have opened the kiosk. I’m just trying it on for size.’
‘Well, it’s good to see that the stupid husband didn’t squash your entrepreneurial spirit. Well done, you!’
There was a trilling outside followed by a deeper snappish voice and a knock at the door. Annie ushered Gemma and Maeve into the tea room and quickly shut the door on the chill outside. Gemma was waving a bottle of wine above her head like she’d just entered a dorm-room party.
‘She’s been insufferable all the way here,’ Maeve complained, taking her Barbour coat off and chucking it onto the bench along the window; the candles flickered in protest.
‘I’m excited,’ trilled Gemma. ‘Our first book club meeting. Oh, Annie, I love what you’ve done with the place, it looks so cosy.’ She caught sight of Sally and stretched out her wine-free hand. ‘Gemma,’ she said. ‘You must be Sally. It’s lovely to meet you.’
‘Maeve,’ said Maeve, shaking Sally’s hand when Gemma had put it down. She inclined her head back towards Gemma who was cooing over the pesto tartlets. ‘She’ll be asleep by ten,’ she said. ‘She has the temperament of a Labrador puppy.’
Sally laughed.
‘So, you’ve decided to open the kiosk proper then,’ said Maeve. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’
‘News travels fast,’ said Annie.
‘The Willow Bay hotline never sleeps,’ said Gemma. ‘It’ll be lovely to be able to buy the kids hot drinks after a cold walk.’
Annie poured drinks and laid the tartlets out on the table. The candles settled down to a gentle quiver as everybody took their seats. Each woman had their copy of the book in front of them, except Maeve who tapped her head, saying, ‘It’s all in here.’
