Page 36 of The Reno
“Moisturiser?”
“You have dry skin. You’ll regret it at my age if you don’t moisturise. Just like I regret not using sun cream.” She rubbed her forearms absentmindedly. “We didn’t know, of course. I used cooking oil when I honeymooned in Cornwall with my husband. I covered myself with olive oil. Extra virgin, of course.”
I laughed. “Of course.”
Her eyes twinkled. “My husband wasn’t by the end, though.” She winked, and I snorted.
She played with the ring on her left hand.
“Do you mind if I sit?” I asked, pointing to the chair.
“It’s a free country, doll.” She shrugged, and I realised that was all the enthusiasm I would get.
“How long were you married?” I asked.
“Sixty-seven years this year. I don’t like to stop counting, even though my Archie passed”—she frowned—“it must be ten years now since he was gone.”
Large hands came down on Dot’s shoulders, and her hands came up to cover his.
“Thirteen years, now, Dot,” Liam said gently. His chef whites were gone, replaced with a light blue jumper that brought out the light brown in his hair. His relaxed blue jeans fit his muscular legs and had an irresistible worn-in look. They made me picture him pulling those jeans back on in the morning after…
No.
Nope.
I was not completing that particular dirty daydream.
Dot patted his hands. “Yes, you’re right, love. That’s it. Thirteen now.” She smiled sadly but then seemed to remember that Liam was here, and her face transformed.
“You. Sit with me. I never see you anymore. Always up a ladder, working.” Dot shook her head.
Liam put his hands up. “Okay, okay. Gimme a sec.” He dragged a chair between me and Dot.
Dot gasped and grabbed his hands. “Oh. Are you getting more handsome? If I was twenty years younger.”
“Cougar.”
Dot glanced at me. “Have you met…”
“Kat,” I repeated.
“Yes, Kat. Sorry, love.” Dot smiled.
“No problem.”
Liam’s eyes trailed over me. “Yes, we’ve met. Kat called me aprick the first time we met.”
I choked.
“What did you do?” Dot asked Liam, her eyebrows drawn.
“I stole her parking space.”
“Liam,” Dot said, her lips pursed. “Really.”
“At my dad’s funeral.”
Dot’s eyes went comically wide, and Liam gave me a dirty look as if to say,You didn’t have to add that particular detail.
