‘Rosa, do you have to be so crude?’ Hot came scampering into the bedroom, whining for Josh to pick him up and put him on the bed so he could settle down near his beloved humans.
‘Actually, yes I do. You bring out the harlot in me. And I love it.’ She caressed Josh’s cheek and gave a little groan of pleasure. ‘It’s so lovely to have you here.’ She scrabbled her legs at fast speed under the covers, making Hot rock about and look alarmed. ‘I bloody miss you.’
‘Me too, so that’s why I’m here right now. And, as bold as you are, I also thought you might be just a little nervous about the big shop announcement tomorrow. I know how important it is for you to get it right.’
Rosa cuddled into him. ‘I said I didn’t mind doing it on my own.’
‘I know, but I love you, so I’m here to support you, before I go.’
‘Before you go?’ She sat up. ‘So how long are you here for?’
‘Just tonight.’
‘You’re crazy.’
‘Not really. I had to come back for an urgent meeting in the City tomorrow afternoon, so work have paid for my flight and, as it’s a business flight, I got the chauffeur car to bring me straight here. Simples.’
‘I could have met you in London.’
‘No, you couldn’t. You’re being a superstar tomorrow and I wanted to surprise you. Pass me my jacket, can you?’ Rosa handed it to him and Josh reached into an inside pocket. ‘Here.’ He produced a small box.
They both sat up, leaning against their plush grey velvet headboard, and Rosa excitedly opened the jewellery box. Inside was a beautifully simple platinum band with a blue-flecked heart-shaped stone embedded into it.
‘I was thinking of getting you an eternity ring, but I wasn’t sure if that’s supposed to be when we’ve been married for ages. I know how you like all your mum’s spiritual stuff, so I went to a crystal shop in New York and they made this for you.’
Rosa had tears in her eyes. She immediately put it on the index finger of her right hand. ‘It’s beautiful. I love it.’
Josh then handed her the leaflet that had come with it. ‘Here’s the blurb, as I know you will want to learn all about the stone. Lapis Lazuli, I’ve never heard of it myself.’
Rosa began to read aloud. ‘“One of the most sought-after stones in use since man’s history began. Its deep, celestial blue remains the symbol of royalty and honour, gods and power, spirit and vision. A stone of truth, Lapis encourages honesty of the spirit, and in the spoken and written word. Wear it for all forms of deep communication. Being a stone of truth, while also bringing harmony to your relationship it is a very powerful stone for faithfulness.”’ Rosa made a cooing sound. ‘It is perfect. Thank you, Josh.’
Josh kissed his wife on the forehead. ‘I will always be true to you, Rosa, I promise.’
Rosa had tears in her eyes. It was as if he knew what she had been thinking earlier. Josh understood so well that despite her learning more about herself, her fears and insecurities were still there; it was just that she had recently found better ways of coping with them.
‘Mary says, or probably Kahlil Gibran did – you know how she quotes her beloved prophet for breakfast,’ Rosa began.
Josh laughed. ‘Go on, tell me the great wisdom.’
‘She says that you can’t direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy of it, directs your course. It found us, didn’t it?’ Rosa’s voice broke.
‘Don’t cry, darling.’
‘I’m just so happy.’ She took his hand and held it to her tummy. ‘And soon – imagine creating little ones of us too. If they are even half the person that you are, they will still be great.’
‘And if they are half of you, not only will they be magnificent, but probably quite unruly too.’ Josh smirked.
‘Oi.’ Rosa mock-swiped him.
Hot, who had fallen asleep at the bottom of the bed, woke, opened his jaw as wide as it would go in an enormous shuddering yawn, then snapped it shut and came running up the duvet to busily lick away the tracks of Rosa’s tears.
‘And yes, we will still love you the same, Mr Sausage.’ Josh ruffled the lively little fellow’s coat then made a face. ‘Even if your doggy breath does stink.’
CHAPTER 18
Rosa was both excited and slightly nervous to see the Cockleberry Bay church hall so abuzz with activity. The Outside Broadcast van from the South Cliffs Today radio station brought the enormity of what she was doing to the fore. Sara’s friend Wendy was managing the café for an hour so that Sara, ably assisted by Nate, who had insisted on coming along, could serve coffee and tea to the radio and newspaper staff, plus to the abundance of locals. The latter had come along, intrigued to see what was happening with the shop that had been in a lot of their lives forever. There were also a few strangers from out of town. Among them could be one of the lucky bidders, Rosa thought, but this was the exciting thing about the way she was doing this: nobody would know right away who was the lucky recipient of not only the wonderful business opportunity she was offering, but also the building in which it was housed.
Rosa saw Bart Trent, the vicar, chatting to everyone animatedly and then she spotted tall, gangly Ritchie walking slowly around the hall rocking Theo in his arms. Titch was in her element flirting with the cute young sound man at the plinth they had set up for Rosa and the radio presenter to talk from. Rosa had originally thought that she might just be able to make a decision from among the people she loved and knew, but with Titch not showing a great deal of interest and nobody else putting their hand up, by doing it this way, at least a lot of people in the local community would also really benefit.
Jacob and Raff were taking a couple of days’ holiday before the Halloween and fireworks rush and Mary, who shied away from crowds at the best of times, was able to look after Hot. With those three not here, it made it even more special that Josh had made the effort to come back to her, Rosa thought. He would have to rush off at eleven to get back to London, but it meant the world to her for him to be involved.
‘Rosa hi, I’m Kelly Daly, Editor of the local rag.’
Kelly Daly must be in her late fifties, Rosa guessed. She was dressed in tight blue jeans and black thigh-high boots, and sported a sharply angled maroon bob hairstyle. Her top lip had the crinkly look caused by years of smoking; the red bobbly cowl-neck sweater she was wearing matched her slightly bloodshot eyes. Rosa noticed the distinct smell of fresh cigarette smoke on her.
‘Oh, so you’re the one to blame for getting me on the Daily Mail Online, I guess?’ Rosa said.
‘Guilty as charged. Good little story for us to get out to the real world.’ Kelly grinned, revealing teeth slightly yellowed by nicotine. ‘We’re loving what you are doing here and we can get another great scoop to the nationals as a follow-up, I reckon.’
Rosa smiled. ‘I dare say that’s a good thing, although I’m not really sure what can of worms this will open. I’m amazed at the turn-out, to be frank.’
‘A small community breeds nosiness though, doesn’t it, Rosa?’
‘It breeds an amazing sense of camaraderie, actually.’ Rosa was getting wiser to the spinning of a journalist’s words. ‘Scott not coming then?’