Rosa noticed how thin and stressed Sheila was looking as the woman greeted her curtly. Despite being in her late sixties, she had always looked well and sprightly, probably down to the new teeth and face-lift that she had paid for out of the money her husband had left her when he had died; today, however, that wasn’t the case.
‘Sheila,’ Rosa acknowledged back. They hadn’t spoken to each other for months and Rosa wondered what was coming now.
‘In all my years down here, I’ve never known a storm like it. You didn’t have too much damage, I hope?’ Sheila asked.
‘Er no, we were very lucky. You?’
‘Some windows got broken, but it’s not the end of the world. I’d prepared for far worse so I’m not complaining. Anyway, look, I’m not actually here for small talk.’
Phew. Situation normal, Rosa thought, feeling slightly unnerved by the previous pleasantries.
‘Have you heard from my Lucas lately?’ Sheila then demanded.
Rosa sighed. Even the mention of the woman’s youngest son’s name unsettled her. She hadn’t heard from him since the awful incident last Christmas when Josh had been away and Rosa had got drunk, not knowing afterwards whether or not she had slept with Lucas. That incident had nearly broken up her marriage and was one of the key reasons why she had stopped drinking for good.
‘I haven’t, Sheila, no. Is he all right?’ Rosa cringed at showing how much she cared.
‘That’s why I am asking you, Rosa. It pains me to have to do that, but I thought you might still be sniffing around him. He said he might be down in the summer, that’s all.’
‘He was never one for having his mobile on all the time.’ Rosa cringed again at releasing yet another knowing comment about the woman’s precious son.
She could hear Josh and Sara chatting and laughing inside.
‘Well, you would know that, wouldn’t you?’ Sheila barked. ‘I hope married life is treating you well,’ was her final sarcastic comment before she turned and marched back across the littered beach to her pub.
Josh had caught the end of the conversation and appeared at the door, asking, ‘What did she want?’
‘Oh, er, nothing much. She was just being nosy, wanting to see what damage had been done. Probably hoping to nick some of our business – you know what she’s like.’ Rosa tried to shake the thought of Lucas out of her mind. She knew that whatever she and he had had was over, but it didn’t stop her worrying about him.
Putting her face up to the sun and pushing thoughts of the handsome plumber to one side, she murmured, ‘I cannot believe what a change there is in the weather. It’s summer again. This breeze is so welcome too.’
‘Yes, it’s a perfect day. Might even get my Speedos on later.’ Josh made a clicking noise with his tongue and winked.
‘What a joy for us all.’ Rosa laughed.
‘Always treating the ladies, you know me… Anyway, now the worst is cleaned up, Sara said she’s fine to carry on with her shift today.’
On hearing her name, Sara herself came to the door and said, ‘Yes, go on, the pair of you. You need to spend as much time with each other as possible, while you can.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ Rosa frowned, causing the tiny lightning scar on her left cheek to crease.
Sara grimaced. ‘Sorry, eek – I didn’t realise. I’m going back inside.’
‘Josh?’ Rosa cocked her head to the side.
‘Come on, pretty lady, Jacob has just asked us to go and meet his new brood. Let’s go.’
As they began to walk up the hill, Rosa linked one of Josh’s big arms with both of hers and said, ‘Husband? Please tell me what’s going on.’
CHAPTER 4
‘Ciao-ciao!’ The chiselled Italian called Raffaele air-kissed both Josh and Rosa three times before telling them: ‘I must get on, sorry.’ He pointed to his chef’s whites. ‘We are very busy with lunchtime bookings today. His Lordship is upstairs with Her Ladyship, the Duchess.’ He waved his arms around animatedly, his accent becoming more pronounced. ‘I tell you – he is obsessed with those little cuties. Per favore – go on up.’ And then Raff hurried back into the pub kitchen.
Josh and Rosa raced each other up the stairs to the swish private quarters above the pub where Jacob and Raff stayed when away from their beautiful home in Polhampton Sands. Tiptoeing now, Rosa opened the sitting-room door and peeped in.
‘Oh, my goodness!’ she cried quietly, without even greeting Jacob. She gave a little gasp. ‘Just look at them!’
‘Don’t mind me, love. I’ve only been up all night playing nanny to this lot.’ The smart publican camply flicked his hand at Rosa, then reached for Josh’s hand and shook it firmly.
Rosa crouched down to take a better peek in the Duchess’s comfy blanket-laden dog crate. ‘Aw, they are miniature Hots,’ she whispered. ‘They are so cute! Just two?’
‘Yes, two little boys, thank goodness. One bitch in this household is quite enough.’ As Josh shook with laughter, Jacob continued, ‘I’m surprised she could fit any in that tiny little belly of hers – thanks to your dirty dog taking advantage of her when she was so young.’
Josh then thought back to when Jacob and Raff had introduced the Duchess as Lady Dolce Vita Petunia Duchess Barkley. ‘Have you thought of any names yet?’ he enquired, bracing himself, wondering what the couple had come up with this time.
‘Well, I dare say we should really let the future owners decide on their pups’ names,’ Jacob said reluctantly, adding, ‘And with a pending last name of Rogers, I perish to think what Titty Titch will come out with for hers.’
‘Has she met them yet?’
‘No, I wanted you as the other grandparents to see them first. When are Titch and Ritchie getting married, anyway?’
‘They haven’t set a date yet, but she was hoping Christmas-time this year, I think.’ Rosa gently stroked the exhausted Duchess.
‘Exciting – I love a wedding. And where exactly is the absent father today?’ Jacob asked, looking around for Hot. ‘Trust that naughty dog not to be at the birth, or here now. A typical man.’
‘What are you like?’ Rosa smirked. ‘He’s with Mary, much to Merlin’s disgust.’ Merlin lived at Seaspray Cottage with Rosa’s mother Mary; he was a huge, rather scary black cat with yellow fog-lamp eyes and too much attitude. ‘Who’s having the other puppy, anyway?’ Rosa asked, and looked directly at Josh, who immediately put his palm up and out flat.
‘No, no and no. Hot would hate not being the centre of attention and we’ve got enough to do with the shop and the café, without taking into consideration puppy training and raising a potential brood ourselves.’
‘You’re a miserable one today, aren’t you?’ Jacob tutted. ‘I have to say that Raff and I are quite smitten with the smaller cherub, and with three already, what difference is a fourth really?’
At that moment, as if on cue, the couple’s pugs Ugly and Pongo came running in and started play-fighting by the side of the crate. Whining softly, the Duchess watched them with interest and a degree of scorn.