‘Hope,’ said Sam, catching her hand and giving it a squeeze, ‘slow down. You’re making me feel light-headed.’
‘Sorry,’ she laughed, taking her hand back and covering her mouth, ‘I’m just so excited to be back! It feels so good to be home. I’ve got tonnes to tell you.’
She was off and running again and Sam looked at me over the top of her head and grinned. I was fast beginning to feel like I’d been steamrollered, but in a good way.
‘Well,’ said Sam, quickly butting in the next time Hope drew breath, ‘you don’t need to tell us everything you’ve been up to in the next three seconds, do you? We’ve got plenty of time to catch up, especially now Tess has extended her stay.’
I was surprised that he had included me in their party, but something told me I was going to be seeing a lot of Hope in the next few weeks.
‘I’m so pleased you aren’t rushing off,’ she said to me. She sounded genuinely delighted. ‘Now we’ll really have a chance to get to know each other. I know Mum’s very fond of you already.’
I was very fond of her too, but I didn’t get the chance to say that.
‘Shall I make us some coffee?’ Sam suggested. ‘We’ve got a couple of hours before I have to open and there’s no clearing up left to do. You two could get to know each other a bit better now and we can talk about last night and what we’re going to do next.’
‘All right,’ I accepted, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the third wheel or that he would have much of a chance to say anything if Hope carried on talking at the same speed. She certainly didn’t need caffeine to get her fired up!
‘Great,’ said Sam.
He clearly didn’t mind me sticking around, but I felt a little foolish. I had thought there had been this great spark between us, but I’d obviously read it all wrong. Sam definitely wouldn’t have made a move on me knowing that his other half was on her way back to Wynmouth. He just wasn’t the type to play the field. Was I so love-starved that I’d mistaken a simple friendly hug as a lead-in for something more? Thank goodness we had been interrupted. I could have ended up making a right fool of myself otherwise.
‘What on earth’s the matter with you two?’ Hope frowned, sounding disappointed. ‘Why are you talking about drinking coffee in here? Have you not seen the sunshine?’ she added, pointing at the window.
‘It is warm out,’ I agreed.
‘Exactly.’ Hope beamed. ‘Let’s forget the coffee and take a breakfast picnic down to the beach instead.’
That sounded like a lovely idea to me. I had already been thinking that Sam didn’t leave the pub anywhere near often enough. Relieved that I hadn’t made a fool of myself with her boyfriend, I felt Hope and I had the potential to get along very well and, as I hadn’t acted on my misinterpreted feelings, slipping Sam back into the friendship box shouldn’t be any problem at all.
‘What do you think, Tess?’ Hope asked, turning her beautiful brown eyes back to me. ‘Does that sound like a plan to you?’
‘It sounds like a perfect plan,’ I heartily agreed.
Sam groaned and shook his head.
‘I’m going to be utterly outnumbered now the two of you have got your heads together, aren’t I?’ he moaned.
‘Utterly!’ Hope and I chorused in perfect synchronicity before bursting out laughing.
Chapter 9
It was a relief to discover that my concerns about taking on the role of third wheel in the presence of the recently reunited couple were completely unwarranted. There were no embarrassing quick kisses or lingering looks but, none the more for that, there had been no mistaking the intimacy behind the hug I had seen and I resolved not to take up too much of their time so they could be alone together before Sam had to open the pub.
‘So,’ said Hope as she handed out the croissants and cereal bars that she had commandeered from Sam’s breakfast cupboard, ‘tell me some more about last night. I can’t believe you managed to book the Sea Dogs at such short notice.’
Between us, Sam and I filled in the details and Hope nodded along, for once quietly listening without interrupting with what I had already guessed was her own trademark brand of enthusiasm. I didn’t think that she was rude when she butted in, she was just full of energy and eagerness. One of life’s natural half-full types. I envied that a little.
‘And I know I had my doubts about the evening turning a profit,’ Sam said to me. He had aired his views quite vociferously once we had worked out the projected costs. ‘But having cashed up, I’ve discovered I was wrong about that too.’
At this point, Hope couldn’t help adding a few well-chosen words.
‘Will you listen to this!’ she giggled, clapping her hands together. ‘You might not realize it, Tess, but getting this man to admit to being wrong about anything is no mean feat. Bravo my friend,’ she winked mischievously at me, ‘bravo.’
I couldn’t help but laugh along. What fun this girl was!
‘Yes,’ said Sam, ‘thank you, you two. As I said, the evening did turn a profit – not a huge one, as I decided to give Harry and Delilah a few quid, but it made a bit.’
‘So, it didn’t end up costing you, after all?’ I said, firing his blunt words back at him.
‘No,’ he smiled. ‘Well,’ he added, rubbing his leg, ‘nothing more than a bit of extra discomfort for having been on my feet for so long.’
I had completely forgotten about his leg. I hadn’t factored in that he had spent more hours than usual standing up because I didn’t realize it would make a difference.
‘Foot,’ Hope automatically corrected.
‘What?’ Sam frowned, still massaging his thigh.
‘You were on your foot for so long,’ she said. ‘You haven’t got feet.’
‘Oh, very good,’ said Sam, with a snort of laughter.
‘So,’ said Hope, turning her attention back to me, ‘what’s next?’
I reckoned the pair knew each other very well indeed to be able to talk like that.
‘Next?’ I frowned, tearing a croissant in half.
‘Yes,’ she nodded, ‘don’t tell me you haven’t thought of anything. I bet you couldn’t sleep last night for mulling over what form of entertainment to suggest next.’
I had nodded off thinking about a certain performance, but not the sort she was suggesting.
‘Well,’ I said, trying not to blush, ‘I was wondering, what with it being the summer solstice soon, if it might be worth considering having some sort of celebration on the beach.’
Sam hadn’t reckoned much to the idea of a jello-shot-fuelled beach-style party in the pub, but the celebration I had dreamt up for the solstice was a much quieter affair.
‘Oh, yes,’ Hope said keenly, ‘I like the sound of that.’
Why was I not surprised? I think I could have suggested anything and she would have loved it.
‘I thought,’ I quickly carried on, in view of such a receptive audience, ‘that as there would be longer to get organized, that maybe it could be a slightly bigger event, an amalgamation between the pub and the café. Perhaps with something set up here, right in the middle, to bring the two businesses together.’