I sighed. “Now I just have to win the girl—” I raised my hand to
stop the argument. “We are not getting this wrong, Berne Chamonix. Deal with
it.”
Feeling her rumbling chuckle made me smile. I was still punch
drunk and a little bit woozy.
Rebecca tapped me on the shoulder, one arm slung around Babs. “We
also need to find a way to earn money.”
I pulled the paper from my pocket and smiled. “At least we’ll have
a place to live . . . when we fix it up.”
“
Pardon?
” Babs took the deeds and thumbed through them. “It
is true. It is all yours!”
“
Ours
. The majority of the materials and contractors have
been paid. It’ll have more than enough room for us all.” I squeezed Berne’s
hand. “When you’re ready, there’s a place for you too.”
“
Mais
—”
“No buts. You need to trust me. That takes time . . . I’m not
going anywhere.”
The kiss on my neck was more reward than I could ask for but the
sudden need to get it right surged into me.
“No more snuggling,” I told her. “No kissing, no touching, nothing
until I’ve earned your trust back.”
Berne sighed. “Can I not say that you have already?”
“Were you storming down here to protect me or stop me leaving?”
She pulled a face.
“Exactly. Maybe we need to take it slowly. Make sure that, as
adults, we actually like each other.”
Berne looked at Babs who smiled at Rebecca. “I bet you fifty Euros
that they will break this silly agreement by the weekend.”
“You give them that long?” Rebecca said.
“Margins, my little English pit bull.” Babs grinned. “You still
have your courage?”
Narrowing her eyes, Rebecca held out her hand. “An extra fifty
says that Berne breaks first, my little French whippet.”
Berne shrugged at me as I turned to her. “They have great faith in
our control,
non
?”
“We can prove them wrong,” I said.
However, with the gentle twinkle in Berne’s eyes and her sweet
smile on her lips, I wasn’t quite sure why I wanted to.
Chapter Nineteen
THE CELEBRATION SEEMED to begin the moment we arrived back at the
Chamonix home. For some reason Berne’s mother was delighted to see me. Quite
perplexed by her glee, I was sure that she couldn’t have missed me from the
time I’d been dribbling over her daughter in the back garden until walking
through her door.
Nevertheless, I was glad not to argue. I’d take the welcome,
anything to wipe Catherine and my mother’s faces from my mind. My stomach ached
with their looks. How could people be so mean?
As the town gathered around in the square, tables were laid out
with more food than would feed hundreds, let alone five families and a few
over-fed dogs. Culinary delights were everywhere, any kind of French delicacy a
mind could think of was on display.
Babs had enjoyed introducing Rebecca to many of her favourites and
just as I had so long ago, Rebecca savoured every second of it.
France was officially wonderful.
As the sun set and the moon took prominence in the heavens above,
everyone moved to sit around a large bonfire, chatting in family groups. Women
popped across to gossip with other women while the men lounged on chairs,
smoking cigars or cigarettes. I was quite sure that you weren’t allowed to
smoke in public places in France but the only police for miles was Erique and
he sat chatting with a glass of wine in hand.
I closed my eyes, feeling the barmy summer night air caress my
cheeks, and listened to the buzzing chatter, the crackling fire, and the
giggling children playing nearby. So soothing.
Even in a foreign land, in a place where I knew only a few people,
I felt happier and more centred than I had all my years back in England.
“You look like you are enjoying your freedom.” I smiled up at
Rebecca who plonked down next to me. “I think I may end up fatter than that
cockerel, you know.”
“Try not to eat too much or you’ll find it hard to move tomorrow.”
Two children dashed past us, giggling. “Remember that Berne and Babs are used
to eating their own bodyweight.”
“How are they so trim again?”
The children reached their mother who gathered them up into her
arms. She squeezed them and murmured endearments at them.
“If you go running with Babs, you’ll soon see.”
It was so nice to watch the children be doted on. They looked
secure, safe, happy.
“You’re quiet,” Rebecca said, tapping me on the knee. “You know
I’m right here if you need to talk to me?”
“Yep, and I love you for it.” I smiled at her and saw concern in
her eyes. “It’ll take a while for everything to sink in, for my head to catch
up with what’s happened.”
The mother sat the children on her knee and bounced them as they
giggled. My mother had never been like that. I’d been raised more by the nanny
than her. Maybe that was why she was so alien to me. A nanny to a boarding
school with Rebecca.
“Your dad was a trooper today. He’s such a cool guy.”
Yes he was. He had been a distant figure with a booming voice that
had terrified me growing up. A man who I wanted desperately to impress yet
could never seem to catch the attention of. That was his way. That was
tradition. Men didn’t get involved.
A man walked over to the mother and wrapped his arms around her.
He kissed her on the lips and then cuddled their children.
I couldn’t help but wonder how much my own father had missed out
on. Children grew fast. There was no time to look away because they’d be grown,
grown into people you could no longer influence. Grown into people that you may
not even like.
“Pip . . . You having second thoughts?”
I shook my head. “I’m just thinking. Doug will be a dad soon. I
really hope he takes the time to know the kid.”
“Huh?”
Maybe it would have been helpful to fill her
in on why I had the deeds to the house. “Seems like Doug was about as faithful
as me.”
How pathetic were we as a pair? How lucky an escape we’d both had.
“Some girl called Brandy.”
“Bastard.”
I smiled at Rebecca’s anger. “It’s okay. I think I got my own
back.”
The family started to sing songs together. The mother and father’s
lingering looks showed how complete they both felt. It was beautiful to watch.
“Still . . . he could have chosen someone with a more highbrow
name.” Bless her, Rebecca was always in my corner. A tad snobby but a champion.
“I can see the headlines now. Doug Fletcher, lover of Brandy.”
I snorted.
“Who is this Brandy?” Babs voice sounded strained as she wandered
over to us.
Rebecca grinned up at her and pulled her into her lap. “Doug
knocked up a woman called Brandy. That’s why Pip has the house.”
Relief made Babs eyes glimmer in the firelight. It was funny to
see how two people that detested commitment in any way were so vulnerable now.
It was about time, that was for certain.
“
Alors
,” Babs said, snuggling in. “Are you really going to
make Berne wait for you?”
When put that way, it sounded like I delighted in torturing the
poor woman. “I want to make sure that I’m mentally ready and emotionally steady
before I leap into happily ever after.”
“Pip, that sounds like a line from a terrible song.”
I poked my tongue out at Rebecca. Explaining why I was still
holding off was as difficult as doing it. Berne was charming as always, helping
her elderly neighbours, sparring with her brother, all while flashing her
brilliant smile. Not for the first time, I found myself leaning on my fist to
watch her.
“You could not resist her when you were with someone else,” Babs
said. “Why will now be different?”
“Because when she kisses me again, I want it to be the start of
our lives together.” I meant every word too. If that meant us both waiting, I
would take it. What would a few weeks, months be, after years of pain?
“So how do we help you get the ball rolling, Pip?”
The pair of them were incorrigible. “I need to understand how I
feel about today. I am not quite sure if that’s it with my mother or what will
happen.”
Again, I was drawn to watching the family, mother and father side
by side, their children snoozing on their laps.
“Good thing we have a house to fix up, right?”
“Right,” Rebecca chimed. “I got to say, it’s a definite upscale on
our little dive.”
That went without saying and I wouldn’t miss climbing the damp
stairs in the middle of winter. “I need to get Winston though.”
“You think he’ll make it this far?”
I smiled. “I am thinking he should get a free ride down here.”
There was no way my baby would make the journey but a Saunders never left a
good motor behind.
Babs sat up straighter. “I know someone who can do this.” She
pulled out her mobile. “You need a . . . to move the belongings?”
Rebecca and I exchanged glances. Were we doing this?
“Yeah, that’d be handy. Maybe some help from a pair of Frenchies
wouldn’t go amiss too.” Rebecca smiled up at Babs. “I would love to show you
our London.”
Babs smile oozed sultry. “Then consider me at your service.”
More lingering looks. They leaned towards each other.
“Oh, get a room.”
Rebecca had the good grace to blush which added to my feeling of
ease and comfort. If I was going to uproot and relocate to France, the least I
could do was have my best buddy beside me.
Babs hurried off to make her arrangements and I shot a grin at
Rebecca. “Looking a little taken there.”
She sighed. I’d never seen her do wistful but I liked it. “I think
I’m in a bit of trouble there, Pip.” Her eyes followed Babs as she wandered
around chatting. “It’s like getting hit by a wave. I can’t even get it into my
head why.”
“She’s gorgeous?”
Laughing, Rebecca nodded. “Well, there is that.”
“She’s successful, sassy, and sexy?”
Rebecca laughed louder. “That too.”
“And she loves like she drives?”
Rebecca’s mouth dropped open in shock. Her blush evident even in
the dark.
“You forget,
my little English sugarplum,
that I knew Babs
a long time ago.”
Rebecca snorted at my attempted Babs impersonation. “Please don’t
tell me you know from personal experience because that’s just . . .” She
shuddered.
I did too. “Oh no . . . Trust me, the moment I saw Berne Chamonix,
I saw no one else.”
Rebecca cuddled me, not just a quick cuddle but one of those ones
where you wiggle the person about for good measure.
“I’m so happy that you’re gay.” She looked up and shook her head.
“I mean . . . that you feel happy being . . .” She shook her head again. “I
mean that you have found your inner gayness . . .” She sighed. “You know what I
mean.”
“You’re glad I’m being true to myself?”
Rebecca squeezed me again. “I knew you’d get me.”
I snuggled in, happy that she was happy that I was happy. “So Doug
really gave you the house to keep quiet?”
“Yep. So I was thinking we might scrap the sauna and boys’ room.
What do you think?”
“Well, we could open it out so that we had an office space, maybe
a workshop for you?” Rebecca sat back and pulled her foot onto her knee. “I
thought that way, if we build a good reputation we could maybe sell some of
those furniture designs you always had penned?”
Now, I was excited. “You think anyone would want them?”
Rebecca nodded. “If we can make a cool prototype, maybe Babs might
find a niche to sell them. She does for Berne’s statues and stuff.” She smiled.
“And you have me who’s pretty adept at selling rain to the river.”
“What about the architecture?” I loved the idea but Rebecca needed
to have her dream too. I wanted her to have that.
“Dunno, it’s a long road and it isn’t cheap.”
“If we do well with the business, will you do it then?” There had
to be open university courses or something like that. “You love it so much.”
“True, but I love sales too. I’m good at promotion and it gives me
a kick.” That cocky grin slid into place. “Gotta keep the charm oozing somehow
if I get shacked up, right?”
“If?”
Rebecca sighed. “Yeah. That bit depends on the beauty swaying our
way.”
Babs’s eyes were on Rebecca. A few of the younger men watched her
stroll past but all Babs was interested in was the cheeky sweetheart beside me.
“I don’t think there’s much
if
in it at all. I would say
game, set, and match myself.”
“Did you just throw in a tennis analogy?” Rebecca didn’t take her
eyes off Babs.
“I think I did. Dad would be so proud.”
“Forget him,” Rebecca said, pulling Babs onto her lap. “
I’m
proud of you. You even got it the right way around.”
“Yes, well, just don’t ask me to hit a ball and we’ll be fine.”
Babs raised her eyebrows to which Rebecca and I answered in
perfect unison. “Hits like a girl.”