By the look of the grin on Gabe’s face, it appeared my brother was right.
‘I’m just not sure how I feel about him practising his smooth chat-up spiel on my sister.’
I did my best to stop the mouthful of coffee I’d just taken from coming out of my nose and forced it to take its usual path down my throat. Carrie gave me a concerned look and patted me on the back as I swallowed and gave a cough. Ned got a kick on the other shin.
‘You all right?’ Gabe asked.
I nodded. ‘Yes, just went down the wrong way.’
Ned opened his mouth.
‘You say one more thing and I’m not going to do any of your finances for the next five years!’
Ned closed his mouth.
‘Well, I think I’d better start heading back. All this sea air is making me a bit tired.’
‘And perhaps your workaholic lifestyle’s catching up with you a little?’
‘This from the woman who worked day and night, literally, to get a restaurant up and running,’ I said, grabbing the wrap I’d brought with me and draping it around my shoulders.
‘That is true. But if I remember, you’d also taken time off to come and help us out and the difference is that we’ve now found a balance and make sure we have days off and time away. You, my dear one, have not.’
I faffed with my wrap a bit as I tried to extricate myself from the conversation that had just turned round and bitten me on the bum.
‘I don’t think a workaholic just takes the whole summer off, which is what I’m now doing,’ I said, pleased with my return.
‘No.’ Ned came to stand beside his wife. ‘A workaholic is forced to take the whole summer off because she collapses in her boss’s office and is on the verge of being carted off to A & E.’
‘Ugh! You two are so dramatic. Good job I love you. Thank you for the food and I’ll see you soon.’
The strength of Ned’s hug told me that, despite all the teasing, he was worried about me, and I felt a shot of guilt sear through me. He had enough to think about with running his own business and his first child on the way.
‘I’m fine. Honestly,’ I said, trying to put as much reassurance into my voice as possible.
Ned gave me a nod but I could tell he wasn’t anywhere near convinced.
‘Night, Carrie,’ I said, giving her a hug. ‘Night, Bump. Sleep well and don’t keep your mum up with your fidgeting.’
‘Do you mind if I walk with you?’ Gabe asked.
‘No, of course not, but please don’t feel you have to leave early because of me.’
‘No, I need to get Bryan home and get some rest too. I’ve got a double shift tomorrow.’
I screwed up my nose.
‘Yeah, I know,’ he replied. ‘I just need to grab Bryan and his stuff.’
Two minutes later, we were all ready to go. Gabe had shrugged on a light jacket and zipped it up, before tucking Bryan in the front. Ned handed him the squashy dog bed and gave me Petey the Prawn.
Ned and Carrie lived along the crescent of the bay from Gigi’s house but you could walk all the way there and back along the beach, rather than through the village if you wanted, which was what Gabe and I chose to do tonight. The moon was half full and bright, easily giving off enough light to see where we were going as it shone down and reflected in the expanse of dark water to our right. Even when the tide was in, Wishington Bay’s beach was wide and sandy. After a few steps, I bent and quickly removed my sandals, hooking the straps over the fingers of my free hand.
‘Good, huh?’ Gabe laughed.
I hadn’t realised the sigh of contentment I’d made at the sensation of the soft, cool sand between my toes as I walked had actually made it from my mind and out of my mouth.
‘Yes … sorry. That wasn’t meant to be out loud.’
‘Why not?’ Even in the half-light from the moon, I could see Gabe’s quizzical look.
‘I …’ Honestly, I didn’t know why not. I’d just got so used to keeping stuff to myself, especially since Gigi had gone, that even this slight, momentary display of feeling suddenly made me feel a little exposed.
‘Just relax, Holly. And if what I heard tonight is anything to go by, it sounds like that’s something you could do with.’
I flapped a hand, complete with toy prawn, dismissing the comment. ‘You shouldn’t listen to half of what Ned tells you. Seriously.’
‘So, you haven’t been doing long hours for years?’
‘Well … I suppose sometimes my hours have been quite long. But, you of all people know that long hours can often be part of the job. You said yourself you’ve got a double shift tomorrow.’
He gave me a look that somehow said both ‘touché’ and ‘that’s not the same thing and you and I both know it’. But to his credit, he let it pass.
‘But you have had panic attacks?’
I gave Petey another flap. ‘I’m not sure you’d call them panic attacks and really there’s only been a few. I was just particularly stressed a couple of times and got a bit overwrought. I’m fine, now. Honest. Ned’s just been getting phantom hormones since Carrie got pregnant and working himself up about it.’
‘Or he could be aware that since Gigi is no longer here to keep an eye on you, you’re not taking care of yourself in the way you should.’
I let out a sigh, and this time I knew for sure it was out loud.
‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my boundaries. Maybe right now you’re wishing that I’d either brained myself this morning or that we had stayed mad at each other because either way you wouldn’t be getting what you, I imagine, to consider to be a grilling.’
‘No. I don’t wish either of those things. Especially not the first. I’ve got enough to do in that house without trying to get blood out of the deck too.’
Moonlight caught his smile, his teeth showing bright in the celestial glow. ‘It’s just that I’ve been doing this job a long time now, and I’ve got pretty good at reading people. I’ve also known Ned and Carrie pretty much since the first night I moved here, as Gigi was eager for me to meet some new people and make friends. Between all of that, I can usually tell when people are worried about something, no matter how well they try to hide it. And your brother’s worried about you. More than I think you realise.’
I ran a hand over my hair and pushed it back over my shoulder from where the softest of sea breezes had blown it forward.
‘I don’t really know what anyone wants me to say! I’ve taken the time off and I’m here, aren’t I? I’ve got a whole summer’s worth of relaxation time ahead of me, so everyone can just stop worrying now.’
‘So, you’re not planning to just sort the house super quick so that that you can get it sold and get yourself back up to London as soon as possible?’
Even in the low moonlight, I was pretty sure Gabe could see my guilty blush.
‘Yeah. That’s what I thought. Is your boss actually going to let you back that quick?’
‘I don’t know. I’ll have at least taken some time off by then, and shown willing, so I don’t see why not.’
Gabe smirked. ‘I think “shown willing” is pushing the description a little far from what Ned said tonight.’
I shook my head. ‘My brother, as I’m sure you’re already aware