‘Don’t what?’
‘Don’t say anything more,’ said Rachel, aware that her nails were digging into her palms. ‘It’s not true, so why torment yourself over it? Gabriel Webb is not interested in me.’
‘Then why is he always in the café?’
Rachel gasped. ‘He’s not always in the café,’ she exclaimed frustratedly. ‘As you said, he’s been in three times in as many weeks. That’s hardly a record. I have customers who come in two or three times a day!’
‘Well, according to Steph—’
‘Look, I don’t care what Steph thinks,’ replied Rachel, wishing her friend would mind her own business. ‘Ask yourself the question, Mum. Why would someone like him feel anything but—but curiosity about me?’
‘Curiosity?’ Mrs Redfern considered this possibility seriously, and Rachel had the feeling she’d said the wrong thing. But then, discarding that thought, her mother returned to her original opinion. ‘You’re an attractive woman, Rachel. If you had more confidence in yourself you’d see that I was right.’
‘Oh, Mum!’ Rachel was weary of this conversation. ‘I’m too tall, I’m too thin, and I have a hairstyle that was in fashion ten years ago. I’m not beautiful or sexy. I appreciate your loyalty, but I fear it’s misplaced.’
‘That’s the trouble with you,’ responded her mother at once. ‘Always putting yourself down. You’d never have married Larry Kershaw if you hadn’t had such a low opinion—’
‘No more, Mum.’ Rachel groaned. This was an old argument and one she had no wish to get into tonight. Then, because she had to, ‘If I hadn’t married Larry I wouldn’t have had Hannah. And even you can’t deny that she’s been a delight ever since she was born.’
‘If Larry hadn’t spent as much time in the pub, Hannah would still be a normal little girl,’ retorted Mrs Redfern tightly. And then, seeing Rachel’s shocked face, she hastily recanted. ‘I know, I know. Hannah is a normal little girl.’ She took a sip of her coffee. ‘I just wish—I just wish—’
‘Don’t we all?’ said Rachel flatly, determinedly picking up her pen. ‘I’ve got to get on, Mum. I mean it. It’s nearly nine o’clock and these accounts won’t calculate themselves.’
Monday and Tuesday passed without incident, and Rachel was beginning to think that both her and her mother’s fears had been groundless when Gabriel Webb turned up again. He came into the café on Wednesday afternoon, just as she was about to close. Stephanie and Patsy had already gone—thank goodness, thought Rachel fervently—and as it wasn’t a day that Hannah and her grandmother were coming to meet her Rachel was on her own when he appeared.
He was wearing dark trousers and a leather blouson jacket this afternoon, and a dark blue tee shirt that highlighted the olive cast of his skin. His face was still drawn but Rachel was uneasily aware of the hard strength in his lean features. It was an awareness that had come to her gradually, but she couldn’t deny he possessed a sort of magnetism that no amount of self-denigration on her part could dismiss.
She didn’t want to notice these things but she couldn’t help it. It was her mother’s fault, she thought crossly. And Stephanie’s. They had put these thoughts into her head. Yet in her heart of hearts she knew that it wasn’t anything either of them had said that had reduced her to this state of nervous apprehension every time he came into the café. And she was very much afraid he knew it, too.
‘I understand,’ he said, when she recovered herself sufficiently to glance at the clock. ‘You’re closing.’ He paused. ‘I hoped you might be.’ He pushed his fingers into the waist-line pockets of his trousers and she instantly noticed how his thumbs pointed to the taut fabric that shaped his sex. ‘I wondered if you’d like to have a drink with me for a change.’
Rachel swallowed, dragging her eyes away from that part of his anatomy and avoiding his disturbing appraisal by straightening a chair at a nearby table. Then, because she had to say something and she couldn’t possibly accept his invitation, ‘I’m sorry, Mr Webb. I’m just on my way home.’
‘My name’s Gabe, as I believe I told you,’ he said, standing squarely between her and the door. ‘And I’m sure you could spare me a few minutes of your valuable time. The Golden Lion’s just across the road.’
Rachel shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not?’ His impatience was carefully controlled. ‘Have you got another appointment?’
‘No.’ Rachel sighed. ‘I’ve just told you. I’m on my way home.’
‘So why can’t you humour me and save me from a lonely half-hour in the pub?’
Rachel caught her lower lip between her teeth. ‘I can’t believe you have to rely on a perfect stranger for company,’ she said, and saw the way his jaw compressed. She was angering him, she could tell that, and she thought perhaps that was the way to go. Whatever impulse had caused this unexpected petition, it couldn’t possibly survive a blank denial. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘You still haven’t given me a convincing reason why not,’ he persisted. Then, harshly, ‘Am I trespassing on another man’s property? Is that it?’
Rachel’s jaw dropped. ‘I just don’t want to have a drink with you, Mr Webb.’ She picked up the navy jacket she had dropped over the back of a chair and pushed her arms into the sleeves. ‘I’m tired and I’m looking forward to having a long soak in the bath. Does that answer your question?’
Gabriel didn’t move. ‘You don’t like me,’ he said flatly. ‘I had thought, after our conversation the other afternoon, that you’d realised that I am not my son.’
‘Oh, I do realise that, Mr Webb.’ Rachel was getting angry now. ‘But what you don’t seem capable of grasping is that I run a café. I have to be polite to all my customers, even those I—I—’
‘You don’t like,’ he finished for her drily. ‘Yes. I get the picture.’
Rachel doubted that he did. And there was such a look of defeat in his night-dark eyes now that she felt dreadful. When he’d come into the café there’d been a different expression on his face, but that anticipation—that expectation—had all been extinguished now. He looked greyer, older, and when he turned abruptly towards the door she wanted to flay herself for destroying his mood.
‘Wait…’
Without giving herself time to have second thoughts, Rachel went after him. Her hand reached for his sleeve, but her fingers brushed his wrist instead, the leather strap of his wristwatch so much warmer than his chilled skin.
And, instantly, she wanted to take him into her arms. To hold him and warm his cold flesh with her body that was suddenly hot and pulsing with life. But of course she didn’t. Instead, her hand fell awkwardly to her side, and when she met his guarded stare she wondered what in God’s name she had been thinking of.
‘Yes?’ he said, and now it was her turn to face his closed gaze.
‘I—perhaps we could have a drink together,’ she said with difficulty, and his mouth took on a mocking curve.
‘Don’t do me any favours, Mrs Kershaw,’ he said, his features cold and withdrawn. ‘I don’t need your pity.’
‘It’s not—it’s not pity,’ protested Rachel, wondering somewhat incredulously why she was persisting with this. Why hadn’t she let him go when she’d had the chance? ‘However, if you’ve changed your mind…’
‘I haven’t changed my mind,’ he said heavily, his hand resting on the handle of the door. He paused. ‘Do you want to follow me over?’
‘I—no.’