Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights (Little Duck Pond Cafe #36)

CHAPTER SEVEN

She opened my door and peered in. ‘Laurel? What’s wrong? Are you okay?’

Embarrassed to be discovered in such a state, I attempted a laugh and wiped at my wet face with my hands. ‘Fine... I’m fine.’

‘Well, you’re obviously not.’

‘No. But I will be.’ I smiled, hoping it was true. I definitely felt better after letting it all out. I looked around, patting my pockets.

‘Hanky?’ Maddy produced one from her bag and I took it with grateful thanks. ‘So what happened?’

I held up an apologetic finger and turned away to give my nose a thorough blow. And when I looked back at her, it was with a sheepish smile. ‘Bumped into someone from the past. On the high street.’

‘Ah. Someone who did you wrong, I assume?’

‘You could say that.’ I took a big breath in and blew it out rather shakily. ‘I wouldn’t care, I really thought I was doing fine, you know?’

Maddy nodded. ‘The past can really bite you on the bum sometimes. When you’re least expecting it. Do you want to talk about it?’

I grimaced at the thought. ‘I’d rather not if you don’t mind. At least, not right now. I’d quite like to dry off first, although I’m thinking that might take a while.’ I held up my damp sleeves.

She chuckled. ‘At least you haven’t lost your sense of humour. But look, any time you do need to talk...?’

‘Thanks, Maddy. Really. I might hold you to that.’

‘Any time. I’d suggest we repair to the nearest pub right now to drown your sorrows, except I’ve promised to pick up a waistcoat from one of my ushers and I need to do it before he goes on air.’

I looked at her in surprise. ‘On air?’

‘Do you ever listen to local radio?’

I nodded. ‘I often hear Liam Westerbrook, who does the breakfast show? And Ellie was telling me about Marcus being a local radio celebrity. He’s your dad, isn’t he?’

She nodded. ‘Liam’s great. And so is Marcus. Although I’m probably a little bit biased because of the connection.’

‘Is he on the radio every day?’

She nodded. ‘Every week day. Marcus is the usher I was talking about.’

‘He’s got your waistcoat?’ I frowned, struggling to understand.

‘No, well, it’s not mine. It was supposed to be for him. His wedding outfit, you know? He sent me a photo of the waistcoat he bought and it’s totally the wrong colour. I told him purple tartan and he bought red, would you believe?’ She shook her head in despair. ‘Men, honestly. It’s not even as if he’s colour-blind! And obviously it has to be right otherwise he’ll stand out like a sore thumb on the day. I’m worried they won’t have his size in the purple by the time he gets round to taking it back, so I’ve offered to go along myself and exchange it for him.’

I smiled in sympathy. ‘As if you haven’t got a million other things to do organising your wedding.’ Maddy was probably panicking about the rogue red tartan waistcoat a great deal more than Marcus. Which was fair enough. It was her big day, after all. ‘I saw him in a red tartan kilt recently,’ I said, suddenly making the connection.

‘Did you?’ She laughed. ‘Yes, he took a photo of himself wearing it with the waistcoat and sent it to me joking that it would be a perfect outfit for my big day. Goodness knows where he got the kilt from – Radio Daydream’s dressing up box? – but anyway, he thought it was hilarious.’ She shook her head wearily but it was clear she was actually quite amused.

I grinned. ‘I guess life is never boring with Marcus around.’

‘It certainly isn’t. So... are you off home now?’

I frowned at the petrol gauge. ‘Actually, no. The bloody tank’s empty would you believe? I forgot to fill up this morning.’

Maddy blew out her breath. ‘Crikey, you are having a bad morning.’

I nodded. ‘The worst. But don’t worry, I’ll... think of something. You’d better go or you’ll miss Marcus. Before he goes on air.’

She frowned, thinking. ‘Look, why don’t you come with me? We can pick up the waistcoat and then I’ll run you to the garage to get petrol and bring you back here.’

‘Really?’ I felt like bursting into tears all over again at her kind offer.

‘Absolutely. Come on. I’m parked just over there.’

I grabbed my bag and scrambled out. ‘You’re a superhero,’ I called, locking up and following her. ‘I’ll have to buy you a cape.’

Turning, she grinned. ‘As long as it’s not red tartan! ’

*****

‘You see? Purple tartan, not red? Do you see the difference? My instructions were very clear.’

I smiled to myself as I glanced around the radio station’s production office and listened to Maddy tearing a friendly strip off Marcus for disrupting her waistcoat arrangements.

‘Right. Sorry about that. Wouldn’t want to spoil the photos.’ He did a clown frown then winked at me over her shoulder.

‘It’s not funny!’

‘Of course it isn’t. It’s very serious.’ He stopped smiling, looking chastised instead, although next minute the twinkle in his eye was right back.

I decided I liked Marcus. He had a wicked sense of humour and was a proper larger-than-life character with his booming voice and extravagant gestures. I could see a lot of Maddy in him. She was definitely a ‘chip off the old block’. He’d immediately recognised me from the Highland Fling incident outside the café.

Pushing some papers aside, he half-sat on the desk and picked up his internal phone. ‘Josh? Can you bring me the carrier bag from the bottom drawer of my desk, please? Thanks.’ He smiled. ‘Great lad, Josh. He reminds me of me when I started this game far too many years ago to mention. Ambitious. Willing to do what it takes to get there.’

I looked at him warily. Josh?

When Maddy had suggested I come in to the station with her to see Marcus, I’d declined, worrying I might bump into the one person I wanted to avoid – the guy with a coffee-soaked blue checked shirt! The young guy who worked with Marcus. But then my curiosity had got the better of me. I’d never seen inside a radio station – plus Coffee Disaster Guy had been out and about in Guildford when we’d had our collision. (Or more accurately, when I’d charged head first into him.) He probably wasn’t even back yet.

Now, though, I was praying this Josh person wasn’t one and the same...

There was a knock on the door and my heart lurched.

But it wasn’t ‘Josh’. It was a young woman, and she smiled broadly when she saw Maddy.

‘Lottie! Hello,’ Maddy greeted her. ‘Is it true? It’s just I heard a rumour yesterday...’

The girl blushed, her eyes dancing happily. ‘It’s true. Liam proposed over dinner on Saturday night. We’re going ring shopping after his show.’

‘Wow, congratulations! This is Laurel, by the way. She started working at the café back in the spring?’

Lottie gave me a friendly smile. ‘I know. I’ve seen you in there, Laurel. I hope they’re treating you well.’

‘I should think we are!’ said Maddy with fake indignation, and I laughed.

‘I worked at the café myself for a while,’ Lottie told me. ‘But now I’m helping to run the family B&B. And my boyfriend – um, fiancé – hosts the breakfast show here.’

‘I know.’ I nodded eagerly. ‘Liam. I often hear his show. He’s really good.’

‘Speaking of which,’ said Marcus glancing at his watch, ‘We’ll be doing the handover soon.’ He glanced at the door. ‘Ah, here’s Josh now with that dastardly waistcoat. Ugh! Can’t stand the thing. Have you seen it? It’s so red !’ He covered his eyes, looking appalled.

‘Oh, ha ha!’ Maddy’s tone oozed sarcasm.

I was still laughing as I turned in the direction of the door and the guy called Josh walked in. He clearly hadn’t had anything to change into.

He was still wearing the shirt I’d chucked coffee all over.