Laughter and music from hidden speakers interspersed the conversation going around the table while platters of food prepared by Dominic were passed around.

It was in the middle of Sunday afternoon. Lissie, Corinne, and Eddie did the unthinkable. They closed The Retreat for the rest of the day and the entire night. It was a time for a private party and a moment between friends. Everyone was amused to see Oliver stand whenever Lissie stood and even accompanied her even when she went to check on the staff in the kitchen. Lissie’s constant coming and going finally took a toll on Oliver and he rubbed his knee.

“Babe, I’m just in the kitchen,” Lissie said, her arms wide in a helpless gesture. “I’m not going anywhere and nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“You’re surrounded by knives,” Oliver groused.

Lissie huffed, her forehead puckering. “One thing you need to realise, Cray, is to never cross a hormonal and pregnant woman.”

Luke chortled in amusement. “I’d heed her if I were you, mate.”

Oliver sighed, shaking his head but his face cleared and he let out a rueful chuckle after Lissie kissed him.

“Let me,” Chaps said giving Oliver one of his rare grins before following Lissie into the kitchen.

Oliver, Malcolm, Aiden, and Vincent looked at each other and chortled.

Bethany had finally met Eddie and liked him immediately. She looked around the table…well more like four tables placed together. Gracie had brought Flynn, her mother, Theresa, and her good friend Noreen. Her parents had come as well and so did Cinzia who talked with Dominic about various Italian dishes from the old country.

Apart from Oliver and Luke, Bethany finally got to meet Barry Slater who had to leave after a while to deal with another client. Luke told them that Rouen Abelard could not leave France and they were still trying to find Kieran.

Taking a sip from her glass of red, Bethany watched Amara who had taken a liking to Flynn. Both were in a separate table concentrating on the pages of two colouring books. Vincent had decided to sit with them and Flynn’s eyes bugged out at the sight of the huge Russian. But Vincent had such a way with children that soon all three of them were laughing.

Bethany smiled wistfully. Amara, she realized, would no longer be the young girl shielded from the ugly underbelly of the world they lived in. Something had changed in her daughter and Bethany still wasn’t sure if it was for the better. The good part about it though, was that Amara was talking again. As though she had formed a shell around herself but shed it when she was with her grandparents, Bethany and Drake, and right now with Flynn and Vincent. Amara was still protective of Bethany but had eventually relinquished that duty the more she got to know Drake. Her heart expanded remembering the moment Drake saw Amara again. It was as though nothing had happened. Drake had spent time with Amara answering all her questions.

Bethany decided right after talking to Amara in Newcastle that it was enough that her daughter knew that they had had to leave Manchester to escape a bad man. She was going to keep the rest to herself. Now wasn’t the time to let Amara know who Andrew was. Some secrets were better left unsaid even if it had to be taken to the grave.

“Drake, can I have word?” Joe stood.

Drake looked at Bethany in question. Bethany shrugged, clueless to what her father wanted. She tracked them to the far end of the restaurant. Drake’s face was serious. So was her dad’s. They spoke in hushed tones and not even her ability to lip read could help.

Suddenly, Drake held out his hand. Joe took it and pulled Drake into an embrace. Bethany blinked, clamping her teeth over her lips to stem the emotion that seemed to be overflowing since she and Drake got back together. The troubled look on Drakes face disappeared as though it had been taken from him by a cleansing stream. His face was the most peaceful that she had ever seen.

“What was that all about?” Bethany asked whispering when Drake returned to his seat beside her.

“Bee,” Drake looked down at her hands where a 4 carat diamond engagement ring in platinum caught the lights above and winked on her left ring finger. He looked at her. The bruises he had sustained in the fight a week ago still discoloured his skin, but nothing could disguise the love Bethany saw in her beautiful man’s eyes. “When I was forced to leave you, I blamed myself every day for it. I thought so did your father.”

“My God, what?” Her eyes rounded like saucers and she looked at her father in dismay. But her father merely smiled, nodding in understanding. “What did Dad say?”

Drake’s jaw clenched as though he was trying to keep his emotions in check. He swallowed.

“He never did.”

“Baby.” She cupped his cheek. “I told you he never would.”

“He just wanted me to know that despite everything that’s happened, he said it wasn’t my fault. He also said I could always go to him if I wanted to talk.” He looked up, his eyes brimming with emotion. “He said he wanted to be the dad I never had.”

Tears spilled from Bethany’s cheeks as she embraced Drake tightly. She went to her father and embraced him unable to stop herself from sobbing.

“Thank you.”

Joe patted his daughter’s shoulder. He cleared his throat.

“He makes you happy. That’s all the matters to me.”

Bethany gave her father a kiss on the cheek before embracing her mother.

“You guys are the best parents a girl could ever have.” She chuckled through her tears. She held her hand to Amara who wandered to her side when she saw her mother crying. “And the best grandparents for Amara.”

Rag n’ Bone Man’s As You Are filtered through the sound system. Drake stood.

“Lissie, you don’t mind if I turn part of your resto into a dance floor, do you?”

“Of course not.” Lissie beamed.

Bethany’s pulse raced at the way Drake looked at her. At the way, his eyes raked down her body before returning to her face. His eyes warmed and heated her and she was about to become a puddle at his feet at the desire flaring in his eyes.

He held out his hand and pulled her to an empty space. Bethany threw her head back and laughed happily when he spun her before taking her into his arms. Her breath hitched at the telltale sign of his hunger hardening against her belly. He grinned lazily before whispering in her ear.

“Let’s slow dance.”

 

 

 

THE END