“Damn, damn, damn!” I was stumbling down the hall, hoping to outrun myself.
“Emma, wait!” Curtis’ surprised tone echoed down the old walls.
I didn’t want to talk to him. I took a swift couple of turns and ran slap into Sam. “Hey, Emma! What on earth?”
“I should never have lied to him.” I blurted out. “Now he’s going to hate me!”
“Are you talking about Curtis?” Sam asked. “Nonsense!”
“Yes, he will. He’s so straight himself, and he thinks I am, too!”
“You’ve been perfectly truthful,” Sam said calmly.
“No, I wasn’t.” I pulled myself together. “I should have told him.”
“Well, do so now.”
“I will.” But my heart sank. I remembered how he’d sneered at Caitie. “Monday. I’ll tell him first thing.”
“All right.” Sam put an arm around me. “Now come back to the party. You were wonderful. Everyone loved your speech.”
I couldn’t face it. “Not now. Sam, can you tell Curtis something came up? And… and tell him I’m sorry.”
It’s not fair! Devil me cried.
I blinked rapidly, refusing to weep.
“Sure.” And he insisted on putting me into a taxi. “Don’t fret, Emma. It really won’t bother Curtis.”
But I knew he was wrong. I remembered how snarky he’d been about Suze, and he’d given Caitie pure ice. He was bound to hate me, too. In the back of the taxi, dark and silent, I wept. Thank heaven Ben was staying till morning with Layla. I didn’t want him to see me in this state.
When we got home, it was raining again. I stumbled into the cottage, and to my utter horror, the hall floor was wet. When I touched the wall, water was running down it in rivulets. The roof had finally given in.
“I’m cursed!” I cried. “And I bloody deserve it!”
I was struggling with a ladder, determined to climb on to the roof and see how bad it was, when lights illuminated me. I recognised the chunky G-Wagon immediately. Curtis.
“Emma?” He was walking swiftly down the path. Just to see his tall, lean form made me long for him—and feel extra guilty.
But he’s here! So talk to the man!
Curtis was frowning with concern. “What on earth are you doing?”
“My roof’s leaking.”
Firm hands were on my waist. “You are not climbing up that ladder in the dark and in the rain.”
“It’s wet enough inside to float the Ark.”
Curtis was propelling me inside. “And we’ll get it fixed. But I’m doing it, not you.”
“But—”
The hall light was blazing down on us. I didn’t want him to see I’d been crying.
“Emma.” Curtis was lifting my chin and gazing at me. “Oh, poor Emma.”
Hell, we’ve got panda eyes!
“It’s the rain. I got wet.”
“Fibber.” The word was soft, loving, and the arms were hard around me again.
“You’ve no idea!” I burst out.
“Sure, I do,” Curtis said calmly. “Sam told me everything.”
My heart sank. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me, too.” But Curtis was examining the wall. “This looks serious.” He was taking my torch. “I’ll go up and take a look. Will you hold the ladder?”
“But Curtis, you’ll get soaked!’
“So what? I won’t melt.” He was already out the door and climbing up. No, not climbing, swarming. Curtis was evidently perfectly at home on a ladder.
Sam was right.
Surely he’d say more than that? I held onto that ladder, hardly daring to believe I was just forgiven.
“You’ve got some missing tiles,” Curtis called down. “Do you have any plastic sheeting?”
“Erm, I don’t think so.”
Curtis was coming back down. “Picnic table cloth? Shower curtain?”
“Yes.” I darted inside and got out the old rubberised cloth we used for beach picnics. “Will this do?”
“Everything all right?” Paul was there, torch in hand and with a brolly.
“Leaky roof,” Curtis said briefly. “Emma’s getting wet. Can you hold the ladder steady while I work?”
“Sure.”
Men, right? Sweet and totally prehistoric when it comes to maintenance chores.
And we love them for it, my lazy inner self sighed. Come on, let’s put on the kettle and fix the panda eyes.
“Inside, Emma.” Curtis was bossing me about. “Or do you want to get Ben?”
Ben, he knew about Ben.
And he’s being super casual about it. See, he likes us!
“Ben’s awake,” Paul said. “The thunder woke the boys up.” He pushed the brolly into my hand. “He saw you coming back. And when we saw all the lights, we thought the roof might have had it.”
Somehow I found myself at Layla’s. “You’re soaked,” she said. “Crying?”
Ben was gazing at me worriedly, hands nervously knotting his dino PJs. “Absolutely not,” I lied. “I got wet, that’s all. I had a lovely time. It was a really good party.”
At that, Ben smiled. “You’re all wet, Mummy.”
I kissed his hair, revelling in the sweetness of him. “I know, love. I forgot my brolly. Aren’t I a silly?”
Layla was gazing out of the front door with satisfaction. “That’s Curtis with Paul, mending the roof?”
“Yes.”
He followed us. And he knows about Ben! That means he’s not mad at us, right?
“Excellent,” Layla sighed with satisfaction.
I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want to get into it, not with my boy there, half asleep and half awake.
“See you in the morning, love.” Layla hugged Ben briefly. And then to me, softly, “Text me.”
The boys were already finishing.
“Lovely job,” Paul said. “You’re damn handy to have around on a wild, wet night.”
“Thanks, it’s just temporary. I’ll fix it in the morning.”
“Sure thing. Call me after breakfast, and I’ll give you a hand.”
Somehow it had been decided Curtis was staying. I stood there in the doorway, feeling totally disconnected.
“You must be Ben. I’m Curtis.” Curtis was shaking hands solemnly.
“Mummy’s hot date.”
Oh dear lord, no!
But Curtis just laughed. “Did she say that? I’m flattered!”
“Mummy’s been talking about you for weeks,” Ben confided. “Will you fix the roof? Really?”
“Yes. In the morning.”
“We don’t have enough money.”
“We’re okay, Ben,” I interrupted hastily. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m doing it for free,” Curtis reassured him. “You can help, if you like.”
“I’m seven. I can’t go on the roof. Not yet. It’s not allowed.”
“True, but I have a dog, Hector. He’ll need looking after.”
“What kind of dog?” Ben squeaked.
Sold! Inner me was laughing. Dear lord, Ben will adopt Curtis in a heartbeat.
“You can see in the morning,” I said faintly. “Ben, love, say goodnight to Curtis. It’s bedtime.”
“Promise you’ll come tomorrow. With the dog?” Ben pleaded.
“Cross my heart and hope to die!” Curtis replied promptly. “And if Mummy says it’s okay, we’ll go out afterwards. There’s a pub that does a good lunch, and they have a garden where you can teach Hector to play fetch.”
“I like Curtis,” Ben was completely bowled over.
“Me, too.”
By the time I tucked Ben into his own bed, his room thankfully dry as a bone, and quickly cleaned the black streaks from my face, Curtis was settled in my kitchen, making tea. “Ben okay?”
“Yes.” I was mesmerised by the sight of him.
Curtis Weston. In our kitchen. Making us tea. Whoohoo!
Was it this easy? I should say something, apologise, but all I could do was stand there. Paralysed with sheer longing and guilt.
“The roof’s an easy fix.” Curtis fished the teabags out of the pot. “You should have told me about this weeks ago, Emma.”
“Erm...”
And then he was wrapped around me. I sank into the warm, strong feeling I’d come home. “Emma, I want you so much.”
Let’s take him to bed. Quick! Before he changes his mind!
Ignoring my inner devil, I told him the truth, straight up. “I lied about my work experience.”
“Aha.” He was nuzzling my neck with his lips, his hands running down my back, the fingers strong yet gentle. “Hmmm, you smell delicious.”
“I did work for the Royal Bank but as a cleaner.”
“And they valued you.” His lips were hard on my collarbone.
“I stacked shelves for Tesco.”
“Efficiently, I’m sure.” He was running his hands over my bottom, holding me hard against him.
“Curtis, I lied to you.”
“Because I was being a total arse.” He was still holding me, but now the hazel eyes were smiling at me. “Very understandable.”
“You’re not mad at me?”
“No. You said you’re not married. You forgot to say you’re a widow. Or that you have Ben, who’s dyslexic.”
Sam had spilled all my secrets.
“I love Ben so much,” I said defiantly. “I needed the job.”
“And you do it brilliantly.” Curtis was running his hands down my back. “You’re everything I want.”
“But I’m so fat!”
Noooooo! Don’t use that word! Curvy! We’re curvy!
Curtis had stopped caressing me. For a moment the earth stopped, and then he was shaking his head. “You’re certifiable, that’s for sure.”
“But—”
“I love you.” Curtis was firm. “I love you because you’re warm, kind, and clever. And since you asked, I adore the way your breasts jiggle in your dress, and I can’t get enough of your body.”
“Oh.”
“You smell good, too, and you have the most amazingly soft hair.”
“Thank you.” It was Minnie Mouse speaking again.
“While I also love my competent, cool, efficient office Emma, I’m thinking that I may have to let you go,” Curtis mused. “You see, we’re going to have a conflict of interest.”
My voice was coming from a mile away. “We are?”
“I was hoping,” Curtis said slightly anxiously, “that you were also fibbing when you said you had no interest in men or marriage.”
Ohmigod, he’s going to ask us!
“Erm, well, I, erm...”
“You see, I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Curtis whispered. “I want you, Emma.”
Yes! Yes! Yes!
But I couldn’t speak. My heart was banging away, and my breath was ragged. “Gah.”
Curtis just took one look, and smiled. “Oh,” he said softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
And then he kissed me.