‘Here you go,’ says Janine, placing a glass of elderflower on the table in front of Cara. She pulls out the chair opposite and sits down.
‘Thanks,’ says Cara.
Janine’s daughters, Milly and Molly, stand in the shallows. Holding on tightly to Toby’s chubby hands, they swing him over the incoming ripples. Bethany, up to her knees in the sea, jumps the larger waves, and Barnaby rushes into the water to join in the game.
‘He’s a bit of all right, isn’t he?’ comments Janine, as she watches the young American throwing a ball to Sky on the beach.
‘He’s great,’ agrees Cara.
‘No, Cara, I mean, he’s a bit of all right.’ Janine casts her friend a meaningful look.
Cara laughs. ‘Yes, Johnny’s nice.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, he’s much more than that. Just look at those muscles and that tight arse!’ exclaims Janine. ‘Haven’t you noticed? Honestly, Cara. Open your eyes!’
‘I don’t see him like that.’
Janine groans. ‘Don’t tell me you only see him as a younger brother!’
‘Well, yes!’
‘Cara Penhaligon, just look at him!’ Janine leans back in her chair. ‘And he’s so good with the kids,’ she adds, letting out a sigh.
‘I know you’d like to see me with someone, Janine, but it’s all I can do to keep everything together from one day to the next. And, besides, what fit, intelligent, young man would want to be saddled with someone almost ten years his senior?’
‘What’s ten years?’ says Janine. ‘Many men like older women. We can teach them a thing or two.’ She winks at her friend.
Cara laughs again. ‘Anyway, Greg will be over soon for the exhibition.’
‘I hope that’s all he’s coming over for,’ Janine says. She’s never warmed to that man.
Involuntarily, a guilty look sweeps across Cara’s face.
‘Oh, please don’t tell me he’s made a move on you,’ Janine exclaims.
Cara pulls a small face. ‘He’s tried…’
Extending her arm across the table, Janine takes hold of Cara’s hand. ‘No, no, no! He’s at least twenty years older than you!’
‘I’m aware of that. Anyway, by your calculations, that means I could learn a lot from him!’
‘Don’t go there, kiddo. There’s nothing that man can teach you.’
Cara blanches. ‘That’s very harsh, Janine. What Greg doesn’t know about art isn’t worth knowing and I respect him a great deal. He stretches my mind.’
‘That’s as may be, but you can only talk about art for so long. Please don’t give yourself to someone like him. You deserve so much more, my beautiful friend.’ She squeezes Cara’s hand and then lets it go.
Cara smiles sadly. ‘I had so much more,’ she says quietly. ‘Growing up, Christo was everything to me, and then Oliver…’ She shakes her head, trying to dislodge the lingering emotions from her dream.
Janine frowns. Should she tell Cara that Oliver recently visited the cove? He told her not to say anything, but they are so right for each other. Against her better judgement she bites her tongue.
‘Anyway, life has moved on,’ Cara says with a sigh, ‘and Greg offers a future.’
‘But just look, Cara.’ Janine sweeps her hand in the direction of Johnny on the beach. ‘He loves being with your kids. How can you even contemplate that older man when there’s this gorgeous, hot-blooded, young male hanging around?’
‘Janine, you are incorrigible! It must have something to do with that husband of yours being away far too long and far too often. He needs to come home now!’
Janine grins wickedly. ‘The upside of that is when he returns from the rigs we can hardly keep our hands off each other!’ She chuckles. ‘We’ve been caught out a few times and it’s made for some very athletic moves when the twins walk in unannounced.’
Cara laughs.
‘More customers,’ Janine says, looking towards the entrance door and rising to her feet. ‘Guess I’d better get into gear.’
Cara sips her elderflower cordial. Janine’s right. Johnny is pleasing to the eye and easy company, but he’s way too young for her! Placing the glass on the table, she walks to the edge of the decking and watches Toby bouncing excitedly at the approaching ripples. Having moved into the shallows, Bethany now jumps the ripples beside him. As the twins lift the little boy out of the sea, he tucks his legs up high and laughs gleefully. Cara smiles. Such a happy, easy-going child. They are so lucky to have him in their lives, and she can’t believe they are already celebrating his first birthday.
‘Cara,’ shouts Johnny, ‘come and join us.’
She steps down onto the sand and for the next twenty minutes participates in the game. After a particularly tricky catch, not least because both she and Barnaby leap for the ball at the same time, she says, ‘That’s me done. I’m all puffed out!’
Bethany approaches across the sand with Toby in her arms. The little boy squirms and reaches out to his mother.
‘Well, haven’t you had fun?’ Cara says, taking the little boy and balancing him on her hip. She wraps her hand around a chubby foot. ‘Time to get you warmed up, I think.’ She turns back to Johnny, throwing the ball to Sky. ‘Drinks anyone?’
‘Apple juice, please,’ Johnny says.
‘Orange for me, ple-e-ease!’ shouts Sky.
‘What about you, Beth?’ She glances at her daughter who is waving at someone along the beach, a wide smile adorning her face.
‘Look, Mum, it’s Morwenna.’ Bethany points towards the decking.
Cara turns. Sure enough, Morwenna stands at the edge of the decking with a large cuddly blue rabbit in her arms. Beside her is Tas. Without warning, her heart leaps. Is Oliver with him? Don’t be foolish, of course he’s not! Harnessing her emotions, Cara smiles and waves.
‘I’m just going to see Mo and Tas,’ she says, setting off towards the café.
‘I’m coming too,’ says Bethany.
‘Mo, you’ve ventured out!’ Cara says, as she steps up onto the decking.
‘Of course,’ Morwenna says sheepishly, giving her a hug. ‘I wouldn’t miss Toby’s first birthday. And how are you, precious little man?’ She tickles the little boy’s tummy and holds out the large cuddly toy to him. Toby grabs it with delight.
‘Well, hello again, oh, fairest of maidens,’ says Tas, kissing Cara on both cheeks.
He’s as she remembers: dark mop of hair, big face, twinkling eyes. A bear of a man.
‘How lovely to see you again,’ she says.
‘It’s been far too long.’ His gaze falls on Toby. ‘And what a mighty fine fella!’
Briefly Cara falters. She glances sharply at Morwenna. Has she explained to her lover exactly who her son is? Imperceptibly, Morwenna shakes her head.
‘And, my, haven’t you turned into a beautiful young lady?’ says Tas expansively, turning his attention to Bethany.
Bethany smiles shyly.
Running across the sand, Sky suddenly arrives at the steps. ‘Hello, Tas,’ he says, panting heavily. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Ah, young Sky. On an adventure, sailing the high seas. And how are you?’
‘Fine, thanks,’ the young boy answers, in his best adult voice.
‘And, let me see, is this Barnaby?’ Tas asks, as the Labrador skids to a halt beside the boy.
Sky pats the dog affectionately. ‘Yep! We’ve been playing catch with Johnny.’
Tas looks up at the approaching young man.
‘Johnny, this is the Tasmanian Devil,’ says Sky, by way of introduction.
Cara laughs. ‘His name is Tas,’ she explains.
‘Oh, right, hi!’ says Johnny.
‘An American! And what brings you over to dear old Blighty?’ Tas asks.
‘First stop on a European tour,’ Johnny explains.
Pulling out chairs, they all sit at the table Janine and Cara previously occupied. Molly and Milly join them.
‘What would you all like to drink?’ asks Janine, approaching the table.
As they place their orders, Cara is aware of Tas’s keen scrutiny of Toby. Their eyes meet and Tas smiles, but not before she’s caught the extent of his curiosity.
‘So, what’s with the Tasmanian Devil?’ Johnny asks.
‘My company,’ explains Tas. ‘The Tasmanian Devil Theatre Company. It’s had a bit of a hiatus but we’re getting back to business now.’
‘What kind of theatre do you do?’ asks Johnny with interest.
As Tas and Johnny engage in conversation, Cara glances at Morwenna. Her friend looks the happiest she’s seen her in a long time.
‘Everything going well, Mo?’ Cara asks discreetly. ‘Taking things slowly?’ She bounces Toby on her lap.
Morwenna raises her eyebrows, managing to look both embarrassed and apologetic at the same time. Cara smiles and shakes her head, recalling how full-on Tas and Morwenna were during that special summer. She so envied their easy way with each other; in sharp contrast to her and Oliver’s body language at that time. She cringes, remembering how stilted and awkward they were with each other. But that was only at the very start. They soon found their rhythm. Cara brings herself up short. Why is she doing this to herself? Don’t go there!
The afternoon sun filters onto the café’s glass-enclosed decked area, and for the next couple of hours they celebrate Toby’s first birthday. Janine has baked a cake in the shape of a number ‘1’. With the help of his older brother, Toby manages to blow out the multi-coloured candle on top.
‘This young fella is a bonny little lad,’ says Tas, chucking Toby under the chin.
‘Yes. He’s a great little character,’ says Cara.
Tas lifts his gaze to her. ‘I didn’t know you’d had another child.’
Cara shifts in her seat. ‘Oh, full of surprises, me,’ she says non-committally.
Under Tas’s close observation, Cara busies herself changing Toby’s position on her lap.
‘Oh, give him to me, Cara,’ pleads Morwenna. ‘I need my Toby fix.’
She passes the little boy to Morwenna and glances over to Johnny. He is so natural with them all. It feels as if they’ve known him for years. Rising from her seat, she moves around the table to Sky and Johnny and joins in with their animated discussion, not daring to catch Tas’s eye.
Soon after, the party disperses.
‘Don’t hide away,’ Cara says to Morwenna, as they stand in the car park next to Tas’s American Jeep.
Morwenna smiles and gives Cara a squeeze. ‘I’ll be in touch,’ she says, climbing in beside Tas. She lowers the passenger window. ‘Let’s all go out for a meal, and bring that American looker with you too!’
As Tas turns on the ignition, Cara stands back. In her arms, Toby waves his little fists at the big black Jeep. Tas engages first gear and glances out of the open window, as he drives towards the lane leading up the hill out of the cove. He smiles at Cara and Toby, but all she can see is the deeply inquisitive look on his face.