CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Charlie arrived at his mum and dad’s for Sunday lunch with a smile on his face. Even two and a half hours spent cleaning nurseries hadn’t dampened it.
The minute he walked into the kitchen, his mum stopped what she was doing and walked over to cup his face. “I haven’t seen a smile like that in over three months. Maybe longer.” Looking up at him, she raised her eyebrows. “Care to tell your mother who’s got you so happy?”
Charlie refused to blush.
Refused.
Ignoring the heat in his cheeks, he shrugged. “It’s Christmas. I’m feeling the festive spirit.”
She swatted him with her tea towel. “Kath,” she shouted, and a few seconds later, his sister appeared, already laughing. She was so going to tell. “Any idea why your brother looks like the Cheshire Cat?”
“Yep.” Kath stuck her tongue out at him when Charlie glared at her. “Go on, put her out of her misery. She’s been worried about you.”
She had, Charlie knew, even though she hadn’t come right out and said as much. His mum had always been easy to read. Especially where he and Kath were concerned. Charlie glanced back at his mum and let out a put-upon sigh. “If I must.” He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes. “I’ve started seeing someone.” He and Sam had arranged to meet up in the week and over the coming weekend, so Charlie thought he could say that with confidence. “It’s early days yet, but…” He shrugged again. “It’s going well so far.”
His mum positively beamed. “Oh Charlie, I’m so happy for you.” She pulled him into a hug.
“Early days, mum, remember.” He gave her a squeeze, lifting her off her feet until she laughed and ordered him to put her back down.
“I know it’s new, but I’m just so happy that you’ve started to move on. After you and—” She hesitated, as though worried about bringing him up.
“Tim?” He smiled. “You can say his name; it’s okay.” And it was. He’d hardly thought about Tim in… he tried to think. Apart from the Christmas tree reminding him—and even then, it’d been fleeting—he hadn’t given Tim a second thought for a while. His heart only gave a little flutter when he thought of him now. “It’s still a bit tender, I won’t lie. But it’s not raw like it was.”
Kath squeezed his shoulder. “I’m glad you’ve found someone new, it’s not like Tim wasted any time getting back out there.”
His mum looked like she was about to ask more questions, which Charlie didn’t fancy answering. He might feel better about the split, but that didn’t mean he wanted to discuss Tim and his new man. Cutting off any more discussion on this topic, he took Kath by the arm and steered her out of the kitchen. “We’ll go set the table.”
Safely out of earshot, Kath whispered, “So you and Sam are a thing now?”
Charlie placed a knife on the table and met her gaze. “Yeah. I think so.”
She snorted. “You think so?”
“Well, you know.”
“Assume I don’t.” She met his exasperated look with a grin.
“We spent the weekend together, and I’m seeing him this week, so I think it’s safe to call it a thing.”
“Fair enough.”
They set the rest of the table.
“Where’s Mike, anyway?”
“Out in the garage with Dad, doing God knows what.” She rolled her eyes, and Charlie laughed. “A handy way to avoid helping if you ask me.”
“Smart guy.”
She fetched glasses out of the cupboard and passed them to Charlie to set out. “You still okay for Friday night?”
“Friday?”
“Yes,” she said, like she was talking to a child. “I’ve got to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, so I’m having you all over for a meal on the Friday night. Remember? Aunt Jackie and Uncle Steve’ll be there too.”
Charlie had a vague recollection of her mentioning it. But he’d already told Sam that morning that he’d meet him at the pub on Friday night. “Why not on the Saturday or Sunday?”
“Because Mike’s got to work on Saturday, and we’re at his mum and dad’s on the Sunday.” She frowned. “I asked you about this weeks ago, Char.”
“I know, and it’s fine. I’d just forgot, that’s all.” He’d meet Sam on Saturday instead or maybe join them at the pub after the meal at Kath’s. He smiled. “Want me to bring anything?”
“Some wine maybe? Mum said they’d pick you up and drop you off, so you don’t need to worry about a taxi.”
“Sounds good.”
And it did. Part of him was disappointed that he couldn’t meet up with Sam and the others, but he loved family get-togethers, especially at Christmas.
Sam would understand.
SAM HAD TO help Dave with a plumbing emergency, forcing him to cancel his and Charlie’s midweek plans, so they arranged to meet for coffee the following day. Charlie’d been disappointed but he’d understood.
Today was the first time they’d seen each other since the weekend.
Charlie ordered their coffees and found a table in the corner. Sam was a couple of minutes late, and not that Charlie thought he’d be a no show or anything, but he felt a little jittery. They’d sent plenty of texts during the week, but it wasn’t the same as seeing each other in person. He just wanted to get that part over with and reassure himself that it was as good between them as he remembered.
“Sorry I’m late.” A breathless Sam slumped into the chair opposite, startling Charlie into almost spilling his coffee.
“Hey.”
Sam grinned at him, eyes full of warmth and crinkling at the corners, and all Charlie’s doubts melted away. “Hey.” He gently pushed Sam’s drink over to him. “Busy morning?”
“Busy week.” He took a sip of his coffee and moaned. “God, I need this.” He took another drink, then set it down on the table and met Charlie’s gaze. “I’m really sorry about last night. Dave wouldn’t normally call me out at night to help him, but it was friends of his mum and dad, and they’ve got all their family coming for Christmas. The downstairs loo flooded, and they were in a bit of a panic…” He waved a hand about. “They’re both in their early seventies, so you can imagine.”
“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “Did you get it sorted?”
Sam took another drink and shook his head. “We’ve been there all morning. Dave put in a new toilet and whatever else he had to do, and I’m replacing the floor. It’s warped the wood in the hall too, and I said I’d replace it if I could get all the stuff and give it time to acclimate.”
Charlie let out a low whistle. “How long will that take?”
“I reckon I’ll be working into the weekend. I’m popping to Wickes after here so I can get the flooring back to theirs and let it sit for a day or so.” He sat back in his chair and sighed. “There was me thinking I had an easy few days up to Christmas.”
Charlie reached across the table and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “You could always say no. I’m sure they’d understand if you said you were too busy. It’s pretty late notice.”
“I know, but they’re a lovely couple, and apparently their son’s coming over from New Zealand. They haven’t seen him in over two years, and they wanted it all to be perfect. You know?”
Charlie’s mum and dad would be the same. He smiled.
“And Dave’s going to give me a hand,” Sam added. “Hopefully we can get it done Saturday.” He smiled up at Charlie. “I can still meet you Friday night, it just means me and Dave taking things a bit easy since we’ll be up early.”
Shit.
“About that…” Charlie bit his lip, stomach dropping as Sam’s smile faltered. “I can’t make it. I’d forgotten Kath was hosting our family Christmas meal because she’s got to work Christmas Day.” He sighed, inwardly cursing himself for not writing anything down. “Sorry.”
Surprisingly Sam’s smile returned, and he shook his head. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I totally understand.”
“You do?” Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “You looked a bit pissed off a second ago.”
“Because I thought you’d changed your mind.”
“About us?” Charlie gestured between them, and Sam nodded. “No chance.” He grinned, and Sam grinned back. To anyone watching, they probably looked like a right pair of idiots, but Charlie didn’t give a shit. “You free Saturday night?”
“Yeah.” Sam’s voice was soft, happy.
“It’s a date, then.”
CHARLIE’S MUM and dad picked him up at six o’clock on Friday night, and they arrived at Kath’s twenty minutes later. Traffic for once, not too bad. Maybe everyone was already out on Christmas dos.
“Oh.” His mum looked in awe at the lights adorning the front of Kath’s house and garden. “She goes all out, doesn’t she?”
She’d added a few more since Charlie had last visited. White raindrop-effect lights now hung around tree branches, and she’d added fairy lights to the wreath on the front door. Charlie huffed out a laugh. “Yep.” He tapped his mum on the shoulder. “I thought you were here on Monday?”
“That was in the day though. You don’t get the full effect.”
Kath greeted them at the door, and when Charlie showed her the two bottles of wine he’d brought, she slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh bollocks!”
“Language, Katherine!”
“What’ve you forgot?”
He and his mum spoke at the same time.
Kath rolled her eyes at their mum and turned to Charlie. “I was meant to pick up beer and Prosecco. Totally forgot. Arse.”
Charlie took in her slightly frazzled state and the fact that his dad had started to put his coat on again. “Dad, give me your keys, and I’ll nip to Asda.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind going.”
“I know, but it’s fine. You go get settled with Mum. I won’t be long.” His dad gave him a grateful smile and a pat on the shoulder.
“Thank you.” Kath gave him a quick hug. “You’re a lifesaver.”
He waved away her thanks. “What do you need?”
Armed with her list, Charlie drove the ten minutes down the road to Asda. It was far busier than he’d been expecting, and he had to hunt the car park for a bloody trolley.
“Charlie!”
Charlie froze, hands gripping the handrail of the trolley he’d just secured. Of all the fucking luck. Reluctantly, he turned around to see Tim walking towards him. And he wasn’t alone. Tall, dark-haired, and well dressed, and standing possessively close to Tim, was Tim’s new someone. “Tim.” He cast a glance at the guy beside him. “And?”
Tim at least had the good grace to look sheepish. He could have carried on with his business and avoided this whole awkward encounter. Should have. “This is Eric Harper.” He turned to Eric. “Eric, meet Charlie Whitmore.”
Recognition flared in Eric’s eyes.
“I can safely say you’re about the last person I expected to see here,” Charlie said.
Tim rubbed the back of his neck. “Um… We’re on our way to see friends.” Eric’s friends obviously because none of their old friends lived around here. “Just popped in to pick up some wine.”
“Me too.”
They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, and Charlie was about to make his excuses and escape when Eric put a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “I’m going to grab a basket and go look at their wine selection.” Charlie almost snorted. This was Asda, not Majestic Wines. Eric nodded at him, “Nice to meet you, Charlie.”
He did snort then, because that was clearly a lie, and he caught Eric fighting a smile as he walked off.
Charlie nodded in his direction. “He seems all right, I guess.” Eric didn’t appear to be the total dick Charlie had been picturing him as, at any rate.
Tim grimaced. “I’m sorry. I should never have shouted you and put us all through that fucking awkwardness. Not sure what I was thinking.”
A laugh bubbled out of Charlie, surprising both him and Tim. “I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s nice bumping into you, but it’s all right, Tim. I’m not about to fall to pieces seeing you two together.” And he wasn’t. It hurt still, seeing him with someone else, probably would for a while yet. But it wasn’t the soul-shattering pain that it would’ve been if this had happened a couple of months ago. “I’ve moved on.”
Tim narrowed his eyes. “Have you met someone?”
Charlie’s smile was instant as he thought about Sam. “Yeah. I have.”
“Wow.” Tim sucked in a breath before letting out a bitter laugh. “Hurts more than I imagined.”
Charlie expected to feel gratified, but all he felt was sad. “Yeah, it does. But we did the right thing.”
Tim nodded. “We did.”
They looked at each other for a couple of seconds, and then Charlie huffed and pulled him in for a hug. “I’m sure deep down I’m happy for you and Eric.”
Tim laughed against his shoulder. “Same. For you and whoever it is.”
“Sam,” Charlie whispered.
They pulled back, and Charlie sighed, feeling ten times lighter, even though a small part of him ached still. “Come on,” he said, finding his smile came easy this time. “Kath’ll wonder where I’ve got to.”
“So will Eric.”
They walked together to the supermarket entrance. They’d never be the best friends they once were, Charlie didn’t think, but maybe with time, they could get close to it.