‘I thought teachers finished early.’
Beth scoffed. ‘No. Everyone thinks that, but we work after school ends, and you wait till you see how much I have to bring home with me. There’s not enough hours in the week for my job. I work during the holidays too. Being a primary school teacher is pretty full on.’
‘Oh, well, in that case, I’m sure we’ll figure out a routine that suits us all. Do you find your job stressful?’
‘Sometimes, that’s why I was thinking of shifting my career slightly. My friend went to work in a different sector and she has a lighter load now. I guess it just depends on what you take on. I planned to take a step back before I fell pregnant. Now I’m thinking it’s probably for the best. Might just take some time to sort a new role.’
‘At least you have time to think during your maternity leave.’
Beth smiled. ‘And having your help gives me breathing room, Spencer. I want you to know that.’
Spencer got up to place Archie in the pram. ‘I’m glad you feel better, Beth. I’ll always do what I can to help.’ He stole a glance her way to catch her smile.
Maybe Ginny was on to something with that dreaming malarkey, because he could see himself with Beth and Archie together in a house with a garden, living happily ever after. It was a nice visualization, except for the part where some bloke called Edward was suddenly sitting on his porch swing, having a playdate with Beth.
He silently chastised himself for feeling a tad jealous, then slightly deflated at the thought of Beth having a life away from him, as he was feeling more and more attached to her each day, which went against everything he believed for himself. Could he really have a relationship? He’d never been in one before.
Beth met his gaze for a moment and smiled.
He’d never met anyone who made him want to settle down before. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself. It was for the best if he stayed focused on helping Beth and looking after Archie.
Chapter 26
Beth
With a diet of finger sandwiches and cake for most of the day, Beth felt quite full, although she was sure she could squeeze something in for dinner. The tearoom opening day was drawing to a close, and had been a great success. The entertainment had left and so had most of the customers, leaving the odd straggler behind as Ginny tidied up for the day.
‘What can I do?’ asked Beth, keen to help.
Will plopped Ginny onto a nearby chair. ‘Nothing, thanks.’ He turned to his partner. ‘You can both head home. We’ve got this covered.’ He gestured at Sophie, Matt, and Alice.
Beth wondered where Spencer was. She hadn’t seen him in a while but hadn’t taken much notice until now. ‘I don’t mind helping clear up,’ she told Will.
‘And I should be the last one going home,’ said Ginny.
Will waggled a finger at her. ‘You’re growing a baby, you can rest.’ He turned back to Beth. ‘And you’ve not long had one, so you can rest too.’
Ginny tapped his thigh. ‘Oh, stop fussing. Although, a cup of tea would be nice. I haven’t had time to have one today.’
Beth watched him bend to kiss Ginny’s cheek before heading off to make her a cuppa. ‘You look worn out, Gin.’
‘I’m okay. It’s just been a long day. I’ll get into a proper routine now we’re open.’ Ginny yawned. ‘I think I’ll get a bag of chips on the way home. I honestly don’t think I can handle much dinner this evening.’
It sounded like a good idea to Beth as well. ‘When I find Spencer, I might get some too.’ She glanced down at Archie snuggled in his pram. ‘And he’ll want a bottle soon.’
Ginny smiled at the baby. ‘I saw Spencer head towards the pub with Robson a little while ago. He was helping take some chairs back I borrowed for outside. Perhaps he’s still in there.’
‘Okay, I’ll check.’ Beth waved goodbye to everyone, declined the offer of lemon tartlets, then made her way along the road to the Jolly Pirate.
There was a nip in the air as the sun went down, but it hadn’t made the people in the front beer garden move to the warmth of the pub.
Beth scanned the area to see if Spencer was chatting outside, but he was nowhere in sight, so she pushed the pram through the small crowd to enter the premises. There seemed to be more people out front than cosying up by the bar, but there were at least two people looking rather cosy in that direction.
Spencer was sitting on a stool, facing the bar with a blonde woman to his side, practically stuck to his arm. Her full lips were close to his ear, whispering what, Beth could only imagine.
With a heavy heart and no more appetite for chips, Beth turned around and headed back into the chill. She paused for a while by a tall patio heater, remembering Spencer had the door keys. The last thing she wanted was to interrupt him getting snuggly with a woman. After all, was it her business if he started dating?
Feeling quite agitated about the fact, she marched back inside, parking the pram by his legs.
