Page 93 of Never Too Late to Date

Suzie kept her reaction to a nod. Her not quite dry bikini was clammy on her skin underneath the sarong. She desperately needed to get changed and wash the salt off her body.

The sooner she set this meeting up, the sooner the man who was making her behave totally out of character would be off and away from her island, and she could forget all about him.

‘I’ll let you know as soon as I can.’

She held out her arms, and her son went into them again, for a few seconds longer this time. Healing the rift was still a long way off, but at least they’d made a start.

Vicky took her familiar seat at the bar and waited until Suzie had stopped serving a customer before she made her presence known. It was becoming something of a ritual. In the evenings she’d walk into town from the sanctuary and chat to Suzie, particularly on the nights she’d agreed to go out patrolling the grounds with Alex, looking for the poisoner; he’d meet her there when he finished up at his own clinic. Propping up the bar was a good way to keep herself awake. After a busy day with the animals, she was sometimes in bed before ten.

She and Alex had been out together seven times at dawn and twilight, without seeing anything more dangerous than a hedgehog, and tonight was their eighth outing.

‘Hey!’

Suzie had spotted her first and put on an elaborate charade of pulling the top off a bottle from the other end of the bar. A thumbs-up was enough to get Suzie to make her way over with two cold beers in her hands.

‘Yamás!’

‘Yamás!’

Suzie clambered up onto the neighbouring stool.

‘I’m taking the weight off for a few moments.’

Vicky nodded to where Manolis was serving behind the bar.

‘How’s it going with Kosta out of action?’

‘Manoli is doing the work of two men, and we’ve taken on an extra casual until the plaster comes off.’

Suzie leant forward and lowered her voice.

‘Plus, it really helps that Manoli has moved into the flat upstairs with Kosta. As well as being an ace barman, the guy’s a decent cook too, so my boy’s really being spoilt.’

Vicky smiled.

‘Oooh, things have certainly moved on then.’

‘Since the reunion scene in the hospital, it’s all been sweetness and light.’

‘Did you ever find out what had been going on?’

Suzie looked around before speaking, but her son’s boyfriend was busy with a queue of customers.

‘Sort of. I think Manoli was anxious about making their relationship public. His family is very religious and being gay is more of a big deal in Greece, especially on the islands where everyone knows everyone’s business. Thinking he might lose Kosta really made him think about what was important.’

‘Well, he’s certainly put it all out there now. That scene you described in hospital could have come straight out of a film.’

‘It was pretty romantic, I must admit.’

Vicky took a long draught of beer.

‘So, one brother sorted. What about the big one?’

‘I don’t think that will be so easy. We’ve got the big meeting up at the farm at the weekend, so fingers crossed.’

‘Great. Why are we still whispering?’

‘No idea.’