Page 52 of My Summer of Magic Moments

They packed a couple more boxes, then her mother said she’d better be heading off. She’d promised to pop into Mrs Clark’s down the road on her way back and drop off half a dozen eggs and a madeira cake from Sainsbury’s before it got too late.

‘Are you all organized for Friday, darling? Do you need a hand on the day? Maybe I can come and help unpack all this stuff at the new place over the weekend.’

‘Friday’s going to be pretty manic. Sal and Mark are going to help. Mark’s driving the hire van for me, and he’ll help with all the heavy stuff. It’ll be enough hands on deck, I think. So thanks. But, Saturday would be good. By then we could unpack some of the smaller stuff together.’

‘I’d like to help both days if I can. I’ll keep them free and we’ll chat about what I can do. Ooh, shall I make you some supper over at mine on Sunday evening? I’m sure you’ll be in need of some good food and rest by then.’

‘Oh yes, that sounds great.’

‘Lovely. But ring me if you need anything before then, won’t you. No point struggling away on your own.’

‘Thanks, for everything, Mum.’ And she gave her a big hug. Family was precious.

22

Family

Back at the Herald the next day, Claire had her head down typing up her ‘Magic Moments’ blog for Monday’s edition.

All night her mind had been buzzing with that email from ‘E’. She thought she’d put the whole thing to rest, but what if it really was him? But no, a cheating git wouldn’t try and contact the woman he’d had a fling with once she’d sussed him out. On the other hand, dammit, what if she had, after all, got the wrong end of the stick?

She typed up Mr Jones’s message of enduring love. Focused on that. She’d get herself a coffee soon; she was feeling bloody tired – hadn’t got a good night’s sleep at all. Why the hell was she allowing thoughts of Ed and Bamburgh to affect her? The race training was taking it out of her a bit too.

She vaguely heard the sound of the swing doors opening at the far end of the office – it happened all the time, so it hardly registered. A male voice, possibly Gary in Sport, said, ‘You’ll find her just down the far end on the right, mate.’ Then there was a weird hush over the office. The usual sounds of typing, chatting, had ceased.

Claire glanced up to see Emma’s head and ponytail swish in a turn. There was a mass swizzle of chairs. Then Andrea’s face popped up over the dividing screen just across from Claire, her eyes wide. Why the hell was everyone in the office looking her way?

A deep mellow voice with a hint of Scottish lilt. ‘I’m looking for Claire?’

As she turned, he stopped.

‘Hi, Claire.’ He stood, looking rather awkward, in front of her. As tall and handsome as ever. Dark-blond tousled hair. He gave her a nervous smile.

Oh My God!

‘Hi.’ She just about squeaked the word, stunned. ‘Ed.’ She seemed to be incapable of normal speech.

‘Hi,’ he replied. He didn’t seem to know what to say next either. It didn’t help that the whole office was staring at the pair of them.

They stayed a polite metre or so apart, Claire still sitting in her office chair, Ed standing before her. Ed who she’d kissed, had sex with, whose body she’d seen every inch of. Her colleagues were gawping. Andrea’s eyes were still peeping over the top of the partition, entranced, as if she was thinking ‘Who the hell is that!’

‘I’m sorry to just turn up like this. How are you?’ His voice melted her like chocolate.

‘Fine,’ she managed to say, her tone all high-pitched. ‘And, it’s okay.’

‘It took me ages to find you.’

‘It did?’ So he’d been looking for her.

‘Well, after you’d stormed off that day … You never gave me the chance to explain.’ A furrow crossed his brow.

Andrea’s face slid down behind the screen to give them the pretence of privacy, though she’d be earwigging on the far side of the partition, for sure.

To explain. So had she been the one to make the mistake? She suddenly felt very unsure of herself.

Ed scanned the office, looking uncomfortable. Most people’s eyes had shifted back down to their computers, their phones. Most people’s ears were probably still tuning in, though – this kind of thing didn’t happen every day. ‘Look, do you get a break or something? Can we maybe go for a coffee?’

‘Ah, yes – yes, of course.’