Page 40 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

Right, she had about an hour to make these truffles and prepare a homemade lasagne ready for Max’s arrival. She couldn’t wait to see him, especially after the stupid row about Nate and the shower incident last time, though they’d seemed to be back on track by the time Max left. She really liked Max, so much so that as well as feeling excited about their relationship, it also left her feeling fragile. It was all so new, letting someone back in, feeling warm and whole again when you were with them, yearning for them when you were apart. Although she was finally willing to risk her heart, she had to admit it still frightened her.

She wanted to make this evening special for them both and have supper out in the courtyard, just the two of them, to celebrate another new step forward in The Chocolate Shop’s progress, and hopefully another step forward for them as well.

20

Where the hell was he?

If he was going to be this late, why on earth hadn’t he phoned? Emma’s anxiety levels were rocketing. She’d had to turn the oven right down for the lasagne that she’d specially made over two hours ago now and it was starting to dry out.

She’d phoned her mum and dad to see how they were and to fill some time, telling them all about the new courtyard area and inviting them to call in whenever they wanted. They lived about thirty minutes away in the small rural town of Rothbury. She also promised to pop across and visit them at home one evening after work next week.

She and her mum had chatted away for a while about various family members, and she heard all about Mrs Brown, a friendly neighbour from just down their street having a cataract op, and the new traffic warden in the village being super-efficient to the extreme and annoying everyone, locals and tourists alike. Apparently young mum Jessica, who lived over the road from them, had parked for two minutes on the high street to get some money out of the cashpoint. Having her little one in the car, she’d left it on a single yellow line so she could keep an eye on her. With her back turned to the machine for less than a minute, that was it: yellow parking notice slapped on her windscreen and a forty-quid fine. What was the world coming to, her mum sighed, when the real criminals were out there causing havoc?

The call had taken up twenty minutes, but there was still no sign of Max and it had gone nine o’clock now. He’d told her just yesterday how he’d try and get there around six-thirty. So much for their romantic supper and a glass of bubbly in the courtyard! The rain clouds had gathered and it was getting chilly out there.

She felt a bit queasy. No Max, no apologetic phone call. She couldn’t help but worry; her worst day ever had come from her fiancé being so very late, and then … never coming home. That cold feeling of dread was creeping up on her. Of course, she reasoned, things like that surely only happened once in a lifetime and there was probably some very logical explanation this evening. But could she just have that explanation now, please, or even better, have Max turn up safe and sound and hungry on her doorstep.

Funny how minutes could seem like hours …

By the time Max’s Jeep finally turned up at half-past nine – three hours late – Emma was distraught. The relief – at seeing the Jeep from her upstairs lounge window and a rather tired but all-in-one-piece Max get out – struck first, soon to be replaced by frustration and anger.

She ran down the stairs and out to meet him as he came into the back yard. ‘Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you call?’

‘Sorry, sorry! Nice to see you too,’ he answered with a hint of sarcasm, holding his hands up, ready for his verbal shooting down. ‘The job’s been a total nightmare today, and my phone got smashed – fell out of my pocket from up some scaffolding. I would have called you otherwise, of course I would.’

‘You could at least have called from someone else’s phone.’ Em was still up a height emotionally, and she wasn’t coming down yet.

‘Maybe, but all your numbers were stored in mine.’

‘Google? It isn’t that difficult, Max – the shop number would have been there!’ Her tone was sharp.

‘I’m sorry, I should have thought, yes. But I was just trying to sort out these supplier issues and then, by the time I was on the road, I was busy driving. I just wanted to get up here. But there’d been an accident on the A1 just before Durham, and I got held up again.’ He looked tired, deflated. ‘Some welcome this is!’

‘Well, you should have thought to let me know.’ She was still fuming.

There were a few tense seconds of silence between them.

But news of an accident made her think, soon taking the angry wind out of her sails. Max was okay. He was here. He wasn’t the one in the accident. ‘I-I was just so worried.’ Her voice trembled.

‘Oh Em, God, yes.’ It suddenly dawned on Max. Yes, anyone would be worried, with their partner three hours late, but for Emma this would feel so much worse. He took a step forward. ‘Come here.’ His arms went out and they met in a hug.

No more words, just the comfort of each other’s body, chests pressed together, that life-affirming warmth between them.

‘Sorry, Em,’ he uttered gently above her, into the waves of her soft, red hair.

Her heart rate was slowing, beating next to his. ‘It’s okay.’

They stayed like that for a few quiet moments.

When she finally pulled back, Emma said, ‘The lasagne’s ready. Well, a little too ready.’ She pulled a face. ‘Like, the top is black, but I could scrape that off and we can have the remnants beneath. There’s plenty of salad and some garlic bread too.’

‘Sounds a veritable feast.’ Max grinned, looking more like his usual self. ‘I’m starving – my last bite to eat was a bacon butty at elevenses.’

‘I had planned on eating out here, but it’s getting a bit chilly now, and it’ll be dark soon.’

‘Yeah … hang on.’ He looked about him. ‘Hey, you’ve got a whole load of outdoor furniture and it looks really great. But yeah, maybe another time to eat outside, if you’re feeling cold. Mind, we did manage a December picnic, remember.’

‘Hah, how could I forget.’ She remembered it well, the two of them and Alfie on the beach on a cold winter’s evening under a blanket and a canopy of stars. It had been such a special night and seemed a world away from how they were now – overtired, arguing.