Page 78 of The Summer That Changed Us

‘Thank you,’ he murmured into her hair.

Her breath caught at the delicious shock of his touch and she had to fight the urge to bury herself in his embrace. Instead, she made the most of his closeness, the roughness of his cheek against hers, his smell, his breath, warm in her hair. Her heart thundered as loud as the sea and she wondered if he could feel it. ‘I’m so glad she has a strong woman in her life again.’

He kissed her cheek, rough and tender all at the same time. Her eyes felt hot with the burn of happy tears. She blinked them back.

‘Not sure about that, but thanks.’ And then she shut up because his arms were still around her and she didn’t want to waste the moment with words.

They smiled at each other, and the smile turned into a gentle laugh, and the sound, Katie felt, held the promise of more laughter to come.

‘You’re buzzing.’ Barney released her.

‘It’s all the excitement,’ she laughed. ‘Oh.’

Her voice trailed away as she felt her phone vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. That sort of buzzing. Barney pressed his lips together, a muffled laugh escaping as she answered the call.

‘Mum! Hi! Everyone OK?’

‘It’s your dad,’ Mum’s voice wavered. ‘He’s in hospital.’

‘Oh no,’ Katie gasped. ‘What’s happened to him?’

Barney reached out to take her hand and squeezed it while she tried to catch her mum’s words: pneumonia, struggling to breathe, lungs too weak, an intravenous drip.

Her poor, lovely dad. They’d only been back from their holiday for a couple of weeks; he’d been in the best of health then, or so she’d thought.

‘Mum, listen.’ She forced herself to sound calm. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can. I love you.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A nurse opened the door to the ward for her and Katie stepped inside, her eyes scanning the corridor for any sign of her parents.

‘Brian Small?’ she asked. ‘I’m his daughter.’

‘Your dad’s over there by the window.’

The nurse gestured to the end bed. Katie smiled her thanks and strode towards him. Brian was lying back on a heap of pillows wearing the pyjamas she’d bought him for Christmas. Her breath hitched at the sight of him hooked up to monitors. Josie sat beside him, gripping his hand as if he might leave her at any second.

Looking up, she spotted Katie and leapt from her chair. ‘Katie’s here!’

‘Hello, Mum.’ Katie held her tight, feeling her mum’s tears against her cheek.

‘Do I get a look in?’ said Brian, his voice breathy and weak.

‘Oh Dad!’ She leaned over and kissed his cheek. ‘I’ve been so worried!’

After leaving Barney at the beach last night, she’d rushed home to get some things together. She rarely regretted not having taken driving lessons, but this had been one occasion when she could really have used a car because she didn’t have enough time to catch the last train to Nottingham. Instead, she’d had to begin her journey at the crack of dawn this morning. Mum had called first thing to say Dad had had a comfortable night and was showing signs of recovery. But Katie had still wanted to check on him for herself.

‘Here, sit down.’ Josie patted the spare chair. ‘You must be exhausted. Have you eaten?’

‘I’m fine. You sit down.’ Katie studied her mother’s face. Mascara was smudged under her eyes and her demeanour had none of its usual bounce. She was most likely the exhausted one who hadn’t bothered to eat.

‘Rushing all that way,’ her dad grumbled. ‘I’m nothing but a nuisance. It’s great to see you, but there was no need.’

Katie forced herself to smile. He looked small and old, his skin almost grey. Not the big bear of a man from her childhood she still saw in her mind’s eye. She took his hand carefully. There was a canula fitted to the back of it, held in place with a large gauzy plaster. His fingers felt cold and clammy despite the warmth of the ward. She’d never seen him ill, not like this.

‘There was every need,’ she said firmly. ‘And I wasn’t doing anything today.’

In truth, she’d promised to help Robyn with her support group meeting later today. They were collecting sea glass which they’d then use to make their mosaic at the workshop Robyn was running for them in a week or so. Grace would be there, and her sister Zoe, whom she was looking forward to meeting. But there’d be other times; her place was here with her parents.