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Darcie shook her head. ‘He wanted them but his ex didn’t and then she had an affair with a colleague and Finn realised she’d never wanted to have a family with him. He was gutted but he’d never have left her over it. Then she left him with nothing.’
‘That’s rough.’ Ellie’s heart ached for the man she’d once adored. Her clichéd best friend’s older brother crush.
‘Yeah. It wasn’t nice. But, as I said, he’s OK now. Hey… You should come to dinner tomorrow and you can meet my family and catch up with Finn.’
‘Really?’ Ellie’s heart skipped a beat. Of course she’d love to meet Darcie’s family but to see Finn too, after all these years. Well, that would be just wonderful. And terrifying. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. Look give me your number and I’ll let you know what time we’ll be eating. It tends to change based on the kids’ commitments that range from sporting to educational to social, so I never know what time I’m going to be putting dinner on the table. Or should I say, I never know what time Cole’s going to be putting dinner on the table because he’s a whizz in the kitchen.’
‘Cole cooks?’
Darcie nodded. ‘He’s amazing. Makes the best Yorkshire pudding I’ve ever tasted and don’t get me started on his fudge chocolate brownies.’
‘Yum! I’m hungry already.’ Ellie giggled.
‘It will be lovely to have you over. Right…’ Darcie drained her tea. ‘Another?’
‘Oh go on then.’ She handed Darcie her mug then sank back against the cushions. It was only her third day in the village and she was already having a great time, and now she had an invite to Sunday lunch.
Could it get any better than this?
Chapter7
Finn
‘You have to coat them well with oil to make them nice and tasty,’ Cole said as he tossed the roast potatoes around in the tin as expertly as a celebrity chef on a Saturday morning cookery show. He placed the tin on the kitchen island and picked up the pepper grinder.
‘He’ll be on Strictly next,’ Finn said to his brother-in-law, Ross, who was peeling carrots at the kitchen island.
‘Tell me about it,’ Ross said. ‘I can’t wait to sit in that audience and tell everyone he’s my son.’
‘I hope I’ll get an invite too,’ Finn said.
Cole rolled his eyes at them both then laughed. ‘I amnevergoing on a TV show like that. I can’t dance for starters so why would I want the nation to see my lack of coordination.’
‘They teach you,’ Finn replied.
‘Teach me what?’ Cole raised an eyebrow.
‘How to dance.’
‘Yeah but not straight away or before the cameras start rolling. I couldn’t stand to be humiliated like that in public.’
‘They pay you to do it,’ Ross said.
‘How much?’ Cole ground pepper then sprinkled salt over the potatoes in the tin, wiped his hands on a tea towel, put the oven gloves on and placed the baking tray back in the oven.
‘Thousands, I should think,’ Ross said. ‘Probably enough for a deposit on a car or a house.’
‘That’s a big difference, Dad.’ Cole put the salt and pepper away then folded his arms across his chest.
‘I think it depends who you are and how famous you are as to how much they pay,’ Finn said. ‘But it’s money and in this world you can’t turn money down.’
Cole shook his head. ‘I still don’t think I’d want to do it.’
‘I’d be on Strictly!’ Millie pirouetted into the kitchen then sank into the splits on the tiled floor. ‘I’d probably win.’
‘You probably would,’ Cole said, smiling down at his sister. ‘So you carry on and be a celebrity and I’ll live my life in peace.’
