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She ushered me towards the kitchen, and I placed the carrier bag with two large pots of clotted cream inside down on the kitchen table.
“Can you pop the kettle on for me?”Nan asked as she reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box of mince pies.“Then fetch the cups from the living room.”
That was when I remembered Nan’s guest.The petite woman with unkempt light brown hair who had been on the doorstep just as I was leaving.She was short and curvy, but a little serious-looking, like a librarian.
“Is your friend still here?”I asked.
Nan smiled.“Yes.She always comes over on a Friday afternoon for tea and cakes.”
“And who is she?”
“She lives next door at number thirty-five.”Nan put a couple of mince pies on a plate and put them in the microwave.“She’s been very kind to me since your grandad died.”
I raised an eyebrow.“Are you sure she doesn’t want anything from you?”I didn’t know my nan as well as I should have, and I wasn’t sure if she would be able to distinguish between a good neighbour and someone who was trying to take advantage of her.It wouldn’t have been the first time someone tried to con an old lady out of their things by pretending to be a friend.
“I can assure you, the only thing I come here for is the company and to help your nan if she needs it.”
Nan and I turned towards the cold voice from the living room doorway.The hurt flickering in her brown eyes filled me with discomfort, but how was I to know what she was up to?Scammers were everywhere these days, eager to take advantage.Perhaps her hurt look was simply the mark of an excellent actress.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.Twat.
“Donovan,” Nan said abruptly.“I don’t know what kind of fool you think I am, but I know a decent person when I see one.And since we’re on the topic of people wanting things, what didyoucome back for?”
Nan’s hard glare made me feel like I was five years old again and about to be sent to sit on the stairs to think about what I’d just said.
The atmosphere in the room grew uncomfortable because, although we had talked since I arrived back, it hadn’t been a long conversation, and it wasn’t about why I was there.I wished I could say I was being the perfect, caring grandson, but that wouldn’t have been the truth.It wasn’t that I didn’t love my nan and didn’t want to see her, I’d just outgrown small-town life and would have preferred to spend the season somewhere hot instead of freezing my nuts off in England.
“Maybe I should go,” the woman said, taking a small step backwards.“Thank you for the tea, but you two obviously have things you need to talk about.”
“No,” Nan said, shooting another glare at me.“Please.My grandson spoke out of turn.”As if on cue, the microwave pinged, telling us the first two mince pies were done.
“I’ll leave you to it,” I said.“I’m going for a walk.I’ll be back later.”
Before anyone could protest, I squeezed my large frame around Nan’s neighbour and headed back outside.
Chapter3
Nova
I stoodin stunned silence as Donovan shuffled past me and out the front door he’d only just entered through.
June pulled the mince pies from the microwave and set them down on the counter with a sigh.
“Are you okay?”I asked, unsure what to say for the best.Was I the one who caused that argument?Maybe I should have pretended I didn’t hear what Donovan said, but it pissed me off that the immediate assumption he’d made about me was that I was trying to rip off his grandmother.He might have been good-looking, but his attitude was shitty.
June pushed the plate towards me and gestured to the clotted cream on the table.“I’m fine, love.I didn’t mean to snap at him, but I won’t hear of anyone accusing you of anything untoward.”
I offered her an understanding smile as I reached into the drawer to grab a couple of spoons for us.
“Hasn’t he explained why he’s here?”I asked, taking a seat at the table and pulling the tops off the mince pies, ready to spoon the cream into them.I winced when the hot pastry burned my fingertips.
“Not yet.”June put another couple of mince pies onto a plate and into the microwave.“But I think guilt has a lot to do with it.”She sighed again.“I don’t blame him for not visiting more.He was busy having his own life.It did hurt that he didn’t come to Trevor’s funeral, but again, why would he?Donovan didn’t really know him.”She moved around to the kettle to flick the switch.“I didn’t mean to suggest he was after anything by coming here, but what do I know about him now?”
The confusion on her face made me stand up and go to her.She was far from some weak old lady who could be tricked, but I could kind of understand why she questioned what Donovan might want from her.After all, he had projected deception at me right away.Why would that have been his first thought ifhewasn’t looking to gain something from his grandmother?
Or maybe you know nothing about him and he’s jet-lagged and grouchy.I hadn’t had long enough to get any kind of read on him, so I couldn’t judge.
“I think you two need to talk,” I said, giving her a hug and then walking her over to sit down at the table.“It’s kind of unrealistic to expect the two of you to just bond immediately after being apart for so long.I mean… when was the last time you even spoke to each other?”
