no, Lisa lent them to me.'
'Where are you off to?' Paula asked from the floor where she was doing a jigsaw puzzle with Sam.
'Dinner in Chapter One and then we're going to either Zanzibar or Traffic – Lauren and Sheila are still arguing about that one – and then we'll probably finish up in Barcode.'
'Cool!' Paula's eyes widened and Dee could see her trying to figure out what three 'oul wans' pushing thirty were doing going to such trendy nightspots.
'Never heard of any of them,' Conor said cheerfully. 'Give me a nice pub and a bit of live music any day.'
Dee rolled her eyes. 'I think I should have bought you a cardy and slippers for your birthday.'
Conor raised his eyebrows. 'Are you still looking for a lift?'
'Yes! Yes, please, sorry.' She kissed his cheek and then went over and gathered Sam into her arms.
'Mum, you're stepping on the jigsaw puzzle.'
'Sor-ry! Excuse me for trying to say goodnight.'
He grinned and hugged her. 'G'night, Mum, have fun.'
'I will, sweetheart, thank you. Now be good for Paula.'
'He always is,' Paula said, tousling the little boy's hair.
'Right, let's go.' Conor picked up his keys and handed Dee her jacket. 'You really do look gorgeous,' he murmured as they went out to his jeep and he opened the passenger door for her.
'You could come too,' Dee said, reaching up to kiss him. 'It's ages since we had a smooch on the dance floor.'
'I can just imagine what Lauren would say if I tagged along.' He laughed. 'Anyway, there's a match on telly.'
'Oh, well, that's that then.' Dee slid into the seat.
'Let's have a night out soon,' he said when he climbed in beside her, 'a proper one.'
She smiled and put a hand on his thigh. 'I'd like that.'
'Right. Where to first?'
'Lauren's, Sheila's meeting us there – mind you, that girl is never on time.'
'Is Phil babysitting?' Conor asked.
'No, Lauren's mum has taken the babies for the night.'
'Maybe he'd like to come to the pub and watch the match.'
'From what I hear he's working very long hours.'
'I suppose two babies must be a lot more expensive than one,' Conor acknowledged. 'Oh, well, no doubt I'll find someone to go with.'
'What about your dad?'
'Mum's dragged him off to an amateur musical production in the parish hall.'
'Oh, he'll love that,' Dee giggled. 'If there's no one in the pub you could always go with them.'
Conor shot her a withering look. 'If you keep this up I'm going to drop you lot there instead.'
'No, please, anything but that,' she groaned. 'I won't say another word.'
They drove in comfortable silence for a while and then Conor shot her a sidelong glance. 'I didn't think you wanted to go at ail tonight.'
'I didn't,' she admitted, 'but now that it's here I'm quite looking forward to it. It should be a laugh.'
'You could do with that; you seem to have been a bit down lately.'
'Have I?' Dee considered telling him about her money troubles but what was the point? 'I suppose I'm just a bit tired. It's been a busy time.'
'It may get even busier now that you've been in the paper.'
'You think?'
'Dad's already noticed some new faces in the café. You might have to hire some help if he increases his order again.'
'No way, I can manage. Anyway, I couldn't work with anyone else.'
'You could operate shifts,' Conor pointed out.
'I never thought of that.' Dee pretended to give his idea some consideration but how could she possibly afford to pay someone? If the orders increased and she got an extra couple of catering jobs she would be able to cover her current debts and hopefully take out a new house insurance policy. So she'd have to work harder, it wouldn't kill her. She yawned widely and wondered what time she'd get to bed. Regardless of what time they got home or the fact that tomorrow was Sunday, she still had a busy day ahead.
'Why don't I take Sam out for a few hours tomorrow?' Conor said as if reading her mind.
'Where?' Dee asked, ever cautious.
He shrugged. 'We could go and watch the football up at the grounds
'Where are you off to?' Paula asked from the floor where she was doing a jigsaw puzzle with Sam.
'Dinner in Chapter One and then we're going to either Zanzibar or Traffic – Lauren and Sheila are still arguing about that one – and then we'll probably finish up in Barcode.'
'Cool!' Paula's eyes widened and Dee could see her trying to figure out what three 'oul wans' pushing thirty were doing going to such trendy nightspots.
'Never heard of any of them,' Conor said cheerfully. 'Give me a nice pub and a bit of live music any day.'
Dee rolled her eyes. 'I think I should have bought you a cardy and slippers for your birthday.'
Conor raised his eyebrows. 'Are you still looking for a lift?'
'Yes! Yes, please, sorry.' She kissed his cheek and then went over and gathered Sam into her arms.
'Mum, you're stepping on the jigsaw puzzle.'
'Sor-ry! Excuse me for trying to say goodnight.'
He grinned and hugged her. 'G'night, Mum, have fun.'
'I will, sweetheart, thank you. Now be good for Paula.'
'He always is,' Paula said, tousling the little boy's hair.
'Right, let's go.' Conor picked up his keys and handed Dee her jacket. 'You really do look gorgeous,' he murmured as they went out to his jeep and he opened the passenger door for her.
'You could come too,' Dee said, reaching up to kiss him. 'It's ages since we had a smooch on the dance floor.'
'I can just imagine what Lauren would say if I tagged along.' He laughed. 'Anyway, there's a match on telly.'
'Oh, well, that's that then.' Dee slid into the seat.
'Let's have a night out soon,' he said when he climbed in beside her, 'a proper one.'
She smiled and put a hand on his thigh. 'I'd like that.'
'Right. Where to first?'
'Lauren's, Sheila's meeting us there – mind you, that girl is never on time.'
'Is Phil babysitting?' Conor asked.
'No, Lauren's mum has taken the babies for the night.'
'Maybe he'd like to come to the pub and watch the match.'
'From what I hear he's working very long hours.'
'I suppose two babies must be a lot more expensive than one,' Conor acknowledged. 'Oh, well, no doubt I'll find someone to go with.'
'What about your dad?'
'Mum's dragged him off to an amateur musical production in the parish hall.'
'Oh, he'll love that,' Dee giggled. 'If there's no one in the pub you could always go with them.'
Conor shot her a withering look. 'If you keep this up I'm going to drop you lot there instead.'
'No, please, anything but that,' she groaned. 'I won't say another word.'
They drove in comfortable silence for a while and then Conor shot her a sidelong glance. 'I didn't think you wanted to go at ail tonight.'
'I didn't,' she admitted, 'but now that it's here I'm quite looking forward to it. It should be a laugh.'
'You could do with that; you seem to have been a bit down lately.'
'Have I?' Dee considered telling him about her money troubles but what was the point? 'I suppose I'm just a bit tired. It's been a busy time.'
'It may get even busier now that you've been in the paper.'
'You think?'
'Dad's already noticed some new faces in the café. You might have to hire some help if he increases his order again.'
'No way, I can manage. Anyway, I couldn't work with anyone else.'
'You could operate shifts,' Conor pointed out.
'I never thought of that.' Dee pretended to give his idea some consideration but how could she possibly afford to pay someone? If the orders increased and she got an extra couple of catering jobs she would be able to cover her current debts and hopefully take out a new house insurance policy. So she'd have to work harder, it wouldn't kill her. She yawned widely and wondered what time she'd get to bed. Regardless of what time they got home or the fact that tomorrow was Sunday, she still had a busy day ahead.
'Why don't I take Sam out for a few hours tomorrow?' Conor said as if reading her mind.
'Where?' Dee asked, ever cautious.
He shrugged. 'We could go and watch the football up at the grounds
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