Fiesta.’
Tom glanced at Lainey. ‘I don’t see any problem with that,’ he responded, checking with her.
Shrugging, she said, ‘Fine by me. Do you want some drinks to take with you? I expect I can find some food to pack up for a picnic as well.’
Max looked amazed. ‘That would be totally awesome, if you can spare it.’
With a wry smile she went through to the utility room to fish out a cool bag, while Tom and Grant wandered outside with their drinks and Zav helped Cara to lay the table.
‘Have you told him yet?’ Max said quietly to Lainey.
Realising he was referring to his shoplifting charge, Lainey said, ‘No, not yet, but I think I’ll have to, because if it gets in the local paper and he finds out that way, there’ll be all hell to pay.’
‘There’ll be that anyway,’ he muttered.
Suspecting he was right, Lainey loaded him up with bottles and various snacks, before handing over the keys to the old estate that had been a part of the family since Tierney was born. As Max left through the back door Tom called out that he wanted to see him in his study between three and four the following day for a general catch-up.
‘That might be a good opportunity for you to tell him yourself what happened?’ Lainey suggested.
‘Yeah, right,’ Max retorted, and giving his father a surly salute he went off to the car.
‘So how’s Stacy getting on with the new bloke?’ Cara wanted to know as Lainey returned to the kitchen. ‘Have you met him yet?’
‘No, I haven’t. We invited them tomorrow night, but she’s turned us down. She thinks our set, as she likes to call it, will be a bit much for Martin to handle before he gets to know us.’
Cara pulled a face. ‘I guess I can see her point. What does he do, again?’
‘He has a nursery – as in plants, not kids – just outside Stroud. I’m sure I’ve bought stuff there in the past, if it’s the place I’m thinking of. Anyway, now Tom’s back we’ll probably meet up at a pub, just the four of us, one night next week. Apparently he’s an avid fan of Tom’s, so I don’t think there’s much danger of them not getting along.’ As she finished speaking she was peering curiously through the window to where Tom and Grant seemed to be having some sort of disagreement over by the arbour. ‘What do you think that’s all about?’ she asked as Cara came to join her.
‘No idea, but they don’t look happy, do they?’
‘Shall I go and find out?’ Zav offered, leaping up from the computer.
‘No you don’t,’ Lainey retorted, grabbing him back. ‘But you can whizz off and wash your mucky little face before we sit down to eat.’
‘Oh Mum.’
‘Oh Zav. Off you go.’
After he’d gone Cara said, ‘Grant’s looking really upset now. Actually, so’s Tom. What on earth’s happening out there?’
Both concerned and curious, Lainey said, ‘Did Grant mention anything, before you came, about needing to discuss something with Tom?’
‘Not a word. As far as I knew he was really looking forward to seeing him.’
Lainey watched as Grant put a hand on Tom’s shoulder, while Tom regarded him in what looked to be a very steely silence. Tom turned away and Grant stood watching him, seeming helpless or maybe frustrated. It was difficult to tell from where they were.
Then suddenly everything changed as Tierney came streaking across the lawn, all long legs and flyaway hair, to throw herself into her father’s, then her uncle’s arms, while Peter, looking just as thrilled, followed in her wake with a limping Sherman.
‘Oh no,’ Lainey groaned, ‘poor Sherman, his arthritis is obviously playing him up again,’ and making a mental note to fit in a visit to the vet on Monday, probably after her father’s appointment with the psychiatrist, she went to answer the phone.
Minutes later Tom was bringing a troubled-looking Peter in through the door.
‘I didn’t mean to do it,’ Peter was saying. ‘It was just there and I couldn’t stop
Tom glanced at Lainey. ‘I don’t see any problem with that,’ he responded, checking with her.
Shrugging, she said, ‘Fine by me. Do you want some drinks to take with you? I expect I can find some food to pack up for a picnic as well.’
Max looked amazed. ‘That would be totally awesome, if you can spare it.’
With a wry smile she went through to the utility room to fish out a cool bag, while Tom and Grant wandered outside with their drinks and Zav helped Cara to lay the table.
‘Have you told him yet?’ Max said quietly to Lainey.
Realising he was referring to his shoplifting charge, Lainey said, ‘No, not yet, but I think I’ll have to, because if it gets in the local paper and he finds out that way, there’ll be all hell to pay.’
‘There’ll be that anyway,’ he muttered.
Suspecting he was right, Lainey loaded him up with bottles and various snacks, before handing over the keys to the old estate that had been a part of the family since Tierney was born. As Max left through the back door Tom called out that he wanted to see him in his study between three and four the following day for a general catch-up.
‘That might be a good opportunity for you to tell him yourself what happened?’ Lainey suggested.
‘Yeah, right,’ Max retorted, and giving his father a surly salute he went off to the car.
‘So how’s Stacy getting on with the new bloke?’ Cara wanted to know as Lainey returned to the kitchen. ‘Have you met him yet?’
‘No, I haven’t. We invited them tomorrow night, but she’s turned us down. She thinks our set, as she likes to call it, will be a bit much for Martin to handle before he gets to know us.’
Cara pulled a face. ‘I guess I can see her point. What does he do, again?’
‘He has a nursery – as in plants, not kids – just outside Stroud. I’m sure I’ve bought stuff there in the past, if it’s the place I’m thinking of. Anyway, now Tom’s back we’ll probably meet up at a pub, just the four of us, one night next week. Apparently he’s an avid fan of Tom’s, so I don’t think there’s much danger of them not getting along.’ As she finished speaking she was peering curiously through the window to where Tom and Grant seemed to be having some sort of disagreement over by the arbour. ‘What do you think that’s all about?’ she asked as Cara came to join her.
‘No idea, but they don’t look happy, do they?’
‘Shall I go and find out?’ Zav offered, leaping up from the computer.
‘No you don’t,’ Lainey retorted, grabbing him back. ‘But you can whizz off and wash your mucky little face before we sit down to eat.’
‘Oh Mum.’
‘Oh Zav. Off you go.’
After he’d gone Cara said, ‘Grant’s looking really upset now. Actually, so’s Tom. What on earth’s happening out there?’
Both concerned and curious, Lainey said, ‘Did Grant mention anything, before you came, about needing to discuss something with Tom?’
‘Not a word. As far as I knew he was really looking forward to seeing him.’
Lainey watched as Grant put a hand on Tom’s shoulder, while Tom regarded him in what looked to be a very steely silence. Tom turned away and Grant stood watching him, seeming helpless or maybe frustrated. It was difficult to tell from where they were.
Then suddenly everything changed as Tierney came streaking across the lawn, all long legs and flyaway hair, to throw herself into her father’s, then her uncle’s arms, while Peter, looking just as thrilled, followed in her wake with a limping Sherman.
‘Oh no,’ Lainey groaned, ‘poor Sherman, his arthritis is obviously playing him up again,’ and making a mental note to fit in a visit to the vet on Monday, probably after her father’s appointment with the psychiatrist, she went to answer the phone.
Minutes later Tom was bringing a troubled-looking Peter in through the door.
‘I didn’t mean to do it,’ Peter was saying. ‘It was just there and I couldn’t stop
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