The Cosy Coffee Shop of Promises by Kellie Hailes

Author:Kellie Hailes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2017-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘Is there enough wine in this bar to make today disappear?’

Tony looked up from whisking batter for that evening’s fish and chips special to see a very drawn Mel standing in front of him. Bruise-coloured rings under her eyes. Skin pale as a mid-winter frost. Hair scraped back off her face with a headband. Shoulders slumped over in what looked like defeat. ‘What do you mean? What’s happened?’

Mel arched an eyebrow.

He nodded in understanding. It wasn’t a case of what, so much as ‘who’. ‘Geez, I leave you two girls alone for five minutes and all hell breaks loose.’

‘More like a conversation happens.’

‘Big one from the looks of it.’

Mel nodded and lowered her head onto the bar so her cheek was resting on it, her eyes looking up at him, so tired, so haunted. ‘You have no idea.’

‘So, what happened between you two?’

She clapped her hand over her visible eye and sighed. ‘Well, let’s put it this way… not only do you now have a fiancé, and a future mother-in-law, but there’s also to be an engagement party this Saturday…’

Engagement party? What the hell?

‘The Rotary ladies are catering and she’s already got it sorted. I think it’s part of some plan for her to snap up the captain of the opposing team or something. It’s not really about us. Or me. It never is.’

Mel’s hand slipped away. She looked beaten and Tony suspected the mother-daughter conversation had been a little more serious than just engagement talk.

‘Screw the drink, I have a better idea.’ Vaulting over the bar he picked Mel up and cradled her against his chest.

‘Put me down, you caveman.’ She struggled to escape his grip, a frown wrinkling her brow. ‘I don’t know what you’re planning to do with me, but I want nothing to do with it.’

‘You’ll do as you’re told, woman. This once anyway.’ He muttered and tightened his grip.

He marched her through the bar door, past the kitchen and up the stairs to his room, with her mewling and wriggling the whole way. It was like herding sheep. But harder. Mel sure had spirit.

He liked that.

He kicked open the bedroom door and surveyed the room. Rumpled bed. Curtains still drawn. Yesterday’s clothing still unwashed. Usually by now the bed would be made, curtains pulled, window open for fresh air. You could tell he was distracted.

Speaking of distraction. He had a job to do.

‘I’m serious, Tony. This is not cool. You can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do.’

There was fear in those words. Fear in her eyes, too. Did she think he was going to…?

He walked over and carefully laid Mel onto the bed.

‘Tony. No.’ Tears had built up. Were threatening to spill.

He took her shoes off, one by one, and pulled the blankets up over her.

‘There you go. Now get some sleep. This morning’s sleep-in obviously wasn’t enough. You look like you could do with four thousand winks.’

Mel inhaled, then exhaled, as if she were fighting some internal battle, trying to regain control of herself.

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