The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,46

Sadie mused, because he was making Sea Salt Bay his proper home by the sounds of it. It meant there was every chance he was going to stay for good, and so people would want to know more about him. In which case, she had to feel for him, because he hadn’t got off to a very good start.

‘You’re planning to live here full-time?’ she asked.

‘Oh, yes…’ Luke shot a glance at Ewan, whose expression gave nothing away. He began to back towards the exit again. ‘Maybe I’ll come and book that lesson another time, eh?’ And with a last awkward smile, aimed more at Sadie and Kat than at Ewan, who even he could probably see was a lost cause – at least for now – he let himself out.

Kat aimed a withering look at Ewan as the door closed. ‘Well done.’

Ewan blinked at her. ‘What does that mean?’

‘What do you think it means? He was just about to book a lesson.’

‘Well I wasn’t about to take him out so I don’t know what he’d be booking it for.’

‘Don’t be so childish. Honestly, sometimes I think I get more mature decisions out of Freddie than I do you.’

Ewan’s mouth fell open. ‘I was perfectly civil to him!’

‘But not exactly friendly and welcoming,’ Kat said.

‘I’d say it’s still pretty obvious that you don’t like him,’ Sadie agreed. ‘And there’s really no reason to keep holding this ridiculous grudge, because I’m alright now and he’s just told us he’s going to be a new neighbour. You probably ought to make an effort to be nicer.’

Ewan huffed as he went round to the back of the desk to drop his kitbag down. Kat let out a sigh, and there was a brief silence, in which they all came independently to the same conclusion that there would be no common ground on this matter for the foreseeable future and it was probably better for the sake of some family harmony that they dropped it.

‘If you’re not too busy, darlin’…’ April said into the silence, ‘Sadie and I would very much appreciate a ride home.’

Ewan looked at Kat.

‘I’ve got a party of four due – remember?’ she said in answer to his silent question. ‘Could you give them a lift? I said you’d be able to.’

He paused, and then gave a surly nod.

‘Thanks,’ Sadie said. ‘We’re just absolutely exhausted after the day we’ve had.’

‘It’s OK,’ Ewan said. ‘Give me two minutes and I’ll be with you.’

* * *

Ewan was still sulking as he started the car but it didn’t last long. It never did. He didn’t know how to stay angry with anyone for long, least of all Sadie or April who, other than Kat and the children, were probably his favourite people in the world. Rose-gold light fell on his face as the station wagon climbed the cliff road to Sadie’s parents’ house and, after a bit of gentle ribbing, Sadie got him talking again. As the conversation began to flow, she saw him relax back into his usual easy-going self.

‘So you two have managed a day working together and you’re still on speaking terms,’ he said, feeding the steering wheel through his hands as they negotiated a sharp bend in the road.

Sadie pretended to pout. ‘Did you think we wouldn’t be?’

‘Well,’ he replied, ‘I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.’ He gave a low chuckle. ‘Come on, you must have known we were all wondering it a little bit.’

‘I don’t know why you would think that,’ April replied indignantly. ‘Sadie and I are always the best of friends. Now, if it had been your mother or father working alongside me…’

‘It’s one thing getting along at home, though,’ he said. ‘It’s another to stay on good terms trying to run a business together. Take it from me; I should know.’

‘You and Kat get along brilliantly,’ Sadie said.

He flicked a sideways glance her way. ‘Then we put on a good show for the customers. Kat regularly tears a strip off me when she gets annoyed and we don’t always see eye to eye on the best way to run the business.’

‘And it’s only Kat who gets annoyed?’ Sadie asked with a playful grin.

‘Oh, I get annoyed,’ Ewan said with a laugh, ‘but I know my place. I wouldn’t dare show it, and it’s not often I win an argument with Kat anyway, so why bother?’

Sadie laughed too. ‘Point taken.’ She twisted round to look at her grandmother. ‘But we’ve got on just fine