The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,85

in it.

They carried on in silence, which had not been Sadie’s intention at all, though it felt impossible to prevent it. As they reached the point they’d have to part she looked up at him.

‘When will I see you next?’

He shrugged. ‘Whenever you like.’

Sadie didn’t press for anything more specific. ‘OK, maybe you want to let me know when you’re next free? You know, whenever. My evenings aren’t exactly wall-to-wall social events so I’ll probably be free.’

Her joke didn’t even raise so much as a faint smile. As attempts at humour went, even she had to admit it had been feeble, but she’d hoped to soften the sharp edges of the situation a little.

He just nodded. ‘Will do.’

She wondered if he’d kiss her but he didn’t, and she watched as he walked away, torn between being annoyed at him for starting this and annoyed at herself for the way she’d handled it. But at the end of the day she was certain that no matter how much the idea might seem like a silver bullet for her problems, it wasn’t. Someone would buy the waffle house from them, of that she was certain, but it couldn’t be Luke.

Chapter Fifteen

Sadie was back on the cliff road when she saw a familiar figure walking towards her.

‘Oh, God…’ she muttered, quickening her step to meet them. As she got closer she recognised instantly the comfy shoes Gammy always wore to work.

‘Why didn’t you wait for me?’ April asked tersely.

‘What do you mean?’

‘And who’s minding the waffle house if you’re here?’

‘Nobody… It’s not open, remember?’

April slapped a hand to her chest, eyes wide with shock. ‘Not open!’

‘Gammy… we agreed this last night. You must remember the conversation?’

‘I most certainly agreed nothing of the kind,’ April snapped. ‘I’ve never heard such nonsense!’

‘But, Gammy…’

April looked at her watch. ‘Oh, my – it’s almost nine! We’ll never be ready in time to open!’

Sadie started after her as she continued her march down the hill. ‘Gammy, wait!’

‘There’s no time to dawdle,’ April said. ‘We’ve got hungry people to feed!’

‘Gammy, please!’ Sadie cried, grabbing her grandmother’s arm to stop her. ‘Please, think back! Yesterday we sat with Mum and Dad and Kat and Ewan and we agreed that… well, that you needed a little break from the waffle house…’

‘I would never agree to that,’ April said, looking hurt and bewildered. Sadie could understand why she might be a little confused because a few short days ago it would have seemed so unlikely for her to agree to something like that. But she had agreed, and Sadie had to make her remember.

‘Just let me…’ Sadie began, letting go of her grandmother’s arm to get her phone out. She started to dial her mother’s number. It went to voicemail, and then her father’s did the same, and so she got to poor Ewan, who already had enough on his plate.

‘Oh, thank God!’ she said as he picked up. ‘You have to come and help me with…’ She glanced at April, who was watching her carefully. ‘You know last night when we said the waffle house… you know… that Gammy needed a break? Well she’s got other ideas.’

Ewan’s reply was tense. ‘Where are you now?’

‘On our way down from the house.’

‘Going to the pier?’

‘Yes,’ Sadie said helplessly.

‘Can’t you explain it to her?’

‘I’ve tried but she’s… I’ve tried. I can’t stop her.’

‘She’s going there right now?’

‘Yes!’ Sadie said. ‘If she wasn’t I wouldn’t be calling you! She’s got keys to open up. She’s determined to go and I can’t just let her get on with it, but I’m not supposed to be taking her there either.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’ April asked sharply. ‘We don’t have time for this.’

‘It’s Ewan, Gammy… he…’

‘Tell her I need her at the dive school,’ Ewan said into Sadie’s ear. ‘Tell her we need her to help out with one of the kids. Say they’re ill or something. As long as we keep her away from the waffle house for a bit longer. Once she’s here I can take her home.’

A bit of Sadie wondered still whether it might make more sense to let April potter about in the waffle house with Sadie keeping a close eye on her. But she supposed that plan would only work if they didn’t get very busy and they might. But trying to stop April from going there to work was only making her distressed and Sadie didn’t see a way out of this that didn’t make that worse. And