Least Said (15 page)

‘Ok,
ok,’
I
continued,
interpreting
Tina’s
look
correctly
and
spreading
my
hands
out
in
front
of
me
in
surrender,
‘I
know
you’re
right
in
everything
you
say,
but
that
doesn’t
stop
me
from
worrying
and
wondering
what
the
hell
is
going
to
happen
if
it
all
comes
out.’

‘It
won’t,’
she
said
with
a
certainty
that
I
envied,
‘unless
you
keep
right
on
making
a
mountain
out
of
every
molehill
the
way
you
are.
Calm
down,
or
Jon
is
going
to
pick
up
on
the
tension
you’re
currently
radiating.’

I
allowed
my
shoulders
to
slump
and
finally
admitted,
‘You’re
right.
You
always
are,
Tina,
but
I
need
to
be
reminded
of
that
constantly
at
the
moment
–
I
really
do.’

‘Would
a
daily
text
help?’
she
smiled.

Taken
aback,
I
stared
at
Tina,
trying
to
gauge
whether
or
not
she
was
being
serious.

‘Would
it?’
she
repeated,
with
a
gentle
smile
that
told
me
she
was
deadly
serious
and
that
she
also
completely
understood
what
such
an
offer
would
mean
to
me.

‘The
next
best
thing
to
having
you
next
door
to
deliver
a
daily
reminder
in
person
-
thank
you
so
much,
Tina.’

‘That’s
sorted
then,’
she
said
briskly,
‘now,
what
about
taking
this
tea
through
to
the
men
before
it
stews
in
the
pot.’

The
two
men
were
laughing
together
when
we
took
the
tray
through.
I
thought
–
as
I
often
did
-
how
nice
it
was
that
the
two
of
them
had
become
such
good
friends
since
Calum
had
become
a
permanent
fixture
in
Tina’s
life.

I
had
made
their
wedding
cake
when
I
was
far
less
experienced
than
I
was
now,
and
was
so
proud
to
be
Tina’s
maid
of
honour
despite
the
fact
I
was
several
months
pregnant
with
William
by
then.
Jon
had
been
best
man,
since
Calum
lacked
a
brother
and
most
of
his
friends
were
the
lady
authors
he
represented
through
his
literary
agency.

‘China
or
Ceylon?’
Jon
looked
up
at
me
grinning
and,
seeing
my
puzzled
expression,
clarified.
‘The
tea,
love.
We
were
just
stabbing
a
guess
at
how
far
across
the
globe
you
had
to
journey
to
bring
it
back.’

‘Or
even
if
you’d
had
to
go
and
pick
the
leaves
yourself,’
Calum
joined
in
cheekily.

‘Any
more
of
the
sarcasm
from
either
of
you,’
Tina
said
as
she
followed
me
into
the
room
carrying
a
plate,
‘and
these
lovely
homemade
biscuits
will
go
back
in
the
tin.’

I
set
the
tray
on
a
low
table
before
settling
myself
next
to
Jon
on
one
couch.
Tina
joined
Calum
on
the
other.

‘Missed
you,’
Jon
said,
putting
his
arm
round
me
and
pulling
me
close.
‘What
you
two
find
to
talk
about
when
you
get
together
beats
me
because
I’m
sure
you
chat
on
the
phone
all
the
time
as
well.’

‘Blame
me
for
separating
them
by
the
length
of
the
motorway,’
Calum
invited.
‘They
used
to
spend
all
day
together
working,
remember,
and
they
never
ran
out
of
things
to
say
then.’

‘And
we
wouldn’t
have
them
any
other
way,’
Jon’s
smile
was
so
loving
that
I
felt
a
lump
form
in
my
throat
and
I
reached
up
to
pull
his
head
down
to
mine
to
plant
a
kiss
on
his
lips.

‘Hey,’
he
said,
‘what
have
I
done
to
deserve
that?’

I
managed
to
laugh
lightly
and
say,
‘Oh,
lots
of
things.’

The
loving
mood
lasted
all
the
way
up
to
bed
and
I
was
ready
for
Jon
when
he
gathered
me
into
his
arms.
He
was
so
dear,
so
familiar,
and
I
loved
him
so
much,
welcoming
his
loving
attention,
his
kisses
and
caresses
heating
the
blood
in
my
veins
until
I
grew
impatient,
and
sliding
on
top
of
him
I
took
control.

‘Wow,’
he
murmured,
still
out
of
breath
after
our
lovemaking
had
reached
a
very
mutually
satisfactory
conclusion.

‘Wow,
indeed,’
I
echoed,
smiling
like
a
cat
that
had
found
and
devoured
all
the
cream.

Jon
pulled
me
close
again
and
whispered,
‘If
that
hasn’t
been
enough
to
make
Will
a
little
brother
or
sister,
I’ll
eat
my
motorcycle
helmet.’