Knowing Me Knowing You (35 page)

When Kate woke up it was to the sound of an annoyingly cheerful song on the radio and crockery being moved about. She opened her heavy eyes and looked around the room, for a moment unable to remember where she was. And then she looked at the pillow next to hers and recalled the previous night. She pulled the duvet up around her and closed her eyes again. It had been almost surreal, Joel kissing her and touching her every part. It had felt intense and unstoppable, new and exciting; however there had also been a sense of complete familiarity. She had given in to him so much more than she ever had with Matthew. It had been fantastic and she had felt like a woman again, not the porridge
-
splattered mother of a two year old.

Though now morning was here she was scared. She didn’t know what this meant, if it meant anything. She hadn’t had time to think about herself at all since Matthew left. At the beginning she had wanted him back, no m
atter what he had said and done
and in moments of weakness she did still think of him and how the plans she had for their future would now never be. But what she had never considered was her future without him, it had all been about
Bethan
, there hadn’t been a moment to think about Kate Baxter the young woman.

She got out of bed and put on her robe. When she entered the kitchen Joel was stood at the hob tending to something he was cooking
. He looked gorgeous, as always.
H
is hair was wet and tousled from the shower and he was wearing jeans and a pale blue shirt.

‘
Hi,
’
Kate greeted.

‘
Hi. Now
listen, I know your idea of food heaven is Admiral’s pie done in three minutes but I’ve made
some fruit salad and salmon and scrambled eggs are almost ready,
’
Joel informed, turning to look at her.

‘
Oh, well it sounds great. Not quite Admiral’s pie but I suppose it will do,
’
Kate remarked, swallowing the ‘morning after the night before’ awkwardness as best as she could.

‘
Have a seat, I’ve made coffee too,
’
Joel said, indicating the pot on the table.

‘
You seem to have thought of everything.
’

‘
Well, I’ve been awake since
four
. I went for a run, I went in the hot tub, I went to the on-site shop as soon as it was open,
breakfast
was the next thing.
’

‘
You didn’t sleep,
’
Kate remarked.

‘
About an hour, but that’s good, really,
’
Joel admitted with a smile.

‘
Maybe you should go back to the doctor, tell him you’re still suffering,
’
Kate suggested
,
trying her best to talk normally even though she couldn’t look at him without remembering the way he tasted.

‘
I would, if I thought it would do any good. I haven’t heard that they’ve developed any miracle cures so I don’t think there’s anything else they can offer me. Apparently I’m meant to give it time. I’m hoping they don’t mean waiting until I’m drawing my pension,
’
Joel replied as he dished up a plate of scrambled eggs and salmon and put it in front of Kate.

‘
I could come with you,
’
Kate suggested.

‘
It’s OK, honestly.
’

Joel brought his plate to the table and sat down opposite her.

‘
It smells delicious,
’
Kate spoke, picking up her knife and fork.

‘
I probably made too much.
I like cooking and I like eating, bad
,
bad combination,
’
Joel answered, grinning.

Kate watched him eat. Last night he had undressed her so slowly she had been trembling by the time he so
much as kissed the tip of her shoulder. She had held him close to her, run her hands down his back and across his thighs.

‘
About last night...
’
Kate said suddenly breaking her own daydream.

‘
You want to forget it ever happened?
’

‘
No, I don’t want to forget it; I just want to know what I should be doing that’s all,
’
Kate answered, flushing with embarrassment.

‘
What you should be doing?
’
Joel
queried
.

‘
Yes, I don’t know,
what do you think? I mean
we
...
’
Kate started.

‘
I feel the same way this morning as I did last night,
’
Joel spoke bluntly, looking at her with his huge slate eyes.

‘
Joel, I have to put
Bethan
first and I don’t know how I feel about relationships in general at the moment, let alone embarking on one myself. There’s so much at stake, there’s
Bethan
and the competition and the Lady Dragon and this solicitor’s exam offer
.
I haven’t got time to breathe just now, let alone make a considered decision about something,
’
Kate attempted to explain.

‘
Then don’t,
’
Joel answered.

‘
Don’t what?
’

‘
Don’t make a considered decision about it.
’

‘
What
d’you
mean?
’

‘
You think about absolutely everything you do, why not stop thinking for once and just see what happens,
’
Joel suggested.

‘
Would you be happy with that? Because I do really like you, I just can’t quantify my feelings at the moment. That sounds really tragic and unromantic doesn’t it?
’

‘
It certainly does,
’
Joel agreed.

‘
What I’m trying to say is, I don’t know when I’m going to be ready to make a relationship commitment, I
don’t even know if I’m ever going to be ready, I don’t want to string you along and then....,
’
Kate began.

‘
Last night we said no promises, just honesty, you’re being honest with me, I can’t ask for more than that. But just to warn you, I’m not one for giving up easily,
’
Joel told her.

‘
Noted,
’
she
answered.

‘
Come here the future
Knowing Me Knowing You
champions 2011, come in,
come
in. Philip! Kate and Joel are here!
’
Hermione announced as she grabbed Kate and enveloped her in a bear hug.

Kate managed to escape the clinch and Joel was next for the embrace as
Bethan
toddled down the hallway to greet the arrivals.

‘
Mummy!
’
Bethan
exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down and tugging at Kate’s jeans.

‘
Hello darling, have
you had a lovely time with Aunty
Mione
?
’
Kate asked as she picked up her daughter and cuddled her tightly.

‘
We have had a lovely time and so have you two by the looks of things
.
L
ook at you both, you are practically glowing! It must be that sea air. Come into the kitchen, Philip and Cyrus have been baking,
’
Hermione announced, leading the way.

‘
Where are your three?
’
Kate asked, carrying
Bethan
.

‘
Helping, or rather hindering, at my mother’s WI fete. I’ve had Cyrus since
eight
; his mother had some urgent business meeting or something. Now
,
who’s for cranberry tea?
’
Hermione offered.

‘
Let me help. Hi Philip,
’
Joel greeted as they all entered the kitchen.

‘
Hey Joel, what a dark horse you are, playing the guitar and singing like that. I play the accordion, very
badly according to
Mione
, but maybe we could have a jam session one time,
’
Philip suggested.

‘
That sounds like it would be a lot of fun,
’
Joel agreed with a smile.

‘
JUICE!
’
Cyrus whispered satanically, drumming his feet on the floor.

‘
Cyrus, ask nicely please
.
W
e don’t get things if we ask like that,
’
Hermione spoke to the little boy.

‘
JUICE!
’
Cyrus repeated the drumming getting faster.

‘
Cyrus, you ask nicely and you say please,
’
Hermione told him.

‘
Juice, juice,
’
Bethan
mimicked, waving her arm up and down.

‘
JUICE!
’
Cyrus said again, banging his feet even harder on the floor.

‘
Hey Cyrus, how about this,
“can-I-have-some-juice-please?”
,
’
Joel spoke, tapping his feet on the floor in rhythm with the syllables of the words.

Cyrus just stared at Joel transfixed.

‘
Come on, you try it,
“can-I-have-some-juice-please?”
,
’
Joel repeated.

‘
I’m afraid Cyrus has communication problems
. H
e only whispers and stamps and talks in one word sentences,
’
Hermione whispered to the adults.

‘
Can-I-have-some-juice-please?
’
Cyrus spoke audibly, tapping his feet in time to the words.

‘
Oh my God,
’
Hermione said out loud, putting her hands to her mouth in shock.

‘
Can-I-have-some-juice-please?
’
Cyrus repeated a broad smile on his face.

‘
How did you do that? He hasn’t spoken a proper sentence in all the time I’ve been minding him,
’
Hermione spoke, astounded.

‘
I did some work with children in Germany
. S
ometimes music or rhythm provides a focus for
kids
who
find it hard to communicate,
’
Joel answered, ruffling Cyrus’ hair.

‘
Well I don’t know what to say
.
Y
ou’re nothing short of a miracle worker, wait until I tell his mother,
’
Hermione said, pouring some juice for Cyrus and handing it to him.

‘
How did you know about that?
’
Kate wanted to know.

‘
I studied a bit of child psychology at university, along with the sports science,
’
Joel told her.

‘
Thank-you,
’
Cyrus said to Hermione, banging his feet on the floor twice.

‘
You’re-welcome,
’
Hermione answered, copying him.

‘
So he sings, he plays guitar and he knows
all about children.
I would snap him up Kate if I was you,
’
Philip remarked with a wink.

‘
Joel, Joel,
’
Bethan
shrieked, reaching out at Joel.

Joel took hold of the little girl’s hand and squeezed it.

‘
Are you sure you can’t stay for lunch? I could make a stew, it wouldn’t take long,
’
Hermione spoke as Kate looked out of the kitch
en window into the garden.
Philip, Joel, Cyrus and
Bethan
were running around kicking a football.