Sweet Home Summer Read online

  ‘I was so jealous of Roz’s blonde hair. I mean look,’ Annie pointed at the portrait. ‘It’s like looking at a photograph of Pippi Longstocking and Barbie.’

  Isla couldn’t help but laugh at the analogy.

  ‘Annie got her colouring from my side of the family. My great-grandmother Maggie was a true redhead,’ Liz explained.

  ‘She’s got a lot to answer for, that Maggie,’ Annie muttered.

  Liz smiled fondly at her daughter, and Isla was once more taken aback at the resemblance between the two of them.

  A plate of caramel slice was offered around, which Isla was only too happy to help herself to. She had a weakness for anything gooey made with condensed milk.

  ‘Yum,’ Annie mumbled with her mouth full. ‘You remembered it’s my favourite. I’m glad to see you’re not on one of your diets, Mum.’

  ‘Come Monday, I shall be going Paleo. I put on four kilograms on our last cruise and I can’t shift it. I wonder how Noeline’s managing on the Pacific Pearl. She can’t say no to a cream cake at the best of times, let alone when they’re there for the taking morning, noon and night.’

  Annie smirked. ‘Poor you Dad, caveman fodder on the menu for the foreseeable future.’

  Over her coffee, Isla brought up the subject of the Matchmaker Festival. Her gran and Saralee had said it wasn’t too soon to start spreading the word and with the date being Valentine’s Day, it was an easy one to remember even if it was months away. Liz listened with her head cocked to one side while Pete made a few snorting noises. Nevertheless, he promised to put a bundle of tickets at the front desk of his real estate office when they’d been printed up. Never one to miss a chance, it was in exchange for a stack of his business cards and a promise that should either girl hear of anybody thinking of moving, they pass on one of his cards. Liz thought the girls at the supermarket where she worked part-time would think it was a fabulous idea. ‘They’re always lamenting the lack of single men around the city over their morning tea,’ she informed them.

  ‘So you like cruising?’ Isla asked recalling Liz’s comment about the weight she’d gained on the last trip they had done.

  That was all the invitation needed and a photo album showing an airbrushed version of Pete and Liz in evening dress on the cover with a starry night and a cruise ship behind them was produced.

  ‘These are the pics from the last one we did, ten days around Australia. It was fabulous, wasn’t it Pete?’

  He nodded and echoed the sentiment. ‘Fabulous.’

  Isla smiled recalling her conversation with Ben about how his parents were mad on cruising. She wondered if it was something to do with all those years spent raising a family and pondering what to make for dinner. Ten days of not having to do groceries or plan an evening meal would seem blissful.

  Annie announced they should be making tracks when Liz asked if anybody would like another cup of coffee.

  ‘Thanks, Mum, but Carl and David are expecting us around five, and we’ve still got a few more places to call in on.’

  Isla got to her feet and followed her friend out to the kitchen to put their coffee cups next to the sink before heading to the front door.

  ‘Thanks so much for lunch, it was lovely to meet you both.’ Isla hugged Liz.

  Pete came over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘And don’t forget if any of your friends are thinking of buying or selling then Pete Rivers is the man for the job.’

  ‘Dad!’

  ‘Pete!’

  ‘It’s called networking, ladies.’

  Chapter 24

  ‘My feet are killing me. I hope Carl hasn’t got any wild plans for tonight because I won’t be able to stand the pace.’ Annie said, getting out of the car.

  ‘Me neither,’ Isla agreed opening the boot to retrieve their overnight bags. The door to the sharply-angled, modern townhouse they’d just pulled up in front of swung open. Carl appeared in the wide entrance alongside a jaw-droppingly handsome man. Isla closed her mouth. That had to be David; she was instantly smitten.

  ‘Welcome to Casa Carl, and David’s,’ Carl called before rushing forward and grabbing the bags from Isla and kissing her on both cheeks at the same time. He turned his attention to Annie, and Isla found herself sucking in her tummy and simpering a breathy ‘hello’ to David.

  Carl rolled his eyes, announcing to no one in particular, ‘He always has that effect on women.’

  David laughed. ‘Stop embarrassing her Carl. It’s lovely to meet you, Isla. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re every bit as stunning as Carl said you were. He told me you reminded him of a young Cindy Crawford and I think he’s right, minus the mole of course.’

  Isla preened and managed to say thank you.

  ‘Annie Rivers, you gorgeous girl, come here.’ David wrapped his gym-honed arms around Annie’s small frame, and Isla wished she could swap places. Carl carted the bags into the house, urging them all to come inside and to stop standing out on the street putting a show on for the neighbours.

  He continued to lead the charge ushering the girls through his and David’s stylish and very white abode. Isla thought he was rather like a flight attendant doing his safety demonstration as he directed them towards the main points of interest. The kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, along with his and David’s bedroom, before finally dropping their bags in the guest room. There was a double bed in the centre of the room with a plain white coverlet and an assortment of gorgeous looking cushions that blended in with the artwork on the wall behind the bed. It was all very tasteful, and exactly as she had imagined it would be, Isla thought with a happy sigh. Stylish, sleek and modern, Carl to a tee.

  ‘You two will be top and tailing,’ Carl informed them before clapping his hands. ‘Chop, chop ladies, David’s shaking up his famous margaritas as we speak.’

  ‘Mm, this is good. You are a man of many talents, David.’

  ‘Isla, your flirting is wasted on him,’ Carl stated before draining his glass.

  ‘Ignore him, he’s just jealous,’ David said with a wink at her. ‘Now then girls, I’ve been mentioning the Matchmaker Festival at the gym, and there’s been a lot of interest. Partly because I’ve been telling the boys what Carl does for a living and that there’s bound to be lots of models looking to make a match there. I’ve put an email sign-up list on the front desk too, and so far over fifty guys and a fair few gals have registered. So Isla, be sure to let me know when the tickets go on sale and I can send a mass email out to them.’

  ‘Oh wow, that’s fantastic thanks, David. Gran and Saralee will be so impressed when I tell them.’

  Carl wasn’t to be outdone. ‘Well, be sure to tell them that I’ve not been resting on my proverbial either. I’ve been telling the girls there’s bound to be a lot of buff bods from the gym making their way to Bibury next Valentine’s Day.’

  ‘Teamwork!’ David and Carl cried high-fiving each other.

  Isla couldn’t help but giggle.

  ‘I suppose you and Annie have been busy, busy, busy with Nectar, and not had much time for Project Matchmaker,’ Carl lamented.

  Isla nodded. ‘I don’t think Gran had any idea as to what a massive undertaking it would be. Saralee’s been a godsend.’

  Carl turned to David. ‘Right, to keep you in the loop, this is the low down. Saralee is dating Ben who owns the local garage, but there’s lots of simmering sexual tension between him and Isla. They’ve got history. In the meantime though, Isla’s begun dating Callum who is the school’s hot Deputy Principal.’

  Isla opened her mouth to protest but then closed it. What was the point? She glanced over at Annie who looked highly amused at Carl’s soap opera summary.

  David raised an eyebrow. ‘My, my there’s more drama in Bibury than in an episode of Revenge.’

  ‘Right guys and gals, where to for dinner? I thought we could try the new Italian on St Asaph Street,’ Carl asked in an abrupt change of subject.

  Annie and Isla looked at each other and shrugge
d. ‘No good asking us. I don’t know where anywhere is in Christchurch anymore,’ Annie said.

  ‘Me neither.’ Isla agreed.

  ‘I’m back on the high protein tomorrow as you know Carl, so I quite fancy an Italian blowout of epic proportions.’ David drained his margarita. ‘All those in favour of another round say aye?’

  ‘Aye!’ Came the chorused reply.

  They rolled home from the restaurant, which had been a great pick on Carl’s part, stuffed full of rich tomato-based pasta, garlic bread and tiramisu. It was sloshing around nicely with the bottles of red that had been knocked back with gusto. Their plans of hitting the newly emerging city’s nightlife had been scuppered due to severe bloating.

  ‘I don’t even have enough room for a nightcap but girls, feel free.’ Carl gestured to the liquor cabinet a bottle of Mylanta antacid in his other hand. Annie and Isla looked at each other and groaned.

  ‘I think I’ll go for a cuppa.’

  ‘Ooh, a cup of tea bliss.’

  ‘I’m off to the gym first thing, so I shall love you and leave you until the big reveal next Friday.’ David said referring to Nectar’s grand opening in a week as he leant in and gave them both a garlicky kiss goodnight on the cheek before disappearing down the hall.

  Carl yawned before saying, ‘I’m with him. You know where everything is Annie. Our home is your home girls. Night, night, lovely ladies.’

  Isla and Annie sat at opposite ends of the couch, feet curled under them, each clutching a mug of tea. On the mantle over the gas fire was a vase and couple of other expensive looking ornaments, but it was the framed photo of David and Carl that made Isla smile. It was a selfie by the look of it, and they both looked so happy. ‘That’s a lovely picture.’

  ‘It is. They’re like family to me, those two.’

  ‘I’ve had a lovely day today.’ Isla blew on her drink before taking a tentative sip.

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘Your folks are great. You seemed a little edgy while we were there though, is everything okay?’

  ‘Yeah, Mum and Dad are great, although Dad has far too much to say for himself sometimes. He can be a little overpowering, but you’d have seen that for yourself,’ she said with a half-smile. ‘If I seemed a little out of sorts I suppose it’s because as much as I love them both, I get a little claustrophobic around them sometimes. It’s hard to explain, but there’s this weight of responsibility I feel when I’m with them for still being here. Oh, I don’t know, that probably doesn’t make sense.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s just there’s this need I sense, especially from Mum, and it’s a need I know I can never fill.’

  ‘Your sister’s death must have been so hard on you all.’

  ‘Roz alive was hard on us all.’

  Isla looked at her startled over the rim of her mug.

  ‘She was into drugs, we never really understood why she went down that road, not when she had everything going for her.’ Annie shrugged. ‘Carl thinks it was the crowd she worked with, they were a party hard lot but at the end of the day, the how’s and why’s don’t matter. She made her choices, and we lived with them for years. Her addiction nearly tore Mum and Dad apart. They tried everything to get her off the stuff, but she never met them halfway.’ She chewed her bottom lip. ‘Unless you’ve been through it, you can’t understand what it’s like to live on the edge all the time, waiting for something to happen. Then it finally did. She crashed her car after an all-night session. It was a blessing nobody else was hurt. She killed herself but she damned well nearly killed me, Carl Mum and Dad too.’

  ‘I’m so sorry Annie.’

  Annie raised a smile. ‘You don’t have to be sorry. It took me a long time to put the resentment and hurt aside but one day I understood that nobody gets a smooth run, it’s not the way life rolls. It is messy and it is short and the only thing I could do was get on with the business of living. Carl’s been a rock too.’

  Isla put her tea down on the coffee table and reached over to give her friend a hug. Annie returned it but then pulled away with a sniff. ‘It’s fine. I’m okay. I made my peace with Roz when I ran away to Greece, and in a roundabout way, I have her to thank for my having met Kris.’

  Isla reflected on what she’d just heard. Annie was right. Life was messy. ‘I ran away once too, but for very different reasons,’ she said telling Annie the story of her journey home.

  ‘Oh wow, that all sounds so, so …’ Annie cast around for the right word as Isla’s voice trailed off.

  ‘Californian?’

  ‘Yes, Californian. It obviously helped you though.’

  ‘It did, it really did. I don’t know if I’d have realized home was where I needed to be without those beanbag sessions with Rita.’

  ‘Well I’m glad you’re here and that you saw the light where that horrible Tim was concerned. He sounds a right prick.’

  ‘Yeah he was, in hindsight, and a bullying one at that.’

  ‘You really loved Ben, didn’t you?’

  ‘I did, and I didn’t handle the break-up with him very well, Annie. I’m not proud of how I behaved.’

  ‘It’s ancient history.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘Hug?’

  ‘I’d love one.’

  The two girls embraced once more, squeezing each other hard, and smiling as they separated. ‘It’s exhausting offloading.’ Annie yawned before draining what was left of her cold tea.

  ‘It is,’ Isla agreed standing up and stretching. ‘Time for bed I think.’

  Chapter 25

  David, as he’d told them he’d do the night before, had gone to the gym by the time Isla and Annie made an appearance the next morning. Carl suggested a café just a few minutes’ walk down the road for breakfast, and it was after bagels and coffee that they said their goodbyes until Friday. It didn’t take long to leave the city behind, and soon Delilah was sharing the road with numerous four-wheel drives. Each seemed to be filled with families no doubt making the trek to one of the lakes for the day or to explore Castle Hill’s lunar landscape. A blue-skied day in winter brought the outdoorsy types out in droves.

  Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep; it had been well after two in the morning by the time she and Annie had crawled into bed. Now, she felt small and vulnerable in the Mini, as the oversized vehicles overtook them, one after the other. ‘Nobody drives at the speed limit in this country,’ she muttered with a scowl up at the driver of an overtaking big, shiny Jeep. ‘Tosser!’ she threw up at him, gripping the steering wheel. ‘Sorry,’ she said glancing over at Annie, but she was oblivious, her head lolling as she snoozed.

  She elbowed Annie as they drove into Bibury. ‘We’re nearly home, wakey-wakey. I’ll swing by the café first and drop the stuff in the back off, then I’ll drop you home, okay?’

  Annie yawned and nodded. ‘Thanks, sorry I made such a lousy co-pilot.’

  The main street in Bibury was quiet, Isla noticed as she drove to the café. It was so quiet she could visualize tumbleweed blowing down the road like in the cowboy flicks. It was Sunday, but still, it didn’t bode well for business. She pulled over outside Nectar and, getting out of the car, she told herself to cast the negative thoughts aside. Rita would tell her she had to think positively and that was what she planned on doing. She pushed the seat down and passed a box out to Annie. Once people had somewhere worth stopping by on a Sunday, things would be different.

  She put the box full of organic goodies she was carrying down and unlocked the door. All was as it had been left on Friday night and they carried the boxes through to the kitchen, ‘We can put this lot away tomorrow morning,’ Isla said setting the box down on the bench and shaking her arms out. It weighed a tonne! She cast one more look round Nectar and felt a burst of pride. She still had to pinch herself sometimes to believe it was hers.

  ‘Coming?’ Annie stood at the door, no doubt eager to get home to Kris, Isla thought with a smile as she nodded and followed her out. They made plans to meet at the café
bright and early in the morning for what promised to be a hectic week getting ready for Friday and the grand opening. Isla waited until Annie disappeared inside her house, and then with a toot and a wave drove off. There was someone waiting for her at home that she couldn’t wait to see too.

  As she walked through the front door, Coal scampered down the hall, crying his pleasure at her homecoming. She picked him up and gave him a big fuss; he’d grown tubby in the weeks since he’d come to live with them. Nobody had contacted them to say he belonged to them and Isla knew if they did now it would break her heart to have to hand him over. Bridget appeared in the kitchen doorway wiping floury hands on her apron. ‘Hi Gran, ooh something smells good.’

  She smiled. ‘Scones are in the oven, and I’ll put the kettle on. Oh, and there’s two big cartons in the living room that arrived here for you by courier yesterday.’

  Had Customs finally seen fit to release her stuff? Isla stuck her head around the living room door. They had – there was her life in London, all boxed up neatly, over and done with. Isla realized that was how she felt now too. It was as though that part of her life fitted into another compartment and she had put the lid firmly on it and moved forward. Coal nuzzled her neck in agreement.

  ‘Annie, are the vegetable tartlets done?’ Isla called from the dining room as she rearranged the platters laden with food for the umpteenth time in the last hour. The star attraction in the middle of the table was the triple-layer Black Forest cake. The two women had trawled through recipe ideas online for tonight’s party and had saved the winners on Pinterest. Annie had been in charge of the café’s opening weekend menu and their culinary adventure when they opened officially for business tomorrow was going to be a baptism by fire, but sometimes, Isla reflected with a tweak of the tablecloth, that was the best way to learn. Besides, she and Annie were keeping good company. The Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson, was a self-professed cook and not a trained chef.

  ‘Yes, and the garlic and pesto share-and-tear loaf is in the oven, it smells divine too. I’ll put the sausage rolls in shortly.’