The Canal Boat Café Christmas: Port Out. Cressida McLaughlin

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СКАЧАТЬ mind the temperature,’ Harry said. ‘When did you decide you were going to propose? How are you going to do it? I need to know.’

      Harry’s eyes were dancing, and Summer was reassured that her best friend was clearly enthusiastic about the idea, and wasn’t going to try and persuade her against it.

      ‘It’s been the last few weeks,’ she said, cradling her mug of hot, spiced wine. ‘Mason and I are happy. More than happy – this last year has been the best of my life. Perhaps all the complications at the beginning meant we used up our quota of difficulties, but whatever the cause, whether it’s fate or destiny or simply that we just fit together, I can’t imagine not being with him. I don’t want to. I love him, and I want to make it permanent – officially permanent.’

      ‘This is the best thing,’ Harry said. ‘I’m so excited for you. What are you going to do? How will you pop the question? Will you get him an engagement ring?’

      ‘I’m not sure if he’d appreciate me buying him a ring that he’d feel obliged to wear. He’s not really the jewellery type.’

      ‘But you can get lovely rings for men, something special but not sparkly. If you’re doing the proposing, you need to get him a ring.’

      Summer wrinkled her nose. Would Mason like a ring?

      Unperturbed, Harry continued. ‘Will you go down on one knee?’

      ‘Maybe,’ Summer said. ‘I hadn’t got much further than making the decision, and wanting to do it at Christmas. It’s our second one together, and I want to make it extra special.’

      ‘It’ll be perfect. Anything I can do to help – distract Mason, string lights along Willowbeck’s bridge – I’ll be there. We should brainstorm!’

      ‘We should,’ Summer said, drumming her fingers on the table. She wondered, now she had revealed her plans to Harry, if she should also tell her about the one thing that was holding her back, dampening her enthusiasm ever so slightly. But she didn’t need to wonder, because Harry had already picked up on her hesitation.

      ‘So what’s worrying you? You don’t actually think he’ll say no, do you? Summer,’ she pressed her palms flat on the table, ‘anyone can see he loves you. People passing on the towpath who have never met you would realize that much. And you’ve said how happy you are with him. What else is there?’

      Summer sipped her drink so she could get her thoughts in order before she replied. ‘Will he want to get married again, after what happened with Lisa? Maybe he’s content to be with me, but won’t want to go through all that again.’

      Sadness darkened Harry’s eyes. ‘What happened to Lisa was tragic, but it had nothing to do with their married status. She wouldn’t have been saved if they’d only been partners, boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s usually divorce that makes people reluctant to go through it again, or Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and Funeral – having all that bad luck with his friend’s weddings.’

      Harry’s words made perfect sense, and she wasn’t finished.

      ‘He was reluctant to get involved again, to open himself up to love, but he cared about you enough to risk his heart. That was the hard part for him, and it’s proof that he wants to be with you, that what you’re doing, planning, is wonderful and exciting, and is the right call. You love him, you want to be with him for the rest of your life, and I’m sure he feels the same. Do you ever talk about Lisa?’

      ‘Sometimes,’ Summer said. ‘He’s become better at talking about her, about their life together, before she died. He’s started to accept the happy memories without being clouded by the terrible ones. But I’ve never spoken to him about re-marrying. We talk about the future – what we’ll do when we’re in our sixties, whether our bones will creak as much as the tiller on Celeste when we’re cruising, or if we’ll still be able to work the locks without help. But it’s always flippant.’

      Harry was nodding, her expression patient and understanding. Summer wondered why she hadn’t talked to her before now, why she had been reluctant to tell her about her plans, and the worries that came with them.

      ‘So maybe,’ Harry said, ‘you need to have a chat with him, a more serious one. Try and gauge his thoughts before you pop the question – if you’re concerned, which I don’t think you need to be.’

      ‘I’m not sure I could get away with it. How do you do that subtly when your whole mind is focused on not giving away the secret? It’s like trying to avoid a bunker on a golf course, and all you’re thinking about is avoiding the bunker. Inevitably you end up in the sand.’

      ‘There’ll be a conversation, one day, when you realize you can change direction slightly, slip it in.’

      ‘You sound very confident about that, Mrs Poole.’

      ‘I have faith in you, because you’re brilliant and determined; when you want something you go for it.’

      ‘I think you’ve confused me with someone else,’ Summer said, laughing. ‘Think how long I dillydallied over taking over Mum’s café, how long it took me to realize my feelings for a certain, curly-haired nature photographer.’

      ‘OK, but when you decided you wanted the café, you made a huge success of it – you’ve just hosted a cruising engagement Halloween party for God’s sake, who else can say they’ve done that? And with Mason, it was complicated. For both of you. You got there in the end, and you’ve not had a moment of doubt since. Go for it, Summer. You’ll soon have a wedding to plan on top of everything else.’

      Summer’s shoulders relaxed, the tension ebbing out of her. ‘You’re the brilliant one, Harry. What would I do without you?’

      ‘I don’t know, but you’re temporarily going to find out, because I have to get back to my boys and see what chaos they’ve caused. Normal time in the café tomorrow?’

      ‘Come in after lunch,’ Summer said. ‘The morning rush isn’t quite as rushy now it’s getting colder, so I’ll be fine on my own.’

      ‘You’ve worked late too,’ Harry said, standing and shrugging on her coat.

      ‘Yes, but it’s my business. Besides, it’s not like I have the same commute as you. Take the morning off.’

      ‘Thank you.’ They hugged, Harry’s squeeze a little tighter than usual. ‘And don’t worry. Mason loves you, he wants to be with you, and you need to focus all your energy on planning the perfect proposal rather than fretting about his past. But if you want reassurance, try to subtly sound him out first. I don’t think you need to, but it’s an option. Now, go and find him.’

      Summer assured her friend she was going to do just that, and after they said goodbye and Harry hurried to her car, Summer strolled with Latte down the path that cut through the grass in front of the Black Swan, back to the towpath. She thought of everything her friend had said, that Mason’s commitment to her was enough, that he was unlikely to be against marrying her because his first marriage had ended so tragically. Could she be sure that was the truth, or if not, could she talk seriously to him about it without him getting suspicious? She was going to have to come down on one side or the other soon, or she would derail her own proposal plans before she’d even got out of the starting blocks.

      She opened the door of The Sandpiper СКАЧАТЬ