‘Time to go, lads!’ Bert stood up, and with a flurry of movement, the men pushed their chairs back from the tables and made for the door, rowdily pushing and shoving at each other.
‘And where do you think you’re going, Jimmy?’ Nellie called as Jimmy and Reenie prepared to leave.
Jimmy looked at his mother questioningly.
‘Look at this place.’ She gestured at the tables, each piled with dirty crockery and overflowing ashtrays. And hovering over it all, a grey haze of cigarette smoke hung like a raincloud. ‘Your sister needs to rest, and me and Jasper could do with a hand.’
‘It’s fine, Nell,’ Jasper said. ‘We’ll manage.’
Casting a quick, meaningful look at Jimmy, Reenie took off her jacket. ‘Don’t worry, Mrs C, if the four of us do it, it won’t take long.’
Sighing, Jimmy nodded reluctantly.
‘As long as you’re sure, love,’ Jasper said. ‘We wouldn’t want to keep you from your courtin’.’ He winked.
Reenie blushed and looked back at Jim who smiled ruefully at her.
‘I don’t suppose it’ll matter if we miss the first half. But you need more help round here, Mum. You won’t be able to run the café on your own once the baby comes. You needed help when Gladys was alive. I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about it now,’ he said, exasperated.
‘We manage, thank you very much,’ Nellie snapped.
‘Clearly you don’t, or you wouldn’t need me and Reenie to help now.’
‘I been tryin’ to tell her the same thing for weeks, but your mum is more stubborn than the mangy old mule up Crabble Hill.’ Jasper picked up some plates and walked into the kitchen, chuckling to himself.
Nellie opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but Reenie intervened.
‘Chuck me a pinny, and we’ll have this sorted in two shakes. You go on up to the castle, Jim, I’ll see you there.’
‘What, and leave you here by yourself. No chance. Who knows what you might get up to while my back’s turned?’ He winked and planted a hard kiss on her lips.
Reenie giggled. ‘You must know I only have eyes for you.’
Jim snaked an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze. ‘I should think so too. You’re not likely to do better.’
She turned into his embrace and put her arms around his neck. ‘Do you really want to watch the match?’ she asked quietly, casting a swift glance over her shoulder to make sure Nellie wasn’t listening.
‘Why?’ Jimmy whispered. ‘What else did you have in mind?’
‘Well . . . Maybe once we’ve got this lot sorted, we could find a quiet spot, spend a bit of time together . . .’ She smiled in what she hoped was a seductive manner.
Jimmy lowered his head. ‘And why would you want to do that?’ he said, his lips twitching. ‘I hope you’re not suggesting we get up to anything . . . naughty.’ He breathed this last into her ear, making her body tingle.
‘And what if I was?’ she murmured.
‘Then I would most definitely think about it.’ He lowered his head and kissed her deeply, parting her lips with his tongue.
Reenie responded, her arms tightening about his neck. But a sudden clatter from the kitchen made her jump and cast an anxious look over his shoulder.
‘Don’t mind me!’ Nellie stood in the kitchen door holding a bright pink apron, but although her voice was stern, she was smiling, her good humour restored.
‘Sorry, Mum.’ Jim turned towards his mother, while Reenie pressed her face against his back, stifling her laughter against his cotton shirt.
‘So, when are you gonna make it official?’ Nellie asked.
‘None of your business,’ Jim replied shortly.
‘Don’t leave it too long, or she’ll be stolen from under your nose. And you won’t do better for yourself, I can promise you that.’
‘Thanks, Mrs C,’ Reenie said, peeping round Jimmy’s back.
Nellie held the apron out to her. ‘I’m only speaking the truth. Now, sooner you finish, sooner you can go canoodlin’.’
Reenie sighed happily as Jim pressed a quick kiss on the top of her head and went to help Jasper with the washing up. It was widely accepted that Bert was the better looking of the three Castle brothers, but Reenie didn’t agree. Bert might have the most perfect features and more muscular physique, but he was cocky and far too aware of the effect he had on women. Jimmy was the opposite. He never sized women up as though wondering whether he could get them into bed; he talked to them like human beings rather than a challenge to be overcome, and it made her love him even more.
Half an hour later, the café had been cleared, and with Alfie gone, Marianne had returned to the kitchen to make food for a group of ATS girls who had arrived.
‘Off you go, lovebirds,’ Nellie said cheerfully. ‘Me and Marianne can take it from here.’
Reenie began to take the apron off, then stopped. ‘I nearly forgot, have you lost this?’ She reached into the pocket and pulled out a small crucifix on a gold chain.
Nellie paled and snatched it from her hand. ‘Where did you get this?’ she gasped.
‘It was in the pocket, so I thought . . .’ She glanced uncertainly at Jimmy, who shrugged.
‘You better go,’ Nellie muttered. ‘You don’t want to miss the match.’
‘If you’re sure, Mum? You don’t look too good,’ Jimmy said.
‘I said go!’ she snapped.
Reenie jumped, grabbed her jacket from the back of a chair and sped towards the front door, Jimmy following close behind.