‘Here she comes, the jolliest girl in the whole of Hartmouth,’ Joe Moon greeted Star at the front gate to Bee Cottage.
‘Your Pearl or Mrs Harris from Tasty Pasties should get that award, I reckon,’ she replied.
‘Well, it’s good to see a smile on that pretty face of yours for once, whoever’s putting it there.’ The wise ferryman opened the gate. ‘Quick, come on in out of this cold. They’re forecasting a big storm for later – like the one we had nigh on twenty years ago. Trees down, the lot.’
‘Ooh good. I love watching the lightning. But let’s hope it doesn’t strike Mum’s caravan like it did back then. Do you remember?’
‘Oh my goodness, yes. I had to come and collect you and my Kerry from school. They rang as no one had turned up to collect you both. I drove us up to Hartmouth Park and found your mum getting into an ambulance with a broken arm. She’d panicked when the lightning struck, rushed outside and missed her footing on the steps.’
‘That’s right – so you did. Those schooldays are kind of happy memories – well, apart from Mum causing another drama.’
‘We even stopped the ferry for a day. Now that is unheard of. How is your mum these days?’
‘Miserable, stoned, unreasonable. Same as normal, really.’
Joe gave Star’s shoulder a squeeze just as Kara pulled up outside in her Passion Flowers work van. The redhead got out and slammed the door behind her. ‘Sorry I’m a bit late. That new receptionist at the Hartmouth Bay Hotel, God, can she talk. I got a christening flowers order from her today though so that’s good.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Has Pearl gone?’
‘Yes, yes.’ Joe kissed his daughter on the cheek. ‘But we need to hurry. I’ve no idea how long it takes to get that hair of hers done.’
There was a loud woof as Joe showed them into the kitchen and an overweight black Labrador with hints of grey around his whiskers came bounding towards them all.
‘Oh, look at you! Hello, Bob the Dog.’ Star knelt down and fussed him. ‘What a handsome boy you are.’
‘I forgot you hadn’t met him yet.’ Kara patted the hound’s back as a trail of drool came out of his mouth and onto the kitchen flagstones. ‘Ew. Not sure what’s worse, that or Grandad’s dog Bert and his toxic farts.’
‘I miss that old Jack Russell as much as I miss your grandad,’ Joe said, putting three mugs next to the kettle. ‘Seems like an age they’ve both been gone, can’t believe it’s only a matter of months.’
‘I know. I still feel as if Grandad is with us,’ Kara said. ‘That all of a sudden he will appear on his old trike, get Bert out of the basket on the front and march up the garden to his shed, then give the chickens some apple cider vinegar.’
‘And Bert will come in here, release one of his silent but deadly smells and clear the kitchen.’ Joe’s shoulders shook with laughter.
‘He will be with us again soon when Harry’s Rose starts coming up in the garden,’ Kara told them, thinking back to the seeds he had left her to plant next to the Agatha Christie rose that represented his dear late wife, her Granny Annie.
Joe swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘Be keeping an eye on all of us, he will. We’ll have to behave ourselves then.’
‘I reckon he’d kind of prefer it if we didn’t.’ Kara smiled as Bob grabbed her trainer from the doorway and padded off with it to another room. ‘The dog’s listening to him already, see?’
‘Right, let me make you both a hot drink. Will coffee do you?’ Joe asked.
‘Could I have a herbal tea instead, if you’ve got one, please? I’ve gone off coffee lately.’ Star removed her coat and scarf and put them on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.
‘Green Tea and Mint is all we’ve got, that do you?’
‘Lovely.’
‘Have you got the ring gauge?’ Kara asked as she looked in the fridge to see if there were any goodies they could snack on.
‘Yes, in my pocket.’
‘Let’s quickly do that first then.’ She handed Star a little Babybel cheese to eat.
Joe carried on making their drinks. ‘Her rings are in the musical box on her dressing table in our room. You want the gold one with the single ruby in it. She’s definitely not wearing it – I checked as she left.’
The girls went upstairs. ‘I feel as if I haven’t seen you properly for ages,’ Kara said as she started to look through Pearl’s jewellery, taking care not to disturb it too much.
‘I’ve been busy making Christmas stock and making whoopee with Mr Ireland, so I have.’ Star affected an Irish accent. ‘Sorry, we must sort something. I thought just that this morning.’
‘Yes, we must.’ Kara looked at her. ‘I suppose it’s silly to ask how it’s all going?’
‘Sex is how it’s going. Lots of it. It’s great he has your flat, a place of his own. Skye loves having the freedom, and my going next door also means she doesn’t have to know what her harlot of a mother is up to.’ Star grinned.
‘So, he doesn’t take you out then? Me and Billy thought maybe we’d see you in the pub this weekend. I miss you.’
‘We always have the intention of going out and then just end up in bed and getting a takeaway. Or he cooks for me. I get the impression he’s saving up. He owes his dad and Frank a lot of money since his court case.’
‘And me actually. He still hasn’t paid me for the flowers he got for you.’
‘Oh.’
‘Mate, I don’t want you getting hurt. Are you sure he’s seeing you for the right reasons?’
‘Kara. It’s all good.’
‘If you’re happy that he doesn’t take you out and it’s just sex then great, but I just … Oh, I don’t know. I’m slightly miffed he hasn’t paid me for the flowers, to be honest.’
‘Just ask him.’
‘I don’t like to. I know he’s in debt but now you’ve told me he’s splashing the cash on takeaways.’
‘I get most of them.’
‘Star!’
‘I offer – after all, I’m fine for money. I’m just helping him out, Kara. I know you would do the same for Billy.’
‘I don’t trust him.’
Star’s voice began to wobble. ‘Can’t you just be happy for me, Kar? Not everyone is like your ex. Jago bloody Ellis, now he was a thieving bastard.’
Kara felt tears pricking her eyes, but her dad calling up the stairs to tell them to hurry up put a halt on her emotions. She took a deep breath. ‘Let’s get this ring measured, shall we?’
‘All done?’ Joe presented the girls with their hot drinks.
‘Yes. Sorry though, Joe, I’ve no time for a drink after all,’ Star blustered. ‘I’ve been here much longer than I expected.’
‘I’ll give you a lift back down to the market.’ Kara hastily went to get her coat.
‘No, thanks. I need some fresh air.’ Star threw her coat on and went out of the door. ‘Bye, Joe!’
‘Oh, Dad, I’ve upset her,’ Kara said when the cottage door slammed.
‘Why?’
‘I said I didn’t trust Conor.’
‘That girl has been brought up on her wits, and Billy could sniff a bad ’un out from ten miles away. What’s more, you know Frank. He’s like family to us. I think you may have got this wrong.’
‘Maybe I have. Oh dear.’
Joe pulled his daughter into him. ‘Come to your old dad. You’re never too big for a cuddle, now are you? Me knowing you inside out, back to front and a little sideways too, thinks maybe my Kerensa Moon here is a teensy weensy bit jealous that she hasn’t got her best friend at her beck and call any more.’
‘That’s what Star said too. I didn’t consciously think that.’
‘We can’t all be Sigmund Freud, can we, my girl. And all families have rows. She’s been more like a sister than your real one ever used to be, so just make some time for each other. It will all come right, I’m sure.’