Downsizing (22 page)

“
Do you have to fight to keep your
weight down? Most people I know yoyo hopelessly.”

“
I don’t have those sorts of
problems,” Maxine said, running her eyes over Cassie’s body. “How
about you?”

“
I’ve just had a baby,” Cassie
said. “I’ll be back the way I always am in no time.” She glanced at
Maxine’s ringless fingers. “I’m surprised you’re not married. I
dare say you’ve had plenty of offers.”

“
Too busy with my
career.”

“
Make sure you don’t miss the
boat.”

“
I’ll bear that in mind, Cassie,
but now I’d better leave you to yourselves. I’ve got a few other
calls to make.”

“
Oh, no, you don’t!” Noah placed
his hand firmly on her arm. “You don’t get away that easily, not
after all this time. Just give me a minute to get out of this lot
and we’ll celebrate with something a little more substantial than
tea.”

“
I never expected to see you
wearing a suit,” Maxine teased.

“
I don’t if I can help it. I still
prefer to get my hands dirty. But, unfortunately, more and more of
my time’s taken up with meeting nowadays, and I have to look the
part.”

“
He’s being modest,” Cassie said
as Noah disappeared into the house. “He’s quite the entrepreneur
nowadays.”

He returned almost immediately, clad in his
more familiar uniform of jeans and T-shirt, his bare feet thrust
into Docksiders, making Cassie look even more overdressed. He
clutched a bottle of champagne and three glasses.

“
It might taste better than the
last time we indulged,” he said to Maxine, winking at
her.

“
Anything would,” she
lied.

He popped the cork and filled the glasses. “We
obviously don’t need to think about what to drink to,” he said,
passing them round. “Welcome home, darling!” He met Maxine’s gaze
and held it. “We’ve missed you more than you’ll ever
know.”

“
Dad called Max
darling!”
Josh giggled and made sick-noises in the background.

“
Cassie tells me that you’ve made
a big success of your building firm,” Maxine said. “Somehow I
wasn’t surprised to hear it.”

“
Well, it’s been a struggle, but
there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

“
I see someone’s put a block of
flats up near the river.”

“
That would be me. When that
particular piece of land was released for building I snapped it
up.”

His eyes bored directly into hers. Cassie must
have been aware of the charged atmosphere between them, but Maxine
couldn’t summon the strength to drop her eyes.

“
What happened to your glasses?”
Cassie asked. “I thought you couldn’t wear lenses.”

“
I can’t. A friend bullied me into
having laser surgery when I was at university. “

“
But your eyes, they’re emerald. I
thought you were wearing colored lenses.”

“
Max has always had emerald eyes,”
Noah said, not looking at his wife. Maxine, who was, observed her
devastated expression but had no idea what she was supposed to do
about it. “How long are you staying, Max?”

“
I’m not sure yet. It depends upon
a lot of things.”

“
Grandpa!” screamed the boys,
launching themselves at Charles’s well-tailored legs as he appeared
in the garden.

“
Hello, ragamuffins,” he said,
ruffling two heads at once.

“
Daddy, what are you doing home,”
Cassie asked. “It’s only Thursday.”

He kissed his daughter. “Hello, Maxine,” he
said, kissing her as well as Cassie. “Surviving so far?”

“
It would appear so.”

“
How come you and Noah both
recognized Max immediately while I, who was her closest friend for
years, didn’t know her from Adam?”

“
Why shouldn’t I recognize her?”
Charles asked. “I only saw her a week or so ago.”

“
You’ve been in touch with Max
recently, Daddy? You didn’t tell me.”

“
Nor me,” Noah said, glowering at
his father-in-law.

“
You must allow an old man a few
secrets,” he remarked lightly. “Maxine and I ran into one another
in a restaurant a couple of years ago and we’ve stayed in touch
ever since.”

“
That must have been nice,” Noah
said through tightly clenched teeth.

“
Oh, it’s brightened up my days no
end. You can have no idea.”

“
I think I probably can.” Noah
turned toward Josh. “Run and get another glass for Grandpa. Not
that he deserves it.”

“
Grandpa, did you think any more
about it?” Billy asked, sidling up to his grandfather.

“
Now you know it’s not up to me,
Billy. Your Mum and Dad must decide.”

“
I know.” He sat at his
grandfather’s feet and rested his head on his knee, huge eyes
looking up imploringly. “But if you said you thought it was all
right, they’d listen to you.”

“
Oh, Billy!” Cassie said sharply.
“Don’t keep going on. You’re not having a dog, and that’s the end
of it. I’ve got enough on my plate without adding further
responsibilities.”

“
But, it’s sooo not fair! You
wouldn’t have to do anything.”

“
I said
no
, Billy. Just
leave it!”

“
It’s Billy’s seventh birthday on
Saturday, and all he wants is a dog,” Charles explained. “Cassie, I
assume you’ve invited Maxine to the party.”

“
No, Daddy, but I was about
to.”

“
Oh, I’m not sure—”

“
Nonsense!” Noah said. “We won’t
take
no
for an answer, will we, Cassie?” Cassie mumbled
something unintelligible. “The party’s at Charles’s place, thank
God, and it’s as much for the benefit of the adults as it is for
the kids. You’ll be able to catch up with lots of
people.”

“
Well, I’m not sure. Besides, I
have a friend coming on Saturday morning.”

“
Bring her too.”

“
Him,” she corrected.

“
Oh.” Noah frowned.

“
Greg?” Charles asked.

“
Yes.”

Cassie brightened considerably. “Bring him
along. The more the merrier. Although I should warn you that you’ll
probably get roped into games in the pool. You were never too keen
on those in the past, were you?”

“
Oh, I think I’m better equipped
to handle them nowadays, don’t you, Cassie?”

“
Will you bring me a present?”
Billy asked, avoiding a clip round the ear by giving his father’s
outstretched hand a wide berth.

“
What do seven-year-old boys want
for their birthdays, apart from dogs, that is?”

“
Well, there’s football boots, but
I think Grandma might be getting me those, and then there’s this
really cool game they have in the shop in the village,
and…”

“
I really must be going now,”
Maxine said, smiling at Billy’s endless wish list, “But I’d love to
come on Saturday. Thanks for inviting me.”

“
Hang on.” Noah stood up. “Have
you arranged anything for dinner, Cassie?”

“
Well, no, I was about to start
when Maxine arrived and we had—”

“
Then the boys and I’ll walk Max
home and we’ll pick up a Chinese on the way back.”

Chapter
Sixteen

As soon as they crossed the road to the open
common, the boys ran ahead with their football. Noah and Maxine
strolled along behind them. Noah knew he must look like the village
idiot, but he couldn’t seem to wipe the grin from his
face.

“
You’re staring at me,
Noah.”

“
I know.” His grin widened, and he
draped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m just trying to convince
myself that you’re really here.”

She moved away, forcing him to drop his arm.
“Oh, it’s me.”

“
But how long for? You didn’t
answer when I asked you in the garden.”

“
I haven’t decided yet,” she said
evasively.

“
Would you really have left
without seeing me just now?”

She shrugged. “Cassie and I had run out of
things to say, and it was getting awkward. But I’m not going
anywhere, at least for a week or two. Our paths would have crossed
eventually.”

“
Is that how you wanted us to meet
again, by chance?”

She wouldn’t look at him. “I’m not sure. I
hadn’t really thought about it.”

Noah fielded the football that Josh had kicked
toward him. He sent it back to Billy, who was hopping from leg to
leg, screaming to attract his father’s attention. A moment later
the football was forgotten as a scruffy dog came bounding across
the common. Billy ran straight up to it, not a sign of fear, and
stroked its head. Noah and Maxine watched him focus his entire
attention on the dog, oblivious to everything else.

“
You really must get that boy a
dog, Noah. He’s a natural with animals. He reminds me of how you
used to rescue all the waifs and strays when you were
younger.”

“
Yeah, I know, and he’ll get his
dog, don’t worry. I’ve already been to the animal shelter to set it
in motion.”

“
Cassie won’t be best
pleased.”

Noah clenched his jaw. “The dog won’t impinge
upon her busy schedule. Billy and I will take care of it between
us.”

“
I see.”

“
Max, we need to talk.”

“
Do we?” She lifted her shoulders.
“I don’t see why.”

“
I think you do. If you were as
relaxed about everything that’s happened over the past twelve years
as you’re making out, then you wouldn’t have stayed away.” He
focused his eyes on her face. “I need to try and make you
understand.”

“
That’s not necessary.
I—”

“
Have lunch with me tomorrow,
Max.” He tilted his head and offered her a killer smile. “Please! I
want to know everything about your life. And I especially want to
know why you’ve chosen now of all times to come back. I get the
feeling that there’s more to it than just a spontaneous
visit.”

She returned his smile. “You always were able
to read me too well.”

“
So will you? Have lunch, I
mean.”

“
Yes, all right. The Three
Feathers?”

“
No, far too many people we both
know go in there at lunchtime. I want you to myself for an hour or
two. There’s a place about five miles out, off the Winchester road,
called The King’s Arms. We’ll be able to talk there without being
disturbed.”

“
I think I know where it
is.”

“
Let’s meet there at half-twelve.
I take it you have a car,” he added, looking at the vacant drive to
her mother’s bungalow. “If not I could pick you up
somewhere.”

“
No, it’s all right, my car’s in
the garage.”

“
Okay then, sweetheart, until
tomorrow.” He kissed her on the lips. “And don’t you dare run away
again. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Oh and, Max,” he
called, causing her to pause with the key in the door and look over
her shoulder. “Happy Birthday!”

She smiled. “Fancy you remembering
that.”

He watched her go into the house, standing
there until the door closed and there was no chance of catching
further glimpses of her. He wondered if he’d be able to persuade
her to stay permanently in Colebrook, but knew there was little
chance of that. She was a high-flying lawyer now, with a life that
centered round the city. He could see that she’d become fiercely
independent and doubtless had men pursuing her round the block. She
certainly didn’t need to cling to the remnants of a friendship that
no longer meant anything to her.

Be that as it may, Noah didn’t intend to let
those insignificant details spoil his pipe-dream. He kicked the
ball back to Josh, full of optimism, happier than he’d been in
years.

When he arrived home again, Cassie blinked
with surprise when the boys catapulted into the room. Noah frowned
as he took in the mess. Without saying a word he cleared the
lunchtime plates from the coffee table and loaded them into the
dishwasher. He placed the bag containing their supper on the
kitchen table and pulled clean plates from the cupboard.

“
You’re back quickly, darling,”
Cassie said, pulling herself to her feet. “I haven’t had a chance
to do the table yet.”

“
So I see.”

He produced cutlery and called to the boys to
wash their hands, watching his wife out of the corner of his eye.
She was unsteady on her feet and appeared dazed. He had a feeling
that she’d drunk more than just the champagne they shared in the
garden, even after faithfully promising that she wouldn’t go back
to that.

“
Wasn’t it lovely to see Max
again? I wonder what brought her back.”

Noah, intent upon helping the boys to noodles,
merely grunted.

“
She does look much better being
thinner, but I’m sure she must have had something done to her
face.”