Page 46 of The Perfect Gift

Ed shrugged one shoulder. ‘Let’s just say I’ve been a very good boy this year so Santa came through early for me.’ He glanced towards the closed kitchen door then back at his brothers. ‘Don’t make it a thing, okay? Frankie and I are just hanging out a bit over the holidays.’

‘Whatever makes you happy, bro, is fine with me,’ Rick assured him. His phone rang again. ‘Give me strength,’ he groaned but his voice was chirpy when he answered the call and walked away.

Harry and Ed exchanged a concerned glance. ‘I’m going to stick with him as much as I can today,’ Ed said. ‘Take some of the strain, if he’ll let me.’

‘And I’ll do the same,’ Matt added as he finished arranging the tables to his satisfaction. ‘I’ve got my tools handy so I’ll be able to do any running repairs to the stalls if needed, and between us we should be able to keep an eye on Rick, make sure he’s not swamped.’

‘That makes me feel better,’ Harry said with a relieved smile. ‘I’ll be tied up at the cookery school.’

‘What have you got planned?’ Ed asked him as he pulled out a chair and they all sat down.

‘We’re running an open house for people to come and have a look around. There’ll be easy hot snacks on offer – sausage rolls, mini Cornish pasties and what have you. Now the catering gig for the show is over, we’ve been able to pivot to preparing for today. The kids are sick of the sight of pastry,’ he added with a laugh. ‘But I’m letting them keep the profits on what they sell so that’s been more than enough to keep them motivated. I’ll give tours and talks to anyone who is interested and hopefully show them that booking a private course will teach them not only new things, but how we’re investing what they pay us into a new generation of cooks and chefs.’

Ed loved the way Harry talked about his work. He always seemed to grow in stature and confidence and it made his heart swell with pride to see Harry turning his dream into a success. It made him want to find a way to give something back to the community that helped raise them, and he thought again about his conversation with his dad. He considered mentioning it there and then, but decided to wait until it was just him and Harry. He loved all his brothers, but give Liam or Rick a sniff of anything and one would be putting together a business plan and the other would be hunting out a suitable workspace for him before he’d finished explaining the idea.

Harry would listen and though he’d offer his opinion, he would also give Ed the space he needed to figure things out in his own time. It was still too soon to be making those bigger plans for the future, and Ed needed to put the hard yards in first. Learn the skills he needed the way Harry had as he’d worked through his apprenticeship under Russ Armstrong. A renowned chef and one of the foremost restaurateurs in the county, Russ owned Prime Catch, the successful restaurant on Harbour Road where Harry had ended up as his sous chef before venturing out on his own with the cookery school.

The girls emerged from the kitchen on a gale of warm laughter and Ed stood to pull out the chair next to him for Frankie. She accepted it with a smile, her fingers straying to touch his where they rested on the back of her chair. It was a fleeting, feather-light touch but it sent a thrill through him as he got her settled and sat down beside her.

Conversation flowed easily around them and Ed let himself relax and join in. There was plenty of time for him to sort out his future plans. All that mattered was the here and now and enjoying the gift of Frankie’s company while he was lucky enough to have it.

24

Frankie had expected to spend the day with Ed, and at first she’d been disappointed when he’d taken her to one side after breakfast and told her he needed to keep an eye out for Rick because his brother was absolutely swamped keeping everything on track. It didn’t take her long to get over it and she liked the fact he was willing to put his family first. Given the way Rick’s phone had rung all through breakfast, it was clear he needed all the help he could get, so Frankie had smiled and sent Ed on his way with a kiss and a promise they’d catch up for lunch.

There were still a couple of hours before the event started so she made herself useful where she could, helping Anya and Chloe set up their stall and keeping them, Rick, Ed and Matt well supplied with hot drinks from the café. Liam had headed to the hotel straight after breakfast to keep an eye on things there, but the counter in The Cosy Coffee Pot was in safe hands because Issy’s grandmother, Maud, had shown up and taken control. Though she must’ve been well into her seventies, if not a bit older, Maud was an absolute livewire from the top of her bright pink bobbed hair to the tips of the sequin-covered boots on her feet. Her enviably slender hips were poured into a pair of stone-washed drainpipe jeans and beneath her apron she wore a pink and purple tie-dyed top that somehow managed not to clash with her hair. Christmas-tree earrings complete with tiny flashing lights dangled from her ears.

Frankie had met her a couple of times before and adored her. She’d also made a secret wish to grow old like Maud one day, full of fun and with absolutely zero fucks to give about what anyone else thought about her. ‘I was so happy when Issy told me you were staying on for a couple more weeks,’ Maud told her as she pressed several takeaway cups into a cardboard holder. ‘I know she has the others, but I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many friends.’ She smiled at Frankie as she secured the last cup. ‘I can tell how much your friendship means to her from the way she talks about you.’

A warm glow spread through Frankie. ‘That’s very sweet of you to say so, and Issy means a lot to me too.’

‘It must be hard keeping in touch with people, what with you moving around all over the place for your work.’ There was a perceptive gleam in Maud’s eye that made Frankie want to shift uncomfortably. She might look a bit wacky, but Maud was nobody’s fool.

‘It can be hard,’ Frankie found herself admitting. ‘But I love what I do.’

‘Loving your job is important,’ Maud agreed. ‘But don’t forget what they say about all work and no play. Anyway, it’s a good thing you’re having a little break to enjoy the holidays. I hear you’re joining us on Christmas Day, so that’ll be nice.’

Frankie’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘You’ll be at the Penroses’ too?’

Maud laughed. ‘Of course I will, my darling, I’m a Penrose myself in all but name. I shacked up with the boys’ great-uncle, Davy, last year, for my sins.’ The sparkle in her eye told Frankie she was very much enjoying being a sinner.

Feeling a bit dazed, Frankie wove her way through the building crowds in search of Ed and the others. They weren’t hard to spot as Matt was halfway up a stepladder fixing a sign that had come loose on one of the lamp posts. She waited until they’d finished then handed him, Ed and Rick a coffee each. ‘You’re a lifesaver,’ Rick said with a tired smile that made her worry how he was going to get through the day and stay on his feet.

‘It’s the least I can do and it doesn’t feel like nearly enough.’

‘It’ll slow down once the fayre gets going,’ Matt said as he propped his steps against the seawall, sat beside them and took a sip of his coffee. ‘That hits the spot,’ he added with a grateful smile. He jerked his thumb at the space next to him. ‘Sit your arse down for five minutes, Rick. The world won’t fall apart if you take a quick break.’

Rick sank down beside him and stretched his legs out with a sigh. ‘I’m hoping it’s just everyone having a last-minute flap and they’ll be too busy once we open to fuss over every little thing.’ His phone rang, but before he could answer it Ed snatched it out of his hand.

‘Hello, Rick’s phone. No, he’s busy, what’s up?’

Frankie had to bite her lip so as not to laugh as Rick flailed in vain to reach his phone. As though they’d agreed the action in advance, Ed took a couple of steps back while Matt placed a beefy arm across Rick’s chest to prevent him from standing up.

Ed listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone then said, ‘There’s a box of cable ties under Chloe’s stall. A couple of them should do the trick. Yep. No probs. Bye.’ He hung up and tucked the phone in his coat pocket. ‘You can have it back once you’ve finished your coffee,’ he told Rick, then took Frankie’s hand and led her over to a gap on the seawall a few feet away. He spread his thighs wide, making room for her to stand between them. ‘You sure you’re going to be all right on your own?’ he asked as he placed his free hand on her hip. It was like he couldn’t be near her without needing to touch her.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she promised him, placing a hand on his shoulder because she couldn’t not touch him either. ‘I’ve been having a good nose around and there’s loads of stalls I want to explore properly once they open. I’ve already checked out the wreath-making and the lady running it let me sneak my name onto the sign-up sheet for eleven o’clock.’

‘I’ll come and find you there, and when you’re finished we can ask Harry if we can pop it out the back somewhere in the cookery school so it’s safe.’ Ed took a sip of his coffee then offered her the cup.