Page 74 of A Winter Wish

“Yes, nearly,” Shauna said, her tone a little too bright. Lexie had a momentary flare of sympathy for her. “You head on through to the dining room and I’ll bring everything in. Can I get anyone a drink?”

“I’ll have a beer, if you’re offering,” Theo said.

Shauna pursed her lips. “It’s lunchtime, Theo. I’ve made some lovely elderflower cordial, though.”

“That sounds great,” Lexie said quickly, because she saw Theo go to open his mouth again—and she knew that argumentative look. He cocked one eyebrow down at her, like he knew what she was doing.

Shauna served drinks and an entire Sunday roast on the world’s biggest dining table, so that even though they were all sat down at one end of it, it still felt like they were very far apart from one another. Shauna and Patrick sat on one side, Theo and Lexie on the other, and Lexie was put in mind of a formal board meeting—or a job interview. The roast was incredible—a joint of beef, complete with impeccable roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, creamed leeks, and Yorkshire puddings. How had Shauna been able to get all this ready in time—and still look as immaculate as she did?

“So, Theo,” Shauna said brightly, stretching to place more potatoes onto Lexie’s plate across the table, “how are things? You’re here for work? Is it still that travel agency you’re working for, then?”

Theo tore off a chunk of his Yorkshire pudding, dunked it in gravy.

Lexie saw the look Shauna gave him at that, but she didn’t say anything.

“Yeah. Still there.”

Lexie started eating with gusto, partly to try to cover up the awkwardness.

“So, you’re sticking with it, are you?” Patrick said, folding a napkin neatly on his lap.

Theo shrugged, but Lexie saw the brittleness in that action. “I enjoy it.”

“Haven’t you thought about what we talked about last time, darling?” Shauna asked. “I have a friend who has a contact at that firm in London if you—”

“I’m good. Thanks.”

“You haven’t grown out of it yet, then?” Patrick asked, surveying Theo over the fork of beef he lifted to his mouth. “Don’t want to settle down and do something serious?”

“He owns half the business,” Lexie said, unable to stop herself. She felt herself redden as both of his parents looked at her, a little baffled. But seriously—grow out of it? It was like what people said to her when they asked why she was still traveling around, why she hadn’t gotten a proper job yet. Only the judgment from Theo’s parents was worse, because he had settled down—he was good at running the business, and he had worked hard to keep it going.

“You own it?” Shauna repeated, looking back at Theo for confirmation.

“Lexie and I own it, yeah.” Theo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Lexie wondered if she should have just kept quiet—maybe there was a reason he hadn’t told his parents.

Shauna looked between them, frowning slightly, like she was trying to figure out the exact nature of their relationship.

You and me both, Shauna.

“How much is it worth?” Patrick asked, spearing a roast potato in a way that managed to make Lexie feel sorry for the potato.

“I don’t know yet, Dad.”

“Have you spoken to Cally since the wedding?”

“No, Mam.”

“Well, she’s doing very well. They went on a lovely honeymoon to the Maldives, and I think it won’t be long before we’ll have more news to celebrate. They’re looking to move house, and I heard on the grapevine they were looking around Rathfarnham, and you just know that’s because of the schools in the area.” She sighed. “I always wonder, if we’d sent you to school there…”

She trailed off, but the end of the sentence was implicit, and Lexie thought of how Theo had said before that his mum was big into wishes. Was this one of those—I wish we’d sent you to a different school, so that you’d have turned out differently? Was it about success? But he owned his own business now—surely you didn’t get much more successful than that? And he had a cool idea, to invest back into local businesses, even if that might not come off in time, but still…

She opened her mouth, but Theo caught her eye, shook his head ever so slightly. And really, she didn’t want to risk rocking the boat, did she?

“That’s nice for Cally,” Theo said, ignoring the second part of his mum’s sentence.

It went quiet for a moment, and the scrape of knives and forks on china made Lexie wish there was background music. She cleared her throat, trying to dispel some of the tension in the room. “This is delicious, Shauna.”

Shauna gave her a smile. “Thank you. I love cooking a roast—it’s so soothing. Do you cook, too?”