Down London Road (On Dublin Street 2)

Glowing under her compliment, I rinsed the plates quickly and then put them in the dishwasher. By the time I turned around, Lena had already piled a mound of pancakes on to two plates.

‘Grab the syrups.’ She nodded to the bottles of golden and chocolate syrup.

I followed her back into the dining room and sat down, watching as everyone dug in, ignoring Bryn, who wandered from one seat to the next, her gorgeous brown eyes begging someone to drop a piece of pancakey goodness. I took one pancake to be polite, tore a piece off, and dangled it surreptitiously under the table. A gentle doggy mouth gobbled it up, licking my fingers for good measure. I immediately reached for one of the napkins in the centre of the table, ignoring Cam’s knowing smile.

‘Cam said he’s applied for a graphics job in the city,’ Andy told Lena as she settled down at her own place.

‘Oh, that’s good, son. What company is it for?’

‘It’s a website company,’ Cam replied after swallowing a mouthful of food. ‘It’s not much more money than the bar, but I’d be doing what I enjoy.’

‘And it’s better than having to commute to Glasgow or move down south,’ I added, my chest squeezing at the thought of Cam leaving.

‘True,’ Lena agreed.

‘I won’t be moving,’ Cam assured us – or me, rather, smiling at me with heat in his eyes that was unbelievably embarrassing in front of his parents. ‘I like my neighbours too much.’

I blushed, smiling.

‘Dude,’ Cole muttered, shaking his head.

‘What do you mean, dude?’ Cam asked, affronted that Cole had insinuated he wasn’t cool. ‘That was as smooth as you get, bud.’

‘Aye.’ Andy nodded, cutting a hearty bite of pancake soaked in syrup as he winked at his wife. ‘Learned it from the best.’

Before we left for the day we decided to take Bryn to the beach. It wasn’t a perfect beach. It was typical of the area, covered in pebbles, mussels, icky seaweed and seagulls. Bryn immediately took off after the gulls, diving into the cold water without a care, doggy tongue dangling from her mouth in absolute delight. It was cute that she thought the seagulls were playing with her when in truth they were barely aware of her presence until she yipped at them to say hello and frightened them into moving along. Almost like what Braden must have thought of me when we first met. I’d gushed all over him like an idiot, so determined to land the perfect man that I’d been blind to his infatuation with Joss.

As I strolled with Andy at my side, Lena, Cole and Cam off in front, playing with Bryn, I wondered who that person was that had acted like such a fool over a guy. I didn’t recognize her. I didn’t know her and I never wanted to meet her ever again.

Thanks to Cam, I didn’t think there was a remote possibility that I would.

‘He’s happy,’ Andy suddenly said, his voice low so it wouldn’t carry on the wind that was whipping my hair past my cheeks.

I tucked it behind my ear, throwing him a quizzical look. ‘Cameron?’

Andy nodded, giving me a smile, one that reached his eyes, one that was full of a surprising amount of affection. ‘I knew from the way he spoke about you on the phone that you were different. Meeting you, though, seeing you together, I know.’

Confused, I slowed down while my heart sped up. ‘Know what?’

‘My son has always been a private person. He has his family and Nathaniel and Gregor, and that’s always been enough for him. There have been girlfriends, obviously, ones he was close to, but he’s always kept his circle tight, excluding them and not even realizing it.’ Andy grinned again, his eyes on Cam, who was walking with his arm wrapped around his mum’s shoulders, grinning down into her face. ‘Not you, though. You’re in. And Cameron is … well, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.’

My heart lurched, my breath stuttering as I focused on Cam, loving the way he moved, powerful, at ease with himself, confident. Not to mention his easy affection with people, his ability to reveal how he felt about someone without caring what anyone else thought. ‘You think?’

‘Yup.’ Andy nudged me with his shoulder, a move Cameron had obviously unconsciously developed from watching his dad. ‘I’m glad he met you, Johanna.’

All the tension melted out of my shoulders and I relaxed. ‘Me too,’ I whispered, unable to mask my feelings.

Before Andy could ask me whatever probing question was brimming in his eyes, my phone rang. I apologized and tugged it out of my jacket pocket. It was Joss.

My heart stopped.

Mum?

‘Hello?’ I answered a little breathlessly.

‘Hey, you.’ Joss’s voice was quiet, unsteady.

I felt sick. ‘Is everything okay? Is Mum okay?’

‘God, yes.’ She hurried to reassure me. ‘I’m actually calling to tell you something.’

That sounded slightly ominous. ‘Something?’

‘Well … Braden proposed to me yesterday.’

WHAT? ‘Oh, my God.’

‘I said yes.’

‘What?’ I laughed happily, hearing her throaty and quite obviously pleased chuckle on the other end of the line. ‘I’m so happy for you! Congratulations, hon, and tell Braden I said “about time”!’

Her laughter warmed my frozen cheeks. ‘I will. Look, Ellie is already planning a dreaded engagement party, so, um, we’ll talk when you get back. Hope “meeting the parents weekend” has gone well.’

‘Very well. Not as well as your weekend, obviously.’