Chapter 27

The voices drew closer and moments later, Alice appeared in the doorway, looking flustered and short of breath.

Stella's mouth fell open. ‘Mum! I thought you couldn't make it?'

‘Sorry, lovey, I didn't think I was going to be able to.' Alice glanced around the room, wringing her hands together. ‘But it looks like I'm too late anyway. Or didn't he turn up?'

‘If you mean Johan, oh, he turned up all right.' Pim rolled his eyes. ‘Left in a bit of a hurry not five-minutes ago.'

Alice's face fell. ‘Oh, I'm so sorry, Stella, sweetheart. I got here as quickly as I could.'

‘It's okay, Mum.' Stella didn't like seeing her usually confident mother looking so harassed. Johan de Groote most certainly wasn't worth that.

‘Can I get you a coffee, Alice?' Bill asked, resting his hand on her arm.

Stella spoke before her mum could reply. ‘Actually, Bill, you've been so kind, but I think I've taken up enough of your time; you'll need to open the bar soon. I think I should head back to my apartment, get my head around all we've heard this morning. I can update my mum there. If you've got time, that is, Mum? There's quite a lot to tell.'

‘I've got time, sweetheart. My car's parked just outside, I'll drive us there.'

Stella smiled at her mum, feeling a rush of love for her. It meant more than she could express that she'd turned up, even though she'd missed Johan. And a part of Stella was actually glad she had. Something told her he'd do all he could to get under her mum's skin. Stella would have hated that, especially now Rhys was in the picture; she didn't want Johan to cause problems there. She found herself thinking he wasn't a patch on Rhys.

Stella and her mum were heading up the steps to her apartment when they encountered Alex making his way down with a jaunty-looking Fred on the end of a lead. They paused on the half-landing, the Labrador wagging his tail happily, evidently pleased to see Stella.

‘Hi there, Fred.' She bent, giving him a sound pat. She noted Alex was looking achingly handsome in a V-neck sweater, the white of a T-shirt peering in the gap, and a pair of well-fitting jeans. His familiar aroma sent her senses dancing.

‘Stella, how are you doing?' he said, resting his hand on her arm, concerned eyes searching her face.

‘I'm fine, thanks.' She smiled up at him. ‘Are you and Fred off out for a walk?' Her heart flipped as their eyes met. It was quickly followed by a warning note that threaded its way through her thoughts. Since meeting her father her doubts about relationships had begun to gain strength.

‘We are. I've just got back from seeing a client, thought I'd whisk this lad out before I head out on my next appointment.' His gaze switched to Alice. ‘Hello there.' He smiled, giving her a polite nod.

‘Hello,' said Alice.

‘Oh, how rude of me. I'm so sorry. Been a bit of a morning.' Stella rolled her eyes at her lack of manners. ‘Mum, this is my neighbour, Alex. Alex, this is my mum, Alice.'

‘Good to meet you, Alice.' Alex held out his hand.

Alice took it. ‘Hello, there Alex, it's good to meet you too.' She gave her daughter an enquiring smile. Stella quickly averted her gaze.

‘Right well, much as I'd love to catch up with you,' he said, looking meaningfully at Stella, ‘I'm afraid I'm going to have to dash or I won't make my appointment.'

‘Oh, yes, of course.'

‘Catch up later?' he asked.

‘Yeah, that would be good.' Stella was conscious of her mum observing the interaction.

‘Great. I'll give you a knock when I'm back.'

‘He seems nice,' Alice said, once they were in Stella's apartment, the door safely closed behind them. ‘Didn't I see him sitting with you at The Cellar last night?'

‘Yes, he is nice, and yes you did.' Stella busied herself filling the coffee machine with fresh water, doing her best to ignore the knowing glint in her mother's eyes. She didn't want to offer any further explanation right now, there was enough for them to discuss without her mum quizzing her about Alex and her feelings for him.

With the coffee made, mother and daughter made their way over to the sofa. Alice, who'd been stunned when Stella had told her how she'd discovered Pim was her half-brother, listened intently as her daughter recounted the conversation she and Pim had had with Johan de Groote, her eyes growing wide at his arrogant comments. There was a lighter moment when Stella had mentioned how he'd compared himself to a champion stud. Alice had almost choked on her mouthful of coffee, the two of them falling about laughing once she'd recovered. ‘Oh my days! I can just see him saying that too.' Tears of mirth had fallen down Alice's cheeks. ‘Champion stud indeed. That man always did have an inflated ego.'

It had been a different matter when Stella had touched on the fact he couldn't remember the age of his twins.

‘Shameful! Sounds like he doesn't get any better,' Alice said, not hiding the bitterness in her voice.

‘What did you see in him, Mum? If he was always like that, I'm amazed you gave him the time of day. He's so not you. I can't picture you together at all.' She stopped short of saying how he was nothing like Rhys.

‘Ah, but he knew how to turn on the charm – still does if his string of prodigy scattered around Europe is anything to go by,' Alice said with a shake of her head.

‘Hmm. Good point. Having said that, I didn't see any evidence of his charm today. He was pretty heavy-handed with the self-pity though. So unappealing.'

They sat thoughtful for a moment, sipping their coffee. Alice eventually broke the silence.

‘I don't regret the time I had with him, you know.' She looked directly at her daughter.

‘You don't?' Stella wore an expression of disbelief. How on this earth could her lovely mum not regret wasting time on such a man?

‘How could I when he gave me the best thing that's ever happened to me? If I hadn't had my time with him, I wouldn't have you, lovey. And that's something I wouldn't change for the world.' She reached for Stella's hand, wrapping her fingers around it and squeezing it gently. ‘From the very first moment I set eyes on you, oh my days, I couldn't believe the overwhelming feeling of love that just washed over me with an almighty whoosh!' She chuckled. ‘Honestly, it knocked me for six. And if anyone had told me the love I felt then could grow stronger, I wouldn't have believed it was possible. But that's exactly what it's done. The love I have for you, my darling… well, I can't even begin to put it into words.'

Stella felt her throat tighten. ‘Oh, Mum.' Tears started burning at the back of her eyes.

‘I mean it, lovey. I often find myself thinking about it. And I know I don't say it as often as I should, but I'm so very proud of you, sweetheart. I'm proud of what you've achieved with your sheer hard work and determination, and proud of the wonderful, kind-hearted and thoroughly decent young woman you've become.'

Stella had been battling to compose herself but her mum's words caught her off guard, tipping her tears over the edge. She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

‘Oh, lovey, I didn't mean to make you cry,' Alice said softly. She inched closer to her daughter, rubbing soothing swirls over her back as Stella's tears flowed.

Finally composing herself, Stella swiped her tears away with her fingers and sniffed. ‘Ughh! I'm not sure where that came from.' Her voice was still thick with emotion. ‘But thank you, Mum, your words mean a lot. I feel the same about you. You've been an amazing role model for me – mind, you do set the bar pretty, flippin' high.' They both chuckled at that. ‘And when I look at what you've achieved on your own, without any help from anyone, I'm in complete awe.'

‘You were my motivation,' her mum said. ‘I just wanted to give you the best of everything without having to rely on anyone else.'

‘And, after meeting my father, I can understand why you didn't want him in our lives.'

Alice stroked her hand over her daughter's hair. ‘I was just terrified he would hurt you, but looking at it now, I can see my protective instinct went into overdrive, mushroomed out of proportion. I was worried he'd work his infamous charm on you, suck you in, and then do one of his vanishing acts. As a child, that would have been absolutely devastating for you. I never wanted you to have to experience that.' Alice sighed. ‘But I can understand by not telling you about him, it must have been incredibly frustrating for you. All I can say in my defence was that it came from a place of love.'

‘I can see that now, and it doesn't matter anymore. I've met him. I'm not sure how long he'll stay in Micklewick Bay for. I'll probably meet him again, but I can't see my feelings changing towards him, if I'm honest,' she said matter-of-factly, her eyes still puffy with tears. ‘I can't speak for Pim, of course; I don't know what their relationship is like or how long they've actually been in contact for. I kind of get a feeling it's not been long.'

‘Well, from what I've seen of Pim, he's a nice lad,' Alice said. ‘I think you'll like having him in your life.'

Stella's mind ran over her mum's words. She was right, Pim was a nice lad, with his easy-going nature, ready smile and kind heart. And though the thought of having someone else she was related to living close by felt a little odd, there was also something so very appealing about it. ‘Yes, I think I will.'

They looked at one another and smiled.

‘I'm just glad you're okay, lovey.' Alice pulled her daughter into a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

‘It's going to take more than Johan de Groote to bring me down, Mum,' Stella said jokingly. She felt a sudden pang of guilt rush over her as she recalled how she'd been snooping in her mother's bedroom. Snooping! The word didn't sit well with her at all. She'd have to confess her misdemeanour to her mum at some point; she needed to get it off her chest, but now didn't feel like the right time. But should she mention the letter she'd found? She wasn't so sure about that either. It was probably best left for now, especially as it no longer served a purpose; Stella was in full possession of her father's name and his whereabouts! She didn't even want to think how she was going to get it back to where she'd found it. She only hoped her mother wouldn't go looking for it before then.

‘That's good to hear.' Alice sat back and drew in a shaky breath, glancing at Stella.

‘You okay, Mum?'

‘Well, as we're having a day of getting everything out in the open, I have something to tell you.' Alice swallowed nervously, her fingers knotting in her lap.

Stella's heart started pounding.