Sea Glass (WAYHAUGHT)

Sorry

Monday morning arrived, bringing with it more rain. Shortly before eleven, Waverly could be seen trudging towards the Harbour Tavern, draped in one of Ward's fishing macs. Another same old, same old week lay ahead, her nose registering the familiar tang of beer as she let herself into the pub. Her sister should have been there to moan at her, while performing the start of the week ritual of restocking the bar. This particular morning, she was nowhere to be seen.

The compact flat above the pub was where Wynonna, Doc and Alice lived. Hardly a place to bring up a small child, which was why Alice spent most of her time at their parents' house, under the ever-loving gaze of their mother. Ward would babysit Alice occasionally, if bad weather prevented him from going out in his battered old boat. The family were forever nagging him to get something a little less leaky, or call it a day. He wouldn't listen, not even to Doc, who wasn't the sort to tell another man what to do, much less a Cornish fisherman.

Beer kegs checked, taps tested, Waverly took up position behind the bar, ready for an onslaught of tourists. Fifteen minutes later, no sign of Wynonna, she sent a text to find out where she'd got to. No reply. Two hours after opening, Waverly's patience had worn tissue-thin. Not that she needed her sister, only it wasn't like Wynonna to fail to let her know where she might be, or leave her to serve solo.

She guessed her sister must still be upstairs with Alice. Why she couldn't pop down to tell her, or phone, or send a text. The sudden ping of her phone tensed her muscles, huffing when she saw it was Nicole asking if she was free. Of course she wasn't free. If Nicole needed her at Sally's she couldn't go. If she didn't need her, why would she even text? Did everyone expect her to do everything in this village? And, why the hell wasn't Wynonna downstairs helping?

A smiling Nicole in the doorway, half an hour later, was both charming and infuriating. "Hi, err...I was just passing. Have you had lunch yet?"

Waverly stared at her. "I'm on my own."

Nicole stared back. "Only I...there were some leftovers from yesterday. I thought we could..."

Waverly spotted the Lobb's cool bag in Nicole's hand.

"I was going to suggest a picnic." She turned to view the weather outside. "Does it ever stop raining?"

"Wyn's buggered off, won't answer her phone. What if there's an emergency? Or one of the pumps stops. She knows I can't move a keg on my own."

"Did you want me to move it?"

"No," Waverly snapped. "Sorry, thank you. It's fine. Sorry. Thank you."

"You've said that. You sure I can't help?"

Waverly exhaled loudly. "Sorry, and thank you for last night. The food was delicious."

"About that. I was thinking-"

Waverly's phone rang. Her sister's name appeared. "Where are you?"

"Be right down."

"Don't bother."

"It's not exactly busy."

Nicole waited for Waverly to finish. "So, I was thinking, if you came a little earlier, I could-"

"Sorry, what?"

"If you came in a little earlier...for food, I could-"

"How can I? Looks like my sister has decided I can do this on my own. Not busy. I'll give her not busy. Fudging checking on me, and couldn't be bothered to walk downstairs and tell me what's going on."

"Err...so, would that be okay?"

"Sorry, what would be okay?"

"You cooking."