Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

the same, Kathy thought, she wished she had the courage to call him. The truth was, she had never needed Tom more than she did now.

      They both turned at the creak of the front door inching open.

      It was Jasper, his hairy face and bright eyes peering through the gap he’d made. ‘It’s midday,’ he reminded them. ‘Time for summat to eat.’ Like Rosie, he had Kathy’s welfare at heart.

      Rosie gave him a wink. ‘Come to take us somewhere exciting, have ye?’

      He winked back. ‘You’ll have to wait an’ see, won’t you?’

      Rosie had her own ideas. ‘The foyer of a posh hotel, and a pile of cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off,’ she suggested, ‘with a couple of tight-panted waiters obeying our every command.’

      ‘Hmh!’ Jasper laughed out loud. ‘That’s ’cause yer man-mad, you little hussy!’

      Arriving from the inner office, the manager urged that they should not be gone longer than an hour. ‘There’s a mountain of paperwork to go through – apart from the filing – right down to the last receipt.’ He groaned. ‘After that, every caravan wants cleaning and making ready for the winter.’

      Rosie moaned. ‘I thought you were taking on a couple of part-timers to do that?’

      ‘I’ve changed my mind.’ Leaning on the counter, he grumbled, ‘It’s all right for you two. You’ve got a whole month off to do as you please. I’ll have to stay here, keeping an eye on the place.’

      ‘You’ll be all right, so ye will.’ Rosie had to have the last word. ‘No doubt you’ll be helping yourself to a tot of booze from the bar whenever the mood takes ye!’ She laughed. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t have a woman here to keep ye company an’ all.’

      ‘Hey!’ Wagging a finger at her, he warned, ‘Unless you want me to take a firm hand with you, you’d better watch that wicked tongue of yours.’

      Giving him the glad eye, Rosie winked at him. ‘Is that a threat or a promise?’

      ‘I don’t make promises.’

      ‘Shame!’

      He blushed bright scarlet. ‘Go on with you. And make sure you’re back within the hour.’

      Grabbing their coats, they went outside with Jasper. ‘Where are we going?’ Being as they only had an hour, Kathy thought they might just have a sandwich at the bar.

      ‘Don’t be so hasty, lass,’ Jasper said with a grin. ‘Look at what I’ve got.’ Rounding the corner, he pointed down the street. ‘Ladies! Your chariot awaits.’

      At first Kathy couldn’t see what he meant, but then she saw and couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘That’s not yours, is it, Jasper?’ He had been known to play a few tricks on the odd occasion, and she thought this was one.

      Rosie looked down the street and saw it too, then she looked at Jasper. She saw the mischievous twinkle in his eye and laughed out loud. ‘Why, ye old bugger, you!’ With her high heels clattering against the pavement, she went running down the street, whooping and hollering and frightening the pigeons. ‘Jasper’s got a car –’ she wanted the whole world to know – ‘and a green one at that!’

      Kathy was amazed. ‘What made you get a Morris Minor?’ she asked with a chuckle.

      ‘I just fancied going a bit mad, that’s all.’ He grinned from ear to ear. ‘I allus wanted a car, and when I passed me test I could never afford one. I’ve saved over the years … not a lot, mind you, but enough to treat mesel’ in me twilight years. It’s not a new one but it’s in good nick.’

      Clustered round the car, a few stragglers were taking an envious look over it. He told Kathy, ‘She’s so sweet, I’ve give her a name.’

      Sliding her arm through his, she said softly, ‘Go on then … you can tell me.’

      Patting her hand affectionately, he declared with pride, ‘Her name’s Dorothy. After me very first girlfriend.’ He blushed at the memory.

      Reaching up, Kathy gave him a kiss. ‘I think that’s a lovely name,’ she said, ‘and I think you’re lovely too.’

      She had never seen Jasper blush before, but today he had blushed twice. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had fallen for someone.

      ‘Come on then, lass.’ Propelling her forward, he opened the doors and invited them in.

      It was quite a squeeze, with Rosie almost on Jasper’s knee and Kathy trapped between the seats. They managed to climb aboard, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

      ‘Right then, Dorothy, lass.’ Starting the engine, Jasper urged her on. ‘Let’s see what yer med of!’

      It was a stuttering take-off, and when the little car leapt over the bumps in the road, Rosie twice banged her head and wouldn’t stop laughing. Kathy found herself doubled up, and Jasper accidentally put his foot on the brake, sending them forward to within an inch of the windscreen. ‘Will yer look at that?’ he shouted. ‘I allus knew Dorothy was a goer!’

      As they went off down the street, the sound of their laughter echoed from the walls. And though she had not intended it, Kathy found herself laughing until the tears fell. It was the first time she had laughed like that since before Tom left.

      Arriving in Bridport, Jasper had three goes at trying to park. The first was when his front tyre went up the kerb and they all fell to one side and couldn’t get out.

      The second time he was moved on by an irate householder with a yard-broom who chased them all the way down the street, yelling at the top of her voice, ‘Be off, and take that ugly monstrosity with you!’

      When finally he got parked and they all tumbled out, Kathy realised they were right outside the café that Mabel’s husband owned. She couldn’t understand it. The place was closed down.

      While Jasper was locking up his precious ‘Dorothy’, she spoke to a passer-by, who told her, ‘His wife left him, then he went off with some floozy. Mind you, he won’t get much money for that place. It’s not been the same since poor Mabel moved away.’

      Kathy nodded. She had heard how that bully of a husband of hers was not doing so well, especially since the news got out of how he beat poor Mabel senseless. Serves him right, she thought. I hope the floozy gives him a run for his money.

      After travelling for most of the day, Tom was on the last leg of his journey.

      Disembarking from the train in Weymouth, he glanced up at the station clock. It was already quarter to five. He had a half-hour wait for the bus and another half-hour journey before he got into West Bay. The one and only thing on his mind right now was Kathy.

      When the bus arrived he climbed on board, gave the conductor the required fare and took his ticket with thanks.

      Hitching his ticket-machine higher up his shoulder, the conductor walked on, stopping at each seat to see if there was anyone else wanting a ticket. When there wasn’t, he came and sat down opposite Tom, eyes closed and for all the world looking like he might be having a crafty kip.

      Tom smiled. The poor bloke looks done in, he thought. So when they stopped to collect more passengers, and he spied the familiar uniform of a bus inspector, he gently tapped the conductor on the leg. ‘Time to wake up,’ he whispered, and by the time the inspector got on board the conductor was wide awake and tending to his duties ‘like a good ’un’, as Jasper might have said.

      When the bus stopped at West Bay, the inspector got off just before Tom. ‘Thanks for that, mate,’ the conductor told him. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, he’d have caught me good and proper.’

      Tom told him it was no problem, and that he was glad to have been of help.

      When the bus moved off, Tom was still