Summer Loving Read Free

brown trousers were obviously new, and the additional weight on his formerly thin frame spoke of good food and happiness.
    ‘Has Mor been down? I didn’t see her.’
    ‘No, she stopped over with Father. He wasn’t up to coming and he dearly like her company. Annie’s good as gold,’ he added, glancing across at the rangy figure in a faded blue shirt, her hair gathered on top of her head in an untidy bun. ‘But –’ he lowered his voice. ‘She got her partic’lar way.’
    Jess found his tact touching. ‘She certainly has. All ready for the wedding?’ She was touched to see his colour deepen.
    ‘Six weeks today. Can’t come soon enough for me. I want everything perfect for her.’
    ‘We all do, Ben. You’ve both waited a long time.’
    ‘Listen, I don’t want to hold you up, only I didn’t know who to ask, and Mor think the world of you, so ...’
    Jess laid her hand on his arm. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
    He blew out a breath. ‘’Course you don’t. Sorry. See, what it is, Father have offered me his mother’s engagement ring for Mor. Some pretty it is. Here, I got a photo.’ Pulling a mobile out of his trouser pocket, he caught Jess’s surprise.
    ‘Mor bought the phone for my birthday, dear of her.’ His expression mirrored the warmth in his voice. A tractor driver working for the Stevens family farm on the edge of the village, his face was weathered by sun and wind. Deep lines fanned from the outer corners of eyes the colour of bluebells.
    ‘I can let her know what time I’ll get home if she’s cooking tea for me and Father. We sometimes have a bit of chat lunchtime too. ’Tis always long days on the farm in summer. Soon as we finish cutting silage and hay, ’tis time to harvest oats and barley.’ He found the photo he was looking for and turned the phone so Jess could see.
    The ring was a sapphire flanked by two diamonds on a gold shank. ‘Ben, that’s beautiful.’
    ‘I’d have it cleaned and resized so it fit her proper. Only I’m worried Mor might not want something that belonged to someone else. But see, I couldn’t afford nothing so pretty as that.’
    ‘Was your grandparents’ marriage a happy one, Ben?’
    ‘Oh, yes.’ He nodded. ‘Thought the world of each other they did. It wasn’t easy for ’em, mind. They lost two boys to the scarlet fever and a baby girl to whooping cough. But with Father and his brother John still home they had to get on with it. Then when John was eighteen he caught pneumonia. There wasn’t the drugs like they got now and he died. Father was the only one left and that’s how he came to have his mother’s ring. So what do you think?’
    Jess was unable to imagine how any mother coped with losing four of her five children. ‘Would you like me to talk to Mor? Ask what she thinks of the idea of heirloom rings instead of new ones? I can say it’s something I read about.’
    ‘Be a proper job that would. Sure you don’t mind?’
    ‘Of course I don’t. Just between us, if it was me I’d be really proud to wear that ring.’
    His smile was tinged with anxiety. ‘I dearly hope Mor think so.’
    By eight that evening Jess had spent a couple of hours in the garden, had a shower, eaten a ham and egg salad, and was finishing the dishes when her mobile rang. Recognising the number, she was smiling as she took the call.
    ‘Hello, Tom. Did you have a good day?’ Tom, his son Chris, Doug, his deputy at the boatyard, and Viv’s son-in-law, Darren, were up at Fowey racing in the workboat class.
    ‘Fantastic. We were lying third most of the way. But Lily lost the wind going round the last marker. We shot through and came in second.’
    ‘Well done!’
    ‘We’re going up to the pub for a drink and a meal. We’ll stop there tonight. I hope Doug don’t snore. Fair go all right, did it?’
    ‘Everyone’s saying it’s been one of the best. The weather was lovely so we had a great turnout. I think all the stalls have made more