Granddad's Cup of Tea

By Amy Rae Durreson

Widower Ewan lives a quiet life in his country village, helping out with his grandchildren and dodging his daughter's attempts to improve his social life by signing him up for every retirement club she can find. When he meets Alex, newly bereaved and taking his first tentative steps into living out and proud after a lifetime in the closet, Ewan reaches out to offer sympathy. As their friendship deepens, Ewan finds himself questioning both his own identity and the nature of his feelings for Alex. But is it too late for a second chance at love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amy Rae Durreson
• Release date: Jul 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781999744601

Amy Rae Durreson

Amy Rae Durreson is a quiet Brit with a degree in early English literature, which she blames for her somewhat medieval approach to spelling, and at various times has been fluent in Latin, Old English, Ancient Greek, and Old Icelandic, though these days she mostly uses this knowledge to bore her students. Amy started her first novel a quarter of a century ago and has been scribbling away ever since. Despite these long years of experience, she has yet to master the arcane art of the semicolon. She was a winner in the 2017 Rainbow Awards.

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GRANDDAD’S CUP OF TEA

AMY RAE DURRESON

Copyright © Amy Rae Durreson 2019

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Table of Contents

About This Book

Granddad's Cup of Tea

Other books by Amy Rae Durreson

About the Author

About This Book

Granddad's Cup of Tea was first released in Dreamspinner Press's Snow on the Roof anthology in 2013.

LIKE many of the most important discoveries in his life, Ewan found out the truth about Alex Tregarron from one of his grandchildren.

And then, Kayla said indignantly, not even taking a breath as they reached the steepest stretch of Chapel Hill, Maddy said that if I didn’t say it was Jess who didn’t clean the paintbrushes, she wouldn’t be my friend. Can I do the next one, Granddad?

Of course, Ewan huffed, fishing the next newspaper from the bright orange sack slung over his shoulder. Kayla darted off down the drive, and Ewan took a breather.

She came back all too soon, the little lights in her shoes flashing as she bounced with every step. Where next?

Just the top house.

That’s where the sad man lives, Kayla informed him. Why’s he always sad?

Runbourne was just small enough a village that Ewan could answer that. He’s sad because his brother died. You remember Mr. Peter, don’t you? He used to bring the hand bells into school.

Kayla’s face cleared in recognition. He was fat. And he was funny and he had a great big beard.

So he did, Ewan agreed, grinning. Peter Tregarron had been a well-known local character. Like Carole, Ewan’s wife, he had been involved in everything. His brother Alex was far more reserved, and Ewan had never met him properly, though he knew his face.

Mummy says they were only pretending to be brothers, said Kayla, hopping over a crack in the pavement.

Startled, Ewan said, What’s that?

Because then they could live together and have the same surname, and no one would mind. Granddad, isn’t that silly?

Why silly? Ewan asked, as his mind whirled.

If you want to share someone’s name, you shouldn’t do pretending. You should just marry them.

So you should, agreed Ewan. As she skipped ahead, he looked up at the beautiful Victorian house he had always envied, and felt his heart go out to the poor bastard still living there. He’d lost half his world when Carole died, and he couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if no one knew what you’d lost.

Then, while he was still turning the idea around in his mind, transforming jovial Peter from a lifelong bachelor to a man hiding his true self, they turned up the path to Hill House just as Alex Tregarron came out of the front door with his dog.

Ooooh, breathed Kayla, bouncing forward. What’s his name? Can I stroke him?

She’s called Saffy, Tregarron said, and you may, so long as you’re gentle. He looked enquiringly at Ewan.

Uncomfortable with a stranger, especially as he’d just been speculating about the man’s domestic life, Ewan hefted his bag defensively