He decided to leave, since it would do no further good by debating the finer points of their divorce that she had taken the first move in. Daisy was waiting for him, playing with her phone.
"Was mum being awkward again?" she grinned at him.
"Leave it Daisy, she knows now, I promised Rose I would not hide us from anyone and that includes your mother but thanks for trying to cover."
"No problem Dad. So, it's now official is it? Good, I'm tired of you messing around, you needed to get your act together, I'm sure we'll get on. Do you think she'll like me though?"
"She knows about you but I've not told her what happened. Maybe you should tell her, if you want?" he suggested as they set off.
"I'll see, she might not want to know," Daisy replied.
"You'd be surprised," Alec replied, pressing her number and putting it on the speaker.
"Rose, we're on our way," he told her when she answered.
"Glad to hear it and tell Daisy I'm looking forward to meeting her properly."
"She heard you, we'll see you soon," he replied, Daisy pressing the 'End Call' button.
"Look at you Dad, you're acting more my age," Daisy smiled.
"Maybe I am, everyone in the station thinks I've had a personality change."
"Well maybe you should thank Rose for that?" Daisy asked him.
"I will," he replied.
"Then she must be really something and I'm glad you made up with her. I won't object if you want her to stay tonight but don't embarrass me, it's only a small flat. Will she be leaving in the morning?" she asked him as they neared the studio.
"Yes, she understands you spend the weekend with me but Daisy, that will have to change once we move, you know that?"
"Yeah, I get it but will she be moving with us?" Daisy wanted to know.
"I don't know but I don't like having to leave her, not now. Here we are, I park round the back now, I hope no-one took her parking spot, I had a traffic cone there but I took it back this morning."
Daisy laughed as they went around the back of the shops.
"Thought you wanted to call at the store?" he asked as they got out.
"That was just to rescue you from mum, you owe me," she laughed as she took his arm. "Come on then, no kissing in front of me, I'm not ready for that just yet. Why say you don't want to leave her now?"
"There was some trouble, now I'm not sure I can just leave her behind but she has a lease on the studio and the flat to get out of," he replied as they climbed the steps.
Daisy stopped him. "Dad, if you delay moving, I might not get in college," she reminded him.
"Yes, I'm aware of that," he replied, trying to keep his voice down. "I have to do what's best for both of you but Rose was trying to find someone who could either manage the studio for her or take over the business here and she'll start another in Broadchurch."
"Cool, do you think she'll let me help out?" Daisy asked, leaning on the rail.
"She asked if you wanted to help out until you leave," Alec replied, wondering if Rose could hear them.
"Did she? Yeah, I'd love to but how do I get here?" Daisy grinned.
"Directly from school?" he asked, going up to Rose's door and getting his key out, Daisy watching him.
"What?" he asked as he put it in the lock.
Rose heard the door opening.
"Hi, thought you two had got lost," she greeted them, going towards Daisy then going to hug the teenager. "Hi, nice to finally meet you again."
"Hi," Daisy grinned as Rose let go, thinking her dad's new girlfriend was a big hugger. "Dad's told me all about you."
"All good I hope?" she asked Alec, since it was his turn.
She saw the look on his face that said not to give him the usually greeting so she kissed his cheek, both her arms around his neck.
"Of course love. Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah, so am I coming back tonight?" she dared ask, trying to also look at Daisy.
"There's no need but we've had our warning," Alec replied, trying to move her.
"Gotcha, best behaviour then?" she smiled.
Daisy was already liking her but this was going to be difficult, not to talk about Rose in front of her mother, who had already been trying to get information out of both of them. She just hoped her dad was just as good at avoiding questions as he was at asking them.
When they all got back to Alec's flat, Rose and Daisy insisted they made something to eat, leaving Alec wondering what he'd been so nervous about the two of them meeting. He suggested they took Rose home in the morning and talk about Daisy maybe helping out for an hour or so every night.
"Are you still going to print your own photos or not?" he asked Rose.
"Well I started sending the addresses of the last few customers directly with their orders. That will keep some of the costs down and I'll only need one more delivery," Rose told him. "I'm not sure about printing my own, unless I got a better printer and that means more expense so I won't save anything."
"See how it goes then, if the customers are willing to pass their addresses on," Alec replied as they cleared up. "I suppose it will be down to them to send them out when you get someone to take over, no sense in getting started then changing again."
Rose agreed. "Yeah, I'll just let them do it then? Did ya ask Daisy about helping out?"
"There was no need love, she already asked me when I mentioned when you join us in Broadchurch you will be looking to open a studio there."
"Great, it'll have to be quick, I still have things to pay," Rose replied. "I never thought I'd be leaving so fast. I wanted to make a go of it here."
"You are love but think of all the tourists in Broadchurch. Just put a backdrop of the cliffs and the harbour and you will make a fortune and taking them yourself will save you buying them. Why don't you and Daisy talk about it?" he asked, putting the drying cloth down and going up to her. "Rose, I don't want you to worry about costs, I can help you but why not try and get someone to buy out the lease or at least be willing to take over all the costs?"
"Yeah but I still have the business loan to pay back and I can't unless I get somewhere quickly. If I can get someone to buy it, I can pay off the loan. I never thought I'd be wanting to do that."
"Not regretting anything are you?" he asked, his arms loosely around her neck and hoping Daisy wouldn't come into the kitchen.
"No, of course not Alec but I have things to consider and it could take a while and we only have four weeks. I asked the print shop owner if he knew anyone who might be interested and I'll put an ad in the paper but the studio was vacant for a while before I took it," Rose told him.
"Well you may have beaten someone to it love, you never know," he replied, pulling her closer. "If someone missed out, they may still be looking for somewhere."
"Yeah, maybe. So, what do you two have planned tomorrow then?" Rose asked, changing the subject.
"Ah, grocery shopping, now you are here," he grinned.
"Same for me, now you'll be coming around most nights. We could go together?" she suggested. "Saves me getting a taxi back then you two can go off somewhere."
"Let me talk to Daisy about that, she may agree to you coming with us, wherever we go," he replied, resting his chin on her head.
"No, you two spend some time together," Rose replied, resting in his shoulder.
"Rose, she already knows that when we move, she won't have the exclusive. I thought at first she would but she realises how important you are to me. Let's do the grocery shopping and see how it goes?"
"Yeah, okay then. So, are ya giving notice on this place then?" Rose asked.
"Yes, first thing on Monday and if whoever I am replacing is not quite gone, I'll have to come and stay with you," he smiled.
"Thought ya already were?" Rose laughed.
They ended up with Rose staying over on Saturday night after they went to see a film, Alec sitting in the middle and holding the popcorn, which he wasn't keen on but it made both Rose and Daisy laugh and Rose kept missing the popcorn and touching his leg, which made Daisy giggle and getting shushed.
After they dropped Daisy at her temporary home, Alec warned her not to say anything to her mother.
"Geez Dad, do you actually think I want mum asking me loads of questions?" Daisy asked as he walked her to the kitchen door. "It's going to be awkward though and I can't deny Rose was with us but I'll try and miss out the bit where she stayed shall I?"
"That would be appreciated Daisy but don't worry, I know you'll have to mention her. So are you going to find out how to get to the studio after school a few nights a week?" he asked her.
"Yeah, I'll look it up, she said she'd pay my bus fare," Daisy replied. "Are you coming in?"
"To be asked a load of questions?" Alec joked. "No thanks. See you on Friday and if you stay at the studio until I get there I will bring you home, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Dad. Bye then."
Alec went back to the car after they hugged goodbye, Rose seeing him come around the side of the house.
"Well that went better than I thought it would," Rose admitted as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Will she get asked loads of questions?"
"She will but she's almost as good as me at avoiding them," he replied as he started the car. "Your place love?" he asked.
"Yeah, since you put some more stuff in the back of the car," Rose laughed.
Over the next few weeks, Daisy would make her way to Rose's studio on Tuesdays and Fridays and they would all go back to Alec's flat on Friday nights. Saturdays, they agreed Rose would go off for a few hours and they'd all meet up again and everything was going fine.
Since she had no more deliveries to worry about, Alec relaxed a little on his way to Rose's studio every night and they all got into a routine. Tess though had got some information out of Daisy and two weeks after Rose started staying weekends with them, Tess had something to say when he called to collect her.
"Don't blame Daisy," Alec told her. "If you want to know anything, you ask me, not her and yes, Rose is staying with us at weekends. It's no different than when you have Dave around and before you say anything, you chose the arrangements over that. Just because Rose and I choose to spend all our time together, don't bother trying to find out from Daisy if she stays overnight with us."
"Well does she? Dave goes home during the week," Tess reminded him.
"Well you wanted that," Alec replied. "It's only two weeks or so before we get ready to leave, I still have a few things to sort out but DS Miller has agreed to help get Daisy in the same sixth form as her son Tom."
He'd given in and called Ellie at Rose's suggestion the week before.
"So you really are coming back Hardy?" Ellie had asked him. "After all this time? What made you apply for your old job back?"
"Do you need details?" Alec asked as Rose began to smile. "Well, my daughter for one, things aren't going so well for her plus this place doesn't feel like home."
"Neither did here," Ellie reminded him.
"Well no but there is something else to consider, her education for one and I was hoping maybe you could help with that? Things are awkward for her here, she needs to get away."
"Well I'm making no promises but I'll see what I can do but Tom's not exactly popular with what went on, I'll let you know. What do I tell them?" Ellie asked.
"That I will call them and explain, they will get her school record," Alec replied. "Besides, it has nothing to do with the school she's at now, she got in with a bad crowd and it's holding her back from college."
After finishing talking to Ellie, Rose told him he'd done the right thing.
"Doesn't feel like it love," he replied as he held her close.
"So why didn't ya tell her about me?" Rose asked him.
"She'll find out when you get there, it should give her a shock to see I can get myself a girlfriend," he smiled.
Rose had taken several ads out for someone who would either run the studio or take it over completely and so far, she'd only had one person who had been interested but wasn't decided as he'd looked at another studio. Now, there was less than a week before Alec and Daisy were due to leave and Rose was getting upset so on the Thursday night, Alec had cooked for them and they were lying on her sofa.
"You knew this was coming love," he reminded her as they kissed. "You never know love, he might get back to you if the other studio does not work out."
"Yeah but I'll hardly have time to change things over and you and Daisy will be leaving on Saturday."
"There's still time love, we can wait until Sunday, I can call the caravan park and say we won't be there on Saturday or come with us."
"I can't and you know why Alec. You know I won't be able to leave, it's not fair on any of us. It's best that I stay, we decided that," Rose reminded him, curling up.
"I know love, I was just giving you the option," he tried to smile, not wanting to go without her. "We'll have to make the most of tonight and tomorrow night but I can put Daisy off coming over tomorrow night, she won't mind, under the circumstances."
"Yeah, she'll understand, call her in the morning then you can pick her up on Saturday morning," Rose agreed. "How have the last few weeks gone so fast?"
"No good asking me love," he tried to joke, unfastening the buttons on her shirt. "I love you Rose, it won't be for too long, someone else may get interested in the studio. You can always ask the print shop manager if he wants to expand his business?"
"Not funny Alec," Rose replied as she went for his shirt buttons. "Early night then?"
Tess was having one last go at getting information from Daisy, who was getting nervous now the time was approaching to leave home, albeit with her dad whom she'd had to get to know all over again after his absence in her life. That hadn't been either of their faults and she felt like her mother had deliberately put her off seeing him and had made him out to be the bad guy in what had happened and she had realised he'd been a victim as much as she had been.
"So are you sure you can cope with living with your dad and what's her name, Rose?" Tess asked as Daisy was packing a few more things in a holdall as her pink floral case was jam-packed.
"Yes, I'm sure Mum but you're making me nervous so please stop asking me," Daisy replied.
Alec had warned her that her mother would try and get her to change her mind about leaving and she'd been determined not to let it get to her.
"Well you are coming back for visits aren't you?" Tess wanted to know.
"Not that often Mum, school holidays maybe?" Daisy suggested, trying not to give the game away that Rose was going to be living with them in the caravan Alec had booked until they found somewhere.
"I thought your dad would be coming up every other weekend or has that changed?" Tess asked. "That was the plan wasn't it?"
"You'll have to ask him Mum, I can't say, I don't know what he's arranged," Daisy tried to reply tactfully, since Alec had told her Rose still had to find someone willing to take the studio over.
"I thought you said she'd be going down there every other weekend?" Tess reminded her. "Oh, she's going with you?" Tess suddenly realised. "Why doesn't that surprise me? He still won't tell me anything except he's got you into a school for now and he's rented a caravan. No wonder he didn't want to tell, I should have guessed the last time I confronted him, he was being evasive as usual."
"Mum, she's nice, we get on really well but if you think she's trying to take your place with me, she's not. She's been teaching me how to take good photos and how to deal with customers, she's really good with the kids who don't want their photos taken," Daisy told her.
"Is she now?" Tess mused. "You didn't want your photo taken at first," she reminded her.
"I know but she put me at ease," Daisy admitted.
"I bet she did. Do you know how your father ended up with her?" Tess wanted to know.
"He never said, why does it matter?" Daisy asked. "Mum, you have Dave so why are you so bothered about Rose? I bet dad would say it works both ways."
"Dave has nothing to do with this and you know it Daisy," Tess replied, knowing she'd get nothing more out her daughter. "Are you going to your dad's tomorrow night or staying here? You should go see your grandma and your aunts."
"I will, dad will be getting ready to leave," Daisy told her, not wanting to say he'd already moved out of his flat.
Tess thought more like he'd be getting ready to leave his girlfriend but was she going down there to live with them or not?
All day Friday at work, neither Rose or Alec could concentrate and Rose had that sickly feeling all morning. She had put extra appointments on since there was nothing to do in the way of sending photos out and the extra money came in useful. She was about to get ready to go get her lunch when the buzzer went. She went to answer it, hoping Alec was paying a surprise visit and praying Steve hadn't broken the conditions of him being let off.
"Who is it?" Rose asked cautiously as the picture came into view.
"It's me, Brian Riley," the man smiled at her. "Do you have a few minutes to spare?"
Rose thought if he'd come to say he'd take on the studio she could delay her lunch.
"Yeah, come in," Rose replied, releasing the door.
"Thanks," he replied, very aware of the camera and that her boyfriend was in the police force. "I just wanted to ask how much of a hurry you're in to let the studio go?"
"Well, as I said, as soon as possible, what did ya have in mind?" Rose replied, staying in the doorway as Alec had told her to.
"Well, can we come to some sort of arrangement? I've seen how busy you are around here and the other studio I looked at seems a bit quieter to this, you've done really well. So, if you were willing, what if the name stayed the same and I took over everything, rent and all that plus paid you off for what you're asking. Then if all goes well, take over the lease from you?" he suggested, watching for her reaction. "I'd give you a deposit as a sign I'm serious about it."
"Right, so how soon would that be?" Rose asked, Alec having warned her not to say when he was actually leaving.
"I could get everything sorted by say a week on Monday? I have things in place, I just need to tie up a few things. Is the flat also free? You never said when you were moving out."
"Yeah, it comes with the studio. If you come back tonight when my boyfriend's here, you can look around if ya want?" Rose suggested.
"I'm sure it's fine. So, I'll get everything arranged then? I can come by a few days next week to see how you do things, like your booking system, I'm very interested in that and the arrangement you have with the printers."
Rose couldn't believe it was going to be that easy.
"Yeah, great. We'll do that then I'll tell the accountants you'll be taking over. Do you have your own?" Rose asked.
"Ah, my partner sees to the business side, you'll have to ask him," Brian grinned.
Rose thought maybe she should have known. Alec had got worried over nothing.
"I'm sure he can work with your accountants to pay things like the printer's and other costs and it would be easier to keep the studio name for now. So, I'll come back later and see the flat. Do you mind if Ashley comes with me to see? He has his own place but, well I won't bore you with the details," Brian grinned.
"Yeah, come round after six then Alec will be back. He gave his place up 'cos we didn't know when we'd be moving so he gave notice so that wouldn't delay things," Rose admitted, relieved Alec had nothing to worry about her showing him how she did things.
"Fine, we'll see you around six then. Do you want anything legal drawing up?" he asked her.
"I'll see what the accountants say about it, they should be able to tell me," Rose replied.
She thought about calling Alec, who had been a real misery all morning so everyone had stayed out of his way. It came to the attention of the chief, who had picked up his phone and told him.
"Go home Alec, you must have things to do," the Chief told him. "Did your ex give you a hard time when I gave your job to someone else?"
"She never said anything, just she'd been short listed as my replacement. I'm just glad you did not give it to Mills," Alec replied. "Fine, I'll gather my things and let everyone breathe again."
"Wise decision Alec, does that include the photos?" the chief asked him.
Alec had finally got around to getting an identical frame for Daisy's photo, since he'd gone to the trouble of getting one and ending up moving in with Rose, well practically moving in. He'd already got Sandra to bring him a brown box from the storage room to put his few things in so he got it from the shelf behind him and carefully laid the two framed photos face down in the bottom and opened his desk drawer.
Sandra noticed and got up, getting a frown from Mills.
"So do you know who got his job then?" he asked her.
Sandra shook her head. "We'll find out on Monday but I bet it's not his ex though. You know he had no say in it, it was down to the chief," she reminded him.
She tapped on Alec's office door and went in.
"Leaving already Sir?" she asked, seeing the photos were already gone and him rooting in a drawer.
"The chief seems to think I am distracting everyone, I'm sure you agree with him," Alec replied, getting the mousemat with a picture of him, Rose and Daisy that Rose had got the printers to make for him off the desk and placing it in the box. "So if you have anything planned, forget it."
"DS Mills would just say you were trying to get out of buying the drinks," Sandra grinned at him. "Well good luck going back to Broadchurch Sir."
"Thanks Hunter and it was nothing personal, it was just after what happened here before and Broadchurch, it never pays to get friendly with those you work with," Alec told her.
He got up, put his jacket on and picked up the box lid, placing it on top. Then he held out his hand to shake Sandra's.
"You could possibly get someone twice as bad as me but be thankful it's not anyone out there," he nodded towards Mills, who was trying to ignore seeing the two of them talking.
"I doubt that we were ready for DS Mills to take over Sir," Sandra replied.
"Aye, well be thankful it wasn't my ex either," Alec told her as she opened the door for him.
"Right, I'm away," he declared to anyone who was listening.
Mills surprised him by standing up.
"Good luck in your new job Sir, on behalf of everyone," Mills told him, the others nodding their agreement.
Alec suspected they were all relieved to see he was going after the last few weeks when he'd been disrupting the whole office with his moods, especially when he'd not known what was happening over Rose leaving with him.
He went straight to what had become his and Rose's flat above the studio and saw who he thought was the man who'd been debating whether to take the studio over or not getting into a car so he parked up and walked back round to the studio, seeing the grill was halfway down so he went to the bakery and saw her waiting at the counter. Rose turned when the doorbell went.
"Hi! What are you doing here?" she asked him, reaching for his hand. "Want something to eat?"
Getting back to the studio, they kissed then Rose went to make a drink.
"Did I see that man who was interested in the studio leave here a while ago?" he asked her.
"Yeah, we came to an agreement," Rose replied, trying to keep a straight face. "Another week Alec, he'll take over a week on Monday."
She turned and sprang herself on him, Alec just catching her.
"That's great news love. I'll tell Daisy later then? See, I told you it would work out. Why don't you come with us tomorrow and see the town?" he suggested.
Rose's smile faded. "I won't want to come back Alec, it's best I don't go but will you come up for me next weekend?" she asked, seeing his smile also fade.
"You don't need to ask me that love, we'll come up on Friday night then you can hand over on Saturday morning."
Rose went to kiss him. "Sounds like a plan to me."
After a tearful parting the following morning, Alec opting to pick Daisy up afterwards as he didn't want them both setting off getting upset, Rose walked him down to his car.
"I'll call when we get there," he promised, his arms around her neck. "We'll video call, yes?"
Rose managed to nod. "Yeah, it won't be too bad. Maybe before I get there you can keep an eye out for a suitable place for a studio?"
"We will and don't worry about finances, you said the accountants had sorted everything," Alec told her. "We can manage until you find somewhere. There are not a lot of properties around the harbour though, you may end up in a beach hut," he tried to joke.
"Then I don't care. Bye then, see you next Friday? Don't keep Daisy waiting, she seemed nervous enough."
"Just as long as she did not tell her mother everything but Tess will get to know someone's taken over the studio sooner or later," he replied. "Bye love, I'll miss you next week."
"I'll miss you too and Daisy. Bye then."
She watched him drive off after he reversed out of what had become his parking space and he saw her waving through the mirror. What had started out with trying to give Daisy a new start had turned out to be a new start for the three of them. He saw Rose with her phone in her hand and he'd just got to the exit of the car park when the message tone went.
There was no-one behind him so he flicked the screen to see what she had sent the message about. It simply read 'Smile!'
Six months later
Rose had been lucky that the office the Broadchurch Echo had occupied hadn't extended the lease and Rose had inside information and had got it quickly. She used the upstairs part as the studio, darkening the windows with heavy black roller blinds and using the downstairs as a waiting room. Daisy helped out after college and Alec had helped her by suggesting she bought a better printer so she could offer a twenty minute service which meant she could carry on taking photos and they were sent directly to the printer then she just popped them in a white folded frame she'd had designed and she was doing really well.
They had settled in a house just behind where the studio was and she was considering taking on another staff member to see to the orders so she could take more photos. That was when Daisy decided she wanted to do it.
"So can I leave college then?" Daisy asked them both a week before she was due back.
"It's not that I don't want ya to help," Rose assured her almost stepdaughter as Alec had proposed to her on her birthday. "What do ya think Alec?"
"Rose is right, you should finish your education first but why not compromise? Just take the subjects you are really interested in then you'll have more free time?" he suggested. "Besides, it will be quiet now the season's over."
"Wanna bet?" Rose smiled. "Most of the customers say their friends had some done, seems my own backdrops have been a success."
"So you are glad I suggested it then?" he smiled back.
"Yeah, I have to give ya that one," Rose laughed. "So you extended your six month contract?"
"Yes though Miller wasn't as bad as I thought she would be," he had to admit. "Anything to do with you?" he asked Rose as they cleared up after their evening meal.
Rose and Daisy looked across at each other, not wanting to tell him she'd shown Ellie the photos she'd taken of him that he somehow had forgotten about – or had he?
The End!
