Pepper River Boat Hut (Pepper Bay #15)

15

Zach

It was Olive’s first day at work, so Zach had walked her over to Silver Wish Farm, taking the shortcut across the bridge and through the trees. It hadn’t taken long to get there, and Olive had been quiet throughout the journey. He could tell she was nervous. She’d hardly eaten at breakfast.

Olive stopped at the main entrance. ‘Do you know where I’m supposed to go?’

‘We’ll head to the till. See if Fran is there.’ He saw her swallow hard. ‘Erm, Olive, I was wondering, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stick around for a bit while you get settled.’

There it was. A tiny glint of relief in her eyes.

‘Oh, you don’t have to,’ she said softly, eyes on the doorway.

‘I won’t get in your way. I can just volunteer my time. Potter around. Stack some shelves or something. It’s nice having a friendly face at work. I was a bit nervous my first day at the hotel.’ It was a total lie. He’d been excited and raring to go, but she didn’t need to know that. He could see how lost she was. It was written all over her face.

‘Okay,’ she said quietly, looking a tad embarrassed.

Zach gently nudged her arm. ‘Come on. Let’s pretend we’re shopping for our garden.’

Olive smiled. ‘I’m thinking we’ll have to at some point.’

‘And we’ll get a staff discount.’ He grinned, glad to see she had perked up, if only slightly.

Fran came out to greet them. ‘Good morning. Ready to water some plants?’

Zach gestured at the shopfront. ‘Would it be okay if I help out for a bit, Fran?’

Her eyes shifted from him to Olive, then back again. ‘Sure. Follow me.’

Olive was looking better already, and he knew he’d made the right call.

Fran led them to the outdoor area at the back and explained which sections needed watering. She handed them a hose each and said she’d be back in ten minutes.

Zach got stuck in straight away, happy with his chore. ‘Not like working, is it?’

Olive was leaning over some small shrubs. ‘Reminds me of a house my family had in Hertfordshire. The groundsman, Nigel, used to bring his children over sometimes, and I’d play in the garden with them, and we’d help water flowers.’

‘Sounds like a happy memory.’

‘It was.’

‘Bet it wasn’t as cold as this.’ Zach laughed, glancing at the clouds.

Olive pointed at her head. ‘At least we have our hats.’

Ten minutes seemed more like two, and Fran was back, waving them inside, which was a relief, as Zach was starting to wish he’d brought gloves.

‘Stay to that section until I return,’ said Fran, motioning where plant pots, bird feeders, and garden ornaments were. ‘All you have to do is straighten things, pull anything pushed back on the shelves to the front, and make a note of low stock.’ She handed Olive a dark fleece bodywarmer that had a badge on the left side baring the shop’s name. ‘Give me your coat and I’ll put it in a locker in the staff room. Put this on instead, lovely. Shows you’re one of the team. There’s a small notepad and pencil in the pocket.’

Olive removed her coat and slipped on the garment and smiled.

Fran left them to their work, and Zach headed straight to the bird food.

‘This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be,’ said Olive, picking up a packet of seeds someone had left on the floor.’

‘You feeling a bit better now?’

She glanced his way. ‘I was worried I might not be able to do anything.’

‘You’re stronger than you think.’

‘Maybe, but after what happened to me at the hotel, I assumed my mind would go blank and my legs would freeze.’

‘Back there, you felt trapped and forced to make moves you weren’t ready for. Here, you can take your time. Set your own pace.’ Zach sat on the floor, straightening boxes.

Olive sat by him, her leg touching his. She smiled warmly as she removed his hands from the stock. ‘I think I’ll be all right now.’

‘You sure?’

She nodded. ‘I’m sure.’

He got up, offering his hand, which she took as she stood. ‘If you want to leave at any time, just tell Fran. Remember, you’re taking small steps. No need to do anything that makes you feel ill. This is to help you, not cause setbacks.’

‘I know, and it’s good of Fran to do this for me.’ She lightly tapped his arm. ‘You get back to your own job. I’ll be okay.’

Reluctantly, Zach stepped away. ‘Feel proud of yourself, Olive. Look how far you’ve come already.’

A slight blush hit her cheeks, and it was nice to see some colour return to her face.

‘I’ll find Fran on my way out and let her know,’ he said, waving goodbye.

The last time he’d worried so much about someone was back when Cody had started uni. He had no idea his stomach would be in knots over Olive working.

‘You off, lovely?’ asked Fran, over by the till.

‘Yes. She seems settled.’

Fran offered a warm smile. ‘Don’t you worry yourself, Zach. She’s in good hands, and I’ll bring her back when she’s ready.’

‘Thanks, Fran. You’re a good person.’

‘So are you, lovely.’

Zach inhaled the cold air as he walked over to the bench seating outside the Gatehouse Café, next door to the garden centre. He wanted to sit there for a couple of minutes in case Olive changed her mind and needed him to come back.

Oh, what am I doing? She’s fine. She said so, and she looked better .

He looked at the café, thinking he’d grab a coffee to take home, and just as he was about to get up, his phone rang, causing his stomach to flip.

Cody?

‘Hi, Zach.’

‘Is everything all right?’

‘Yeah, of course.’

‘You’re on your honeymoon. Why are you calling me?’

Cody’s breath rattled down the phone. ‘Willow wanted to check on Fran last night. You know how much she worries about her gran since her grandad passed away. Anyway, that’s when I found out about you and some woman you’ve brought home. What’s going on?’

Zach shivered but didn’t want to go inside the café to talk, so he started to walk home. ‘Her name’s Olive, and she needed some help, that’s all.’

‘And she’s staying with you?’

‘For now. I was going to tell you about her when you got home.’

‘I was wondering if you were trying to keep her a secret.’

Zach watched the cold air escape his mouth as he breathed out a laugh. ‘This is Pepper Bay. There are no secrets.’

‘As long as you’re okay.’

Zach smiled. ‘Yes, little brother, I’m fine. Now, get back to your honeymoon, and I’ll see you soon.’ He hung up, wondering how Olive was getting on, hoping no one decided to pop in to buy some gardening equipment just to be nosey, or worse, question her about her father.