Pepper River Boat Hut (Pepper Bay #15)

32

Olive

Back when Olive had the idea to return to Pepper Bay with a surprise for Zach, little did she know how awkward she would feel on arrival.

Zach was just staring at her, mouth gaping, and no smile in his eyes whatsoever.

Had she got it so wrong? Probably. She’d walked out on him and hadn’t bothered to call once to ask him how he was, so turning up out of the blue perhaps wasn’t the best idea, and on opening day as well.

There were a lot of people around, but hardly anyone took notice of the tea trailer or her. They were busy enjoying their day.

Vivien had noticed her, and then Tyler, over by the house.

Olive wished Zach would say something. React at least. She couldn’t blame him. Her own words were quite lost.

Oh, me and my big ideas. What was I thinking? He hates me .

Olive swallowed hard, adjusting the dog on her hip. ‘Zach—’

‘Come to the house,’ he said flatly, then marched off.

Olive clambered out the trailer, lowering the spaniel to the ground. She tightened her grip on the lead, tilted her chin up, and casually made her way over to the house, saying a polite hello to Tyler serving coffee as she passed.

Zach was upstairs, away from all eyes and ears, pacing in his bedroom when she finally found him.

She went to speak, but he got in first.

‘Today is supposed to be brilliant on every level. It’s what I’ve spent years working for. I’ve got visitors all over the place, the river is packed, and the atmosphere is buzzing.’

All seemed like good news to Olive. Shame his face didn’t match the vibe outside. She shifted her attention to the dog sniffing the bedpost, thinking it a better place to look than the glaring eyes coming her way.

‘But have I been able to enjoy any of this?’ he snapped.

Olive wasn’t sure he wanted an answer, so she kept her mouth closed.

‘I’ve had a fake smile plastered on my face all day, then I’ve had to deal with Candice acting like we’re bezzie mates when she’s the one who sold you out to the press, and now you turn up, and, and… What’s with the dog?’

‘His name’s Barney. I bought him for… us.’ She cleared her throat, as her last word had faded.

Zach breathed out a huff of a laugh as he sat on the bed, head in hands.

Olive took a tentative step closer. ‘I’m sorry I left. I didn’t want to.’

His head shot up. ‘Then why did you?’

‘Because… Wait, did you say it was Candice who brought reporters here? Not Florence?’

Zach glanced at Barney as the puppy flopped to the floor, tilting on his side as though asking for a tummy rub. ‘It wasn’t Florence. She got her boss at the paper to find out the truth. She’s here now, running a positive story on the Boat Hut.’

‘Oh.’

‘Oh? Really? That’s all you have to say?’

Olive shrugged. ‘I’ll apologise to her later.’

‘I don’t care about that. I want to know why you think you can just walk back into my life after causing me so much… After leaving without… You know what, I don’t care. You can take your tea trailer and leave me alone.’

Olive inhaled deeply. She hadn’t come this far to leave now. ‘Look, I know you’ve got the hump with me, and rightly so. I only left because I thought my name would ruin your business, but then Adrian said—’

‘Adrian?’

‘Yes. I missed you, so I went to the hotel where we met, and Adrian came over to talk to me. He told me you used to pay for my meals back then.’

‘He shouldn’t have told you that.’

‘But I never had the chance to thank you.’

Zach scoffed. ‘It doesn’t matter. You never thanked anyone.’

Olive stood tall. ‘I do now, and back-shaming is bad form. I’m not the person I was when we met, and I’ll thank you to remember that. I know you’re angry with me, but please don’t use my past against me.’

Zach lowered his head and sighed. ‘Sorry. You’re right.’

Olive dipped to Barney to unhook the lead. The bedroom door was closed, so it wasn’t as if the dog could run off.

Barney flipped up, noticing he was free, then scooted over to Zach to lick his hand.

‘Hello, you,’ Zach muttered, stroking the pup.

Olive went over to the bed and sat by his side, wishing she could hold his hand. ‘I want you to know it wasn’t easy leaving you. I just wanted to put you first.’ She shuffled around to face him. ‘I was scared your life would end up destroyed because of my name, but then Adrian showed me proof that the public was on my side.’

Zach continued to pet the dog. ‘What proof was that?’

‘I have a lot of support on my socials.’ Olive shrugged. ‘I haven’t been on there in months, as I didn’t want to read the nasty comments, but after the press came here, the comments changed. People clapped for me trying to rebuild my life.’ She leaned a touch closer to his arm. ‘Oh, Zach, I was so scared. You, this place, were everything to me. I couldn’t cope with seeing you hurt and the business ruined.’

He met her eyes. ‘You leaving me was what hurt. Nothing else.’ He flapped one hand towards the door. ‘Do you think I care about what anyone out there has to say about you, me, us? I love you, Olive.’

Tears threatened, but she rolled them back. ‘I love you too. That’s why I went. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t being selfish.’

He simply stared at her for a moment. ‘Do you really want to be here?’ he asked quietly.

She glanced at Barney, curled around her feet. ‘More than I’ve ever wanted to be anywhere.’

‘Hey, look at me.’ He gently lifted her chin. ‘If we’re going to be a couple, we have to be a team. You can’t just leave, for whatever reason. Don’t do that to me. I need to know we can figure things out together.’

Olive sniffed and a tear escaped, which he slowly wiped away. ‘I’m so used to being on my own. I didn’t stop to think we could take on the world together. I just assumed if I left, you wouldn’t have to fight anyone. I want peace for you. Happiness.’

Zach smiled warmly. ‘You give me happiness. I need you to know.’

‘The last person to tell me I brought them happiness was my mum. I never felt I belonged anywhere after she died.’

‘I get that. Life felt so wrong after my mum passed away. I wasn’t sure I’d ever smile or laugh again.’

Olive reached over and took his hand, hoping he wouldn’t back off.

Zach pulled her arm closer, snuggling her into his side. ‘I want you to feel you belong here with me. I know it’s so different to what you know, but—’

‘Not buts, Zach. I do feel I belong with you. And I want this to be my home.’ She gestured at Barney. ‘Look, I got us a dog.’

Barney glanced up, then flopped his head on Zach’s foot, trying to chew the laces on his boots.

‘And the mobile tea shop?’

Olive shook her head as she smiled. ‘I bought it for the business. It’s nice, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, it is, but I’ll need to check the finances to see how we can juggle its monthly payments.’

‘There are no instalments. It’s fully paid for. I had thirty grand given to me by an old friend. It was money I once gave to her brother. She paid me back.’

Zach’s eyes widened as he breathed out a laugh. ‘And that’s what you spent it on?’

Olive grinned. ‘Is was that or a handbag.’

‘Oh, Olive Farringdon, you’re just full of surprises.’

‘Yes, well, I’m hoping they’re good ones.’ She bent to pet Barney, who licked her wrist in appreciation before yapping.

Zach rested his head on hers as she straightened. ‘Olive, I don’t know what to say,’ he whispered.

Olive turned in his arms and moved his face towards hers. ‘I need you to forgive me for leaving. Just tell me we’re okay. That we can move forward. That everything will—’

His lips on hers took her breath and heartbeats away for a moment. She melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pushing him backwards on the bed.

‘Christ, I missed you, lady,’ he muttered in between kisses.

Olive wiped his cheek from her tears. ‘It hurt so much being away from you.’

‘Tell me about it.’

‘I’m never leaving you again. I promise.’

Zach lifted them to sit up. ‘As much as I want to crawl under these covers with you right now, I have a business to run, and pretty soon, people are going to start wondering where I am.’

Olive kissed the tip of his nose. ‘There’s just one thing wrong with that.’

‘Oh?’

‘It’s not you who has a business to run. It’s both of us.’ She stood, offering her hand, which he took whilst grinning. ‘We’re a family, right?’

Zach nodded, then kissed her cheek. ‘Right.’

‘So, let’s get this show on the road. You, Mr Sullivan, are about to witness the one thing I’m good at.’ She laughed as he stared at the bed. ‘Not that. We’re about to make our first video as a couple for the Boat Hut. Whatever the world has to say about that is their business. Ours is making a success of this place, and it starts with us showing them all that nothing, and I mean nothing, will bring us down.’

‘Ooh, fighting words.’

Olive placed Barney back on the lead, then looked at Zach for confirmation. ‘We’re stronger together, aren’t we?’

‘I think you’re pretty strong on your own. But, yeah, together we’re unbeatable.’

She pulled him in for a hug. ‘Thanks, Zach.’

‘What are you thanking me for?’

‘Changing my life.’

‘You made that choice.’

‘I did, but you walked into my life and made everything better.’