18. Ellie
18
ELLIE
‘ W hat do you think?’ Ellie asked as she watched her gran’s face carefully.
Sitting at the table closest to the counter in the café kitchen, her gran dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, then reached for her glass of water.
‘I think that was delicious!’ Her gran rubbed her stomach in the way she’d done when Ellie was a young child to show she’d enjoyed something. ‘Absolutely delicious. What’s next?’
‘Hold on.’ Ellie made a quick note on her phone. She’d decided that while she was working at the café, she’d like to be more helpful, and one way of doing that was to help develop the seasonal menu. To create new menu items for the café, she’d scoured websites, cookbooks, and local farm shops for ingredients. She wanted the dishes to be seasonal and locally sourced, organic where possible and different to the usual menu. The first dish she’d served her gran was a spring salad made with radishes, asparagus, and fresh rocket — some ingredients had come from a local farm and some from the raised beds in the café garden. She’d added goat’s cheese from the farm and local honey along with a zesty vinaigrette.
It was a beautiful April afternoon; the sunshine streaming through the café windows and warming the space. With it being Sunday, the café was closed to the public, but some people wandered around the gardens that were open throughout the year. Her gran owned the café, but the gardens were owned by the village. Local volunteers tended to the gardens and there was a community fund for plants and seeds. During the warmer months, once things started growing again, there would be plant swaps and food swaps and visits from the local primary school children to teach them about growing fruit and vegetables. Ellie had suggested to her gran that they could hold cooking classes for the children too, and her gran had been very enthusiastic about the idea.
‘Right … back soon,’ Ellie said as she returned to the kitchen. She added the finishing touches to the next dish then carried it out. ‘Here we have wild garlic soup. The garlic was foraged from the garden along with freshly baked bread.’
‘It smells incredible,’ her gran said.
Ellie looked up then and saw a familiar face smiling through the front window at her. She waved, and he waved back.
‘Oh for goodness’ sake, Ellie, let the poor man inside.’ Her gran tutted before taking another taste of the soup.
At the door, Ellie looked through the glass into Jasper’s blue eyes and her heart gave a little flip. She unlocked the door and smiled at him.
‘Hello.’
‘Hi.’ He ran a hand over his golden beard then smiled broadly and Ellie’s stomach did a loop the loop. Warmth spread through her body and her skin tingled. The mere sight of his broad smile caused a delicious sensation to travel down her spine. Her cheeks flushed, turning a shade of pink as her pulse quickened. He was always handsome, but when he smiled, it was like the sunshine appearing from behind the clouds. Ellie could feel the heat of his smile all over her skin and it made her want to step forwards and lean against his broad chest. It didn’t help that he was wearing a fitted black long-sleeved T-shirt that clung to his muscles, a pair of black shorts over running tights and a black baseball cap that somehow made his eyes look more piercing and his beard more golden. And he was so tall.
‘What’ve you been doing?’ she asked, then wanted to kick herself. He had obviously been for a run!
‘I went for a run and ended up here.’ He glanced behind her at her gran, who waved at him, then pulled out her phone as if she had something important to attend to immediately.
‘Oh … Did you have a nice run?’ she asked. Her eyes roamed over his glowing skin and lower where they flickered over his shoulders and sculpted chest. Surely it was criminal for a man to be so attractive?
‘I did. I usually run at home on the treadmill because I can’t go out when the children are there, although I occasionally go during the day if I have a chance. But there’s nothing like running in the fresh air.’
‘Would you like to come inside?’ she asked. ‘I could make you a drink.’
‘Won’t your gran mind? It is Sunday and I don’t want to impose.’
‘She won’t mind at all.’ She paused as something struck her. ‘Where are the children?’
‘They both had play dates with friends in the village. Their friends are actually siblings, so I dropped them off and will pick them up later.’ His brows met for a moment and he pulled his phone from a secret pocket and checked it. ‘It’s new to me, this letting them out of my sight. I’m trying hard, though. They were desperate to go for this playdate and their friends’ parents are great. Trusting others with your children isn’t easy, but I know I have to let go a bit. I can’t control everything all of the time. Or so my mum tells me.’ He tucked his phone away, then inhaled deeply. Ellie’s gaze strayed to his chest again and heat rushed through her. Realising what she was doing, she looked up and found his eyes on her face.
‘Let me get you a cold drink,’ she said, forcing herself to turn away from him because staring at his muscles all the time was just rude. What on earth was wrong with her? She couldn’t remember ever being around a man who had this effect upon her.
Jasper followed her inside, then she heard him lock the door, and it made her smile. He was so thoughtful.
‘Hi Pearl,’ he said. ‘Something smells good in here.’
Ellie’s gran pointed at her empty bowl. ‘I’m trying out some of Ellie’s dishes. We’re extending the seasonal menu. It’s an idea of Ellie’s. She’s ingenious and, as I always suspected, an excellent chef.’
‘Gra-an!’ Ellie blushed at the praise.
‘Ellie has recently completed the relevant food hygiene course and other courses so she can make and prepare food here, too. I mean, she’d done the food hygiene before, but she’s brushed up on everything and is all set to make some of these delicious dishes for customers, too.’
‘Wow, Ellie. So it seems like you’ll be staying in the village then?’
‘I don’t want to go back to London. I’m really enjoying being here and living with Gran again, so I think I’ll hang around for a bit. Maybe even move back permanently.’
‘Is that so?’ He nodded thoughtfully and Ellie had to look away to buy herself a moment’s grace because there was definitely something fizzing in the air between her and Jasper today. It could be her imagination because he looked so good, but it could be that their relationship was developing. The more they got to know each other, the more she liked him and the stronger the spark between them became. If it was all on her side, then she’d be very disappointed, but then why would he come here on a Sunday afternoon? He hadn’t known they’d be there, but then he’d seen them and come to the door. That had to be a sign that he felt something too, surely? Ellie wished she knew for certain, wished she had the courage to ask him outright, but how could she do that? If she had imagined it all and he said he simply saw her as a friend, then she would be mortified she’d told him how she felt. Humiliation was not fun for anyone and after what had happened with Barnaby, she really didn’t want to go through more. Her confidence was shaky as it was and although her gran was trying to build her up, it wouldn’t take much to knock her down again. She was working at self-care and believing in herself, but it would take time and so she was too fragile to ask Jasper how he felt about her and couldn’t imagine being able to do so. And this meant, of course, that she’d have to wait and see if he made a move on her. If he didn’t, then she’d have her answer and if he did. Well…
‘Have a seat, Jasper,’ her gran said.
‘I’m a bit … um… sweaty.’ He patted his chest. ‘I probably smell.’
‘You smell superb, actually,’ Ellie said. Jasper and her gran stared at her and she realised she’d said it out loud. ‘I’ll just go and get some soup and a drink for you.’ She grabbed her gran’s empty bowl and darted into the kitchen, her cheeks flaming and her heart racing.
What the hell, Ellie! You said that to him! He’ll think you’re a right weirdo now.
But he hadn’t smelt unpleasant. He’d smelt clean and fresh, like the spring air and his fabric softener. He’d had a glow about him that fit people got when they exercised. In fact, he smelt so good she’d have happily wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest if he’d asked her to check if she could smell sweat.
God, Ellie, are you ovulating or something?
The kitchen door opened, and her gran entered. Ellie looked away, too embarrassed to meet her gran’s eyes.
‘Need a hand with anything?’ Her gran leant against the counter.
‘No thanks. I’m fine.’ Ellie hung her head as she dished out the soup, then got a glass and filled it with elderflower cordial and sparkling water. She cut some of the fresh bread and buttered it, placed it on a plate, put the soup bowl next to it and added a spoon.
‘Add a little cream to the top, Ellie. It think it will work well.’ Her gran got a pot of cream from the fridge, then created a swirl on the top of the soup and added a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
‘Good thinking,’ Ellie said.
‘You OK?’ her gran asked as she picked up the plate and glass.
‘What? Because I just made a complete idiot of myself?’ Ellie grimaced.
‘Well, yes, but I don’t think Jasper minded. When you came in here, he was blushing as badly as you are now. You two like each other and it’s plain as day for other people to see.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. But you both have some baggage so just keep getting to know each other and let nature take its course.’
‘Nature?’ Ellie said at the door.
‘Nature. Magic. Love.’ Her gran shrugged. ‘All of them. What’s meant to be is meant to be, and I’m fairly certain that you and Jasper are meant to be.’
‘That’s a bit of a bold statement,’ Ellie said. ‘We don’t even know each other very well. And we’ve both been hurt.’
‘Well, yes, that’s true on both counts, but you two can get to know each other better and … broken hearts can still heal. Trust me, Ellie, love will always find a way.’
‘Any more wise words now, Gran?’ Ellie laughed. ‘Or should I say clichés?’
‘Yes, go and feed that gorgeous man!’ Her gran pushed the door open and Ellie walked through it, smiling as much inwardly as she was outwardly. She set the plate down in front of Jasper.
‘This looks amazing. Thank you so much. Of course, I won’t be able to run home after it, but it’ll be worth it.’ He flashed her a smile.
‘That’s OK because Ellie can walk back with you,’ her gran said. ‘I have to pop home now because I think I forgot to turn the iron off.’ She frowned. ‘Or was it my straighteners?’
‘You don’t use straighteners.’ Ellie frowned at her gran. ‘And you haven’t tried the desserts I made yet.’
‘That’s OK, dear. Test them on Jasper and let me know what he thinks. That way we can have a genuine customer review for the notice board here and for the café Instagram. You don’t mind writing a brief review, do you, Jasper?’
‘Of course not.’ He grinned. ‘Be my pleasure.’
‘Wonderful!’ Ellie’s gran hugged her, then squeezed Jasper’s shoulder. After she’d retrieved her bag and jacket from the utility room, she smiled at them both then said, ‘See you later. Have fun, you two!’
‘Bye.’ Ellie squinted at her gran, hoping she’d understand that she could see right through her scheming, but her gran simply waved and left the café. And Ellie wasn’t at all annoyed because as much as she had wanted her gran to test out the dishes she’d made, she now had Jasper to take over that role, and it meant she had him all to herself.
What a wonderful afternoon it was turning out to be!