12. Rosa
12
ROSA
R osa returned with a tray of drinks to find Henry cheering for Johan as he bobbed for apples then clapping when he won.
‘Here you go,’ Rosa said, and Henry accepted a mug of coffee.
‘Thank you.’
‘So you won?’ she asked.
‘We did, but it was all down to Johan and the rest of the team.’
Johan ran over and jumped up and down with excitement. ‘We won, Sir, and it’s all because of you! Mr Clay is amazing, Rosa.’
She smiled at her friend’s eldest son, and he beamed back.
Henry held up a hand and Johan gave him a high five, then he ran back to his mum and dad who were talking to Pearl.
‘He’s a great lad,’ Henry said. ‘All three of the brothers are polite and diligent.’
‘Sita and Niels are good parents.’ She looked over at her friend surrounded by her husband and three sons, and her heart squeezed with love and admiration. ‘Sita’s one of my oldest friends.’
‘She’s lucky to have you,’ he said, holding her gaze. ‘From what I’ve seen, you’re kind, sweet, and caring.’
Rosa opened her mouth to reply, but her mind had gone blank. Was he being genuine? She wished she didn’t have to question people’s motives now, but it was hard not to. Trusting was difficult when she’d been so badly betrayed.
‘I mean, few people would be so kind to an elderly gent.’ He nodded over at Christopher, who was smiling at something Vinnie had said to him.
‘He’s a lovely man,’ she said. ‘I can’t bear the thought of him being lonely. He’s such a great age, and he deserves to have company and people around who care about him.’
‘I agree.’ Henry sipped his coffee. ‘Do you need a hand with that tray?’
‘Oh…’ She’d forgotten she was holding it. ‘No, it’s fine. I should take their drinks over.’
‘Are you staying for a while?’ he asked.
‘I expect so.’
‘There’s pumpkin carving next.’ He waggled his brows, and she laughed. ‘Fancy being on my team.’
‘Goodness, I don’t think I’d be very good at that. Can I just watch?’
‘Of course. But, you know, if you want to cheer me on … I’d like that.’
‘I will. I promise.’
‘Brilliant.’
They stood gazing into each other’s eyes, the space between them charged with something as yet unsaid, the air filled with electricity. Warmth spread through Rosa’s chest. Her skin prickled with the awareness of his proximity and her fingers twitched as if they might reach for him. But then Johan came over again and tapped Henry’s arm, snapping them out of the trance they seemed to have fallen into. ‘Sir? Are you ready for another round?’
‘More bobbing for apples?’ Henry’s eyes widened as if he was trying to bring himself back to reality.
‘Yes. Best of three rounds, Pearl said.’
‘Cool.’ Henry flashed a grimace at Rosa, but then he turned and said to Johan, ‘Be there in a minute.’
‘Looks like you’re not out of the water yet,’ Rosa said and Henry snorted.
‘I see what you did there.’
‘I guess I’ll see you later then,’ she said.
‘I can’t wait,’ he whispered as she walked away, and the words sent a delightful shiver down her spine.
Something was happening here, and she wasn’t sure if it was real or just the magic of autumn in the air at The Cornish Garden Café. If only she could trust herself enough to find out…
Back with Christopher and Vinnie, she handed them their drinks, then sat next to Christopher. The temperature had dropped as the afternoon wore on and Christopher said, ‘Come under this rug a bit, dear. No sense being cold.’
‘Thanks.’ She slid it over her legs and cupped her mug between both hands.
‘What’s going on between you and Mr Teacher?’ Vinnie asked, making her splutter coffee.
‘I was going to ask the same thing.’ Christopher tilted his head.
She fumbled to set her mug down without spilling her coffee, avoiding their enquiring eyes. ‘What? Nothing.’
‘Doesn’t seem that way to me.’ Vinnie cocked a dark brow. ‘From where I’m sitting, it looked like there’s a spark between you.’
‘Same.’ Christopher nodded.
‘Behave yourselves.’ She tried not to smile. ‘We’re just friends.’
‘Sure and I’m actually John Travolta,’ Vinnie said, rolling his eyes. ‘Henry likes you and you like him. Why don’t you save yourselves some time and get on with it?’
‘Vinnie … it’s not that simple,’ she said and her cheeks flushed as Christopher and Vinnie stared at her. ‘Please don’t ask me to elaborate because I don’t want to talk about it right now. Just … things aren’t straightforward for me. I can’t be frivolous about love and lust and … all that stuff.’
Christopher reached out and rubbed her arm, and she smiled at him.
‘I’m OK. I just … I have reasons for not wanting to get involved with anyone again.’
‘One life though, Rosa. And you’re a catch, you know? I get that you’ve been hurt, but you get one life and you should live it, girl.’ Vinnie held her gaze with such intensity that her eyes burned. ‘I’m not dismissing what you’ve been through just saying that not all men are bad. Look at me and Christopher.’
Christopher laughed. ‘It’s true, Rosa. If you pick the right man, he will cherish you until the day he dies.’
‘Oh…’ Her vision blurred so she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. ‘Please don’t say such nice things.’
‘You deserve to be treasured, Rosa.’ Christopher took her hand and raised it, then pressed a gentle kiss to her skin. ‘I feel like you’re my adopted granddaughter and I would like to see you happy if it’s the last thing I do see.’
‘Stop now!’ A tear escaped her right eye and ran down her cheek and Christopher gently wiped it away with a gnarled finger.
‘Why don’t you invite him down to the line dancing at the beach later?’ Vinnie asked. ‘Give you a chance to get hot and sweaty with him without the risk of … you know… other pursuits that would also get you hot and sweaty.’
‘Vinnie!’ Rosa glanced at Christopher.
‘It’s OK, Rosa. I have lived, you know. You don’t need to avoid sex talk for my benefit.’ Christopher chuckled.
‘Oh my god, what am I going to do with you two?’ Rosa picked up her coffee again and drained it then set it on the tray. ‘I get what you’re saying, that life is short and not all men are the same and I promise I will think about your points. But let me take some time to gather my thoughts and to process how I’m feeling because it’s hard to trust my gut these days.’
‘You can trust your gut, though.’ Christopher nodded. ‘Whatever happened to you before … I’m sure you had a feeling that something wasn’t right.’
She sighed and rubbed at her eyes. ‘I did, but I didn’t know what. I wanted everything to be OK and so I didn’t listen to my gut instinct.’
‘And what is that same gut instinct telling you about Henry?’ he asked.
Rosa looked over at Henry, where he was standing with Johan and his family waiting for the next round to begin. He was talking and laughing and seemed to glow with an easy happiness at being a part of the community. Henry had been nothing but nice to her and to others, and she did have a good feeling about him. There was no edge to him, nothing to suggest that he could change at the flip of a switch or that he had any ulterior motives. He’d recently moved to the village to start a new life there, so just like her, he wanted to be happy and settled. There would, no doubt, be reasons he’d moved to Cornwall and one day, perhaps he’d share them with her. Could she share her past with him? Was she brave enough?
Perhaps…
But for now she would enjoy the afternoon and consider asking him to the line dancing at the beach later on. After all, there was no harm in dancing with him, was there? And it might just get Vinnie and Christopher off her back for a bit.
Turning back to them, she smiled because she knew that they only had her best interests at heart, and she wanted to give them something back for caring. These two men who were quickly becoming her found family as she started her new life.