Chapter 5
Having just left one relationship behind, I certainly wasn’t about to take up Nick’s suggestion and start another, even if he had hinted that it could have the shortest possible shelf life.
However, the next morning I was so amazed and dismayed to discover that neither of my parents were genuinely convinced that I really had left my relationship with Laurence behind, that I was almost tempted to consider having a fling just to properly drive the point home. Over breakfast Mum and Dad infuriatingly asked if the current situation might not be more of a brief hiatus or a temporary break, like the one Ross and Rachel had disastrously taken in Friends !
I could have told them that in one sense it was – i.e. the part where Ross slept with someone else – but I kept my lips zipped and ducked out of the cottage the second I could leave without them assuming I had something to hide. I had already shouldered the blame for the break-up, so why couldn’t they accept the situation and move on? I had unthinkingly assumed they had, but I’d clearly misread their reactions.
As I was now feeling put out as well as a bit jittery about my first shift in the pub that evening, I thought I’d bite the bullet and tackle something else head-on that I was feeling edgy about. The rain had cleared and it was a stunning sunny day, so I had no excuse not to head into the garden.
I used to love playing in it when I was little and then earning pocket money helping Dad when I was older. The garden had been my sanctuary… until it wasn’t and then I had completely banished it. I hadn’t given it a moment’s consideration when I decided to move back to Wynbrook for the summer, but now it was on my mind again and I couldn’t escape it.
I was distressed to discover that the packed borders and neat lawns didn’t soothe me in the same way they once had and I ended up skirting around the periphery instead. I walked right to the very edge where there was a single-storey wooden building with a tiled roof and pretty, covered veranda. It was known on the estate as The Summerhouse, but it was bigger and far more special than its commonplace name suggested.
‘Ouch,’ I winced, as I inched my way along the overgrown path towards it and my bare left calf rubbed against an encroaching patch of stinging nettles.
I ignored the pain, knowing that scratching it would make it worse and eventually worked my way through the undergrowth to the veranda. I peered through the windows and was disappointed to find the inside appeared to be as sadly neglected as the outside. The two wooden rocking chairs that usually flanked the door were piled up inside and the rest of the furniture was covered in dust sheets. The windows were so grimy, it was impossible to see if there was still a bed on the mezzanine and I wondered if the electricity was connected.
The Summerhouse had all mod cons. Well, running water and electricity anyway, and had been designed as guest accommodation. Not that the manor wasn’t large enough to accommodate a dozen, but Algy had had the garden sanctuary built for anyone looking for a more private and secluded retreat from the world.
I stepped back and took the whole of it in, carefully avoiding more nettles, and surmised that no one had sought refuge in it for quite a while.
‘Yet another area of the garden I haven’t been able to properly keep on top of,’ I heard Dad say resignedly behind me.
‘You can’t do everything, Dad,’ I reminded him. ‘You need more help.’
The words tasted bitter in my throat, given the memories that were now churning away as a result of my looking around.
‘Yes,’ he said, putting down the loaded wheelbarrow and wiping his overall sleeve across his forehead, which was damp with sweat. ‘You’re right, but getting help is easier said than done. With so much property given over to the tourist trade here now, there are fewer and fewer locals left living nearby every year.’
‘Which in turn depletes the local workforce,’ I said, nodding along, ignoring the growing bud of resentment that I couldn’t allow to bloom. ‘And sucks the life out of the community.’
It was a miracle there was still a school within reasonable distance for Penny to teach in.
‘Exactly,’ Dad sighed. ‘Though the village is holding its own where the community is concerned.’
‘Well,’ I said, trying to cheer him up, ‘I’m local and I’m back.’
‘But for how long?’ he asked. ‘I keep expecting Laurence to turn up and whisk you away again.’
I let out a slow, but not particularly calming breath.
‘That isn’t going to happen, Dad,’ I said firmly. ‘You need to accept that. You and Mum both need to accept that. I thought you had. I would hardly have gone to the trouble of packing up all of my things from the flat and clearing out my room in the cottage to accommodate them if this was just some silly spat Laurence and I had had, would I?’
‘I suppose not,’ Dad sighed. ‘And as far as I know, he hasn’t been in touch?’
‘He hasn’t,’ I confirmed. ‘And he won’t be.’
‘I just hope you don’t end up regretting leaving him,’ Dad carried on after a beat had passed.
‘I won’t.’
‘Because men like Laurence don’t come along all that often.’
I couldn’t help thinking that was something to be grateful for.
‘I’m well aware of that,’ I said, unclenching my jaw.
‘Perhaps you’ll feel differently once the dust has settled,’ Dad suggested, sounding hopeful and making me tense up again.
I thought again of Nick’s summer fling idea. Maybe he was really on to something and I should take it up. A passionate and very public romance would get the message across, to Mum and Dad at least, that I’d moved on. Penny, however, would probably assign it to the rebound box, but that wouldn’t matter. If it proved to my parents that I was capable of carrying on with life post-Laurence, that would be a definite win.
‘Do you think that might be a possibility, Daisy?’ Dad asked, as I rubbed one calf against the other and ignored him. ‘Earth to Daisy Daydream,’ he then said more loudly, recalling another childhood nickname. ‘Do you think once the dust has settled—’
‘Absolutely not,’ I said vehemently, only just resisting the urge to scratch. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, Dad, I need to get on. I promised I’d go and see Nick this morning.’
It was a blunt departure, but bluntness would, I hoped, at some point work where treading lightly had failed.
‘So, what did you think of the cut-flower garden?’ Nick asked, when I found him arranging boxes in the barn that was used as the pick-your-own weighing station and after I had explained what I’d been up to ahead of seeking him out.
‘I didn’t get that far,’ I huffed, even though I’d actually avoided that part of the garden on purpose. ‘Dad came along and started banging on about Laurence and how he’s convinced that we’ll get back together once the dust has settled .’ I gave the final words air quotes and a sarcastic edge.
Nick looked annoyingly amused.
‘It’s not funny,’ I scowled. ‘Him and Mum are doing my head in.’
‘And you’ve only been back, what, a week?’
‘Four days,’ I corrected. ‘Just four days. I snapped at Dad, told him I’d promised I’d come and see you, then legged it down here.’
‘Don’t rope me into the situation,’ Nick said, grinning. ‘But as you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful.’
‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I’m about a dozen of the kiddies’ baskets short,’ he told me. ‘Would you mind going to look for them?’
‘I suppose I could,’ I said, sauntering out. ‘Anything’s got to be better than risking running into Dad again.’
‘Thanks. They could be anywhere.’
Abandoned baskets were a nuisance on the fruit farm and in need of regular rounding up. They were as difficult to keep track of as it was to work out how many kilograms of fruit were lost by the eat three, pay for one , fruit-picking brigade.
‘You’d better wear this,’ said Nick, tossing me a wide-brimmed straw hat from the collection left behind over the years. ‘It’s hot already.’
I thrust it on my head.
‘It is,’ I agreed. ‘I wonder how Penny’s getting on. I messaged her earlier, but didn’t get a reply.’
I knew the end of term was always hectic and hoped that we’d see more of each other after the school year ended, but knowing now that she was going to be working in the beach café all hours, I wasn’t sure how we were going to manage it. I was catching up nicely with Nick, but I wanted Pen back in my life properly too, so we’d have to find a way.
‘She was going in extra early to get the course set up, so you probably missed her.’
‘That school will be lost without her if she does decide to leave,’ I mused.
‘As lost as my baskets,’ Nick said pointedly.
‘All right, all right,’ I said, putting up my hands. ‘I’m going.’
Nick was right about the temperature. It had risen noticeably during the brief time we had been chatting and by the time I’d found eight of the missing baskets, it was becoming uncomfortable.
A few people had arrived and were keenly filling the larger punnets and baskets with the juicy red strawberries the farm was known for. I’d eaten a couple myself, but hadn’t gone overboard. I had no intention of eating into the fruit farm profits.
‘I found eight,’ I told Nick, when I arrived back at the barn, just after he’d served a customer.
‘That’s phenomenal,’ he beamed. ‘I thought I’d only lost six.’
‘You told me it was about a dozen,’ I protested, as I fanned myself with the hat before tossing it back to him.
‘Yes, well,’ he grinned, neatly catching it, ‘I thought it would keep you out of mischief for longer.’
‘I don’t go searching for mischief,’ I told him, as I snatched back the hat and plonked it on his head. ‘It comes looking for me.’
There was nothing for me to help with in the cottage and holed up in my room, the rest of the day dragged, but it was eventually time to set off for Wynmouth and my shift in the pub. I’d had so many jobs over the years that I didn’t usually get jittery when it came to fresh starts, but my tummy felt a bit bubbly as I set off and I knew that it wasn’t down to eating an excess of summer fruit because I’d strictly rationed myself.
Even though the Smuggler’s was only going to be a part-time summer job, it was extremely important in that it had appeased my parents on my return, and the desire to keep them happy and convince them that I was here for good as a single woman, or for the summer at least, doubtless accounted for the rolling tum and sweaty palms.
I parked in the pub car park and wrestled with the passenger window. The wretched thing had a mind of its own and I had no choice but to leave it open. The village was hardly a crime hotspot and the vehicle was far from desirable, so I hoped it would be safe enough.
As always, my eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark interior when I stepped inside the Smuggler’s, but the cooling effect of the drop in temperature was immediately felt and most welcome.
‘Pen!’ I waved, spotting her at the table closest to the bar. ‘How did sports day go?’
Her face looked rather rosy, but whether that was the result of being out in the sun for hours or from the stresses of coping with the trials of the day, I couldn’t be sure.
‘About as well as you’d expect,’ she told me. ‘But knowing I have the pub on my doorstep now and that I wouldn’t have to cook my own dinner this evening was a very consoling thought throughout the day.’
I nodded at that. Given how much she loved to cook, that left me in no doubt as to exactly how exhausted she was.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your message,’ she apologised.
‘That’s fine,’ I said, with a smile. ‘I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you. I saw Nick this morning and he said you were going in early to help with the setting up.’
It struck me then that she must have replied to Nick, for him to know that. Perhaps the pair of them were finally get their acts together and wouldn’t need me to intervene on their behalf after all.
‘I did,’ Penny said, picking up her glass, ‘not that I got any thanks for it. Anyway, as soon as I’ve finished this beer, I’m heading home for a cool shower and an early night.’
‘I can’t tempt you to stay and watch me making a hash of trying to work behind the bar?’ I quipped, attempting to quell my nerves which had popped back up again.
‘On any other day…’ She grinned and I laughed.
‘Right then, Daisy,’ said Sam, as he came to clear Penny’s plate. ‘Shall we make a start? I’m not paying you to stand around chatting, you know.’
‘Oh, damn,’ I groaned. ‘That’s what I thought this bartending business was all about.’
‘In that case,’ Sam grinned, ‘you’ve been grossly misinformed. Would you like to reconsider your options?’
‘Best not,’ I said, giving Penny a wink as I followed him to the bar.
Just as I had predicted, the pub was quiet, which was just as well as Tess was driving Sophie and Hope to the airport as her dad couldn’t do it for some reason and it was just me and Sam keeping the place running.
I cleared a few glasses, served a couple of meals and some simple drinks like coke and lemonade and in-between customers, Sam showed me how to work the till, where the empties went and got me up to speed on prices and the local brews.
‘Folk are always keen to know about the microbrewery beers we stock now, so it’s handy to know a bit about them,’ he told me.
‘I’ll make a note of the names and read up about them at home.’
Sam was thrilled about that.
‘Willingness to take on homework noted and appreciated.’ He smiled. ‘And I notice the shoes too.’
‘Well, you did say comfy,’ I said, looking down at my worn and much-loved Converse.
I still wasn’t sure why he’d been so specific about footwear.
‘So,’ he carried on before I could ask, ‘let’s see how quickly you’re going to master the art of pulling a decent pint, shall we?’
‘Shouldn’t we wait until someone comes in who wants one?’ I asked, as I looked around. ‘It’s a bit wasteful otherwise, isn’t it?’
Sam laughed.
‘Well,’ he chuckled, ‘I like your faith in your ability to get it right first time and that you’re mindful about waste, but it isn’t the easiest skill in the world.’
‘Oh,’ I said, wiping my palms down my jeans. ‘Right. Of course.’
‘And now I’ve made you nervous,’ Sam observed. ‘I didn’t mean to.’
‘No, no,’ I said, ‘it’s fine. It’s just that you and Tess make it look so easy.’
‘Years of practice on my part and Tess has been doing it a while now.’
‘In that case,’ I said, ‘let’s give it a go. I’m sure I’ll do better and learn faster without an audience.’
Unfortunately, that moment had passed.
‘Well, well, well,’ came a confident voice as its owner crossed the pub threshold, ‘if it isn’t the woman I can’t stop apologising to.’
I looked up and found the American backpacker standing on the other side of the bar. Without the rucksack, he was almost clean-shaven now and every bit as handsome as before. His accent made me go slightly weak at the knees. Well, it was either that or I was feeling more nervous about pulling my first pint than I initially realised. Perhaps I was nervous about doing it with him watching.
‘Hey there,’ he said, leaning on the bar and treating me to another of his hundred-watt smiles.
He looked like the ultimate all-American boy and I felt my face flush as a result of his attention.
‘Hey,’ I said and smiled back. ‘Hi.’
Sam looked between the two of us.
‘So, you two have already met?’ he asked, eyebrows raised.
He’d obviously forgotten about us clashing in the pub doorway at the beginning of the week.
‘Not officially.’
‘Then allow me,’ he offered. ‘Daisy, this is Josh.’
‘Hi, Josh.’
His name fitted him perfectly.
‘Josh, this is Daisy. The brand-new member of the Smuggler’s Inn team.’
‘Daisy,’ Josh repeated, his eyes twinkling. ‘You look like a Daisy.’
I wrinkled my nose at that.
‘And what exactly does a Daisy look like?’ I asked.
‘Well,’ Josh grinned, ‘according to Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail , they look like the friendliest flower, and you look friendly to me, so—’
‘Do you like that film?’ I swallowed. It was one of my absolute favourites.
‘No,’ Josh laughed, ‘I love it, but it isn’t my number one. Notting Hill has the top romcom spot as far as I’m concerned.’
‘Oh my.’ I swallowed again. ‘I love that one too.’
‘Then maybe we could watch it together sometime,’ Josh suggested. ‘If that isn’t too forward a thing to suggest…’
‘If it was,’ I said, trying to pull my soppy self together, ‘you’d have to apologise for it and then we’d be back in the old routine, wouldn’t we?’ He grinned at that. ‘Let’s see if we can get through at least one interaction without that happening, shall we?’ I ventured.
He puffed out a breath as he considered the idea.
‘That would be quite a feat,’ he said, looking so deeply into my eyes I thought he could see as far as my soul.
‘So,’ I gulped as I reluctantly looked away, ‘what can we, or should I say I, get you?’
Josh opened his mouth to answer, but Sam cut him off.
‘Oh no,’ he said, waving his hands. ‘Hang on. Before we get into that, I want to know what the old routine is. I’m confused as to why you’d have one as you didn’t even know each other’s names until a few seconds ago. Why does Josh have to keep apologising to you, Daisy?’
‘I thought you weren’t paying me to chat?’ I reminded him.
‘I’m making an exception,’ he laughed. ‘Tell me.’
Josh and I looked at each other again.
‘Well, the first time our paths crossed was when Josh stepped out in front of my car.’
He nodded in agreement.
‘Yep,’ he confirmed. ‘I did do that.’
‘Well, that definitely warrants an apology,’ Sam commented. ‘What else?’
‘He bumped into me here,’ I said, nodding towards the door. ‘Literally bumped into me on Monday when I came and asked you for this job.’
‘He did,’ Sam nodded, ‘I remember that now.’
‘But really that was a fifty-fifty situation,’ Josh jumped in. ‘It’s dark in here and my eyes were still adjusting when you sort of backed into me.’
‘So, why did you apologise?’ I pounced.
‘Because I was raised right.’ He grinned and my knees caved again.
‘Josh is right though,’ Sam said, not seeming to notice the electricity that I could feel crackling between Josh and me. ‘It is dark in here, so we can’t really apportion blame on just one of you for that…’
‘And then of course,’ Josh sighed, holding up his hands, ‘I walked in on you when you were naked, didn’t I?’
‘You did what?’ Sam gaped.
‘And that’s it,’ I said, tapping the top of one of the beer pumps. ‘Apologies all accounted for. So, come on, show me how to use this thing, Sam.’
‘Not until you’ve given me some context to the naked thing,’ he insisted.
‘Sorry,’ Josh grimaced at me, turning endearingly pink.
‘And that makes four,’ I said, counting each time off on my fingers, including when he’d burst in on me in the beach hut.
Josh grinned at that.
‘I was exploring the beach huts,’ he told Sam, while I wished the wooden floor would open up and swallow me whole, ‘and Daisy was in one of them getting changed after a swim in the sea.’
‘I see,’ said Sam.
‘Nice technique, by the way,’ Josh then said to me. ‘Swimming technique,’ he quickly added as his coloured deepened. ‘You swim well.’
‘Thanks.’ I nodded, feeling rather warm myself. ‘And you should know, the huts aren’t for exploring. They’re private property.’
‘I do know that now,’ he said falteringly. ‘Sam told me when I mentioned them the other day.’
‘But you didn’t mention the walking in on me getting changed part?’
‘I did not.’ He grinned sheepishly.
I turned to Sam to ask if he was satisfied with the context Josh had now furnished him with, but he’d had to move away to serve someone else.
‘So,’ I said, looking back at Josh, ‘were you looking for somewhere to stay that day?’
‘I wasn’t planning on hiding out in the huts if that’s what you were thinking,’ he said. ‘I already had somewhere lined up to go to. I just needed to kill some time until I could collect the key.’
‘Where are you staying then?’ I asked. ‘Is it somewhere local?’
‘Yes,’ he said with a nod. ‘Crow’s Nest Cottage. It’s just—’
‘Next door,’ I cut in. ‘Sam’s place. I know it.’
He had just named one of the tiny brick and flint cottages.
‘It’s pretty cosy,’ he shrugged, ‘but I don’t mind that.’
‘Are you going to be around for long?’
‘I’ve booked for the whole of the summer.’
‘Wow.’ I grinned. ‘As long as that.’
There would be plenty of time for us to watch a film or two together – if he’d been serious about that.
‘It’s a beautiful spot here.’ He smiled back. ‘I’m in no rush to leave it.’
‘There’s not much to do though,’ I pointed out.
‘Exactly,’ he said. ‘I’m not looking for a lot to do, just enough to keep me occupied for the next few weeks and there’s that in abundance.’
‘I’m beginning to feel the same way myself,’ I replied, rather brazenly.
We looked at one another again and I wondered if his pupils were so dilated because of the low light level in the pub or because I was what he was thinking might keep him occupied. I was certainly thinking that about him.
Nick’s summer fling suggestion was looking more attractive by the minute.