Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The following day, while Sam had arranged to meet up with his business partner Aaron for lunch in the pub on Tresco, Lily had gone for a day out in ‘the metropolis’ as she called Hugh Town, the small capital of St Mary’s.
To Sam’s great relief there had been no further accidents or incidents on Stark and he was beginning to think that they would both get through the rest of her stay unscathed.
He and Aaron had just demolished two large ham sandwiches and his friend took an appreciative sip of his second pint.
Sam hid a smile at the sight of flecks of foam in his friend’s beard. He didn’t give a toss about appearances. His mate was a ‘unit’, with archetypal sea captain looks that he cultivated with relish. He and Sam had been to school together and rowed in the Bryher gig crew until Sam had embarked on the renovations.
After chatting about boats and work and rugby, Aaron asked if there was any sign of Nate coming back.
‘Not at the moment,’ Sam said, having wondered the same thing several times a day recently. Perhaps his friend had asked to meet him precisely to give him a chance to talk about this.
Aaron nodded thoughtfully. ‘How’s Morven coping?’
‘She’s not, if I’m honest. She feels abandoned and I don’t blame her.’
‘Nate needs to step up – if you don’t mind me giving my opinion.’
‘He does and I don’t.’
‘Know what you need, mate? You need a break. A bunch of us are meeting up at the Rock Inn after rowing practice tomorrow. You should come.’
‘If only … I’m on host duties.’
‘For this woman who was in the papers? The dead one,’ Aaron chortled. ‘She can manage alone on the island for one evening, can’t she?’
‘Hmm …’
‘Or you could invite her along?’
Sam laughed out loud, drawing raised eyebrows from his friend who remarked: ‘What’s up? Not her scene?’
‘I doubt it. I don’t know … I really can’t leave a guest on her own.’ He thought of Lily’s encounter with the ‘shadow’. Though it was tempting to dismiss it – whatever it was – as her being understandably on edge, Sam wasn’t going to fall into that trap. Lily didn’t strike him as the sort of person to mistake the evidence of her own eyes, and it was – just about – possible that someone had landed on Stark without his knowledge.
‘She’s had a crap time lately and, between you and me, that kayaking incident was a far closer shave than is being made out.’
‘Really?’
‘Yep. Don’t let on to anyone because there’s been enough drama around it but I thought we were both goners.’
Sam relayed the details of the accident to Aaron, who blew out a long breath.
‘Jesus, I’d no idea it was that close.’
‘It was, and it was Lily’s decision to play it down in public. She doesn’t need any more press attention and, if I’m being honest, I don’t need the retreat to acquire a bad reputation. Not now it’s almost up and running.’
‘That sounds positive. How’s it going?’
‘Cottage two is virtually ready, bar a bit of decorating.’ Sam held back the fact that Lily had offered to help with that. ‘Cottages three and four are watertight and need more work inside.’
‘Hmm. Do you want me to come and lend a hand? Help you with the heavy work, do some painting?’
‘You must be too busy.’
Aaron grinned. ‘Always, but I can spare the time especially on these light nights. I haven’t forgotten how you helped me out in that storm. Me and the kids would have been sleeping under the stars if you hadn’t spent days rebuilding the place with me.’
‘You don’t owe me anything,’ Sam insisted.
‘I know that, but I want to help. I might round up a couple of the crew too. Danny the decorator owes me a big favour.’
He slapped Sam’s back, causing his Coke to spill over the table and make it even stickier. ‘Come to the Rock. Bring this Lily. I’m sure we can handle her. The question is, can she handle us ?’
‘Believe me, Lily could handle anyone,’ Sam said, feeling a smile creeping onto his lips.
Aaron’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, really? Impressed you, has she? She sounds like quite a woman. I haven’t seen you take an interest in the female species since Rhiannon.’
‘Lily’s a guest,’ Sam countered, alarmed that he’d revealed too much. ‘It’s my job to take an interest.’
Too late. Aaron had scented blood. ‘Whatever you say, mate,’ he said, picking up his glass with a knowing smirk. ‘Whatever you say.’
After lunch, Sam zoomed back to Bryher and drove to Hell Bay House where he’d arranged to FaceTime Nate.
Ten minutes into the conversation, he was ready to hurl the laptop across the room. It was early-morning in California, mid-afternoon at Hell Bay House. Nate was sitting by the pool in a pink shirt, his Aviators pushed back on his gelled hair, an espresso cup on the table. They’d waited until Morven was out visiting friends so they could have a frank conversation.
‘Nate, if you are going to take this new contract, you need to decide ASAP. Morven needs you. You can’t leave her in permanent limbo. It’s bad for her self-esteem, and it’s affecting her mental health.’
‘Don’t I bloody know that! She won’t even talk to me,’ his brother complained.
‘Only because she feels that you won’t listen to her and don’t care!’
‘That’s out of order, Sam! Of course I care. I love her. She is my daughter after all.’
‘Then start bloody acting like a father to her!’
Nate’s eyes narrowed and his lip curled. Sam knew he’d hit the rawest of nerves.
‘I’ll let you – and my daughter – have my decision as soon as I possibly can, but it’s not as simple as you might think, from your cosy little backwater. What I decide affects more than just my future. Be glad you’ve only yourself to think about.’
‘Oh, yeah, I have no worries whatsoever!’ Sam snapped.
‘Maybe,’ Nate said smoothly, ‘it would be better if you had someone special in your own life so you understood the pressure I’m under. I have to think about Grady’s needs too, you know, as well as Morven’s.’
Sam exploded. ‘How the hell would I be able to have “someone special” in my life, Nate, when I’m already juggling a business and your daughter?’
‘Hey! Calm down! I didn’t mean to touch a raw nerve. I know Rhiannon hurt you badly. But she’s gone, Sam. Accept it. You need to move on and find someone new.’
With great difficulty, he reined in his temper. ‘I’ve work to do. I can’t waste time sitting in the sun drinking coffee. Just make your mind up about Morven before it’s too late.’
He ended the call, sitting back in his office chair in frustration. Perhaps he’d gone too far in implying Nate didn’t care about Morven, but drastic action was required. She needed her dad – and if Nate wasn’t coming back, God forbid, she needed to know so she could try to come to terms with it.
Sam also needed to come to terms with stepping in as her parent, if that’s what had to happen. He couldn’t keep leaving her with Elspeth, or making sure she was staying with trusted friends, as he’d had to over the past few weeks while he was working on the retreat. He hadn’t spent a night at home since Lily had arrived.
‘Was that Dad?’
Morven stood in the open French doors, her arms folded. He hadn’t seen her come in. That girl was like a ghost, and she had superhuman hearing. What had she heard?
‘Yes, it was.’
‘I don’t suppose he’s coming home?’
‘He’s making a decision very soon.’
She smirked. ‘’Course he is.’
‘He knows how important it is for you to be together. How important you are.’
‘Did he say that?’
Sam hesitated and decided to be honest. ‘He reminded me that he’s your father, not me.’
Perhaps thrown for a moment, Morven shook her head. ‘He needs to remind himself.’
Sam almost didn’t recognise Lily when he met her at the Hydra a little while later.
She was dressed in cargo pants and a hoodie, with a bucket hat on her head.
‘Hello!’ she said, lifting up two carrier bags. ‘I’ve been shopping!’
‘I can see that,’ he said, amused to see her in casual mode.
Her eyes were bright with excitement and seeing her so bubbly gave Sam an equal buzz. Along with his pleasure at seeing her smile, he also realised that he cared about her welfare perhaps more than he ought to, considering she was a guest.
On the way to Stark, she filled him in on her trip to the Scilly capital.
‘It was heaving. The boat over from Bryher was packed and that big boat was in port – the Scillonian . Half the passengers must have been milling around the streets.’
‘Some of them come for the day or hang around in town until they can get into their accommodation,’ he replied, amused to be seeing the little town through fresh eyes.
‘I managed to get a table outside a café at the back of the beach. Their salted caramel brownies are almost as good as Elspeth’s. And I found a place selling books.’ She showed him a bag from the Bourdeaux gift shop. ‘It’s been so long since I made time to read a novel. Though maybe I shouldn’t have chosen a crime thriller set on Scilly! Can you believe this one’s called Hell Bay ?’
Sam smiled. He’d read the Kate Rhodes book himself, amused to find his home turned into a setting for violent crime and psychopathic killers. ‘It’s very good,’ he said. ‘I just hope it doesn’t make you want to board the first flight out …’
With a gleam in her eyes, Lily shot him a look that made him melt inside.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said silkily. ‘I can separate fact from fiction and I decided against heading for the airport!’
Just in time, Sam pulled back on the throttle and turned the boat away from a hidden reef he’d almost skimmed. Lily’s cheeks were tinged a soft pink by the sun and he loved – but wouldn’t dream of telling her – the freckles sprinkled across her nose. Elspeth would say his home cooking was doing his guest good too, but it was the easing of tension that made the most difference. Her body had relaxed, the dark smudges under her eyes had gone, along with the strained expression.
It was so tempting to try and get closer to her and find out about the real Lily.
Sam reminded himself that the first rule of hospitality should be: don’t get emotionally involved with the guests. After having his heart broken by Rhiannon, his first rule ought to be not to get involved with anyone , especially not someone from a different world who could only ever be passing through his life.