14. Ellie
14
ELLIE
W hen Jasper and his children had finished their breakfast, he brought the mugs and plates to the counter.
‘You don’t need to keep doing this,’ Ellie said. ‘One of us will collect them afterwards.’
He gave a small shrug. ‘I can’t leave them there. It feels rude.’
‘You’re a paying customer.’
‘But I have manners and I don’t like to create more work for you.’ He held her gaze, and a small shiver ran down her spine. His blue eyes were so bright and clear and his beard was a rich gold, making her think of pictures she’d seen of Vikings and lumberjacks. With his height and broad shoulders, he could have been either.
‘Well, thank you.’ She was about to turn away when she remembered Alfie’s request. ‘Did you want to feed the chickens now?’
Jasper rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. ‘Only if you have time. I mean … I can take them around to the chicken run.’
‘It’s no problem at all. I’ll get the food and meet you at the back door.’
‘Great.’ He nodded, then went back to his children.
Ellie told her gran what she was doing, then went to the kitchen and got some mixed greens and blueberries, then swapped her shoes for wellies in the utility room. By the time she let herself out of the back door, Jasper, Mabel and Alfie were waiting for her.
‘What are we giving them?’ Alfie asked excitedly.
‘These.’ She showed him the bowl of greens and berries and he clapped his hands.
‘Will they love them?’
‘I’m sure they will.’ She led the way across the grass and when they reached the chicken run, she unlocked the gate, then turned to Jasper and his children.
‘Do you want to come inside?’ she asked.
‘No, thank you.’ Mabel shook her head and looked down at her pink trainers.
‘Oh!’ Ellie said. ‘I could have got you some wellies.’
‘I’m OK to watch from here.’ Mabel smiled sweetly, toying with one of her dark plaits.
‘I want to come inside!’ Alfie bobbed from one foot to the other.
‘ Please .’ Jasper ruffled his son’s blond hair.
Alfie stepped closer to Ellie. ‘Please, may I come with you?’
Ellie’s heart squeezed. ‘Of course you can. Are your shoes going to be OK, though?’ She glanced at Jasper and he nodded.
‘It’s fine. The walk home will clean anything off them.’
‘There’s a tap near the back door of the café so we can wash them there.’ Ellie gestured towards the café.
‘Right then … If I hold the bowl, you can scatter the greens and blueberries for the hens. They will get quite excited, so watch your fingers and take care not to trip over any of them.’
‘OK. I will be careful.’ Alfie looked at her with his blue eyes so similar to his dad’s, and she thought he was utterly adorable.
Ellie let them into the run and closed the gate behind her, then she crouched down so Alfie could reach into the bowl. He scattered the food around and the chickens came running, clucking happily and tucking in. Alfie giggled with joy, and Ellie watched as his smile broadened. At one point, she looked up to see Jasper gazing at them with an expression on his face that she couldn’t read. It made her curious to know what he was thinking and if he was all right. He’d been through a lot and was raising his beautiful children alone, so he had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Ellie knew he was older than her but not by how much, although she knew the children were seven and five, so he’d probably been around her age when Mabel was born. She found it hard to imagine having children at the age of twenty-eight, although she knew many did when they were younger than her. But then her life had been different to some, and she’d often felt like she was just starting out. It was probably due to the insecurity of not having a job that paid a living wage — the bar work had been poorly paid and a zero-hours contract — and to the way she had lived with Barnaby. There had been no sign of a commitment between them or of finding their own place and so she’d lived day to day without allowing herself to think too far ahead. But if you had children like Jasper, you’d have to consider how every decision would affect not just you but your children. Was she capable of making such an adjustment in her life? Possibly, given the right partner and circumstances. But what were the chances of that happening, anyway? She liked Jasper and his children, but he’d given her no sign that he even fancied her. And here she was, letting her imagination run away with her. Jasper was a single dad, and she was a jobless actor living in her childhood home with her gran without a clue about what came next.
And yet, when she smiled at Jasper from her position inside the chicken run, and Jasper smiled back, she felt sure there was a connection growing between them. Call it an overactive imagination, but she’d never looked into another person’s eyes and felt this kind of draw before. There was something very special about Jasper Holmes, and Ellie wanted to get to know him better. Whether he felt the same was something she had yet to discover.