31. Jasper
31
JASPER
S o she was leaving the village and Jasper behind. He walked briskly, his eyes moist and his throat tight. He’d been stupid to hope that she might not go, but then he was a fool. A stupid, hopeful fool who needed to take a reality check and forget about love. Jasper had loved and been loved once and that should be enough for a lifetime. He simply wasn’t meant to fall in love again and so he’d?—
‘Jasper!’
He froze. Stared out over the beach below without seeing a thing. What was that?
‘Jasper, please wait!’
Ellie. She was calling him. Or was it his stupid imagination fooling him again?
Too afraid to turn around, he stood there with his hands in his jean pockets, gazing out at the scenery. To focus on what was in front of him, he screwed up his eyes and then rubbed them before opening them again. The sunlight twinkled on the surface of the sea making it look like it was filled with sparkling diamonds. The sand was golden and speckled with shells and driftwood, dried seaweed and small pieces of sea-glass polished by the waves.
‘Jasper!’
It was her.
Footsteps pounded the path, echoing the beat of his aching heart.
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.
She probably wanted to say goodbye.
‘Jasper. Hey … Thanks for waiting.’
He turned and looked at her, and his chest squeezed. Every time he saw her, she was more beautiful than he remembered.
‘Ellie,’ he said, incapable of formulating any other words.
‘Jasper …’ She was breathing hard from running. ‘I’m sorry I… haven’t been in touch. I thought y-you’d need some time. And … I-I needed some time too.’
‘I understand.’ He pressed his lips together. His heart was beating so hard he felt like it would burst out of his chest. The world around him seemed distant, muffled. His palms were clammy, his fingertips tingling with the weight of anticipation. Every second he waited for her to speak felt like an eternity. His thoughts darted from hope to dread, chasing each other in frantic circles like a puppy might chase its tail.
‘Being an actor was what I wanted for so long and I put everything I had into it.’ Her dark hair was in a messy bun, but some strands danced around her face in the breeze. Her knee-length black dress clung to her curves, reminding him of the night they’d spent together. The night he’d opened his heart to her. ‘But it didn’t make me happy.’
He scanned her face, trying to work out what she was telling him.
‘Being here in Cornwall with my gran at the café makes me happy. Baking and creating new dishes makes me happy. You, Jasper. You and the children and Wiggy, you make me happy. Ramona’s message surprised me, and I admit I wondered for a while if I really wanted it. The last thing I’d ever want would be to have regrets. I owed it to myself and to you to think it through properly. I even got as far as booking a taxi to take me to the station today but do you know what?’ Her green eyes roamed his face, clear as emeralds, glistening with emotion.
Jasper shook his head. His thoughts were muddled. His heart was aching.
‘I knew deep down that I wasn’t going to go. It was like I had to push myself to check it wasn’t what I wanted, like I was auditioning myself for a role I no longer wanted to play. I don’t want to be the struggling actor anymore. I don’t want to be uptight, lonely and degraded, longing to be noticed. I want to be Ellie Cordwell. I want to stay here and help Gran make the café even better. I want to take some courses and learn how to prepare delicious food. Hell, I even want to run cooking courses at the café and help others to make good meals on a budget, to teach and bake and walk on the beach and swim in the sea. I want to do all of this but I also want to ask you to give me a chance to prove myself to you.’
A tear rolled down her cheek and plopped onto her dress. It sat there on the material like a flawless diamond and Jasper couldn’t help himself. He touched a finger to it, then curled his hand around it.
‘You don’t need to prove anything to me, Ellie. This isn’t another audition. If you want me, us, you’ve already got the part.’
‘What?’ she asked, more tears flowed from her eyes now, dampening her cheeks.
‘The part in our lives. It’s yours if you want it.’ Jasper held out his hand and Ellie took it and her tear was pressed between their palms, sealing the deal.
‘Jasper… I thought I’d left it too late.’
‘It’s never too late, Ellie, where love is concerned.’
He stepped forwards and cupped her face then he leant over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and their kiss deepened.
In a nearby hedge, a blackbird warbled, rich and melodic, the rising and falling notes of its song like a soothing lullaby. On the beach, waves lapped gently at the shore. And from along the path, there came the sound of applause as Pearl Draper clapped her hands.
When they finally came up for air, Jasper gazed into Ellie’s eyes and he saw his future within them. ‘I love you, Ellie.’
‘I love you too, Jasper.’
They kissed again and then she said, ‘Do you fancy getting a coffee?’
‘Where?’ He frowned as if confused but laughter bubbled in his chest.
‘How about at The Garden Café?’ She giggled.
‘Sounds good to me.’
Holding hands, they retraced their steps to the café. The world felt brighter now, as though the weight that had pressed on his chest was finally beginning to lift. The warmth of Ellie’s hand in his grounded him, steadying him in a way he had craved for a long, long time.
When they reached the café, for the first time in a long while, Jasper could breathe freely. His healing journey wasn’t over, but with Ellie by his side, he felt ready for whatever came next. He knew they would face it together.