Chapter 13 #2
‘I’m fine, thanks,’ she said, noticing his brows inch together for a second. Was he realising the same?
‘Great,’ he replied, letting go of her arm. But this time he didn’t hurry away. ‘Where are you off to? Oh. Were you coming to ask me how Gramps is doing? I phoned the hospital first thing this morning and they said he had a good night and was eating his breakfast. So that’s fantastic news.’
‘Yes, it is. And no, I wasn’t. I was merely out for a walk to get away from the noise and dirt and dust in my cottage right now.’
He turned his head and glanced in that direction. ‘I can see a scaffold going up. Repairs to the roof?’
‘Not repairs. Replacement.’
He frowned. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure it needs replacing? Some builders are notorious for ripping wom … people off.’
Lara pursed her lips and then said, ‘The hole in the roof, and the fact the tiles are ancient and crumbling, would suggest it does. As for being ripped off, I agree they might have tried that, if it hadn’t been for Tom.’
‘Hadn’t been for Gramps? I don’t understand.’
‘Tom told me to mention his name to any tradespeople I might call. It worked wonders. They’ve all given me a big discount. Hence the offer from me of that pie and a pint. Now, of course, I’ll have to think of another way to repay him.’
‘Repay him? Because saving his life wasn’t quite enough?’ He shook his head. ‘Gramps made it very clear to me that we’re the ones who owe you, not the other way around. And I agree. I had a sleepless night last night thinking about what might’ve happened if you hadn’t found him when you did.’
Lara’s irritation floated away. ‘But he’s fine now. That’s the important thing.’
‘Yes. Yes it is.’
He met her look and held it until Lara had to look away. Her cheeks were burning and those tingles she had experienced last night were dancing around inside her again this morning.
‘I’d better go,’ she said.
‘Me too. I really need a shower.’
Lara let out a little laugh. ‘I didn’t want to say anything but…’ She screwed up her nose.
His laugh sent those tingles soaring.
‘Give my love to Tom,’ she said, trying to regain her composure as she forced herself to move away.
‘I’ll do that.’ Jasper nodded.
Lara was so tempted to glance behind her as she walked away.
‘Lara?’ He caught up with her a few seconds later.
‘Yes?’ She stopped and looked at him.
‘We’re both going the same way,’ he laughed.
‘Of course we are,’ she said.
They walked on in silence for a moment or two and then Tom’s cottage came into view.
‘Have you had breakfast?’ Jasper asked.
‘Breakfast? No. I meant to but Bob and Colin arrived and … It doesn’t matter. No. I haven’t.’
‘Would you like to join me? I was going to go to Bonnie’s Diner. It does the best Full English you will ever taste. My gran used to…’ He smiled as he walked. ‘I expect Gramps has told you all about Gran.’
‘Actually, he hasn’t. He told me her name and that she had sadly passed away, but not much else. And yes. I would lo…, I mean, like to join you.’ She shot him a look but he hadn’t seemed to notice her change of the word love, to like.
‘I just need that shower,’ he said.
Were his eyes suggesting that she might like to join him there too? No. She was obviously imagining that. Wishful thinking was a dangerous thing.
‘I can meet you there,’ she offered. ‘I need to call in to the pet shop, so I could do that first. Oh. But I’ll need my car for that. Cat litter is heavy.’
‘You could wait for me in Gramps’ cottage and we could take my car.’
An image of Jasper in the shower appeared in her mind’s eye.
She hadn’t tried to seduce him last night but there was no guarantee she wouldn’t try to do so this morning, given the way she was feeling right now. She clearly wasn’t herself. She didn’t behave like this. She needed to get a grip.
‘Why don’t I walk into the village while you have that shower? I need the fresh air to clear my head. Then you can bring your car and we’ll meet in the diner.’
‘That’s an idea. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to wait? I won’t be more than a few minutes.’
‘No! I really need the walk.’
‘Okay. I’ll see you soon.’
Lara had not asked where Bonnie’s Diner was, in her hurry to get away. But Bluewater Bay was a village. It couldn’t be that hard to find the diner. Besides, she could ask someone in the pet shop if necessary.
She really did need to sort herself out.
For someone who wasn’t a people person and who wasn’t particularly interested in relationships, she was behaving like a school girl with a crush.
She was twenty-nine for goodness’ sake. Why was she suddenly having all these erotic thoughts involving her neighbour’s grandson?
Should she phone Jenny and ask for her advice?
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Lara!’ She shook her head and tutted as loudly as she had chastised herself.
Jenny was at work. The last thing the woman needed was her best friend calling her for advice about a crush.
Lara took several deep breaths as she walked down Old Oak Lane into the valley. If memory served her correctly, another lane crossed this one at the foot of this sloping cliff. Yes. There it was. Bluewater Lane. The lane that she and her parents had driven along fourteen years ago.
Bluewater Lane led to the main part of the sweeping bay. At the end, there was a car park, and next to that, a rental shop where people could hire boats, and boards, and various other sports and leisure equipment for an hour, a day, or longer.
It was from that rental shop her parents had hired a boat on which the three of them had spent the most perfect day at sea. They had packed a picnic, and each of them had sketched or painted, talking and laughing or simply sitting quietly and concentrating on their various projects.
Was that the day her mum had painted the picture that Tom had purchased for his wife, Bonnie? It must have been.
Lara’s heart was close to breaking all over again as she reached the valley floor and stood at that crossroads and looked down Bluewater Lane.
The sea was just visible in the distance but she couldn’t see the car park nor the rental shop from where she stood.
If only she had known then what would happen just a mere nine weeks later.
But she couldn’t change the past.
The future, on the other hand, she could. Or at the very least, she could change the way she faced whatever the future had in store for her.
Why did she get the feeling that she had reached another crossroads in her life?
A sea mist was rolling in and with it came more memories. More regrets. More sadness.
She took a deep breath and crossed Bluewater Lane, stepping back on to Old Oak Lane on the other side of the valley. From here it was all uphill to the village. She hoped that wasn’t a sign of things to come.
Could she ever put the past behind her and really embrace the future with the whole of her heart?
Her parents and her memories would always be with her, and she wouldn’t want it any other way, but did she need to cling on to the sadness and regrets?
Did she need to blame herself for everything that happened the day her parents had died?
The accident was not her fault, she was well aware of that. And they would be glad that she had not gone with them on that fateful journey. Glad that she was alive. Glad that she had a future.
Yet what was the point of a future if you clung so tightly to the past that the present and the future passed you by?
Was this why she had felt as if her dad had been instrumental in her making a bid on the cottage in Old Oak Lane? And if so, why now? Was it because her thirtieth birthday was in a few weeks? Was this the time to start afresh and grab everything life had to offer?
Was this the reason she had felt so drawn to Bluewater Bay?