Chapter 14
Fourteen
Trish, the owner of the pet shop, Paws for Life, probably wasn’t much older than Lara, and, like everyone else, it seemed, had heard about Tom, along with Lara’s involvement.
‘I think I would’ve panicked,’ she said.
‘I did,’ Lara confessed.
‘But it didn’t stop you from doing everything you could to help.’
Lara felt awful for feeling the way she did about this, but it was getting a little tiresome.
‘I only did what anyone else would have done. Have you heard of anyone missing a black cat?’
‘A black cat?’ Trish looked confused.
‘Nothing to do with our previous conversation,’ Lara said. ‘But a black cat seems to think my cottage is his home. I was told the place has been empty for years, so the cat – I’ve named him Nicodemus – can’t have lived there with anyone before I bought it.’
Trish shook her head still looking confused. ‘No one has mentioned a black cat to me.’
Lara was oddly relieved. ‘In that case, I need cat litter, a cat tray, a cat bed, or maybe two or three, some toys, some food, and anything else you think a cat might want.’
‘I’d want a lap to sit on.’
Lara spun around and gasped as her gaze landed on Jasper.
How had he managed to look even more handsome than he had earlier?
Dressed in tan and black leather walking boots, black jeans, a round-neck black T-shirt and a collared, quarter zip forest green jumper, his dark brown wavy hair still damp from the shower, he looked good enough to die for.
Or possibly just to kiss. Or maybe both.
Lara was dying to kiss him, that much she was becoming increasingly sure of, and that thought continued to throw her off-balance.
‘I’m not sure this shop sells those,’ she said. ‘But if you’re offering, I think Nicodemus would be happy to give you a trial run for the position. Wear something white. That seems to be his favourite colour.’
‘Hello, Jasper,’ Trish intervened, as Jasper grinned at Lara. ‘We were just talking about Tom. We’re all so relieved he’s okay. How is he today? Will he be in hospital for long? Should we go and visit him? Is he allowed visitors?’
It seemed to Lara that Jasper unwillingly dragged his gaze away, but his smile appeared genuine as he replied to the barrage of Trish’s questions.
‘No one is as relieved as me,’ he said. ‘He’s feeling better than yesterday but as to the rest, I don’t have any answers. I’ll know more once I’ve seen him this afternoon. I believe it’s only family visits at the moment though. I’ll give him your good wishes.’
‘Thank you, Jasper. Will you be staying for a while?’
‘Possibly. But please don’t let me get in the way of you serving Lara. I’ll be outside,’ he said to Lara. ‘Give me a shout if you need a hand with any of the heavy stuff.’
‘Will do,’ said Lara, turning back to Trisha. ‘So … cat litter etc?’
Trisha’s gaze seemed fixed on Jasper’s back, but who could blame her?
‘What? Of course. This is our most popular brand.’
A few minutes later, Lara poked her head out of the shop doorway. Jasper was standing outside, leaning back against his car, legs crossed at his ankles, hands stuffed into his jeans’ pockets, his head tilted back and his eyes closed as he basked in the gentle warmth of the morning sunshine.
‘Woman needs help with heavy stuff,’ she said, but not before she had let her gaze travel the length and breadth of his gorgeous body, once or twice. Or maybe more.
He righted his head with a dazzling smile on his lips. ‘It’s like a summer day,’ he said, slowly pushing himself away from his car with just his body. ‘Are you doing anything today?’
‘I believe someone is taking me for breakfast.’
He grinned at her as he followed her back into the shop where Trisha was eagerly waiting, a bit like a puppy expecting a treat.
‘After that,’ he said, still grinning.
‘Well, I have a list as long as your arm of things I need to do at the cottage, so I suppose the answer is yes.’
‘Anything I can do?’
Lara could think of several things he could do, none of which were on her list.
‘Not that I can think of right now. Other than to carry all these heavy bags to your car.’
She was going to carry them out to his car herself but the words of the roofer chap rang out in her head. Jasper had offered to help. She should take him up on it. Even so, she had carried two of them to the door.
‘Are you going to the pub this evening?’ Trisha asked, when Jasper picked up the last bag of cat litter.
‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you, Trisha. Take care.’
‘And you, Jasper. Don’t be a stranger.’
Lara couldn’t help herself. ‘Is anyone stranger than you?’ she asked him as he dumped the cat litter in the boot and closed the tailgate with the button on his key fob.
He burst out laughing. ‘Other than you, you mean?’
‘Obviously,’ she said. ‘It’s a good thing you came here, because I have no idea where the diner is.’
He raised one brow as he opened the passenger door and held it while she got in. He walked to the driver’s side and sat beside her, clicking his seatbelt into place as Lara did hers.
‘I thought that might be the case. Gramps told me how you two met.’
‘Oh. The online dating site you mean?’
‘What?’ He blinked at her in astonishment and then sighed in amused exasperation. ‘You almost had me going there for a minute.’
‘Sorry,’ she apologised. ‘It must be this sea air. I assume that means Tom told you I couldn’t find the lane on which the cottage that I’d bought online was situated.’
‘Yeah, that,’ he said, pressing the button to start the car.
‘Did he tell you anything else?’ She tensed in anticipation.
‘He said that you’d lost your parents and that you had no family to speak of.’
She sucked in a breath. ‘Not strictly true. I do have some family, but I choose not to speak of them.’
‘I see.’ He drove a few yards, turned right at the traffic lights, and pulled into a small car park. ‘We can access Bonnie’s Diner from here,’ he said, along with some of this row of shops. But a few only have a front entrance on the street.’
‘Good to know.’
He jumped out of the car and dashed to her side to hold the door for her. She smiled at his gallantry.
‘This is it.’ He pulled open a door and Lara stepped into a long dining space with a central walkway that had a black and white tiled floor with a row of bright blue, leatherette booths running along one side, and a row of yellow tables and bright blue chairs running along the other.
To the side of those tables was an open shelved, serving area, again bright blue, and behind that sat the kitchen, all gleaming stainless steel and white.
‘Wow,’ she said, taking in every inch of the place. It was like stepping back in time to the fifties or something.
‘Is that a good wow, or a bad wow?’
‘Good. All good. This is the most cheerful diner I’ve ever seen. Not that I’ve seen that many.’
He was evidently pleased by her reaction.
‘Wait until you taste the food.’ He waved at a woman who reminded Lara of a famous actress from the glory days of Hollywood, but she couldn’t remember the name. Jet black hair in a high bun, eye liner to match and bright red lipstick. ‘This is Maud.’
‘Maud!’ Lara hadn’t meant to shriek. ‘Hello.’
‘Hello yourself,’ said Maud, marching towards her. ‘You must be Lara.’
To Lara’s surprise, Maud hugged her.
‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ Lara said when she was released.
‘You too. I won’t tell you how wonderful you are, because I suspect you’re tired of hearing it, but if this village had such a thing as a key to the kingdom, you’d be getting one. How about a Full English instead?’
Lara laughed, grateful to be spared the need to reel off her standard phrase.
‘That sounds perfect.’
‘Tell Tom to hurry back,’ Maud said to Jasper, squeezing his arm with clear and genuine affection in her tone and on her face. ‘Full English for you too? As if I need to ask.’
Jasper returned the affectionate smile but he pulled away when she reached out to ruffle his hair.
‘He hates that,’ said Maud. ‘Which is why I do it every chance I get.’ She winked at him and he shook his head with amusement.
‘Let’s sit here.’ He pointed to a booth directly opposite the serving area and the kitchen beyond.
Lara sat on one side of the booth and Jasper sat on the other. It overlooked the street and Lara was surprised by the hustle and bustle.
‘The village is busy this morning. Is it always like this at this time of year?’
‘You should see it in the summer. Packed to the gills.’
‘I have,’ she said.
‘When?’
‘Didn’t Tom tell you?’
‘No. Not that I remember. And I think I would remember that. Oh wait. He did mention that he owned a painting by your mum, and that it was of the cottages.’
Lara explained about the holiday, the boat trip, and the painting.
She also told him how her parents had died.
But she didn’t tell him it was on her sixteenth birthday.
She didn’t know why she kept that part back.
Perhaps because her thirtieth was approaching fast and she still found it a little unsettling.
‘I’m so sorry, Lara. That must’ve been devastating.’
‘It was.’
‘Did you have a guardian? Tell me to mind my own business if you want to.’
She had thought she might. Instead, she found herself telling him about her life with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Just the parts she told to those who knew her well. Some of it was still too painful to share with anyone. Not even with her best friend, Jenny.
‘They sound awful,’ he said. ‘No wonder you bought the flats as soon as you could.’
‘I still can’t believe my aunt is … was …
my mum’s sister. They couldn’t be more different if they tried.
Aunt Deb was an only child and was spoilt rotten until my mum was born.
I can’t be sure, but I believe my aunt resented Mum from the start.
She definitely didn’t like me. But let’s not talk about them.
It’s a beautiful day, and the smells coming from that kitchen are divine. ’