Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
LUKE
T his is an impossible situation, and every word Jessy spoke caused my heart to sink.
This will never work.
I’m not a businessman and never wanted to be. But Jessy is so enthusiastic and I’m guessing it has a lot to do with her deep love of the place. Her entire world is here and she can’t bear the thought of change outside of the villager’s control.
I already know the best thing for the village would be a huge multi-national snapping it up and having the cash to make it thrive again. However, that would spell the end of life as they know it because cheap rents and business opportunities in exchange for a few pots of jam won’t cut it in the corporate world.
Jessy offered to drive us all to the pub but Morgana and Jasper were too busy plotting their show and Steven decided to keep an eye on them, so it left the two of us to speed off over the border into unchartered territory.
As we pass the rest of my estate, I fall in love a little more as the pretty chocolate box cottages remind me of my responsibilities.
Jessy points out various sights and I’m particularly interested in a huge disused barn not far off the road.
“I wonder what that used to be?”
I voice my thoughts, staring at the rather grand structure that has grass and ivy apparently holding it up. It’s set within a crumbling courtyard and Jessy says casually, “This was the stables for the house. It’s one of the properties that could be converted to a residential dwelling.”
“It could be magnificent.”
“I agree.”
The heater is struggling to warm our bones and I picture my own jeep back in Manchester that has heated seats and a state-of-the-art sound system. Jessy’s car is extremely basic and rather small as it happens.
“You need a bigger car.” I grumble as my boot takes up most of the room in the footwell and she giggles, a sound that brings a smile to my face, although I still don’t why.
“It suits me, but I don’t transport six foot tall athletes with injuries very often, so you must excuse the confined space on offer.”
“So, you don’t have a boyfriend, then?”
I’m aware it’s an inappropriate question given that I’m technically her boss, but I want to discover everything about her.
“Not really.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means, I talk to a few guys on line and occasionally have a drink with one of them but nothing else.”
“Several guys?”
I raise my eyes and she giggles. “A few.”
I’m not sure why I hate the thought of that so much.
She changes the subject which doesn’t escape me. “Tell me about Morgana. How did you meet?”
“Through Steven. “
“Your agent?”
“Yes. They were friends, and we were at the same party one night and the rest is history.”
“How long have you been dating?”
I shift on the seat and say airily, “I don’t remember exactly.”
“Wow!” she laughs softly. “Don’t let Morgana hear you say that. I bet if I asked her the same question, she would tell me the exact date and probably the time too.”
I laugh. “You’re probably right, nothing escapes her, and she’s more clued up than people give her credit for.”
“She is smart. I sense that already.”
Jessy pulls into the car park of a quaint village pub and says wistfully, “I’ve been coming here since I was a child.”
“Wow, you start young in the country.”
She rolls her eyes. “With my parents and my sister. Coke and crisps were all we were allowed, mainly in the beer garden, while we played on the swing.”
She peers through the steamed-up window and rubs a gloved hand over it from the inside.
As we stare out at the welcoming pub, she sighs. “I missed it when I was at uni. I know everyone in it and it’s a safe place to come on your own because inevitably there is someone you can sit with. There aren’t many strangers in Granthaven and our neighbour Dream Valley.”
“That sounds too good to be true.”
“It is. The entire area is too good to be true because the people here rarely move on. Both communities work together and we use their high street in the absence of having one of our own.”
She glances my way and cocks her head to one side. “They have a great Italian restaurant there. You should take Morgana. She would love it.”
She smiles and as the light from the pub window catches her eye, it strikes me how pretty she looks. In fact, Jessy is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, if not the most, and something shifts in the air between us and I can’t tear my eyes away from her. It’s a little awkward as I struggle to avert my gaze, so she does it for me as she says brightly, “Anyway, lunch. Come on, they serve great pub grub and if you like pints of beer, they have a local brew that is to die for.”
“You drink beer?”
It amuses me and she nods. “Of course. Even the babies get a taste of it on their dummies. We are raised on the stuff.”
I chuckle and as we head into the pub, I am very much looking forward to lunch.
I rarely go to pubs, wine bars, or restaurants even. In Manchester, too many people recognise me and yet here it appears the only person they are interested in is Jessy.
We take ages to find a table, because she stops to talk to nearly everyone and as she introduces me, I sense their curiosity. I love how nobody tells me how badly I played at the weekend, or that I missed an open goal. They don’t want to talk about Morgana and take a selfie with me because they only know me as the guy who got lucky and inherited a village. I can tell by the look on their faces that is the only thing that impresses them.
“Hey! Up the Arsenal.” A loud voice booms out and I jump as I spy Wilf Evans supping a pint at the bar, his trusty rifle propped up against his chair.
“Hey, Wilf.” Jessy calls and I smile at him nervously.
“Hey, it’s good to see you again.”
I’m not sure it is, but he smiles a crooked smile, revealing he doesn’t have many teeth left.
He calls out to anybody remotely interested.
“This is the guy I was telling you about. He’s a personal friend of Wenger. Lucky sod.”
A few murmurs accompany his statement and I want the ground to open up and swallow me as they disguise their smiles, knowing only too well I don’t play for Arsenal.
Jessy giggles and says gently, “Good to see you, Wilf. We’ll catch you later as this is a working lunch.”
He taps his nose and winks. “If you say so, Jessy, darlin, your secret is safe with me.”
Jessy’s face flames as I chuckle softly.
As we take a table near the window, she gasps, “I’m so sorry. I’m sure nobody else is thinking that.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shrug. “I doubt there are paparazzi anywhere remotely near here and I haven’t seen any phones pointed in our direction yet.”
I lean forward and whisper, “If this was a secret affair, I doubt we would be here, anyway.”
Jessy doesn’t know where to look and grabs one of the menus from the table and says quickly, “They do a great burger, or a ploughman’s, if you prefer something lighter.”
“What are you having?”
“A burger. I need something hot inside me.”
I raise my eyes and she giggles. “You’ve got a dirty mind, Mr Adams.”
“I never said a thing, Miss Potter.”
As we make our choices. Jessy heads to the bar and places our order and I insist on her paying with my credit card, reminding her it’s a working lunch after all and we can put it down to expenses.
As she laughs at something the barmaid says, something shifts deep inside me. I love how natural she is. How comfortable I feel around her and it strikes me that Granthaven is weaving its magic spell around my heart as I realise I already hate the thought of leaving when the time comes.