Chapter 24
Ben had told her that it had been the waiting room of the old railway station and now she looked closely, she could see the memorabilia and posters that adorned the place.
But in the dark evening, it felt warm and, dare she say it, even romantic.
Fairy lights were strung all across the ceiling and along with the glow of the nearby fireplace, each table had a flickering candle as well.
She felt a little shy at sitting there alone with Ben, despite every other table being full.
‘It’s a good thing they had a cancellation,’ said Ben, picking up a menu that had been left on the table. ‘It’s very popular because the food is so delicious.’
Lily glanced at the plates of food that had just been served on the next table. ‘It looks amazing,’ she told him.
She glanced down at the knee-length skirt that she was wearing.
It was only Ben and a casual meal out and yet she had found herself selecting her black V-neck jumper and suede boots with care.
As well as rushing to wear a full face of make-up for once.
Her hair had only needed brushing but was still fluffy from the shower.
She looked across the table at Ben. There was no trace of the paint splattered t-shirt and jeans that he had been wearing only a short time ago. Now he was wearing a smart blue shirt and dark trousers, only his damp hair a reminder that he too had needed a shower before heading out.
He looked up at her from the menu suddenly and she was mildly embarrassed to have been caught looking at him.
‘What are you going to have?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know,’ she told him, immediately glancing down the options. ‘It all looks delicious.’
‘Don’t get your hopes up,’ said a man in a chef’s apron coming to stand next to their table. ‘You haven’t tasted it yet!’
‘Ryan! How are you?’ asked Ben, standing up to shake the man’s hand.
‘Good to see you, mate,’ replied Ryan. ‘It’s been too long.’ He then looked down at Lily. ‘Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m the owner and chef here.’
‘I’m Lily,’ she replied. ‘I’m helping out at Maple Tree Lodge.’
‘Yeah, I heard from Del that the place was being done up,’ said Ryan, nodding in approval before looking at Ben with a concerned look. ‘How are the family bearing up?’
Ben nodded. ‘They’re OK, thanks,’ he replied. ‘Early days and all that but battling on, as Grandad says.’
Ryan smiled. ‘Well, Walter was always a tough one,’ he said. ‘Send them my love, would you?’
‘Of course,’ replied Ben.
‘So what’ll it be?’ asked Ryan, nodding at the menu.
‘I was thinking about the risotto,’ Lily told him.
Ryan nodded his approval. ‘Good choice.’
‘I just fancied a pizza, to be honest,’ said Ben, with a grin.
Ryan rolled his eyes. ‘Heathen,’ he said, snatching the menus from the table. ‘But seeing as my pizza is as fantastic as my risotto, I don’t blame you. Let’s get you some drinks and nibbles to get you started.’
Almost immediately, they were served with a non-alcoholic beer for Ben as he was driving and a large glass of white wine for Lily. Along with their drinks, Ryan’s fiancée Katy placed a large sharing plate of olives, bruschetta and dips between them to whet their appetites.
‘What an amazing place,’ said Lily, once she had taken a sip of wine. ‘So how do you know the owner?’
‘I went to infant school with Ryan and his brother,’ Ben told her. He leaned back in his chair and looked around the restaurant. ‘I must say they’ve done wonders with the old place. It was in almost a worse state than the hotel was, if you can believe it.’
‘Maybe you should have used their interior designer instead,’ said Lily, glancing around. It really did feel like such a warm and inviting place, entirely suited to its environment.
She turned her attention back to Ben and found him studying her.
‘I think we’ve hired just the right interior designer actually,’ he said.
She found herself blushing. ‘Let’s hope so.’
‘Tell me what made you interested in interior design,’ he asked. ‘From what you’ve told me, it wasn’t a natural career choice.’
She hesitated and took another sip of wine. Not normally used to talking about herself, she found herself telling him about the gift of the doll’s house and how it sparked the creativity that she still had to that day.
‘So this doll’s house is important to you?’ he said.
She nodded. ‘That’s why it’s all wrapped up safely in my room.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘It’s got a bit bashed over the years. One of the front doors doesn’t close properly and the roof is all askew.’
‘Well, perhaps I can take a look at it,’ said Ben. ‘Or Grandad if you trust him more to fix it.’
‘Thank you. And, for the record, I trust you,’ she told him, feeling the heat spread across her cheeks.
And it was true, she realised.
‘You haven’t seen my detailed carpentry work yet,’ he told her, with a grin.
She laughed. ‘I’ve seen the four-poster beds and they’re just great,’ she replied.
‘Glad you approve,’ he said. He looked around once more. ‘Maybe the old railway station is proof that even the worst of places can be brought back to life.’
‘I think it shows me that there’s more people out and about in this area than I had thought possible as well,’ said Lily, glancing around the busy restaurant. ‘I mean, it’s a Tuesday evening and yet the place is full.’
‘Shame I can’t lure Ryan over to the hotel to serve his delicious food there instead,’ said Ben. ‘And believe me, I’ve tried. We’re going to need a chef. I think it’s getting too much for Mum, to be honest.’
Lily nodded. ‘I understand. Have you thought about using Hannah instead?’
Ben drew in a sharp breath. ‘Of course, but she’ll never agree to it. You know how lacking in confidence she is. The only people she likes to cook for her are her family.’
‘Hmm.’ Lily knew that he was right. ‘Perhaps we can work on her together.’
‘That would be great if we could,’ he told her. ‘I think it would really help her come out of her shell at long last.’
She was touched by how supportive he was of his younger sister.
‘In the meantime, perhaps we could plan a pizza evening for the guests one night a week,’ she suggested. ‘It would give whoever the chef is a break for the night. All we would need is to get the orders in advance and have them sent over.’
‘Now that’s a great idea,’ said Ben, as Katy delivered their main course to the table. ‘Especially if it’s as delicious as this.’
He held out a slice of pizza for Lily to take a bite out of. A little embarrassed, she took a taste and couldn’t help but nod her approval. ‘Wow,’ she muttered with a full mouth. She could taste rosemary, the freshest tomatoes, succulent artichokes and sweet Parma ham. ‘That’s amazing.’
In return, she held out a full fork for him to taste her chicken risotto. As he took it in his mouth, Lily realised that to all intents and purposes to the other tables, they looked like a couple.
As they began to eat their food, he asked, ‘So when was the last time you went out on a date?’
She almost choked on her risotto. ‘I can’t remember,’ she mumbled, blushing in the candlelight.
‘I’m normally too busy working to have any kind of life.
I worked most evenings. It made me neglect my home life.
My work-life balance. And my friends too, I’ve realised.
I should have been around for them more, especially Hannah this last year. ’
He nodded. ‘Dad’s death hit her pretty hard.’ He paused. ‘All of us, of course.’
‘How have you coped with it?’ she asked.
‘I haven’t really,’ he confessed, with a frown.
‘I was so busy trying to save the hotel for the family that there’s been no time to breathe.
’ He paused and took a sip of his beer. ‘It’s his birthday coming up later this month.
I’m dreading it, to be honest. But it would be a shame if we didn’t remember him in some way. ’
‘You need to grieve too,’ she told him.
She hesitated before she reached out to take his hand. He turned it over in his and looked down at it.
‘I can only try and tell you what I’ve learnt this year and that’s to trust your friends and family and ask for help if you need it,’ she told him.
‘I’m not much good at that,’ he replied.
‘Then perhaps it’s time we both learned to do so. To learn that we’re not alone,’ she said.
They held hands for a moment longer before he finally let go to raise up his beer bottle. She picked up her wine glass and chinked it against the bottle.
‘To not being alone,’ he said.
After a delicious dessert and coffee, they thanked Ryan and Katy for the meal and headed home. They parked the car and walked back across the car park under the full moon. That night it was so bright they didn’t need the external light to see where they were going.
‘Beth would love a night like this,’ said Lily, her breath showing in the cold air as she glanced at the huge sky above them, dotted with stars.
‘They’re my favourites too,’ said Ben. ‘I always missed this when I was in the city.’ He frowned. ‘I never considered that I was homesick before but I definitely was, now I come to realise.’
She felt wistful suddenly. A longing to belong. Something she had missed out on for so long. ‘If this were my home, I’d miss it too,’ she found herself saying.
She gave a start as Ben stroked her face softly with his fingers. ‘As you’re pouring your heart and soul into the place then you’re allowed to call it home for the time being as well.’
They smiled at each other in the semi-darkness, where the only sound for a moment was an owl hooting. They smiled at the noise but it broke the moment and he dropped his hand.
As they headed inside, Faye and Frankie were in the hallway, having just come home themselves.
‘Where have you two been?’ asked Faye.
As Ben filled them in on their disastrous paint accident, Lily watched him, smiling.
It had been an unexpected but lovely evening and she had really enjoyed his company.
But he was just Hannah’s brother, she reminded herself. The manager of the hotel. Her employer.
That was all, wasn’t it?