Eden’s Comfort Kitchen

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Cam had come back for the next volunteer dinner, and the one after that too. He arrived at the beginning of the second week not long after Eden herself. This was the first time she’d be here without Livia and Julia, who had important things to take care of at the ice-cream parlour, things they’d put off until they could do so no longer, and then Livia had a shift at the pub. Eden had expected this day to come – they’d always been open about their ability to commit long term – but knowing that didn’t make her feel any less cut adrift. Julia especially had become her right-hand man – or perhaps the reality was that Julia had actually taken charge, leaving Eden to be her right-hand man.

With two members of the team down and Eden running the ship, she’d gladly taken advice from Ralph about the best menu to go with, one that would cut work down to a minimum while still offering three wholesome and nutritious options. They’d settled on a Moroccan-style one-pot chicken stew with bulgar wheat; simple fish and chips that could be oven-baked; and a vegetable lasagne, prepared by one of Ralph’s chefs as a favour earlier that day so it would be ready to go into the oven with the fish and chips. Eden had been grateful to Ralph; while she still felt nervous about running the kitchen, she was hopeful it would be enough to ensure things ran smoothly. All she really needed to do was to prepare the ingredients for the stew – something that she could do herself if she allowed enough time. She’d arranged for the rest of her volunteers to arrive later once she’d prepped everything and put it into the crockpot to simmer, and so was surprised to look up from dicing peppers to see Cam’s car pull up in his usual spot. Wiping her hands, she went to open the door.

‘You’re early,’ she called as he got out of his car. ‘I don’t need anyone for another couple of hours. I thought I’d said last time?—’

‘You did,’ he said, locking up and striding over anyway. ‘I was just at the ice-cream place, and Livia said you were here on your own.’

‘Oh,’ she said with a wry smile. ‘And you thought it was a good opportunity to do me in and get your competition out of the way?’

‘If only it were that easy,’ he replied with a wry smile of his own. ‘Livia said she and Julia couldn’t make it tonight and you had to start early to make up for it. I had a spare half hour, and I thought you might want help.’

Eden frowned. ‘That’s noble of you.’

‘You think there’s an ulterior motive?’ he asked, his smile widening.

‘Of course I do. You’re trying to tell me there isn’t?’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it. Regardless of any motive, are you saying you don’t want my help? If you’re accepting it with your eyes wide open, then you have nothing to lose by accepting it, do you?’

‘So there is a motive?’

His hands went to his pockets, and something in the way he looked at her now was so unexpected, she hadn’t a clue what to make of it. His smile faded, and he simply nodded slowly, all the while holding her in that strange, unfathomable gaze. ‘I suppose there might be.’

‘What?’

Whatever had been going on in his head, he seemed to shake himself free of it and the wry smile returned. ‘I didn’t think you needed reminding. Don’t we both have the same motive? To win the bet?’

‘You think coming to help me will win you the bet? If anything I’d say it’s a sign I’m winning.’

‘Ah, but maybe that’s what I want you to think. So shall I stay, or do you want me to go?’

Eden sniffed. ‘You might not come back if I let you go, so you’d better come in.’

She moved from the doorway to let him through and went back to her chopping while he pulled an apron from a peg and put it on. Then she looked up at the sound of his voice.

‘Where do you want me to start?’

Eden waved her knife at some sacks in the corner of the room. ‘There’s a ton of veg to peel and chop over there. Take your pick which you do first. I also need some garlic mincing.’

‘I can do that.’

Cam went to the sacks and opened the first one. ‘Carrots?’ He looked up. ‘Want me to peel them?’

‘Yes, please.’

She went back to her peppers, the sounds of him tipping the carrots into the sink and then turning on the tap a soundtrack to her thoughts. Why was he here? What was he up to? He had to be up to something, didn’t he?

‘You know,’ he began as he turned off the tap, ‘it’s a shame we didn’t get to know each other better when we worked together.’

Eden looked round. ‘Is it? You said I was weird.’

‘I did. I suppose that was uncalled for.’

Eden raised her eyebrows. ‘Thank you? I’m assuming there was an apology of sorts in there.’

‘I suppose there is. I don’t think I’m the only one who made judgements, though, am I?’

‘I haven’t decided yet. If you think this is going to get me to drop my guard, you can think again.’

‘I’m trying to pay you a compliment. I won’t bother again.’

‘And there was no ulterior motive for that? Just like there’s no ulterior motive for coming in early to help me when you have no reason to and you know I’ll be alone?’

‘Don’t worry – I’m not going to jump you, if that’s what you think.’

Eden stared at him. The shock she felt wasn’t because of his statement – it was because suddenly, from nowhere, the image of them pressed against each other, right there at that moment in the kitchen, invaded her brain. The harder she tried to banish it, the more insistent it was, until she had to turn away for fear he’d be able to tell what was going on in her head.

He’s the enemy, he’s the enemy…

She had to remind herself of that. She had to remember why he was here and what his intentions for her precious community café were. He was up to no good, and no good could come from getting involved. It was probably what he was after: seduce her and soften her will. She couldn’t allow it to happen. She couldn’t even allow herself to fancy him – though that got harder with every hour she was in his company. She’d never told him she fancied him, had she? Or anyone else for that matter. But he was assuming that she did? How arrogant did that make him? Or was she giving off signs so obvious he couldn’t fail to notice? If she was, that would have to be wrestled under some kind of control because she couldn’t have him thinking that sort of thing.

‘It’s quiet in here,’ he said, tying his apron and rolling up his sleeves to wash. ‘It’s weird; I’m not used to it. Usually it’s all noise and chaos.’

‘It’s a busy kitchen, that’s for sure. I quite like it that way.’

‘I didn’t say it was bad, just that this is weird.’

‘Put the radio on if you like.’

‘I could. Or we could just talk.’

Eden burst into laughter. ‘Us? What would we talk about?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘There you are then…’ She paused. ‘And don’t even think of drawing me into a discussion about this plot of land thinking you might be able to twist me round to your way of thinking because that is not going to happen.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it. I don’t need to anyway because we both know how it’s going to end. I don’t think that means there has to be animosity between us while this thing plays out, though.’

Eden rested her hands on her hips and turned to him with a frank gaze. ‘You really think it’s going to be easy, don’t you? You think you’re just going through the motions?’ She retrieved her knife and started to slice her pepper again. ‘Think that if you want to, if it makes you feel as if you’re winning, but don’t imagine for a minute that it’s going to be as simple as that.’

‘I never thought it would be simple – you’re involved.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I’m serious. I always thought you were capable…more than capable. I was sorry to hear you’d left the company – you had a great future there ahead of you. Why did you leave?’

‘My mum died.’

‘Yes,’ he said slowly, ‘I heard that, and, for the record, I’m sorry for your loss. That doesn’t really explain it, though.’

Eden paused. ‘Do you remember,’ she said after a moment, ‘I came to youat the back end of last year, and I told you about some land with a community centre on it that you could get for a knock-down price?’

He was thoughtful for a second but then shook his head. ‘Can’t say that I do. Does it have a bearing on any of this?’

‘In a way. But if you can’t remember it, then…’ She shook her head. He’d think her silly if she told him the truth and, as she’d suspected, the deal had meant nothing to him anyway. ‘Never mind. I left because it wasn’t where I wanted to be, and it wasn’t where I wanted my life to go. That’s all.’

‘It’s a shame – you’d have done all right. You’d have made more money than you’re going to do here too.’

‘Maybe I decided money wasn’t as important as I used to think it was.’

‘Whenever anyone says that to me, I always think how naive they are. It sounds laudable and idealistic, but life isn’t like that.’

‘Sometimes it is. I’m starting to see you can make a choice that makes it so.’

He gave a wry smile. ‘OK, you do you. I still think this will go my way in the end. You and I know it’s bigger than you and you won’t be able to fight it.’

‘I can fight. I might not win – I know that, but I can still fight.’

He picked up a bulb of garlic and tossed it into the air, catching it nimbly as it came back down. ‘Whatever. We have that sorted, so let’s talk about something else. Aren’t you sick of arguing about this scout hut every time we see one another?’

‘OK,’ Eden said slowly. ‘What else do you want to talk about?’

‘I don’t know. What are you into?’

‘Nothing really.’

‘Nothing?’ He chuckled. ‘You must be into something! You don’t watch films, go swimming, cook? You must do something.’

‘Nothing that would interest you, I’m sure.’

‘Try me.’

‘I like foreign films.’

‘There you go then. I like foreign films too. What kind? French? German? Or do you like a bit of South Korean cinema?’

She shrugged. ‘All sorts. What’s your favourite?’

‘I like all sorts too.’

She threw him a sideways look. ‘Are you taking the piss?’

‘No!’ He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. ‘Of course I’m not! What else? So you like films. You like wine? Hiking? Something more unusual…macramé? Extreme knitting? You’re learning to play the saxophone?’

‘Now I know you’re taking the piss.’

‘Then laugh with me. I’m teasing, but only a little. I can’t help it when you’re taking everything so seriously. I’m trying to get to know you here.’

‘Why?’

‘Why wouldn’t I? We worked together and I don’t know a single thing about you. So then I find myself here and you’re here – seems like a weird coincidence we’ve been pulled together like this, don’t you think? So I feel as if there must be a reason – maybe it’s because I’m meant to get to know you better.’

‘It’s a funny way to make friends – trying to destroy my project.’

He was silent for a moment, and his smile faded. ‘I didn’t come here for that – I came here because the land was going up for sale. I certainly didn’t arrive with the intention of destroying anyone’s project. Come on, Eden – you know that. It’s not personal.’

As much as she wanted to refute his point, she couldn’t.

‘It’s just bad luck,’ he continued into the gap her non-reply had left. ‘Is there really no other venue in this whole town you could use?’

‘Maybe, but I don’t see why I should have to. And it wouldn’t be as perfect as this one is.’

‘Are you maybe just being stubborn for the sake of it? Have you looked?’

‘Yes,’ she said, though something in those words rang a little too close for comfort too. She hadn’t made much of an effort to look for alternatives because she’d been so determined she was going to keep hold of the scout hut, whatever it took.

‘And you realise,’ he added, ‘that even if you chase me away, the owners of the land are still looking to sell it. Sooner or later, someone will buy it. You’ll lose, whether it’s to me or someone else.’ He paused again. ‘Let me find somewhere else for you to go. What do you say?’

‘Clearing the way for you to swoop in and get your offer in on this place?’

‘Yes. But you’d be all right. We’d both be all right.’

She shook her head.

There was building exasperation in his reply. ‘Why are you being so awkward? Is it so hard to see sense?’

‘We won’t both be all right. You’ll be significantly better off.’

‘It’s my…’ Cam let out an impatient breath. ‘Forget it. It’s like headbutting a wall over and over, talking to you.’

‘Sorry. I’m not going to change even though I know you’re right. I suppose it must be infuriating.’

‘Weirdly, I wish I could say it is, but I can’t. I sort of respect it. I almost like it. I don’t know what that says about me, or what you might be doing to my brain, but I almost feel as if I’d be disappointed if you did back down because…’

‘What?’

‘I’m going to regret saying this, I just know it. But I think it makes you a bit cool.’

Eden couldn’t hold off the smile that spread across her face, but she didn’t let him see it. ‘I’ll do my best not to disappoint you then.’

‘The game is afoot, eh?’

‘It’s properly on. I’ve only been warming up till now.’

‘I look forward to things getting heavy then.’

Eden’s grin was fixed in place as she went back to her work. A moment later, he started to whistle. She snuck a glance to his workstation to see him peeling the garlic with a smile of his own. Was it her imagination or had the room suddenly got a lot hotter?

When there was a knock at the back door a few minutes later, Eden couldn’t help but be thankful. Her thoughts were taking her to strange places, all of them involving Cam and various steamy scenarios, so the arrival of someone else would at least distract her from them. She went to the door to find Bilbo, Mavis and Liam there.

‘Hello, you lot! You’re a bit early.’

‘Julia said you were on your own…’ Mavis peered round the door and then fixed Eden with a strangely knowing look. ‘But I see you’re not. Hello, Cam,’ she called in.

‘Ah, reinforcements!’ Cam gave her a cheeky wink. ‘Just as well. Eden’s no use at all – I’m practically carrying service today.’

‘Very funny.’ Eden frowned at him. She moved back from the doorway to let her volunteers in. ‘It’s good of you to charge down here, but we would have managed.’

‘We’re here now,’ Bilbo said cheerily. ‘Might as well make use of us.’

Eden began to assign tasks, though she was aware that they probably knew what needed to be done better than she did.

Bilbo sidled up to Cam as she was explaining to Liam where the spare chairs were kept. Eden was distracted by their conversation, doing her best to stay with Liam but unable to stop herself from eavesdropping.

‘I found this…’

Eden glanced at them to see Bilbo hand Cam a photograph.

‘Thought you might like to see it,’ he continued.

Cam took the photo and broke into a broad smile. ‘That’s you! And is that…?’

‘Razor, yes, your great-uncle. That’s us onboard the Vanguard off the coast of Gibraltar. I can’t exactly remember what year, but it must have been about 1953. I was only a runt of a boy. There’s Tommo…he was your uncle’s best friend.’

‘I think he might have mentioned him once, but it’s so long ago I can’t recall,’ Cam said. ‘This is brilliant! Can I take a copy to show my parents?’

‘Well…’ Bilbo looked doubtful. ‘It’s the only one I have, so I wouldn’t like to let it out of my sight…’

‘I’ll just scan it with my phone; I won’t have to take it anywhere.’

‘Oh, in that case, of course! I’m glad you like it.’

‘I do,’ Cam said, gazing at the black-and-white snap. ‘Thanks so much for digging it out.’

‘Thank you for reminding me about old Razor. Was good to me, he was, always looked out for me. I was right fond of him.’ Bilbo looked up at Cam through old eyes and smiled fondly. ‘When I look at you, I can see something of him.’

‘Ah, I think he was a much better man than I am.’

‘Different times make different people, but it doesn’t change the heart,’ Bilbo said.

‘I don’t know about that.’ Cam put the photo on the table and got out his phone. ‘But I appreciate the sentiment.’ He snapped a copy and then handed the original back to Bilbo, who put it carefully into an envelope and went over to Mavis, who put it in her handbag.

By this time, Liam had gone off to find the extra chairs and Eden wandered over to Cam. She didn’t want to give him the impression she was interested in him, but she was mad with curiosity over the photo. ‘Let’s see,’ she said, trying to get a glimpse as he looked at his phone.

He held it out. ‘There’s my uncle,’ he said, pointing to a man who was far taller than Bilbo, suntanned and slim in a naval uniform. It was hard to make out his features, but from what Eden could see, there was some family resemblance. Her eyes went along the row of men on the deck of the ship. It was easy to pick out Bilbo, and she smiled at the sight of him as a youth. This day must have felt like a lifetime ago to the old man standing in her kitchen today. In the background were the rocks that must have been Gibraltar, a moment of a day that would never be that exact moment on that exact day again, captured and frozen in a grainy, dog-eared photograph. Eden was suddenly struck by how transient life was, how moments and events blew through it like leaves in the wind, and her smile faded. It was so short and so fleeting – she knew that only too well.

She turned away, afraid she might start to cry if she gave it any more thought.

‘That’s lovely,’ she said. ‘But I’d better get on.’

Taking a second to collect herself, she went to the sink and pretended to wash her hands. When she turned back, Cam was watching her with a strange expression on his face.

‘I’ll make a cup of tea, shall I?’ Mavis announced, and Eden had never been so glad of a distraction before.

‘Who’s up for a drink after we finish here?’ Cam called as the team started to clear down. Eden had just seen off the last diners. It had been another successful and cheery affair, and while she was happy that people seemed to love their dinners, that fact was bittersweet. Wouldn’t it be typical that she’d finally got something wonderful going, something that people wanted and needed, something she could be proud of, only to have it snatched away? Perhaps it was a bit spoiled to see it that way, but Eden had grown up spoiled, and even though she recognised it, she cut herself some slack. She couldn’t change who she was overnight, but at least she was trying.

‘At the Dolphin?’ Mavis asked.

‘I thought so,’ Cam replied. ‘Unless you know a better pub nearby?’

‘Nowhere better than the Dolphin,’ Bilbo said.

‘I don’t think I will…’ Liam came in from the main room, presumably having heard the conversation from in there.

‘I don’t suppose you want to be supping with us oldies, eh?’ Bilbo said to him.

‘Hey.’ Eden laughed. ‘Less of the oldies! I might look haggard from a night frying chips, but I’m not old!’

‘Don’t be daft,’ Mavis said. ‘You’re still as pretty as a clifftop buttercup.’

Eden flushed.

‘Honest!’ Mavis insisted. ‘As soon as I clapped eyes on you, I said to Bilbo, “Oh, isn’t she lovely!” And Bilbo says, “Yes, she is. Inside and out.”’

Eden blushed harder still and turned her concentration to the dishwasher. When she looked up again, she caught Cam grinning her way. What was up with him? For a moment, she considered throwing a cup at his head to wipe the smile off his face, but was thankfully distracted from the idea by Liam asking whether she needed anything else because if she didn’t, then could he leave because he wasn’t planning on going to the pub.

‘Of course!’ Eden said. ‘You don’t need to ask, Liam! You’re doing us the favour; I’m not your boss, you know!’

Liam gave an awkward smile and then went to have a quick word with Bilbo before grabbing his jacket and heading off.

‘I don’t know if my old legs will take a walk up to the pub tonight,’ Bilbo said. ‘I might have to let you down.’

‘You say that’ – Mavis wagged a finger at him – ‘but then you’ll get home and wish you’d gone. Afraid of missing out – that’s always been your trouble.’

‘There comes an age where your body won’t let you do anything but miss out,’ Bilbo said, though his tone was playful. ‘And I have to save myself for the afternoon dancing tomorrow, don’t I? Don’t want to let you down – I’d never hear the end of it.’

‘Aww, come on, Bilbo,’ Cam said. ‘You’ve got to come. I want to hear more stories about Razor in the navy. How about I give you a lift up in my car? And if your legs are still tired later, I’ll pay for your cab home.’

Bilbo broke into a smile, and Mavis simply shook her head.

‘Didn’t I say so? He couldn’t miss a party if his life depended on it.’

‘It’s not a party,’ Bilbo said.

‘That’s what you think,’ Cam replied. ‘It all depends on how the night goes, but there’s every chance it could turn into one!’

At this, Bilbo looked about as excited as an old man could look, and he suddenly seemed forty years younger. Eden thought – not for the first time since she’d met him – that he might well have been an absolute menace as a youngster, but in the best possible way. No wonder he’d needed Cam’s great-uncle to look out for him in the navy.

Eden walked up to the Dolphin later than everyone else, having seen them all off so she could check around and lock up. Some had wanted to wait, but she’d insisted they go on and start their socialising, and she’d be there soon enough.

When she arrived, she could hear laughter from outside the pub. She walked inside to find Bilbo and Cam giggling together like children, and broke into a broad smile. It was funny, however, that she was pleased to see it, but this time it had nothing to do with her wanting to win the bet with Cam. She was genuinely pleased to see them get along and to see them becoming such good friends. Then again, it was impossible not to love Bilbo, even if you were Cam Faulkner.

‘Here she is!’ Bilbo threw his arms in the air, cheering like a football fan as he spied her coming through the doors.

Cam turned to Ralph, who was manning the bar alongside Livia. ‘Orange gin and lemonade. Better make it a double, Ralph.’

Eden frowned slightly as she approached the bar. ‘How did you know?’

Cam grinned. ‘I pay attention.’

‘There you go.’ Ralph put her drink down. ‘It went all right today?’ he asked Eden. ‘As you didn’t have Livia or Julia? Bilbo says you did a great job.’

‘I have to admit to being impressed myself,’ Cam said.

Now Eden knew he was drunk for sure.

‘It was all right, I think,’ Eden said. ‘Not as bad as I’d worked myself up to think it might be. Definitely helped that you gave us all that food ready to go – the lasagne went down really well.’

‘Glad to help.’

Eden looked to see that, while the pub wasn’t packed out, it was busier than it would be on most weeknights, and her volunteers had probably swelled the numbers. Livia gave her a vague wave from the other side of the bar as she served someone.

Eden turned back to Ralph. ‘You seem busy. You need me to hop round to the other side and lend a hand?’

‘We’ve got it all under control.’ Ralph patted her hand as it rested on the bar top. ‘You’ve worked hard – you deserve a drink.’

‘I really don’t mind. I’m not tired at all?—’

‘Wouldn’t hear of it, my love. Come on – drink up and think no more about it.’

Eden smiled up at him. She felt certain he needed an extra pair of hands but realised no argument would persuade him to let her help out. In which case, there was no point in worrying about it. Cam lifted his glass in a toast to her. He was smiling, and it seemed so genuine, so full of admiration and affection, that for a moment she almost believed it.

‘Cheers!’ he said.

‘Here’s to being halfway through the bet,’ she said, reminding herself that this was still part of the game and she couldn’t fall into the trap of thinking otherwise.

‘Halfway through the bet,’ he agreed. ‘It’s far more fun than I ever imagined it would be.’

How many gins was that she’d got through? More than she’d kept track of, and she hadn’t paid for a single one. She couldn’t be sure of who’d kept topping her up at this point but had a feeling it was Cam. If this was all part of his strategy, then the joke was on him. He could spend his entire yearly bonus on gin for her, get her drunk enough to need a stomach pump, but he’d never get her to give up the scout hut. So let him embark on his own charm offensive, and then he could watch as she took it and turned it back on him. It was already working because he was laughing and joking and enjoying himself like he was one of them. A few more evenings like this and there was no way he could turn against these people by selling them down the river.

Cam spun round from a joke he’d just shared with Ralph and leaned in close. Eden could feel his breath on her cheek, a sudden thrill running through her. She tried to banish the kick of excitement, but she couldn’t. She reminded herself, once again, that this was a game they were both playing, a game she had to win. How could she win if all she wanted to do was surrender to the enemy?

‘What?’ she asked stubbornly.

‘Ever had a Ramos Gin Fizz?’

‘I don’t think so. What’s in it?’

‘Gin.’

‘Yes, I got that much. What else?’

‘Some other stuff. Want one?’

Eden shook her head. ‘Ralph doesn’t do fancy drinks like that. Not much call for it here, so I don’t suppose he’d know how to make it to your exacting standards.’

‘Who said anything about Ralph making it?’ He grinned, leaping away from her. He went to the bar and rapped on the wood. ‘Landlord! Might I be indulged for one moment behind your bar?’

Ralph came shuffling over with a frown. ‘Eh?’

‘I want to make a Ramos Gin Fizz for Eden. Unless you know?—’

Ralph sniffed and gave a vague shrug. ‘Put the money in the till and you can make whatever you like.’

‘Thank you!’ With a grin back at Eden, he waited for a second while Ralph opened up and then slipped round to the other side of the bar. He began to scoot back and forth, collecting up bottles and laying them out. ‘The secret’s in the mixing,’ he said as he went along.

Eden got up to take a closer look. ‘This should be good. I suppose you’re some kind of whizz. Went on one of those naff cocktail-making experience days for your birthday, did you?’

‘No,’ he replied carelessly. ‘I worked in a bar in the West End.’

‘You worked in a bar?’

‘Isn’t that what I said?’

‘It’s just…when did you work in a bar?’

‘In my early twenties. I learned to make everything. We had wall-to-wall celebrities and millionaires in there – we had to learn to make everything. I don’t think there’s a drink in existence I didn’t get asked to make at some point.’

Eden watched him get to work and tried not to look impressed, though she was finding it difficult. Try as she might to deny it, there was something sexy about him behind there with shirtsleeves rolled back and his hair dishevelled in the most delicious way. She was certain he was as drunk as her, but it didn’t seem to be hampering his efforts. In fact, he made it look all too easy, and that was even sexier.

After a minute or so, he slid a glass across to her. ‘Try it. Then tell me it isn’t the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted.’

Eden grinned as she took a sip. It was pretty good. In fact, it was spectacular. She tossed her hair back and grimaced. ‘It’s all right if you like that sort of thing.’

‘I’ll have it back then.’ He began to reach for it, but she moved it from his grasp.

‘I might as well drink it now you’ve made it.’

‘Shall I make another?’ he asked with a mischievous look in those dark eyes. ‘To be going on with when you’ve done with that?’

‘I don’t suppose it would be the worst thing I’ve ever had to endure if I have to drink another,’ Eden said, holding tight to a grin that threatened to give the game away.

‘High praise indeed,’ he said, starting to measure out again. He looked up at the rest of the volunteers. ‘Can I get anyone else a lovely cocktail?’

Eden glanced down the bar to see Livia smiling as she watched and Ralph simply shaking his head in disbelief. It seemed they’d well and truly taken over his bar. Eden hoped he wouldn’t be too annoyed about it, but he didn’t seem to be, and she had to admit that he’d probably take more money tonight than any other regular weeknight for a long time.

At the tables where everyone was sitting with pints and shots, there was a chorus of agreement. Hands shot up.

‘I’ll take that as a yes then,’ Cam said. He threw another grin at Eden. He was enjoying this, but she was suddenly struck by a lightning bolt of suspicion. What else was he up to here? Surely he wasn’t just throwing his money around like this from the goodness of his heart?

She decided not to let it worry her. As long as she kept that cynicism firmly in her head, he could play all the games he liked. It would be a cold day in hell when he caught her out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of another glass in front of her.

‘Get that down you,’ Cam said, looking mightily pleased with himself. ‘I’ve a mind to run up a decent tab on here tonight before we leave.’

Cam did run up a sizeable tab. Eden swayed on her feet as she got on her coat and he went to settle it. Most of the other volunteers had gone home. Many of them were older and tired more quickly, or had jobs to go to in the morning. The ones who’d clung on to the bitter end said their goodbyes, leaving Eden to hang back, feeling it rude to leave before she’d done the same with Cam.

Against her better judgement – or rather, what would have been better judgement had she been sober – she’d had the most brilliant evening. Cam had proved to be more agreeable company than she could ever have imagined. He was witty, interesting, gregarious and really rather lovable – and somewhere in the back of her mind, it annoyed the hell out of her. In the morning, when sense had returned, she’d realise it was all part of a charm offensive designed to combat the one she herself had embarked on, but for now, she found herself more attracted to him than ever.

‘If I’d known how much fun this place could be, I’d have come here years ago,’ Cam said as he fetched his jacket from the booth where he’d left it.

‘I told you it was more than just a poky little seaside town.’

‘Oh, it’s that. Still, it’s one I could get to like.’

Eden watched as he fastened his coat. ‘Do you actually mean that?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘Can you repeat it? Only I’m having trouble with the idea that you might be admitting you got us wrong.’

He gave her the soppiest grin. ‘Don’t get ideas, Eden. I never admit to being wrong. Usually because I never need to.’

‘You just said…’

‘Well, maybe I did. But let’s forget it happened and never speak of it again.’ He paused, a little uncertain.

Eden wasn’t used to him looking uncertain, and it threw her. ‘What?’

‘You’ve got a long way to go for home?’

‘It’s a bit of a walk, but I can manage.’

‘Let me see you back to your place before I go on.’

‘I don’t need?—’

‘Please. I know I don’t do an awful lot of chivalry but let me do it this once. I’d feel guilty going back to my hotel and knowing I hadn’t seen you home safely.’

‘I’ve walked it dozens of times since I came here – honestly, it’s fine.’

‘I’m sure you have. Think of it as a favour to me.’

‘Will it win me points?’

He grinned. ‘It might. I tell you what, you try some more to persuade me you’re right about this community kitchen business while we walk and I’ll pretend to be listening. At least you’ll feel like you’re doing something useful.’

It was Eden’s turn to smile, bigger and wider than she would have allowed in different circumstances. ‘OK,’ she said.

After saying goodnight to Ralph and Livia – who seemed surprised to watch them leave together – they stepped out into the night.

The sky was clear with a full moon, and as they made their way up to the cliffs where Four Winds Cottage stood, the heavens began to emerge. No longer obscured by the lights in the town, great swathes of sparkling stars filled the sky. The wind had picked up, but it wasn’t cold enough to bother Eden; it only helped to clear her head. Their conversation was easy and good-natured, and despite Cam’s promise that Eden could talk about her community kitchen, they barely mentioned it.

‘Seriously,’ he said as they began the path that led to the cliff top, ‘do you climb this every day?’

‘Yep.’

‘Jesus, what possessed you to rent a place up here? Did you know it would be like this?’

‘More or less. I used to visit this place as a kid. I remembered liking it up here, but I’ll admit that my memory of the walk must have been a bit hazy. And I’d never had to do it with more than enough cocktails in me, on a dark night, as a kid.’

‘I should hope not,’ he said with a laugh. ‘I can’t imagine you as a kid.’

‘Can’t you?’

‘I can imagine you as a smaller human, but not what you might have been like.’

‘I could say the same for you. I bet you were born in a pinstripe suit holding an iPhone.’

He turned to her. It was dark, and she couldn’t see his expression, and she wondered suddenly if she’d offended him. The tone of his reply seemed to suggest that it wasn’t offence she’d caused but some consternation. ‘Is that really how I seem?’

‘You are very focused on your job. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite as focused as you.’

‘Even tonight? I thought it had been a relaxed evening. We didn’t talk about business once.’

‘We did. Earlier on when you came to help me at the scout hut. See, it’s such a part of your DNA, you don’t even know when you’re doing it.’

‘But that was—No, you’re right. I suppose I did.’

‘In fairness to you, I don’t remember which of us actually started it.’

‘Hmm…’

They were silent for a few minutes. Both needed their breath as the path steepened, but as it levelled out again, he resumed the conversation.

‘You’ve never said what brought you here. It’s quite a random decision, isn’t it? You just woke up one morning and thought, I’m going to give up my job and move to the seaside and do good deeds ?’

‘It didn’t happen quite like that. I needed to leave London.’

‘Needed? Sounds heavy.’

Eden tucked her wind-tangled hair behind her ears. Had she been more sober she’d have decided she’d already said more than she’d wanted to. Drink had lowered her guard, and though she recognised it, her thinking was too hazy to do anything about it. Part of her didn’t want to bring it up because doing so would mean acknowledging his part in it, however unaware he’d been, and she didn’t want him to feel he was being blamed. The blame for what had happened, for what she’d done, lay with her. She’d chosen to tell him about the financial troubles at her mum’s community centre, and she’d tipped him off that he’d be able to get it at a rock-bottom price. What he’d done with that information was a natural response, given that it was his business to make money out of property and land. It had been her job too once, and it was funny how different it all seemed now that she was on the other end of it.

‘Things were…things were happening that I needed to get away from. Family stuff, that’s all. I needed some space.’

‘You could have taken a few weeks out. A sabbatical even.’

‘I needed a lot of space, and I didn’t know how much would be enough, so I figured…It wasn’t really even a plan; I suppose you could say it was a knee-jerk thing. Something happened and this was what I did.’

‘Now I have to know.’

‘You really don’t want to.’

‘I do. I don’t know why, but I want to understand what’s going on here, why you’re doing all of this.’

‘Would it make any difference? Would it change your mind about the land and the scout hut?’

‘I don’t know. I suppose not. It’s not really in my gift to change it. I keep telling you that, and you don’t want to listen. I’m not the one selling it, after all, and if not me, someone else would buy it eventually.’

‘So what’s the point in knowing my story?’

‘Because…because I couldn’t imagine any circumstances in which I’d do the same.’

‘I think we’ve established we’re not the same at all.’

‘Aren’t we? Don’t you think we’re a little bit the same? Look at us here: neither of us are backing down over your little hut. I know for a fact that neither of us would ever back down. I think we’re a lot more alike than you realise. But this’ – he waved a hand, encompassing the clifftop – ‘this I couldn’t imagine doing. And all the community stuff. I’ll admit I still don’t see what anyone gets out of that. But I also have to admit…’

He paused.

Eden searched her bag for her keys as Four Winds Cottage reared out of the gloom. ‘Admit what?’

‘I’m kind of impressed. More than impressed. I’m…maybe ashamed that I’d never have it in me to do the same. Maybe a bit in awe too. You’ve been here for a few weeks and yet you’ve set up that place, and you’d fight to the end for it. People here love you already, I can tell that much. And I think to myself, well, if everyone here loves you like they so obviously do, there must be something I haven’t seen yet, something about you, something…well, amazing.’

Eden shook her head. ‘You’ve definitely had too much to drink.’

He laughed. ‘I’m sure I have.’

‘I think you ought to sober up a bit before you head back down the cliff. After all, you don’t know the path at all and it’s dark. I don’t want you to fall.’

‘Those things don’t change if I sober up.’

‘No, but it will be one less worry if you can walk in a straight line.’

‘I’m perfectly capable.’

‘Even so. Come in and have a coffee, if only to make me feel happier.’ Eden pushed open her front door and reached for the light switch to illuminate the hallway. ‘And it’s just coffee, not coffee …so you can wipe that grin off your face.’

Cam’s grin broadened as he followed her inside, taking in the low-beamed ceilings with the dried flowers hanging from them, the tiled floors and unevenly plastered walls.

‘This is…quaint,’ he said. ‘Remind me…it’s not yours, is it? You haven’t bought it?’

‘God, no, I couldn’t afford this! I’ve got a six-month lease.’

He frowned. ‘Only…so you’re doing all this community stuff and you’re not even staying? I got the impression you’d made this place your new home. The way everyone talks about it at the kitchen makes it sound like you’re here to stay.’

‘I’ve thought about it a lot,’ Eden replied with a sudden candour that surprised even her. She’d toyed with the notion but not seriously. Much as she would love to stay, the idea had no shape. It didn’t seem practical, for a start. She couldn’t afford Four Winds, even if it was for sale, and the task of finding an affordable alternative seemed overwhelming. Sea Glass Bay was hardly the glitterati of seaside resorts, but it was still a desirable location. And if Cam got his way, prices would go up even further with the new development on the scout hut land. If it was a decision she needed to make, then she would have to reach a decision soon. One thing she knew for sure was that, perhaps for the first time in her life, she was somewhere she belonged, somewhere she was accepted. Whoever she’d been before Sea Glass Bay, she didn’t want to be that person any longer. She wanted to forget that woman. Though there was always the memory of what she’d done to remind her that she’d never fully shake that person, maybe there was a way to consign her to history.

‘What would you do?’ At her behest, he took a seat at the table while she filled the kettle.

Eden turned off the tap. ‘What would I do? I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’d keep the community kitchen going, if I could. Maybe I’d even grow it.’

‘But you’d need a job. Surely you’re not going to stay at the pub?’

She turned to see him look vaguely incredulous. ‘Why not?’

‘You’re far too capable and qualified to work at a pub.’

‘What if I want to work at a pub? Capable and qualified is all very well if that’s what you want. I like the pub. It’s friendly, and I don’t get stressed, and I get to spend time with people who actually care about me and not just whether I can hit a target or not.’

He shrugged. ‘The more I know about you, the more I realise I never knew you at all.’

Eden smiled. ‘We weren’t exactly close colleagues. Why would you?’

‘You knew me.’

‘Did I?’

‘According to Livia, you knew exactly what to expect when I arrived in town that day.’

Eden’s mouth fell open. ‘That little…Consorting with the enemy, eh? I’ll have to have words with Livia!’

He grinned.

‘What else have you and Livia been whispering about?’

‘Oh, this and that. Don’t worry, she hasn’t committed any serious espionage for me. It was only a bit of idle gossip. I had plied her with a couple of glasses of rum by this point, so I don’t think she was entirely to blame for any secrets she might have given away.’

Eden pulled two cups from a cupboard and spooned coffee into them. ‘Maybe I did. You have to admit you’re a bit of a poster boy at the company. Most people have the measure of you – when it comes to work, in any case.’

‘Poster boy, eh? I quite like that. And when it’s not work? How well do you think you know me out of work?’

‘I don’t know. I’m still figuring you out.’

‘Instinct. Give me your gut feeling at this moment.’

Eden turned to watch the kettle boil. What was her gut telling her? She turned back.

‘I think,’ she began slowly, ‘that you’re not quite as ruthless as you want everyone to think.’

‘Guilty. Anything else?’

The kettle switched itself off, and she poured some water into the mugs. ‘You’re moderately funny. You can tell an entertaining story, and you make good cocktails. I think you’d like to be liked.’

‘Wouldn’t we all? Surely you want people to like you. Isn’t that really what your community kitchen is about?’

‘No!’

He raised his eyebrows, and she had to smile.

‘OK, maybe a bit.’

‘It’s not your fault. Every kind act is done with some selfish intent – it’s human nature. It’s why we do kind things because, ultimately, we hope to get something out of it.’

‘That’s bull.’

‘No, it’s not; it’s a proven fact. You can google altruism in psychology and it’s there in black and white. It’s evolution, and you can’t fight it. Humans started out doing things for other humans because they realised they might need the favour returned one day. It’s a way to survive.’

Eden put her hands on her hips. ‘OK, so that could be true of giving someone in need a fiver to get some food, but how do you explain bigger things? Like’– she clicked her fingers – ‘like laying down your life for someone? Explain that, Freud. What does the person laying down their life get out of it, apart from being dead?’

‘Humans got so good at the altruism thing we didn’t know when to stop.’

‘That’s mental.’

‘I never said the theory was perfect.’

Eden brought the coffees to the table and sat next to him. ‘So that’s how you defend refusing to be kind, is it? It’s an inbuilt instinct that you – because you’re so much cleverer than everyone else – can choose to ignore?’

‘I never said I could. I’m volunteering for you, aren’t I?’

‘To win a bet.’

‘At first, yes. But now…do you really think I refuse to be kind? You think I’m never kind?’

‘I don’t know you well enough to say either way. But you just told me the theory yourself. If you’re occasionally kind, it’s because there’s something in it for you. So if you – Cam Faulkner – buy a load of drinks for a load of villagers, presumably you thought you’d somehow benefit somewhere down the line.’

Cam winced. ‘I asked for that.’ He reached for his coffee, taking a moment to consider his response. ‘All right, I suppose I did. But then I kept going because I was enjoying myself and I didn’t want to go back to my hotel alone. I wanted everyone to stay, so I kept buying the drinks.’ He put down his cup and looked up at her. ‘Is that so bad? And I’m sorry but there’s more. Maybe I didn’t want to keep everyone at the pub. Maybe I wanted to keep some people there more than others.’

Suddenly, she was adrift. He held her fast in his gaze. She’d sobered, she felt sure of it, so if that were true, why did she suddenly have the maddest urge to kiss him? Surely that was alcohol thinking for her? She couldn’t…

It all happened so fast, afterwards she couldn’t truly say who had moved first. But in the next instant they were kissing. Her hands were all over him, full of fire and need, and he responded in a way that left her feeling she’d never been kissed properly before, as if all the men in her past had been practice, and she’d been built to kiss him and him alone.

He was breathless as he pulled away. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what?—’

Eden tugged at his shirt, his sudden humility and doubt only causing her to ache for him in a way that might see her lose her mind. She pressed her lips to his again, volcanic and urgent, and knew what she wanted. He wanted it too – every response in his body told her so.

‘Upstairs,’ she murmured. ‘Now.’