Eden’s Comfort Kitchen

Chapter Eighteen - 2

She glanced over to all the activity on the beach. ‘That’s surely not your community thing?’

‘Yes,’ Eden said, a sense of pride swelling in her. She could see why Caitlin might be surprised. She supposed it might have sounded like quite a haphazard affair, a few stragglers from the local area getting together to have a plate of chips every now and again. But more than a hundred people were gathered on the beach, working like a well-oiled military machine to get the picnic ready. There was a seating area, equipment and furniture, and smoke coming from Ralph’s impressive-looking grill. More importantly, there was a sense of love and belonging radiating from the beach that was hard to ignore. Here were people from all walks of life, all demographics, some with money and some with less, some old, some young, some born and bred in the bay and some who’d made the choice to live there, but all with one thing in common: a desire to be part of it all.

‘Wow,’ Caitlin said, staring at the comings and goings. ‘The whole town must be here. When you said a picnic, I thought it would be a couple of your mates on a blanket.’

‘Not quite the whole town, but…’ Eden smiled. ‘Come on – there are people I’d love you to meet.’

By the time Eden had taken her dad and Caitlin around to chat to everyone who mattered and a few more besides, most of the picnic preparations had been done without her. She’d apologised to just about every one of her helpers, who’d all told her not to worry and that she had every right to take an hour off for the arrival of her family. Many had heard that she’d been estranged from them for a while, even if they didn’t know why, and they all seemed delighted that her broken relationships had been mended. Caitlin fell in love with Nancy and Levi, of course, because it was impossible for anyone not to, and seemed to instantly warm to Livia. Julia and Eden’s dad got on brilliantly, and Julia was only too happy to chat to him while Eden did other things.

‘This is my boss at the pub. Ralph…’ Eden took Caitlin and her dad over to the grill. Ralph looked up at the mention of his name. ‘Ralph…this is my dad, and this is Caitlin, my sister.’

‘Oh…’ Ralph turned over a sausage. ‘So you’re responsible for her,’ he said, angling his head at Eden.

Caitlin and Eden’s dad both looked confused for a moment. Even Eden was thrown, and she was accustomed to Ralph’s dry humour. All was right again when Ralph smiled and held out a hand.

‘Pleased to meet you both. She’s a cracker, this one. You should be very proud of the difference she’s made to this town.’

‘Ralph, I…’ Eden began, but he fixed her with an affectionate look.

‘Don’t you dare,’ he said. ‘Always doing yourself down. Take a look around today and tell me you’re not a bit proud of yourself for what you’ve done here. All these people are here because of you.’

‘Because of Bilbo, mostly,’ Eden said, though she was warmed by his words.

‘Mostly because you decided to do something for Bilbo. Don’t forget that.’

‘We are proud,’ Eden’s dad said, threatening to make her cry again.

She sniffed it back – she’d cried today more times than she could remember, and it was getting faintly ridiculous.

All four of them turned at the sound of an excited squeal along the beach, the pitch so high it might have confused the dolphins out in the bay. Nancy tore across the sand to a figure who was walking across it. The next moment, she collided with the man’s legs, wrapping her arms around them in a hug, and Eden suddenly knew who it was.

What was he doing here? She’d invited him, of course, but…

‘There’s a turn-up for the books,’ Ralph said, shaking his head. ‘That’s never your Cam, is it?’

‘ Your Cam?’ Caitlin aimed a pointed look at Eden. ‘Is that…the partner at the company you used to?—’

‘Yes,’ Eden said.

‘You’re not…you two aren’t…?’

‘No. It’s nothing like that. We just…’

Eden paused. She didn’t even know what they were. She didn’t even know how they’d left it, not really. Were they friends? Ex-colleagues? Business associates? Or something more? They’d certainly shared something more, but what did any of that mean now?

‘I invited him,’ she said. ‘You know, because he agreed to help with a new venue for the community café. He never replied to the email, though, so I didn’t expect…’ She turned to Caitlin. ‘I’m sorry, do you mind if I go and talk to him? I ought to.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Ralph said cheerily. ‘I’ll look after them for a minute if you need to go and say hello. As you say, probably a good idea to keep him onside if you want that new centre.’

As Eden left them and started across the beach, Cam looked up and saw her. Nancy was skipping along at his side looking pleased with herself. It was funny, Eden had never noticed his effect on the children, who’d been pottering about somewhere or other for many of his shifts at the kitchen, but clearly he’d had one.

‘Cam’s here!’ Nancy called to Eden, tugging at his sleeve. ‘Look!’

‘I can see,’ Eden said, smiling, pretending that he wasn’t having an effect on her, but her heart was beating so fast it was making her dizzy. ‘Well done for finding him.’

He’d dressed down for the day in jeans and a checked shirt, so this wasn’t business. She tried not to think about how good he looked, but his dark eyes and curls that were slightly more unruly than the last time she’d seen him wouldn’t let her do anything else. Had he been working out, or was that just her imagination? Either way, it looked good on him, and she was forced to try even harder not to think about what he looked like beneath that shirt.

‘I didn’t think you’d come,’ she said as they met on the sand.

‘I didn’t know it was on until this morning. And before you say anything, I know you emailed me last week, but I must have missed it. My PA was clearing my inbox and told me I’d got some unread stuff, and yours was in it. Sorry.’

‘You don’t have to be sorry. I only invited you on the off-chance; I expected you to be too busy to come, quite honestly.’

‘I would always come,’ he said with such earnestness that her legs almost gave way. How he looked at her…what was that? Her mind was playing tricks, surely? ‘I mean…’ He cleared his throat and seemed to realise what he was doing. ‘Bilbo was a great bloke – why wouldn’t I come?’

Eden allowed herself to breathe again; of course it was all about Bilbo – why else would he have come? ‘Let’s go and say hello to some of the volunteers,’ she added, nodding for him to follow. ‘They’ll be so pleased to see you.’

‘Will they?’ He seemed genuinely confused by her statement.

‘Are you kidding? They haven’t seen you since you left the bay.’

‘Even so, I thought…well, the scout hut…’

‘You said it before – it was a foregone conclusion the minute the land went up for sale. Nobody blames you for that. If you hadn’t bought it, someone else would have.’

‘Even you? You don’t blame me?’

‘Especially not me. I’ve learned since I’ve been here that life might not go the way you want it to – in fact, it rarely does – but what matters is how you deal with that.’

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, fixing her with a look that was…intense? ‘I like to think you have a certain amount of agency. If you really want something, you can have it.’

‘That may be true to an extent, but I think we’ve established that we’re never going to agree on that point. I say it all depends on your starting point, but…never mind. What’s the use of trying to explain it again, eh? While we’re on the subject, do you have any news on our new community centre?’

He chuckled at that. ‘It’s good to see there’s still a bit of the old Eden left in you. Never let an opportunity go to waste.’

‘Well, you can take the girl out of the city, but…’

Nancy tugged at her sleeve. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Oh, this and that.’ Eden smiled down at her. ‘Why don’t you go and find Livia? Tell her all about Cam being here? I’ll bet she hasn’t even noticed, she’s so busy gossiping somewhere.’

Nancy gave a solemn nod, as if she’d been entrusted with the guardianship of some religious relic, and then raced off.

‘She’s cute,’ Cam said as she tore over the sand towards the serving tables.

‘She’s amazing,’ Eden said. ‘They all are.’

‘All?’

‘Livia and her family.’

‘Ah. I thought you meant everyone here.’

‘Them too,’ Eden said, her smile growing.

‘You seem happy,’ he agreed. ‘Settled. Even more than when I was here last. You haven’t changed your mind about staying here permanently?’

She looked up at him again. ‘No. I’m staying.’

He seemed to be forcing his own smile as he nodded. ‘Good for you. Having seen what you’ve built here, I don’t blame you. Perhaps I’m even a bit envious.’

‘You have the life you want in London, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ he said, but something about it left Eden unconvinced that he meant it. ‘I have everything I ever wanted.’

‘That’s both of us then. Let’s go and get a drink, eh? Celebrate us both getting everything we ever wanted, even though for some of us we’ve only just figured out what that is.’

He followed her across the sand. Every so often, someone would stop them to say hello. Eden was pleased to see she’d been right to think Cam would be welcome. She was pleased to prove him wrong. It mattered to her, despite their differences in the past – and they’d been huge – that people liked him. She didn’t know why that would be except, perhaps, because she liked him, more than she’d ever done when they’d worked together. It was more even than that, but she couldn’t allow herself to dwell on any deeper feelings.

When they got to Liam, the young man seemed more than pleased to see him. Cam extended his hand, and Liam looked up at him with something like awe as well as affection.

‘You came all the way from London for my grandad?’ he asked.

‘It was the least I could do. Bilbo was a great guy,’ Cam replied. ‘Why wouldn’t I come to send him off properly? I’m sorry I didn’t come to the funeral; I was going to, but then…’ He shrugged. ‘I thought it might be a family thing – you might not want outsiders there.’

‘It doesn’t matter about that. Grandad would be made up if he knew you were here today. Let me get Mavis…’

‘Don’t worry,’ Cam said. ‘Don’t disturb her – looks like she’s busy. I’ll catch her later. It’s good to see you again.’

Liam nodded, and as Cam began to walk away, Eden followed.

‘They would have welcomed you at the funeral. You’re not a total outsider, you know.’

‘I feel like one. Do you think they’ll be all right?’

‘Who?’

‘Bilbo’s family? Are they struggling…you know, for money or anything? Because I could help. They wouldn’t have to know; I could do it through you somehow.’

‘I don’t know about that, but if you really wanted to play secret millionaire, I’m sure the community kitchen could do with funds.’

When he turned to her, he looked offended. Eden wondered what she’d said wrong.

‘Are you all right?’ she asked uncertainly.

‘That’s how you see me, isn’t it? That’s how everyone sees me. I breeze in, throw some money around – money I have plenty of – and then I leave again with my conscience clear. Like some medieval fraud giving money to the church so I’ll be allowed into heaven.’

‘Of course that’s not how we see you!’

He pushed a hand through his hair and stopped on the sand. ‘ Play secret millionaire . That’s what you said.’

‘I didn’t mean it like…’ Eden sighed. She was messing this up royally. ‘I’m sorry. You’re right; I shouldn’t have put it like that. It was meant to be a flippant comment. I suppose it was a bit too flippant. I’m trying to be better, but I’m far from perfect myself. That’s the point – when I first got here, I said the same as you to Livia. I didn’t want anyone to think this entitled girl was here to patronise everyone by pretending to be some big saviour. Livia made me see that as long as my intentions were pure, people would forgive the odd misguided mistake. She was right. I messed up plenty, and there were times when I probably did insult people, but I learned along the way. People learned about me too, and I think we all finally understand each other. Things aren’t perfect, but they’re good.’

She paused as he turned his gaze to the sea, the breeze lifting his hair. He seemed troubled, but she didn’t know what to say. Perhaps it was something he was going to have to work out himself, whatever it was.

‘I can smell sausages,’ she said, for want of anything better. ‘Let’s go and get some food.’

They were close as they walked back to the grill. Her hand grazed his more than once, and she was gripped by the overwhelming urge to take it, to clasp it in her own. It was odd – they’d slept together not so long ago, and yet she’d never felt the intimacy that she did now. All at once, she felt strange and yet distant; it would only take the smallest leap to show her true feelings, and she was certain he felt them too, and yet that tiny leap seemed so vast and terrifying that she didn’t dare make it. And so they walked to get food, and they talked about everything but their feelings, the desire that hung in the air between them both driving them together and yet forcing them apart. On paper, he wasn’t right for her, and she wasn’t right for him. She’d imagined during his absence from her life that she was over him, over the missed opportunity, over the night they’d spent together and the intense fortnight they’d shared, but now he was here, she realised it had been a lie. She’d never been over him; she’d only forced herself to forget.

The sun had dipped below the line of the sea as the solar lanterns dotted around the picnic area began to flicker into life. The crowd had gathered to watch a spectacular sunset, a furnace of bronze and gold that set fire to the sea, and everyone agreed it felt like a sign that Bilbo was somehow there with them, that the most perfect and fitting tribute should appear on this day of all days when they were gathered to celebrate his life. Even shy and reserved Liam looked moved to tears as Eden glanced his way. Cam stood at one side of her, and Caitlin and her dad at the other, with Livia and Julia and the children next to them, and Eden felt lucky to be witnessing such a spectacle with the people who mattered most all around her.

Once they’d watched it disappear, there was a round of applause, and then someone started to play an old guitar, and someone else started to sing old songs Bilbo used to sing, and everyone gathered round to listen. Eden sat on the sand, and Cam settled next to her, while Nancy insisted on curling up on his knee.

‘You’ve got a fan,’ Eden said with a smile. ‘I think she might be a bit in love.’

‘God only knows why,’ Cam replied.

‘Kids can sense good vibes, maybe?’

Cam said nothing to this; he only grabbed Nancy’s hands in his and made her clap along, which started her giggling uncontrollably.

Once the guitarist had gone through his repertoire, a trio of guests pulled out violins and began to fiddle a lively jig.

Cam laughed. ‘I did not see that coming! I didn’t even see anyone with violin cases!’

Eden turned to him. ‘I bet you think it’s the lamest thing you’ve ever seen. You don’t have to stay, you know. Nobody would notice if you snuck off.’

‘I know, but I want to stay. I’ve come all this way, after all.’

‘It’s getting late. Do you have a room booked somewhere?’

‘No; didn’t think I’d need one. It doesn’t matter – I’ll drive back when it’s done.’

Livia ran over and gestured to Nancy. ‘Come and dance with me! Country dancing: come on – you love this at school!’

Nancy scrambled to her feet and raced off.

‘That’s the other thing about kids,’ Eden said. ‘They’re fickle. A better offer and you’re forgotten.’

‘I can’t say I blame her,’ he said, his gaze going to where Livia was holding hands with Levi and Nancy and skipping around the sand with abandon.

She looked across at Eden. ‘You too!’ she yelled. ‘Come on – get up!’

Eden shook her head.

Livia laughed. ‘You’ve got to! What would Bilbo say if he could see you not dancing?’

Eden groaned and got to her feet, unable to find an argument. But then she held out her hand to Cam. ‘If I’m dancing, then you have to come too. Like Livia said, what would Bilbo say if you sat it out?’

‘He’d say there’s a sensible man.’

‘You don’t want to be a sensible man every day of your life, do you? Take a day off from that guy. Here, just today, you can be whatever you want. Don’t worry – I won’t tell anyone in London about it.’

He hesitated and then gave a sheepish smile. ‘God help me, I need more alcohol if the night is going to go this way.’

‘No you don’t. Just let those inhibitions go.’ Eden was sly as she looked at him. She’d perhaps had more drinks than she ought to have done, but she was far from drunk. She was, however, emboldened by it. ‘I know you can let your inhibitions go – I’ve seen it first-hand.’

He stared at her and then shook his head, smiling. ‘You’re…I don’t know what you are.’

‘I know,’ she said, grabbing his hands and putting them on her waist. ‘That’s why you like me!’

‘I do…’ he said, using his grip to stop her dancing and pulling her closer. ‘I do like you. God knows I’ve tried not to.’

‘Am I supposed to be flattered by that?’ she asked, laughing. But when he replied, he wasn’t laughing.

‘You can’t tell me you haven’t done the same? You turned me down, remember?’

‘I suppose I might have done.’

‘Have you asked yourself why?’

‘Yes, many times.’

‘And what was the answer?’

‘I didn’t have one.’

‘Me neither. So why are we bothering trying not to like each other when we do like each other?’

‘Haven’t the foggiest.’

They began to sway, but where everyone else was dancing with a pace that matched the music, Eden and Cam were moving slowly, locked together. For all she knew, at this moment, they could have been alone.

‘When you asked me for that drink and I said no…’ she began after a few minutes had passed in this way. ‘I wish I’d said yes.’

‘It’s not a limited-time offer, you know. You can change your mind.’

‘Yes, please. I’d like to change my mind. I’d like that drink. In fact, I’d love it.’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘When?’

‘Soon. Do you have to go back to London tonight?’

‘I don’t suppose I do, but if you recall, I have no hotel booked.’

‘I’m sure we can figure something out.’

He broke into a slow smile. ‘Is that an offer?’

‘Might be.’

‘I ought to do the decent thing and take you out for a drink first.’

‘Since when were we ever decent?’

He laughed softly and pulled her closer. ‘Let’s give it a try – we might like it. Seriously, Eden…I don’t want this to be some here today, gone tomorrow affair. I like you, and I want to do it properly. Is that…Do you feel the same way?’

She looked up at him, those dark eyes holding her prisoner, and she nodded. ‘Yes, I do. I know I joke, and I pretend I don’t care, but I want that more than anything – I just wasn’t sure if you did.’

She let her head fall to his chest as they danced, her gaze going out to the crowd on the beach. There was her dad and Caitlin, chatting and laughing with Julia. Eden was happy to see them making friends. Ralph, her friend, boss and mentor, was tapping his foot as he sat on a camping chair with his beer. Livia was with Nancy and Levi, whirling over the sand and laughing like loons as they danced. The lights of Sea Glass Bay shimmered in the distance, and on a far-off clifftop stood the dark outline of Four Winds Cottage. She’d arrived there looking for something, not even sure what that was. And today, finally, she felt as if she’d found it.

* * *

If you fell in love with Eden’s Comfort Kitchen , then you won’t be able to resist A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse , a completely beautiful and romantic read about healing after heartbreak and learning that the darkest clouds have a silver lining…