Chapter Nine
‘ N ow? As in, he’s here right now?’ Lynsey glanced around the bakery. She couldn’t see anyone who looked like a builder or anyone sitting on their own at a table waiting for her. She tried to peer around the customers queueing to catch a glimpse as Ian stepped forward to serve, but she couldn’t see the tables by the windows. Dithering on the spot, she glanced at Ian as he filled a cake box with brightly iced cupcakes. ‘You really think he might have the time to take on the cottage?’
‘There’s no harm in asking, love. Besides, as I said, he’s recently moved here, so I’m pretty sure he will.’ He shrugged. ‘He wouldn’t have agreed to meet you if he didn’t think he’d have the time.’
‘That’s true.’ Lynsey reached around her back, ready to undo the apron strings before thinking better of it. She likely wouldn’t be long and didn’t want to give Ian and Brooke the impression she was happy to skip work.
‘Ooh, is that your builder?’ Diane spoke as she walked behind the counter, one hand on her baby bump. The other holding a stack of paper bags to refill the supply at the counter. ‘He’s cute.’
‘Huh? Where?’ Walking across to her at the end of the counter, Lynsey followed Diane’s gaze, her heart sinking as she caught sight of Zac Hunter sitting at the table by the window nursing a coffee.
‘There. Do you see him now? No wonder you want him to fix up your cottage.’ Diane raised her eyebrows, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
‘No, I...’ Lynsey stopped herself as she watched Zac lift the coffee mug to his lips. Diane was right, he was cute. His sandy coloured hair framed his green eyes in that perfect just rolled out of bed way and the dimple in his cheek suggested he could be a fun guy to be around. When he wasn’t running from repairs that needed doing and spiders, that was. She sighed. That was that then. She already knew he didn’t want the job, so what was the point of even going over there? She looked across at Ian, who was happily chatting with a customer. That was why. Ian had set this meeting up for her. He’d gone out of his way to try to help. The least she could do was to go over and apologise for wasting his time.
‘Go on then. Go have coffee with the cutie.’ Diane nodded her head towards him.
Taking a deep breath, Lynsey weaved her way around the counter and through the throng of customers before standing next to Zac’s table. ‘Hi.’
Looking her up and down, Zac lowered his mug slowly to the table. ‘Not you.’
‘Ha, yes.’ Lynsey pursed her lips. There was no point calling him out on his behaviour yesterday, even if the anger at him simply walking away was quickly rising again.
Zac rubbed his hand across his face.
‘Don’t worry. I know you’re not about to quote me for the work or anything. It was lovely of Ian to recommend you, but I don’t want to waste your time.’ Lynsey spun on the spot, ready to walk away before she felt his hand on her arm. Turning back around, she looked at him. ‘What?’
Taking his hand away, he indicated the chair opposite him. ‘Please.’
Slipping into the chair, Lynsey automatically picked up a serviette from the centre of the table and folded it in half. What was the point in her sitting here and wasting both of their time when she could be doing what she’d come to the bakery to do and be helping out behind the counter serving customer? ‘What’s the problem?’
Downing the last of his coffee, he lowered his mug again, the ceramic clicking against the surface of the table. With one hand still wrapped around his mug, he looked across at her. ‘The problem is, I owe Ian a favour, and he’s asked me to take a look at this cottage of yours.’
‘You’ve already seen it. Just tell Ian you don’t want the work.’ She folded the serviette again, running the pad of her forefinger along the creased edges. ‘Not that I can begin to understand why you don’t want the work. I mean, Ian said you’re new to the area and looking to build business, and yet you wouldn’t even give me a quote.’
‘I...’ He leaned forward, his elbows on the table.
Cutting him off, she narrowed her eyes. ‘Unless, of course, you’re just not capable of the job. Yes, that must be it. You’d rather take on small, manageable jobs than something like my cottage.’
Frowning, Zac shook his head before throwing his arms in the air. ‘You’re accusing me of not being able to do the work? You? The person who got me to go and offer a quote on the pretence that there was only a couple of days’ work to do? A week at the most? You’re all the same. You think you can reel me in, make me give you a lower quote because... what? I feel sorry for you? Or you’re simply trying to deceive me, take advantage of my good nature. Expect me to do this and that for free or else you’ll kick up a fuss and make out that I’m not capable of finishing a job? ‘
Taking a quick breath in, Lynsey tried to speak, ‘That’s...’
‘That’s no better than stealing. No, it damn well is stealing. And I’ve been stung before and won’t be taken advantage of again.’ He slammed his fist on the table.
Lynsey felt the knot in her stomach tighten, the knot in her stomach which had formed the day Ross had accused her of stealing from the business. The same knot which had grown when her usually kind and thoughtful second employer of the patisserie had regretfully had to let her go. The knot in her stomach which even after months of having her name cleared, even after moving hundreds of miles away from the town where people still whispered behind their hands at her, still hadn’t disappeared. She could feel her hands begin to shake, could feel the familiar dread rising inside her. The doubters were still out there, and he was one of them. Even him, even Zac, who she’d never met before. Even he could somehow tell what her insecurities were. Pushing her chair back, she stood up and forced her jellylike legs to move. She needed to get away from him. From here. She needed to go. To go anywhere.
‘Don’t leave on my account.’ Zac’s voice barely penetrated the noise in her mind, the memories fighting their way into her consciousness again.
Pulling the door open, Lynsey stepped outside. Nora had been right. It was a warm, lovely day. A lovely day for bee silk headscarves, but not a lovely day for her. As she made her way across the cobbles, her pace quickened until she was running in the direction of her new cottage. The place that was supposed to be her sanctuary and now the place which had caused all these feelings to rise again.