Chapter 32
Meg – trying not to look as if she was hovering in the hope of bumping into Gabe – was hovering, in the hope of bumping into Laurel. It was a difficult process, because she didn’t want to appear to be gate-keeping the library, or for that matter the contents of the little chest.
Greta had appeared again first thing, along with another couple of women from the village improvement society.
‘Such a brilliant idea, isn’t it?’ Greta had patted Meg on the shoulder and beamed at the women proudly.
‘I read about it online,’ Meg had explained, feeling like she needed to make it clear that she hadn’t just come up with the idea by herself. ‘Lots of places have them – people swap seeds and baby plants, leave surplus food and all sorts of things.’
‘I don’t know why we didn’t think of it before,’ said Greta. ‘We’re all trying to do our bit to reduce food waste, and recycling is such a problem up here in the Highlands.’
‘I feel a wee bit guilty that we’ve not thought about young people needing support,’ said one of the other women. ‘Right under our noses, as well.’
‘Well, we can do our bit now,’ said Greta, looking inside the chest and frowning. ‘In fact I think we might be able to do something quite clever up at the village hall.’
Meg had watched as the three women had bustled off back to chat to Kenny, who along with a carpenter colleague was now busy putting some framing up along the walls of the lighthouse building next to the cottage, getting ready to board it out.
She’d given him a wave hello, feeling self-conscious as he’d shouted a greeting with a wink as she passed.
It was almost lunchtime now, and the two men from Grant Forestry who were hard at work fencing looked up as she slipped out of the gate for the third time that morning.
‘You’re going to wear that wee dog’s legs down to stumps if you keep walking her,’ shouted the smaller, older man. The young lad alongside him grinned.
Meg gave a shy smile.
‘Only kidding you,’ he said. ‘We’re not disturbing you with the banging?’
Meg shook her head. ‘Not at all, no.’
‘Glad to hear it.’ He gave her a broad grin and got back to work.
The noise of the initial work going on in the visitor centre to be was far louder, but she’d been far too distracted to notice. She wandered down towards the library, straightening the books on the shelves for the umpteenth time that morning, rearranging the selection she’d recently wrapped and labelled in brown paper before carefully pulling the door closed and sliding the catch to make sure it didn’t blow open in the breeze.
It felt like everyone from the village had come for a walk that day – everyone except the one person she hoped to bump into. If she’d thought about it, she’d have taken the initiative and got Laurel’s number. Now instead she had no idea where she lived, and no idea how to get a hold of her – short of leaving a note up at the village hall where the mother and toddler group was held. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea at all. She headed back up the hill with Eliza, who was definitely less enthusiastic about her fourth walk of the morning than she had been her first. She was just about at the back gate when she heard a shout carried on the wind and turned.
‘Hello,’ said Laurel, waving as she strode up the hill towards her.
‘I was just looking for you,’ said Meg, realising as she did how ridiculous it sounded.
‘You said I should come and visit,’ Laurel said, smiling shyly, ‘– and I spoke to one of my friends back in Bathgate and she said you wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t mean it, so –’
Meg felt a smile spreading across her face. ‘I did mean it. I’m glad you came. Come in. I was just going to make some lunch.’
Laurel followed her into the cottage.
‘Do you need a hand to get that off?’ Meg put a hand to her mouth, laughing as she realised what she’d said. ‘Obviously not, or you wouldn’t be able to manage at home.’
Laurel unclipped the strap around her waist, somehow managing to reach back and hold on to baby Kai as she wriggled her arms out of the straps. A moment later she was holding him – round and jolly, in a blue padded coat covered in dinosaurs – in her arms.
‘Is he walking?’
Laurel giggled. ‘No, he’s only five months old.’
‘Sorry, I’m not very up on babies,’ Meg said. ‘I mean my friend Helen – whose house this is – had one, but she’s currently in South America with a newborn of her own.’
‘You didn’t have any?’ Laurel looked at her in surprise.
Meg shook her head. ‘Not one. Just a very opinionated corgi.’
‘She’s so cute.’ Laurel looked at the armchair by the fire where Eliza had flopped down, exhausted after her multiple walks. ‘Can I put him down here on the sofa?’
‘Of course. Have a seat and I’ll make us some sandwiches. Ham? Cheese? Cheese and ham?’
‘Cheese and ham would be lovely, thank you.’ Laurel settled Kai down against some cushions where he sat, looking around quite happily.
Meg wasn’t sure what age babies started eating food, so she made an extra round of sandwiches and brought through a jug of orange juice and some glasses.
Laurel was sitting up with the baby tucked up under her sweatshirt when she returned with some plates.
‘I don’t know why, but he always seems to be hungry whenever I try and eat. I fed him just before we came out for a walk.’
‘Let me pass you some sandwiches over.’
Laurel looked at the three plates. ‘He’s not quite ready for cheese sandwiches.’
Somehow this made them both start laughing, and then a startled baby Kai coughed and spluttered so Laurel had to sit him up and pat him on the back. A moment later, he gave an enormous burp, which made them both laugh.
‘Well, I think we’ve established my knowledge of small humans is pretty limited,’ Meg said after taking a sip of orange juice. ‘Fortunately, I have other talents.’
‘I didn’t know much about them until I had one,’ admitted Laurel. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little wooden rattle, which Kai took from her with a squeal of delight. ‘I went to the baby group, like you said. It was really nice. I was worried I wouldn’t know anyone, but there was a girl there who’d just had a baby as well – she’s called Alina.’
‘Pretty name.’ It was such a surprise to see how much happier Laurel looked.
‘She’s Polish. Her boyfriend Marek is working up at the tree planting place.’
‘Oh, I’ve got a –’ Meg felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she thought of Gabe and the message he’d sent her earlier, making her smile. ‘Someone I know works there, too. Funnily enough, that’s why I was looking out for you.’
Laurel looked at her expectantly.
‘My friend – he says he thinks he might have found a job for you. Something you can do from home around Kai.’
Laurel’s eyes widened, and for a moment Meg wondered if she’d spoken out of turn. She watched as the young girl looked down at her baby, fiddling for a moment with the sleeve of his little cardigan, then looking up with her mouth pursed together and her brows knitted tightly as if holding herself together. Her eyes were bright with tears that threatened to spill over.
‘That’s really kind.’
Meg felt a wave of fondness for this brave, proud young girl who’d crossed her path completely by accident.
‘It’s nothing.’
‘It’s not nothing,’ said Laurel, shaking her head fiercely. ‘It’s – it’s the sort of thing my grandma would have done if she was still alive. It makes me feel like there’s someone who notices we’re here.’
‘I do.’ Meg reached across from the armchair by the sofa, putting a hand out so Kai reached his little starfish fingers out and caught one of her fingers.
Laurel looked at his hand and then up into Meg’s face.
‘I really appreciate it. Thank you.’
Kai released Meg’s finger, and she sat back against the heap of Helen’s crochet covered cushions. Framed photographs of Phoebe at all ages lined the wooden mantel and she gazed at them for a moment.
‘Is that your friend’s daughter?’
Meg looked back at Laurel.
‘Yes. She’s just had a baby, which is why I’m here house-sitting. My friend went to South America to be with her.’
Laurel looked at the photographs for a moment, then back at Kai.
‘I didn’t have anyone looking out for me,’ explained Meg. ‘My family life wasn’t – well, it wasn’t really like that. I suspect you know what I mean.’
Laurel nodded, straightening the crochet blanket which was folded over the edge of the sofa. ‘Yeah. I wanted it to be different for Kai, and we moved here and I thought we’d have a nice life. Seaside for him to play in, a nice little house, all that stuff. And now it’s just the two of us. It’s not…’
‘Not easy. I know. You’ve done an amazing job so far, though. Look how happy he is.’
‘If I can get this job, it would make all the difference. I can’t believe you thought of me.’
‘Leave it with me.’ Meg picked up her phone. ‘Give me your number. I’ll speak to my friend and we can take it from there.’