A Summer to Remember

by Sue Moorcroft

  She began, ‘I don’t consider myself an expert, but I’m happy to share what I know.’ Her gaze snagged on his for a moment and she smiled before plunging into what sounded to him like a well-thought-out lecture on satellite broadband and bonded broadband, where several people could link their signals together for strength, delivered with casual ease. She acknowledged that as the village was in a conservation area satellite dishes could only be placed on the non-road side of houses, and that was if there was no Grade I or II listing to prohibit it, and that the village was in a worse position regarding mobile phone signals. ‘Megan’s asked me to make a recommendation,’ she went on.

  ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about the internet anyway,’ Aunt Norma grumbled under her breath. ‘We did without it for enough years.’

  Aaron leaned over to reply in her ear. ‘It allows me to run my business.’

  Aunt Norma sent him a sidelong look and pressed her lips together.

  Clancy was still speaking so Aaron switched his attention back to her. ‘I suggest we research internet providers in other parts of Norfolk, and put together a letter detailing the reasons we need internet access here in Nelson’s Bar, and ask for information as to why we’ve been left out of the party. I’m happy to help Megan with this. Likewise, the mobile phone companies. Later, if necessary, we can make noise with the press and maybe our local MP or councillor.’

  Megan put up her hand. ‘I was wondering if Nelson’s Bar could have its own website?’

  Clancy’s hair swung as she nodded. ‘There are plenty of free or low-cost options, especially if you have a volunteer to create and update the site. Our being an internet “not spot” doesn’t mean the village doesn’t exist as far as outside internet users are concerned. If Nelson’s Bar wants more tourism then a website would be great.’

  ‘We don’t need tourism,’ a voice said from several rows forward of Aaron’s seat. ‘There’s enough tourists on this coast. Let’s keep Nelson’s Bar a peaceful place.’

  Kaz jumped to her feet and turned to face the meeting, face creased with concern. Clancy stood back to give her the floor. ‘Some of us need tourism for our living. I’d better take this opportunity to inform the village that we’re putting in for planning permission to build an extension to the B&B. Nelson’s Bar doesn’t have a hall but Oli and I believe the village could do with more space for socialising. In view of what’s been said this evening about tourists, this is a good time to bring this to your attention.’ She shot a look in the direction of the earlier dissenting voice. ‘The B&B has to bring in business or we won’t survive. As well as our tourist guests, people from the village come to us for breakfast or lunch. We don’t presently have the kitchen space to offer dinners but both it and our tiny bar will be significantly extended if our plans come to fruition, which would mean an extension to what we could offer all year round. We’d love you to spend your beer money with us instead of at the pubs in Thornham and Titchwell, but if a lot of you hate the idea then please do let us know before we put in a load of work and commit ourselves to the finance.’

  She paused, then added in a rush, ‘The alternative to the extension could easily be the B&B closing because it’s getting less profitable in its current configuration. Oli and I don’t want that, or to have to leave Nelson’s Bar.’

  She took a deep breath and twisted her hands in front of her. ‘In fact … we wondered how open the village would be to … well, to fundraising, really. It could make all the difference.’

  ‘What – like passing the hat round?’ someone asked in tones of outrage. ‘Why should we contribute?’

  Ernie lifted his ever-ready voice. ‘Yes, why should we? You’ll want us to come in spending our money with you, why should we help you finance the place? We might as well have a village hall and have done.’

  Kaz drooped, taking an uncertain step towards her seat.

  Then, as a clamour of conversation erupted, Clancy stepped forward once more. Her voice was calm and sympathetic, yet rang with conviction. ‘The thing is, Ernie, there is no village hall. There’s no pub in Nelson’s Bar, or even so much as a playing field. The B&B is the social hub of this village. A village hall would take not only years of fundraising, lobbying for funds and applying for grants, it would take constant financial input from the villagers to maintain it. It would have to be run by volunteers. There’s no real need for any of that, if Kaz and Oli can extend the B&B to provide villagers with a bar and a function room. I think it’s something we all need to be realistic about.’

  Ernie didn’t seem to have a reply so Clancy turned to Kaz. ‘It’s just occurred to me – maybe it would be worth looking at a crowdfunding campaign? You might get something, which would be better than nothing.’

  Kaz looked grateful but whispered, ‘I’m not really sure what that is.’

  Clancy patted her arm. ‘We can research it.’

  They both returned to their seats and Megan closed the meeting before making a beeline for Kaz to embark on a whispered conversation.

  Aaron wouldn’t have minded a chat with her himself, as the presence of the B&B enhanced Roundhouse Row for guests. Roundhouse Row had been, to him, a conflict to be conquered and a pain in the bum, but these days it was a source of regular income in the summer. Under Clancy’s stewardship, bookings this year were now solid right up until October half-term.

  As if she’d sensed him thinking her name, Clancy rose and turned, her gaze flying to his. With a tentative smile, she began to head his way. He edged behind Aunt Norma’s wheelchair to meet her.

  At the same moment, Aunt Norma scrabbled for her crutches and tried to stand, obliging Aaron to catch the wheelchair to prevent it from tipping. ‘Ta,’ she said briefly, then intercepted Clancy. ‘This funding research, and the website. Do you get commission?’

  The smile that had begun in Clancy’s eyes dimmed. ‘No, Mrs Farrow,’ she replied stiffly. ‘If you were about to volunteer in my place, I promise I won’t step on your toes.’

  Then Ernie was upon them. ‘Now, Norma,’ he boomed. ‘Clancy’s a good girl. You leave her alone.’

  As Norma turned to answer, Clancy slipped past. Exasperated, Aaron glanced around to check his mother was nearby to manage Aunt Norma’s wheelchair and crutches, trying to ignore a grumble from Aunt Norma that sounded like ‘Alice could always soft-soap people too’, then he headed off after Clancy.

  Behind him, Ernie’s volume rose. ‘Your great-nephew could do a lot worse than Clancy, you know.’

  Then an indignant ‘What do you mean?’ from Aunt Norma. ‘Which great-nephew?’

  Aaron put on a spurt. Aunt Norma was quite capable of hollering after him as if he were about six and he didn’t want to offend her by ignoring her. He spotted Oli moving to intercept him, a frown on his forehead and lips parted on a question, but Aaron dodged with a breathless ‘Let’s get together to talk soon, shall we? Sorry, got to go.’

  It only remained to sidestep Genevieve, with an apologetic ‘Sorry! Need to talk to Clancy.’ Then he was free to wind his way impatiently through those already leaving the meeting via the path at the side of Megan’s house.

  A quick glance left and right and he caught a glimpse of Clancy striding between the sunbeams dancing in Marshview Road in the direction of the footpath to the cliffs, chestnut hair flying.

  He broke into a run and in moments was beside her, catching his breath as they marched up the path. ‘I hope Aunt Norma didn’t come across as too irascible.’

  Clancy shrugged, not slowing her pace. ‘It’s OK. I’m aware she blames me for Alice being Alice. I just … don’t want to have to wallow in it. I didn’t mean to rush away from you but it’s been an emotional week.’

  Her troubled expression caused him rising exasperation. Their relationship forever seemed doomed to going one step forward and two back but he wasn’t going to fall into the trap of letting her slip away, just because Aunt Norma hadn’t been particularly friendly.

  He reached for her hand.
It put a hesitation in her stride as she glanced at him, brows up. ‘Can we stop galloping so we can talk?’ he suggested, giving her hand a squeeze. It was hot. He was hot too. They’d all baked in the past weeks of high temperatures. Even the clifftop grass beneath their feet had become beige and dusty.

  Clancy managed a half-smile and slowed down. She didn’t remove her hand, which was a good sign. He managed to ease their pace to a stroll. ‘The reason I was waiting on your doorstep like a parcel this afternoon was to talk to you. I’m sorry I had to let Harry take me off instead.’

  ‘How did it go for him with Jordy?’ Her brows lifted enquiringly. ‘He collared me before the meeting and demanded to know what the hell I thought I was doing taking Harry off to London without telling anyone. I apologised if I’d upset him and trotted out the stuff about Harry being an adult and that travelling with me was safer than hitching. He carried on chuntering though. I seem to have a talent for upsetting your family.’

  Aaron frowned. ‘Sorry he had a go at you. Want me to have a word with him?’ When she shrugged and brushed Jordy’s complaints away, he related the scene he’d witnessed in Harry’s home. ‘And now we’re talking about something else again!’ he added feelingly. ‘I really want to have a conversation about us.’

  ‘Oh.’ Her gaze flickered and one eyebrow lifted as if she was considering asking, ‘What “us”?’

  To forestall that, he plunged on. ‘I overreacted when you said you were going to London. I wanted to apologise, but Harry and Rory’s escapade kept getting in the way.’

  Her gaze remained on him. ‘Do you want to know how things went while I was away?’ She said it as if it were a test but her steps were slowing all the time and she still hadn’t taken her hand from within his.

  The wind swirled over them, warm and humid. Lilac clouds were gathering in the sky, seeming to press the day’s heat back at them. He thought about denying needing to know how things stood with Will, but … that wasn’t the way he was, so what would be the point? Carefully, feeling his way through a conversation that all his senses were telling him might be important, he said, ‘I don’t want you to feel interrogated but … yes. I would like to know how things stand.’

  They’d walked far enough around the headland now to have passed the B&B and be circling back towards his side of the village, looking out over the ocean. The light was leaving the sky and the sea deepening to an oily blue-grey. Clancy drew to a halt, turning so that they were facing each other, and let out a breath. ‘When you asked what would happen if the business went bust you made me think,’ she admitted, with a wry smile. ‘I came to the village full of anger that I’d been treated badly. I felt betrayed. It felt almost too big to cope with. I clung to my pain and saw everything through the lens of righteous outrage. I thought Nelson’s Bar would be a convenient place to exist until I knew what to do next. I didn’t expect to like it here. Love it, even: the cliffs, the sunsets, the quirky people. I hadn’t expected to revel in the freedom from twelve-hour days, from my brain feeling as if it would burst if I forced one more piece of legislation into it, even while knowing that that was exactly what I had to do. Even so—’ her voice became husky ‘—my feelings about Will were in chaos. The switch from him being my fiancé to being Renée’s lover was too sudden and violent. I didn’t want to love him any more, he didn’t deserve me to – but I was scared in case somewhere inside me I did. I didn’t want to feel love or loyalty to my erstwhile colleagues either.’

  She turned to gaze back at the village, the huddle of cottages turning to silhouettes in the dusk. ‘So, I didn’t let go of my anger. I told myself it was satisfying to know I’d left those who’d hurt me in a difficult situation. Then, finally, I realised my anger was hurting myself more than it was hurting them. It was preventing me from really moving on. Even though I told myself I was starting my new life, I wasn’t quite.’

  Seagulls had come to wheel and call above them, the wind rising, rustling along the clifftops in the dusk. She turned back to him and smiled. ‘So I’ve agreed that Renée can buy out my half of the apartment and that Will, Asila, Monty and Tracey can buy me out of the business. It hasn’t been a particularly fun week but I feel lighter for putting down all the negative stuff. It was scary though. I was quite glad of Harry and Rory to think about at times.’ Her fingers squeezed his and he found himself squeezing back.

  ‘It was scary leaving your life behind?’ He tried to put himself in her shoes and understand. Not be jealous that her old life had been exciting and vital.

  She looked surprised. ‘No, that was just … process. Agreements to reach.’

  A feeling burst over him. Maybe it was hope. But she’d left half-answered the most important question, so far as he was concerned. ‘So what about when you saw Will?’

  She shook her head. ‘Did I love him? No. I didn’t hate him, either. I just accepted. We didn’t have that flame that only burns when you’re with the other person, the thing that makes them more important than anyone and anything in the world. Even though he was careful not to say too much about Renée and the baby, I think she completes him. She is his world.’

  Aaron’s heart felt as if it rocketed up and burst like a firework in the sky. He felt liberated. He could ask her out to dinner or for a day away from Nelson’s Bar to enjoy the summer and each other’s company. But his gaze fell to her lips and …

  He dipped his head and kissed her. His arms slid around her body as he felt her lips part beneath his. Excitement flooded him, tingling at the base of his spine. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, prickling with desire as her tongue stroked his and her hands grasped his T-shirt. Her hair blew against his cheek like silk as the wind buffeted them and she leaned in close enough that his arousal pulsed against her. Her hands dropped to his buttocks to pull him closer and he ran his fingers up her ribs, remembering in the nick of time before reaching her breasts that they were in a public place and any one of the residents of Nelson’s Bar could be watching.

  Slowly, Clancy disengaged, and Aaron came to his senses enough to realise that rain was falling in large drops, landing on the parched earth and dry grass to leave circles the size of coins.

  ‘It’s raining,’ she said stupidly, holding out a hand as if her bare shoulders and arms weren’t enough to feel the droplets. She glanced up at the sky that was deepening to purple. In the distance, thunder growled.

  Aaron grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s go. My place is closest.’ The rain began to fall harder, to pelt exposed skin. Thunder rumbled like Nelson growling in the back of his throat. Clancy laughed as she had to hop when she almost lost a sandal. ‘The weather gods must have decided we need a cold shower.’

  He laughed back, uncaring that rain was running down his face and neck, that his T-shirt was beginning to cling to his back. Droplets were running over the uppermost slopes of her breasts above the curve of her neckline, making him feel that the weather gods would have to hurl snow or hail at him to affect his level of desire. In fact, he stopped, caught her to him and kissed her again.

  If it hadn’t been for wanting privacy, he could have stayed there kissing her all night.

  Chapter Eighteen

  They arrived at his cottage as, out to sea, lightning zigzagged across the horizon. Clancy paused at the back door to watch as it illuminated a thousand white caps on waves racing before the squall. Then Aaron unlocked the door and they fell into the kitchen. ‘Whoo,’ Clancy gasped, laughing as she wiped rain from her face, aware of the racing beat of her heart.

  Nelson flew to meet them with a wildly wagging tail, rearing up to put his paws on Aaron’s shoulders. ‘Hey, big stuff.’ Aaron patted and petted the excited dog until he could persuade him to get down onto the four paws dogs were meant to walk on. ‘Say hello to Clancy then you can go out.’

  Nelson was happy to plaster his ears back and treat Clancy to a wide doggy smile, but once he’d checked out the weather through the open door he turned tail and headed for his basket.

  �
�Wimp,’ Aaron muttered. His wet hair curled into his eyes as he smiled at Clancy. ‘At least it’s one less of us to dry.’

  Her stomach lurched. His gaze was hungry. Intense. She was aware of all of him at once, of the clean line of his jaw and the way his shoulders and chest moved beneath his clothes as he breathed; of him moving closer, damp skin sliding across damp skin as he pulled her close.

  ‘I want to kiss you again,’ he murmured. ‘But I don’t want to stop there.’

  He didn’t kiss her. His gaze just remained fixed on hers and suddenly she realised what he was asking. He wasn’t going to kiss her if that’s all there was to it. He wanted …

  A blush ignited in the pit of her belly and flew up her body to her face. ‘Oh!’ she gasped, hyper-aware of his hands circling gently over her back as he waited. Her smile felt tremulous and almost not her own. ‘I want to … kiss you too. And not stop.’

  And then he was kissing her. No gentle kiss, as in the garden at Keelmarsh House; no questing exploration of her mouth like on the clifftop; but a demanding kiss, lips hard on hers, his tongue stroking, settling her body against his so snugly she could feel his heartbeat hammering. Or was that hers? If she’d chilled in the rain she was no longer aware of it. Heat from Aaron’s body stole around her as if they were in the mid-afternoon sun. She let her palms trace his back and shoulders, the firm contours that came from physical work.

  He broke off to give her a long, searching look. ‘You know what I’m asking?’

  She joked, shakily, ‘Is this like data protection legislation – I can’t get into your bedroom without a double opt-in?’

  His eyes brimmed with laughter. ‘You’ve already ticked all my boxes.’

  She cocked her head to one side. ‘And met all your terms and conditions?’