The Wishing Tree Beside the Shore: The perfect feel good romance to escape with this summer!

by Jaimie Admans

  Trust. Not exactly my strong point recently.

  ‘Take your time to think about it, of course, and come to see me in my office tomorrow.’ He points towards Seaview Heights. ‘We’ll get a contract drawn up and discuss the details.’

  This can’t be real. It’s what I’ve wanted for weeks – the chance to stay and to save the tree and strawberry patch, but mainly to fix things with Ryan, and somehow that seems more important than anything else at the moment.

  ‘Well done, Fliss!’ Morys claps me on the shoulder when Steffan leaves.

  ‘We knew you could do it,’ Alys says.

  ‘Good job!’ Ffion pumps my hand up and down.

  ‘You’re all being very friendly,’ I say as they crowd around me with hugs and cheek pinches and congratulations. ‘You’re forgiving me?’

  ‘You did what you came here to do.’

  ‘I assure you, I’ve done the opposite of what I came here to do.’

  ‘No, you haven’t,’ Cynthia says. ‘Your intentions changed from the moment you trod in that sheep poo when you first arrived.’

  I laugh at the unwanted reminder. I’m not sure the sheep poo was solely responsible for my change of heart.

  ‘We know that. Ryan will know that too.’ Tonya gives a stern nod.

  I look over at the campsite. Ryan is standing by the freed campervan with his assistant talking to him, but his eyes are on us. He must’ve guessed what’s going on from the celebrations. Ffion’s singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” and Alys has climbed into a flowerbed and is kicking her shoes off as she dances.

  ‘Are you going to go and tell him?’ Tonya asks when she sees me looking.

  I try a half-smile in his direction and he turns away.

  ‘I don’t think he ever wants to see me again.’ I can’t keep the sadness out of my voice, because I don’t know what else I can do. Ryan hates me, and the idea of working across the path from him every day is … not as good as I expected.

  Chapter 19

  ‘Fliss, you can’t leave,’ Cheryl says as we’re sitting at the dining table with Dad the next morning, and I’m picking at a bowl of cereal after another sleepless night.

  ‘I can’t take that job.’

  ‘You’ve already told them you will,’ Dad says.

  ‘I didn’t agree to anything; the residents just assumed I would. I’m supposed to have a meeting with Steffan this afternoon, but …’ I trail off.

  Running the strawberry patch would’ve been a dream come true, but Ryan and whatever was happening between us was my main reason for staying. Spending time with him again, reigniting whatever was there before – that was the exciting part.

  And now, how can I even think about it? To accept Steffan’s job offer and run the strawberry patch across the path from Ryan. I’d see him every day. A few days ago, that seemed like the answer to every wish I’ve ever made. Today it seems like torture.

  ‘You’re happy here. Ryan will come round.’ Cheryl obviously has more confidence in him than I do.

  ‘If he ever speaks to me again, he will be barely tolerating me. I know Ryan – he doesn’t forget things like that. He won’t forgive me.’ I don’t realise I’m crying again until Dad reaches over and squeezes my shoulder.

  ‘You can’t really be considering going back to London …’

  ‘I still have a flat there. I can get another job …’ I mumble, but my heart isn’t in it. The thought of returning to the city fills me with dread. I can no longer imagine stepping out of my door every morning and not taking a deep lungful of salty sea air, and I have no idea how I’ve lived hundreds of miles away from my family for so long, but every time I close my eyes, I see the look on Ryan’s face when I walked into the strawberry patch yesterday and how he jogged out so fast that even a brisk walk wasn’t speedy enough to get away from me.

  I clonk my head down onto the table. ‘I’ve loved him for so long. I thought the universe had finally clicked into place and given us a second chance. I messed it up with him before. I ran away rather than staying and facing him—’

  ‘And what would you be doing if you left now?’ Dad reaches across to squeeze my shoulder again. ‘Fliss, take it from someone who’s been running away from life for years. This isn’t the answer.’

  ‘Dad’s right. You can’t go, Fliss. You’ll regret it for another fifteen years if you do.’

  She’s probably right, except for the fact I’m going to regret it for a lot longer than fifteen years. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself for this.

  ‘Even if you don’t take that job, you could find something else locally,’ Cheryl continues. ‘Is Ryan really the only reason for you to stay?’

  ‘What about us?’ Dad says. ‘It’s been wonderful to have you home again.’

  ‘You’ve found Cynthia again now. And now Tonya knows how good you are with plants, she’ll be after you for all sorts of gardening advice. She’s already threatened to set up a Seaside Sycamore gardening tips blog.’

  ‘It’s not about any of that, it’s about you pushing me out of my comfort zone. Making me realise it’s not too late for another chance at life.’ Dad presses each finger into the wooden table and twists each one in a circle. ‘I always thought my happiness died with your mother. You girls know I’ve been struggling for years, wondering what right I had to carry on enjoying life when she was gone, but watching you dive back in and get your hands dirty, overcome all that awkwardness and reconnect with people you hadn’t even realised how much you’ve missed … It made me realise that I’ve been shut away from Lemmon Cove too. I’ve lived here in name only, but you forcing me to come and help has reminded me there’s a whole community out there to turn to for support, and that I can help them too. Made me realise I’m not quite as ready for the knacker’s yard as I thought I was. It’s been nice to reconnect, and to know there are people out there who care, who aren’t obligated to look out for me because they’re my daughters …’ He gives me and Cheryl a pointed look.

  ‘Dad’s going to give my summer school class a lesson in topiary next week,’ Cheryl says. ‘And the school garden needs serious work, I’m going to ask the head if he can come in and help the children give it a makeover when we start back in September.’

  ‘That’s fantastic.’

  ‘Kerr family hug!’ Cheryl says – something we haven’t done for many, many years.

  We do the traditional groan, and then get up for a group hug in the middle of the kitchen, and the feeling of being warm and loved with my family makes something unfurl inside me, and I can’t imagine not coming back here for another few months.

  ‘What about you, Fliss?’ Dad’s arm tightens around my back. ‘None of this has anything to do with Ryan. You’ve loved being back here and you don’t want to go. Why would you even consider it?’

  ‘Because I’ve messed this up so badly—’

  The hug is cut off by my phone ringing and I’m surprised to see Godfrey’s name flashing on the screen.

  ‘Hello?’ I answer it cautiously.

  ‘Fliss, thank heavens!’ Godfrey’s voice is harsh and panicked. ‘You need to get down here quick! There’s been an accident!’

  I don’t think I’ve ever run so fast in my life. It usually takes ten minutes to walk to the strawberry patch from home, but I make it in under five. Godfrey is standing on the roadside, and he yells my name when he sees me dashing towards him. He must be waiting for the ambulance to direct them in.

  ‘What’s wrong? What’s happened?’ I shout without slowing down. He didn’t get as far as telling me who was hurt or what had happened on the phone.

  ‘It’s Tonya! She’s had a fall. I think her hip’s broken. People of our age don’t recover from things like this!’

  I barrel across the car park and crash through the gate to the coastal path, where Cynthia is tottering on her Zimmer frame outside the entrance to the strawberry patch. ‘Oh, Fliss, what a relief!’

  ‘Has someone called the paramedics?’ I s
hout as I run towards her.

  ‘Not yet! We can’t find a phone!’

  ‘But Godfrey just called …’ I skid to a halt in front of the open gateway, metal panels back up on either side, narrowing the entrance like it was at first. I can see Tonya lying on the ground, surrounded by Alys, Ffion, and Mr Barley. I feel sick enough at the thought of Tonya being hurt, but the sight of Ryan kneeling beside her too makes the nausea double. Of course he’s there. It wouldn’t be an emergency without him.

  ‘Quick! You go to her and I’ll call the ambulance! Give me your phone!’

  ‘If no one’s called an ambulance, what’s he …’ I don’t have time to question what Godfrey’s doing out on the road. I scramble my phone out of my pocket and shove it at her as I go in, only slowing down as I approach the group gathered around the poor woman lying on the ground. She’s on her back, one arm gingerly cradling her hip without actually touching it, and someone’s put a folded up jacket under her head.

  ‘Cynthia’s calling an ambulance,’ I say as I kneel down beside Alys. Ryan’s on the opposite side of Tonya’s prone position and I stay as far away from him as possible.

  ‘My phone’s missing.’ Ryan doesn’t look up. ‘Tonya’s is smashed, Alys’s hasn’t got a signal, the battery’s dead on Mr Barley’s, and everyone else’s is back in their rooms.’

  ‘Hello, Fliss dear,’ Tonya says feebly, sounding frail and wobbly. She’s one of the fittest among them, and it’s shocking to see her looking so shaken and weakened.

  At least she’s conscious, that’s something. The hand that’s not cradling her broken hip is hanging limply in mid-air, like she’s tried to raise it and given up halfway through, and she’s letting out a series of long moans.

  ‘Has anyone moved her?’ I ask the others, avoiding looking at Ryan while I try to remember what I’ve seen people on TV do in an emergency. ‘Has she hit her head?’

  ‘I don’t know. I didn’t see what happened.’ Ryan speaks to the strawberry plant next to him, avoiding my gaze too.

  ‘Why has no one called an ambulance yet? Where are the staff? You could’ve shouted for the nurses in the time it’s taken me to get here!’

  ‘What?’ Ryan looks up at me, confused eyes meeting mine and then looking away again sharply. ‘This happened seconds ago. No one’s had time to call an ambulance.’

  ‘Godfrey called me nearly ten minutes ago!’

  ‘What?’ Ryan’s eyes meet mine again.

  Alys and Mr Barley exchange a look, and I watch as another look I don’t understand passes between the three of them and down to Tonya.

  ‘Action!’ Ffion suddenly shouts.

  In the blink of an eye, Mr Barley has yanked Tonya to her feet and all four of them are stampeding towards the exit like those lizards you see scampering across desert sands to outrun a snake. Alys runs in zigzags to evade capture.

  ‘What the hell?’ Ryan says, sitting back on his knees like the sonic boom of their sudden movement has knocked him backwards.

  ‘Tonya!’ I shout after them. ‘Aren’t you hurt?’

  The four of them pile out of the gate and Mr Barley slams another metal panel into place. Alys slings a heavy silver chain around it, which Ffion padlocks and whips the key out with a flourish before Ryan’s even got to his feet.

  I look up at him in bewilderment and he reaches out a hand to pull me up. I’ve slipped my hand into his before I’ve realised I’m not meant to be doing that, even though he lets go the second I’m on my feet, and we both start walking towards the entrance.

  ‘Of course I’m not hurt,’ Tonya calls as we approach the gate where the residents are now gathered around outside, looking pleased with themselves. ‘But I’d make an excellent actress, don’t you think? I might apply to some casting agencies this afternoon. I’ll google them.’ She whips her definitely not broken phone from a pocket by her definitely not broken hip.

  I glance at Ryan and he gives me a bewildered shrug.

  ‘And I’ve got your phone.’ Cynthia waves it around in front of her.

  ‘And I pilfered Ryan’s earlier,’ Alys announces proudly while patting the pocket of her tunic.

  Ryan and I share another bewildered look. ‘What are you doing?’ We ask in unison.

  ‘You can’t call for help, and neither of you are leaving until you’ve talked this out. You love him. He loves you. The pair of you have been blummin’ miserable without each other. Fliss, we know you’re thinking about not taking the job, but you’re not going to miss the meeting with Steffan today. You’re one of us now. We’re not going to let you go, and you’re not going to give up the joy you’ve found here and go back to a place that makes you unhappy. Ryan, she’s the love of your life. Over the years, you’ve spoken to all of us about your “one that got away” and we all now realise that’s Fliss.’ Tonya looks proud of herself and does a bow as she finishes.

  ‘One little white lie doesn’t eradicate all the good things between you,’ Godfrey takes over. ‘Take it from an old man who’s lost the love of his life to a cruel and unforgiving illness and would give anything for another day with the woman she was. Some things are worth fighting over – this is not one of them.’ He turns to me. ‘None of us have any doubt that your intentions were good, Fliss. Not even Ryan – he’s just too stubborn to admit it.’

  ‘So you’re stuck.’ Alys claps her hands together cheerfully. ‘We’ll provide you with food and refreshments if this goes on too long, but you’re not coming out until you’ve made up.’

  ‘Kissed and made up,’ Ffion interjects. ‘Quite a lot of kissing would be perfectly acceptable.’

  ‘You can’t do that. We’ll go out the other way …’ I trail off as I turn to the other entrance from the care home driveway. The solid wooden gate that’s always open is closed, and I have no doubt there’s a padlock on the other side of it. Even Baaabra Streisand is gone from her post.

  On cue, Morys walks into view on the coastal path, Baaabra trotting in front of him on her lead like a well-behaved dog.

  ‘And we’ve got your sheep and you’re not having her back until you sort yourselves out.’ Tonya folds her arms. ‘Go on now. There’s no point in arguing with us; we’re well organised. The staff are in on it so you won’t get any help from them either.’

  ‘No wonder no one came running at the supposed “fall”,’ I mutter.

  ‘Just remember that customers are waiting, and every moment you’re in there, the strawberry patch is losing valuable trade,’ Godfrey says.

  ‘So hop to it,’ Morys calls over, standing at the grassy verge while Baaabra Streisand potters around. ‘Or I’ll let your sheep eat whatever she wants and you’ll have to deal with the aftermath.’

  ‘Have you people ever heard of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?’ Ryan calls after them as they all start to stroll away to give us some privacy, although I get the impression they aren’t going to go far.

  The communal batch of hearing aids must choose that moment to stop working because no one replies.

  ‘They’re holding my sheep hostage.’ Ryan pushes a hand through his hair and sinks down on the nearest bench.

  ‘There’s a sentence I didn’t expect to hear today when I woke up this morning.’

  He looks up at me, and the moment our eyes meet, we both burst out laughing and something eases in my chest for the first time since I saw Ryan on the phone the other day.

  ‘I can’t believe they did that.’ He shakes his head fondly.

  ‘I’m not sure if we should be horrified at their deviousness or give them points for ingenuity,’ I say. ‘Did they really fake all that?’

  ‘I guess they think we’re worth it,’ he says.

  ‘That’s L’Oréal,’ I mutter. ‘Maybe they’ve got confused by the TV adverts again.’

  He’s leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and he pushes a hand through his hair again even though it didn’t need pushing back. ‘Oh God, Fee, I’m so sorry. I’ve been taken advantage of by companies like the on
e you work for and it skyrocketed me back to how stupid I’ve felt in those moments. In my younger days, I was completely out of my depth and I got stepped on by a lot of hard-nosed business types who only care about the bottom line. The thought of you being like that …’ He waves his hands around his head like his brain is exploding. Or like he’s doing the Steps dance move to “Tragedy”. ‘Before the phone call was over, my barbed wire walls had shot up. Alarms were ringing inside my head and I couldn’t think of anything else.’

  ‘I don’t work for them anymore. I know you don’t believe me and I don’t blame you, but being here has shown me a different side to what they do, and seeing things from your perspective … what you said about making the world better … I’ve realised I don’t want to be part of a firm that makes the world worse.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to be so hard on you. I haven’t slept for a couple of nights because I was lying there having flashbacks of all the horrible things I said, and no matter what, you didn’t deserve that. When I got back yesterday and they told me about Steffan deciding not to sell because of you …’

  ‘It wasn’t because of me, it was because of all of us.’

  ‘Yeah, but you saw a way to bring Steffan in, to talk to him, to involve him. I’d counted him out as an enemy, but you saw past that. You found a better way, just like you always used to.’