by Heidi Swain
‘I’ll just go and see what he has to say,’ said Joe.
‘You can leave Bruce with me if you like,’ I suggested.
‘Thanks,’ Joe nodded, ‘that might not be a bad idea.’
The two men were in the kitchen for quite some time. I could hear their voices through the closed door, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. There didn’t seem to be any escalation in volume, so I didn’t think they were arguing. The stack of papers was just beginning to tempt me when Joe came back in.
‘How’s it looking?’ I asked.
‘Not great,’ he said.
‘It’s a bloody disaster,’ Charlie shouted in response.
Joe shook his head.
‘I’m guessing you’re going to have your work cut out this morning,’ I said, ‘and I’ve really enjoyed my visit, but if you want to run me back now, I don’t mind.’
‘Are you sure?’ Joe asked.
‘Absolutely.’
Truth be told, I was looking forward to shutting myself away in the cottage and having a think about things.
‘All right,’ said Joe, ‘just give me a minute and we’ll go.’
*
‘Home sweet home,’ Joe smiled when we finally arrived at Crow’s Nest Cottage.
It had taken longer than expected to get back as one of the roads was blocked by a fallen branch. The limb wasn’t from one of the trees the brothers had mentioned the night before, but the whole area looked to be littered with debris courtesy of the storm.
‘Yes,’ I said, looking fondly at the little place, which didn’t look any the worse for wear given what had happened. ‘Here we are. You know, my time in Wynmouth seems to have been punctuated with one storm or another,’ I commented, thinking of the evening Joe had turned up at the Smuggler’s.
‘It’s certainly been a tempestuous summer so far,’ he nodded.
I had a feeling that neither of us were referring only to the weather.
‘I don’t suppose I’ll see much of you for a while now, will I?’ I said, thinking of the impending harvest.
‘I’ll still be about a bit,’ he smiled, ‘and I’ll keep in touch, although,’ he added, ‘that would be a damn sight easier to do if you turned your phone on.’
‘No chance,’ I said.
There were probably dozens of extra messages clogging it up now. Dad was bound to have had a reaction to my resignation email and not necessarily a good one.
‘If you’re so determined not to switch on the one you’ve got,’ Joe suggested, ‘then why don’t you go somewhere and buy a cheap pay-as-you-go to tide you over. That is, assuming you aren’t leaving just yet?’
‘That’s a great idea,’ I said, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’
Joe shook his head.
‘I’ll ask Sophie if I can borrow her laptop again and I’ll order one.’
‘That’ll make my life easier than having to drive here and shove notes through your door.’
‘You could always leave a message at the pub?’ I suggested. ‘Or send word with Hope.’
‘I’m sure Sam would love that,’ he tutted.
‘Which bit?’
He didn’t answer.
‘Well,’ I said, unclipping my seatbelt, ‘thank you for inviting me to the farm. I loved the tour and the dinner.’
‘You are most welcome,’ he smiled.
‘You’re very lucky to have such a beautiful place to live,’ I told him. ‘It’s truly stunning.’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ he nodded, confusing me even more. ‘Take care, Tess.’
I waved him off and let myself into the cottage. It felt deliciously cool compared to the heat outside which had started to build again. Had I not lived through the storm I might never have believed that it had even happened.
I took a long shower then slipped on my dressing gown because I didn’t feel like getting dressed again. I was just contemplating the idea of taking a nap when someone began beating on the door.
‘Oh,’ said Sam, who I found on the doorstep, looking absolutely livid. ‘That’s all right then. You are alive. I won’t keep you. I just wanted to make sure.’
He turned around and was already at the gate by the time I grabbed his sleeve.
‘What on earth’s the matter?’ I asked, all thoughts of my cosy nap forgotten.
He spun around, his face flushed and his lips set in a thin tight line. The memory of my mouth pressed against his suddenly jumped into sharp focus and I looked up at his eyes instead. Faced with his fury, it was hardly the moment to wonder, but why hadn’t he mentioned our kiss after the party? There was no way that he had, like me, forgotten it, because he hadn’t been drinking. Was his recent bad mood a result of guilt, or did he consider himself blameless and think it was all my fault? Was that what this fiery outburst was all about?
‘I’ve just been worried sick, that’s all,’ he said, roughly tugging his sleeve out of my grasp. ‘We all have, I mean,’ he added, turning red.
An elderly couple on the other side of the lane looked at us curiously and given the show we were putting on I could hardly blame them.
‘Look,’ I said to Sam, ‘come inside for pity’s sake. Before we’re the talk of the village.’
‘Thanks to you,’ he said, reminding me of my outburst in the pub, ‘we already are. Folk are still gossiping about that you know.’
‘Well, let’s not make the situation worse then,’ I said, walking back inside.
He reluctantly followed, slamming the door behind him.
‘Is that why you’re so angry?’ I asked. ‘Because we’re still the hot goss?’
‘Of course not,’ he snapped. ‘I’m angry because you buggered off yesterday without a by your leave and no one knew where you were. In case you hadn’t noticed, there was one hell of a storm raging last night and for all we knew, you were out in it.’
‘Well, in that case,’ I told him, ‘I’m sorry, but Hope knew where I was. She knew days ago where I was going to be yesterday. Why didn’t you ask her?’
He shifted from one foot to the other.
‘Because we aren’t talking at the moment.’
‘But she still would have told you,’ I insisted. ‘She wouldn’t have let you worry unnecessarily.’
I hoped the pair of them hadn’t fallen out because Hope had somehow found out about The Kiss.
‘Well, whatever,’ he said, running a hand through his hair. ‘At least I’ve found you now. Why you don’t buy another bloody phone to use while you’re here is beyond me. Hope told me ages ago that you aren’t using your usual one right now, so why not just get a cheap temporary thing so folk can get hold of you.’
‘Funnily enough,’ I said, ‘someone else suggested the very same thing less than an hour ago.’
We were quiet for a second. Sam focused on the view beyond the window and I re-tied the belt on my dressing gown which had come a little adrift.
‘Do you want a coffee?’ I offered. ‘I was just about to make one.’
I didn’t much feel like taking a nap now and I was keen to find out, as we were alone and out of earshot of everyone else, if he might broach the topic of our moment on the beach.
‘Just a quick one then,’ he said, checking his watch. ‘I’ll need to be back in time for the lunch rush.’
I was surprised but pleased that he accepted my offer and that there was a lunch service to rush back for. It was a stark contrast to when I had first arrived and there had been empty tables as far as the eye could see.
‘Where were you then?’ he asked, as I filled the kettle and arranged mugs and he made himself comfortable on the sofa. ‘Not that it’s any of my business,’ he carried on, ‘but as your car hadn’t moved, we were worried that you’d gone somewhere on foot.’
On this evidence, I couldn’t deny that his and everyone else’s concerns were justified. I was touched that they had noticed and that they cared.
‘I was at Home Farm,’ I told him, thinking nothing would be g
ained from lying, especially when he and Hope were bound to kiss and make up and she would probably tell him anyway. ‘Joe invited me to take a tour of the place yesterday and then to stay for dinner. When the storm blew in, we decided it would be too risky to try and drive back.’
I was just about to add that I’d dossed down on the sofa, but a noise from the other room caught my attention and I looked through to find Sam standing back up again.
‘On second thoughts,’ he said, as he reached the door in two quick strides and offered me a smile that didn’t reach as far as his eyes. ‘Don’t worry about that coffee, Tess. I’ve just remembered I’ve got a delivery booked. I’d better head back after all.’
Chapter 24
I went up to bed after Sam left, but I couldn’t sleep and found myself reaching for Mum’s diary again. It was hardly a soothing bedside read, but it was a distraction and with the memory of that kiss coupled with conflicting thoughts about Joe’s deal with Sunny Shores running through my mind, I certainly needed one. And talking of the one . . .
The last line Mum had typed, ‘she’s the one,’ really broke my heart. The first few entries had suggested the early affairs Dad indulged in were frivolous interludes, but the later ones came across differently and towards the end, Mum was aware that there was one person in particular who meant more to her husband than she did. I was deeply saddened by that and found myself wishing that the pair had parted and moved on with their lives instead of sticking it out in a loveless marriage and, in Mum’s case, never discovering what was possible beyond it.
I kept a low profile for the next couple of days, trying to decide what I should do with the overwhelming amount of information my head was stuffed with. Should I cut and run, go back and face my father? Should I announce to everyone what Joe had in store for their lovely landscape or should I keep quiet and let the Upton family move on and free themselves from the fear of the unpredictable farming cycle? Should I ask Sam why he had been my first kiss? Should I confess my disloyalty to Hope and ask why she and her beloved weren’t talking? Or, should I pretend that I knew nothing about any of it, and just carry on enjoying my holiday?
I was still no closer to coming to a decision when I wandered down to the café on Tuesday. The weather was warm, but I couldn’t see the sun because it was blocked by a thick blanket of cloud and I couldn’t help thinking that it felt like the perfect metaphor for my life.
‘Tess,’ beamed Sophie when I walked in. ‘Where have you been hiding yourself? It feels like ages since I last saw you!’
‘I’ve been around and about,’ I told her, wishing I could lift my mood high enough to match hers.
Sophie had a mother’s knack for spotting melancholy a mile off and I didn’t want her delving too deeply into my current muddled mindset.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘grab a seat and I’ll bring you something delicious to eat.’
‘I’m not really hungry,’ I told her. ‘I only came—’
‘To borrow my laptop?’ she interrupted, raising her eyebrows.
I nodded, feeling a little guilty.
‘That’s all right,’ she said, bustling back behind the counter, ‘you can surf and snack at the same time, can’t you?’
‘Yes,’ I said, sliding into the last empty booth, ‘that I can do.’
It didn’t take many minutes to find and order a phone and I opted for express delivery, wishing I had thought to do it weeks ago and thinking that at least I had made one decision. If I was investing in a mobile, even just a cheap one, then I wasn’t planning to leave Wynmouth any time soon, was I?
‘Find what you wanted?’ Sophie asked, taking the seat opposite mine when there was finally a lull in customers.
‘Yes,’ I said, sliding her laptop back across the table, ‘thanks, Sophie. I didn’t expect you to be this busy today, what with the downturn in the weather.’
‘Actually,’ she said, looking out of the window to see what the sky was up to, ‘I think that’s what has encouraged folk in. This mixed summer weather we’ve experienced so far has been perfect for the café.’
‘I bet Sam would say the same about the pub,’ I said, thinking of his former mention of the lunchtime rush, ‘that’s been busy too.’
‘But not too busy,’ Sophie smiled. ‘Word on the village high street is that Wynmouth has finally found the right balance. Everyone’s telling me they’re busier, but not overrun. Somehow we’ve managed to enjoy increased footfall without becoming completely overwhelmed.’
‘Uh huh,’ I nodded, my stomach churning as I thought how that balance could so easily be upset by the influx of Sunny Shores visitors.
‘We all seem to be turning a healthy profit,’ Sophie said happily, ‘but not losing the tranquillity, and thanks to the beach clean and the party there’s an emerging sense of community pride and spirit that the place has been lacking in recent years. It’s all perfect in every possible way.’
‘That’s great,’ I swallowed. ‘Really great.’
‘Are you all right, Tess? Sophie asked. ‘You look a little pale.’
‘Too many churros,’ I told her. ‘You know I can’t resist.’
‘And too much sauce!’ she laughed, peering into the empty pot. ‘Here’s Hope,’ she added, waving at her daughter who was about to come in. ‘I’ll get you both some lemonade. That’ll cut through the sweetness.’
Sophie took her laptop back to the kitchen and Hope, after hugging her warmly, slid into the seat she had just vacated.
‘I’d all but given up on you,’ she told me. ‘I’ve just been to the cottage to find you, and the beach. Where have you been hiding yourself?’
‘I haven’t been hiding.’
She waited while Sophie deposited our lemonade before picking up the questioning pace.
‘So,’ she said, her dark eyes shining, ‘what happened at the farm? Did you make any inroads into finding out what’s bothering Joe?’
I was beginning to wish, given that the pair were still in touch, that she’d made more of an effort to find out for herself rather than rope me in but, given her friendly tone, she obviously still hadn’t found out that Sam and I had kissed at the party, so that was something to be thankful for.
‘Before we talk about that,’ I said, ‘can I ask what’s going on with you and Sam? I saw him the other day and he said you weren’t talking.’
‘Oh,’ she said, waving the question away and making her many silver and gold bangles jangle, ‘it’s nothing. Just a silly disagreement. I’d made up my mind to do something and he said I shouldn’t. It’s all forgotten now,’ she went on, ‘although of course, it’s meant that I haven’t had a chance to find out what’s going on with him and Joe, so I hope you’ve come up with something.’
I sucked at the paper straw in my lemonade and swirled the ice around.
‘Oh well done,’ she said, sounding excited, ‘you can’t have gone that colour for nothing. Spill the beans, Tess!’
At the point when Sophie had sat down and told me how brilliantly her business, and everyone else’s in Wynmouth, had been faring this summer, I had pretty much made up my mind to keep quiet about Joe’s impending deal. After all, it was nothing to do with me, but Sophie’s words had made me doubt my decision and as Joe clearly still had feelings for Hope and they were still friends, I reasoned that she was the one person I could tell.
‘I have found something out,’ I confessed. ‘Let’s go down to the beach and I’ll tell you.’
Hope had thought my cloak-and-dagger suggestion was excessive, but as I explained what I had seen and overheard, her steps faltered and her eyes grew wider and wider.
‘And you’re absolutely sure?’ she asked, as we sat on the sand out of earshot of the few visitors to the beach.
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘One hundred per cent.’
‘The paperwork was definitely current?’
‘Yes,’ I reiterated, ‘dated this summer, and there was no doubting the phone call. He was standing practically right next
to me, so I didn’t mishear any of that.’
We looked behind us to where the land in question sat atop the cliffs, currently undisturbed. I tried to imagine how the view would change when it was covered in rows and rows of caravans and the local roads were choked with cars trying to get to them.
‘But this could ruin everything,’ said Hope, sounding tearful.
‘I know it’s not ideal,’ I said, trying to help her see it from Joe’s point of view, ‘but having listened to Joe talk about falling yields and failing crops, especially after that storm, I can understand why he’s doing it.’
Sophie looked at me as if I’d gone mad and I began to think I’d made a mistake in telling her.
‘And at least now we know his secret has nothing to do with the crash,’ I pointed out, trying to paint a silver lining. ‘Getting him and Sam back on proper speaking terms might be easier to achieve than we first thought.’
‘You’ve got to be kidding?’ Hope laughed. ‘Can you not imagine how Sam’s going to react when I tell him about this?’
‘Do you have to tell him?’ I asked. I could feel my face beginning to burn in spite of the fact that the sun was still hidden. ‘I only told you because—’
‘Of course, I have to tell him,’ she interrupted. ‘I do understand why you are sympathetic to Joe’s cause, Tess, because he’s talked to me about how difficult it all is, so to a certain extent I get it too, but the implications of what he’s proposing are going to be felt a whole lot further than the Upton farm boundary.’
‘Why don’t you talk to Joe before you tell Sam?’ I suggested.
‘What and drop you in it?’ She frowned. ‘If I talk to him, then he’ll know you were snooping.’
‘I wasn’t exactly snooping,’ I reminded her. ‘It was all right there.’
‘Even so.’
‘All right,’ I said, changing track. ‘How about I talk to him? I’ll explain about Bruce knocking off the papers and how I heard his side of the phone call and maybe he’ll tell me the rest.’
Hope didn’t look convinced.
‘It might not be as bad as we think it is,’ I pleaded.
Having seen the marked-out boundaries on the map, I knew that it was, but I had to try and do something to stop the flood I had just unleashed. Even if I could plug the dam long enough to give Joe a heads up, that would be something.