Knowing You (Second Chance series)

by Maggie Fox

  It was a terrible cliché but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She’d only just met the guy. It was ridiculous.

  Tom, who ran one of the pubs in town, waved at her as he walked past on his way to work. When he’d first arrived in Carleton years ago Sophie had put her matchmaking hat on, getting ideas about him and Faith getting together. Faith hadn’t been keen on the idea of dating anyone at the time; she’d been going through another one of her all-men-are-trouble phases. But it had soon become apparent that Tom was spoken for anyway, much to her relief.

  It wasn’t that Faith actively avoided dating and relationships. She’d gone out with men since the whole thing with Aaron. Of course she had; that had all happened years and years ago. There just hadn’t been anyone serious since then. OK, she still had her guard up to some extent, thanks to the way things had ended with him. That, she admitted to herself, didn’t help matters.

  Aaron. They’d been childhood sweethearts and had spent ages making great plans for the future.

  Then suddenly it was all gone. Just like that.

  Right. Back to work. Picking up a pen, determined to focus and get the job done this time, Faith began ticking boxes on the order form. Pausing to sip her coffee, she glanced up – and saw him. Parking his burgundy 4x4 across the road from the café, he jumped out and headed for the Coffee Pot.

  Great. Just what she needed to help with the concentration levels.

  “Hi, Faith.”

  Pushing aside the still uncompleted paperwork, Faith smiled and got to her feet. “Zane, lovely to see you again. What can I get you?”

  “Black coffee would be good thanks.”

  He followed her to the counter, hopping on to one of the tall stools as she prepared his drink.

  “Actually, I wondered if you might be able to help me out with something. You know, provide a bit of local knowledge.”

  “If I can,” Faith replied, setting his coffee down in front of him.

  “The activity centre has, as you probably know, a bit of a mess-room. A chill-out area where our customers can relax, get a drink and a snack. Looking through the cupboards this morning I see it will need some serious re-stocking before we open the place up again.” He paused, taking a drink of his coffee. “I thought you’d be the best person to ask about where to get all the necessary bits and pieces.”

  “There’s not a huge amount of choice with things like that around here,” Faith said, wiping down the counter even though it was spotless anyway. “There’s a cash-and-carry over at Darlstone, about half an hour away. I was just sorting my own order for there, funnily enough.”

  “Does that mean you’re going over there soon then?”

  “Yes, this afternoon.”

  “Any chance I could tag along?” he smiled at her hopefully.

  “Sure,” Faith replied. Well, she could hardly refuse, could she? He was new to the area and she was just helping out a fellow businessperson. That was all.

  “Great. I need to run some errands first but how about I pick you up at two o’clock, would that be OK? It gives me time to get my stuff sorted. And, I’m guessing, that would be after the main lunchtime rush for you?”

  She nodded.

  He checked the large metal clock on the wall. “OK. Great, thanks. I’ll get going then. How much do I owe you for the coffee?” he asked, fishing a note and some coins out of the pocket of his jeans.

  “On the house,” she replied, refusing the offered money.

  “Thank you. Again. Your profits will be down if you keep giving me free food and drinks. I’ll have to do something to repay you. A meal out, perhaps? Well, I’ll see you at two.”

  Faith watched as he made his way back over the road. She didn’t like the way he made her feel at all. Correction, in some ways she did like it. That was the problem. She hadn’t felt such a strong and instant connection with someone for a long time.

  Not since Aaron.

  “Oh yes, very nice work,” laughed Sophie as she poked her head around the door from the kitchen where she was baking scones. “And there was me thinking you’d declared yourself to be a man-free zone.”

  “I never said that,” protested Faith, picking up the order form again. “Anyway, he just wants to know where the cash-and-carry is and, as I’m going there anyway, it makes sense to go together.”

  “Yeah right.” Sophie wiped her hands on a tea towel. “And that’s the only reason you’re helping him out. Nothing to do with getting to spend the afternoon with him!”

  “Forget it,” Faith replied, playfully throwing a tea towel at her friend. “He’s bound to have a girlfriend about to pitch up from somewhere.”

  Sophie shook her head. “I wouldn’t be so sure. Personally I’ve a feeling he’s taken quite a shine to you.”

  “Just because he asks me where the cash-and-carry is?” Faith laughed. “You’ve got a vivid imagination.”

  “No, not just because of that. He could have asked any businessperson in the village about that, yet he singled you out. No, because I saw the way he was watching you at the meeting last night. He seemed quite taken with you.”

  Faith sighed. “Don’t you have more cakes to bake? Now, stockroom for me. I need to sort this order before lunchtime.”

  At precisely two o clock Zane’s 4x4 pulled up outside.

  Faith, just finishing serving a customer, smiled to herself. She liked punctuality. To her it was as important in business as it was in life in general.

  Now, she wondered, would he sit in the car, toot the horn and wait for her to go out to him? Or would he come inside and collect her?

  Stop it, she told herself firmly. You’re acting as though this is some kind of date. It’s just business. A trip to the cash-and-carry – what could be more un-date-like than that?

  Faith thanked the customer, popped the money into the till, closed the drawer and smiled. The bell above the door of the Coffee Pot jangled as Zane stepped inside.

  “So, tell me all about yourself,” Zane said as he easily navigated the sharp bends in the road on the way to Darlstone.

  “Not much to tell,” she replied.

  The scenery around here was so breathtaking that no matter how many times she travelled along this road, it still made her gawp like a tourist. Thinking about it, it was a good job Zane was driving and not her. The softly-rounded, almost friendly-looking hills were a few miles south of Carleton. Around here the hills were more grown-up, almost but not quite mountains. They were angular and rock-strewn, with a slight air of foreboding to them.

  “I don’t believe that,” he laughed, hitting a button so the window on his side of the car buzzed down, letting in a light but warm breeze. The weather today was turning out to be one of those rare sparkling Peak District gems.

  “You got my potted history at the shop the other day.”

  “What about the detailed history then?” he asked.

  The road ahead of them narrowed and a large tractor loomed in the opposite direction. Zane pulled over to the side of the road where there was a little lay-by. With one arm leaning on the edge of the open window and the other resting on the gearstick, he waited patiently for the tractor to trundle past them.

  Faith couldn’t help thinking how Aaron would have behaved in the same circumstances. Ever the risk-taker, he’d no doubt have put his foot down and scared her half to death, determined to get through the narrow bit of road before the tractor did, seeing it as a personal challenge. Aaron had always been impatient. About everything. When he wanted something he went for it. Where he was concerned, there were no half-measures.

  “It’s not much different to the other version. Most of my life revolves around the business.”

  “That’s a shame,” Zane replied, lowering his sunglasses to look at her. “Do you have any hobbies?”

  “Work,” laughed Faith. “After work there’s not a huge amount of time left for much else. Especially in the main tourist season.”

  “You’re not open in the evenings thoug
h are you? That must give you some time for a life outside the Coffee Pot.”

  Was he trying to find out if she was involved with anyone? Possibly. Or maybe he was simply being friendly. Or just plain nosy.

  The tractor continued on its way towards Carleton, along with the small convoy of vehicles stuck behind it. Zane lifted a hand in acknowledgement as the man driving the last car going in the opposite direction waved his thanks that he had let them all through.

  OK, Faith thought. Maybe she had jumped to all sorts of conclusions when she’d first met Zane. Just because he was an outdoorsy guy, that didn’t mean he was the same as Aaron in every other way too. Maybe, just maybe, he was a decent guy. There were still a few of them out there. Or so she’d been led to believe. Did she want to risk finding out though? What about yesterday when Sophie had asked Zane jokily if he had any secrets to hide from the local gossips? She’d thought he’d looked a little uneasy. But perhaps it had just been her imagination.

  “Once we close up, there’s all the cleaning to do and the preparations for the next day. But I love getting out and doing some decent hill-walking, if I do get the chance for some time off. So what about you? How are you getting on with life in Carleton?”

  “Good, thanks. I’ve rented a little cottage out on Hilltop Road. The neighbours have been great, very friendly.”

  Hilltop Road. That meant he was renting the small two-bedroomed cottage towards the end of the row. She knew it well. It was owned by Emily Marchant, the daughter of the family who owned the five-star country house hotel a few miles outside Carleton. Emily was very wealthy, very pretty, and very used to getting what she wanted. Faith imagined Emily would be delighted to have Zane as one of her tenants. Emily was no wallflower. She’d be popping in left right and centre, checking if he needed anything, flirting with him like mad.

  “That’s one of Emily’s cottages. Have you met her yet?”

  “Yep. She’s, er, very friendly,” he said in what sounded like a diplomatic tone. “Where to at the road junction?”

  “Left,” Faith replied. “Halfpenny Cottage is really tiny from what I remember of it. Just one good-size bedroom and a small study, isn’t it?”

  “That’s right. Suits me just fine for now though. The only problem I have is the low beams in the lounge.” He changed gear in preparation for the junction ahead. “Keep forgetting to duck. I’ve given myself more headaches in the last week than I’ve ever had in my life!”

  “Living in a cottage can be quite tricky if you’re tall. I should know!”

  He smiled at her.

  “I can see that. You must be nearly six foot yourself. You don’t suffer from constant beam-induced headaches as well do you?”

  “No, I live in the flat above the café. And thankfully there are no beams in sight.”

  “Wise move. I’m thinking the cottage rental thing is only temporary. I’m hoping to be able to start looking for somewhere to buy before too long, if money allows. For now though, the priority is getting the Centre ready for its grand re-opening.”

  “Just you living in the cottage then, is it?”

  “Just me,” he answered, stopping at some traffic lights. “For now. Where next?”

  “Left, and then straight on at the roundabout.”

  For now, he’d said. What did that mean? It implied someone else would be living there too at some point, surely? Was that good news or bad? She couldn’t make up her mind. If Zane Ferguson was already involved with someone, then Faith could instantly put a stop to the silly crush she was concerned she was beginning to develop.

  “So, is it just you in your flat?” Zane asked. “Or is there a significant other sharing it with you?”

  “Just me.”

  Was that a tiny hint of a smile she’d just seen play about his lips at this piece of news?

  “So there’s nobody sharing your flat. What about sharing your life?”

  Faith smiled and ignored his question. “Turn right up ahead, that’s the cash-and-carry car park.”

  “I don’t want to stock the rec room with rubbish coffee that everyone ends up pouring down the sink,” Zane said, hefting a box of top-brand coffee beans onto the trolley. “Matt and I have budgeted for a decent coffee machine. I think people expect it nowadays, don’t you?”

  Faith nodded. “But are you sure the coffee machine is really for the customers, and not just the staff?”

  “OK. It’s for both,” he laughed.

  “When is Matt arriving in Carleton?”

  “About a week. He’s got some personal business to sort in Austria, plus he’s doing some deals on kit for the Centre as well with some of our contacts.”

  Faith knew the layout of Darlstone’s cash-and-carry so well she had her shopping list arranged so the items were in aisle order. Sophie teased her mercilessly about it, but even she admitted it made life a lot easier when you had to grab everything and get back to the café pronto.

  “Does he have somewhere to live sorted for when he gets here?” she asked. In her head she was working out what items she needed to get from the next aisle.

  Zane shook his head. “Not yet. He’ll end up using the spare room at my place for starters I should think. Like you said, it’s tiny. Not much more than a study really but there’s a sofa-bed.”

  “The two of you must get on well. Working together, going into business as partners. Have you shared a house before?”

  “Yeah, but this won’t be for long if I have anything to do with it. He’ll need to find his own place pretty soon if I’m going to get to keep my sanity.”

  Faith laughed. “That bad eh?”

  “Let’s just say Matt likes to entertain female guests a lot. We’ll leave it at that.”

  Faith stood on tiptoe to try to reach some boxes of coffee filters. Why did they always use the high shelves in these places? OK, space was at a premium, but if even she (at nearly six feet tall) struggled to reach stuff she needed, then loads of others must find it even more difficult.

  “Here, let me.” Zane reached past her. “These ones?” he asked, waving a box questioningly.

  “Yep. Thanks.”

  Faith was glad she could trust Sophie to be left in charge at the café in her absence. She hadn’t expected to be out for quite so long this afternoon. The shopping might have been easier than usual in manual labour terms (with Zane there to handle large boxes of sugar and the like onto her trolley for her), but it was taking much longer than usual thanks to Zane seeking her advice on everything and anything.

  Zane, it seemed, liked to pay attention to the details with everything he did. Faith supposed this was a very useful – and safe – trait to have in his line of business. After all, when people were trusting you to get them safely abseiling down cliffs, you had to be thorough and methodical about all the things required for them to be able to do just that; from ropes and harnesses to assessing conditions and abilities. Briefly she wondered if he was thorough and methodical in everything he did, not just matters of work and business. Best not to think about things like that. She quickly focussed instead on the difference between the two brands of tea he was asking her about.

  With their trolleys filled, Zane loaded everything in the back of his 4x4 and they headed back to Carleton.

  “Are you in a rush?” he asked a few miles down the road, offering her the open packet of Jelly Beans he’d bought at the cash-and-carry.

  “Why? Where are we going now?” she asked, taking the packet. She loved Jelly Beans.

  “I spotted a large outdoor clothing and equipment shop on the edge of one of the villages we passed through on the way. I was thinking of stopping and taking a look, see exactly what they stocked equipment-wise, and ask whether I might be able to do a deal with the owners regarding some new bits for the Centre. Would you mind?”

  “No, not at all.”

  They found a gap in the busy car park and the two of them explored the store. Faith learned loads as Zane pointed out what various bits and pieces wer
e for, and explained, patiently and thoroughly, how they were used. It was as though he genuinely wanted her to understand his work and be involved with the Centre. How very different from Aaron, she found herself thinking. In all the years she’d spent with Aaron, living in the world of outdoors and extreme sports, he’d never once explained anything to her.

  The store had a trendy coffee shop upstairs with great views of the surrounding hills. They got a table near the window.

  “So, the previous owners of Carrdale are heading for Canada?” Zane said.

  Faith sipped her peppermint tea. “Yeah, they’ve got relatives out there who are involved in the same line of work. They’ve wanted to move out there for a while. They loved Carrdale, but wanted to be closer to family so decided to sell up.”

  “Just at the right time for Matt and me. We’d just started looking for a Centre to buy. The time was right for us to get out of Austria and come back to the UK.”

  “Did you miss the UK when you were out there?”

  Zane shrugged. “Sometimes. I missed my family. I loved working in Austria though. I loved the snow, the mountains, and the chance to get outdoors and go climbing whenever I could.”

  “Even in the winter?” Faith asked, thinking how easily the conversation was flowing between them. There was definitely something about Zane which made her feel relaxed and at ease. It was as though she’d known him for ever, not just a day or two.

  “Even more so in the winter,” he said, his eyes lighting up. “Ice climbing is even better than regular climbing.”

  Faith shook her head. “Forgive my ignorance but how do you go ice climbing?”

  “It’s the same as normal climbing. You just need the proper gear for the conditions, and a pickaxe so you can use that to get a grip and anchor yourself.”