Knowing You (Second Chance series)

by Maggie Fox

  “It sounds dangerous.” Faith frowned and took another sip of her tea.

  “No more than regular climbing, so long as you know what you’re doing.”

  “Was it always your dream to run your own place some day?”

  He nodded and ran a finger slowly round the top of his coffee mug. “Yes. That’s what all the time in Austria was about; getting the experience, qualifications and knowledge to run my own place. It’s scary stuff though, what with all the legalities, paperwork, health and safety rules and regulations. The pressure of knowing you’ve got all this responsibility for the Centre and repaying the business loans.”

  “Tell me about it! At the start with the café I was tempted to get an accountant. It seemed like a minefield knowing what you could and couldn’t do with VAT and tax and all that stuff. I couldn’t afford it though, so I just had to learn and get on with it myself. I had a business adviser; she was great and helped with all the legislation and marketing and business plans. At the end of the day I admit I can be a bit of a control freak and I like things done the right way.”

  “The right way being your way of doing things,” Zane said with a smile. “It’s OK, I know what you mean. I can be the same. If you sort it yourself then you know it’s done to your standards, right?”

  “Right. I think that’s part of running your own business though. I am a bit better these days. Like, this afternoon, I’ve left Sophie in charge. There was a time when I had to be in the café every second it was open. Not just because I couldn’t afford much help, but also because it was my dream, my business. I couldn’t let go of even one aspect of it to someone else, to trust them. Now I can. Won’t you feel the same about the Centre?”

  “Yeah, it’s only natural I suppose. At least there will be two of us with the Centre.”

  “Is your business partner the same?” Faith asked, toying with her empty cup. “You’ve been working together for a while in Austria, you must have a similar approach to things?”

  “We do. The activity stuff is a cinch, but neither of us are too good when it comes to the paperwork and admin. So, to make sure it all gets done, we have a tried and tested system in place. We have to. Strict rules on completing and filing paperwork at the time it’s generated, not leaving it all to pile up and sort it later when you’ve usually forgotten half the details.”

  Faith laughed.

  “So you’re a control freak too?”

  “I guess so,” Zane nodded. “Anyway, keeping on top of all the boring stuff means things run more efficiently, and when there’s a chance for some time out I can take it. Get out climbing, walking.”

  “Are there any activities at the Centre that you don’t like?”

  He looked thoughtful for a minute. “I wouldn’t say I dislike them, but there are some I’m not so keen on. Mainly the water stuff – white-water rafting, tubing, kayaking. That’s more Matt’s area; he’s the water guy. My area is more the climbing, the trail-walking stuff and zombie running. Though we both do all the activities, and we’re both qualified to teach them all.”

  Faith laughed. “Did you just say zombie running? What on earth is that?”

  Zane finished his coffee. “It’s every bit as crazy as it sounds. It’s a run through woodland and there are costumed zombies positioned to jump out on people and chase them. The zombies are trying to steal tags on the belts of the people. You have three tags which are like lifelines – lose all your tags to the zombies and you’re out of the game. It’s a huge craze at the moment.”

  “Wow,” said Faith. “That’s a new one on me.”

  “If you fancy trying it sometime, let me know. We’ll be running day and night time versions at Carrdale as soon as I’ve got the routes all mapped out.”

  “Thanks. But somehow I think I’ll be giving zombie running a miss!”

  “So, on an entirely different subject, is there any chance you might fancy introducing me to some of the local pubs?”

  “Of course, I’d be happy to,” she surprised herself by replying. What happened to not getting involved with outdoorsy guys who liked to abseil down cliffs for a living?

  “Brill. I suppose I’d really be pushing my luck if I asked if you’d fancy joining me for a pub meal tonight, wouldn’t I? Only I’m not the best cook going and I actually quite fancy some proper food tonight.”

  As he asked her she noticed he toyed nervously with his coffee mug. Perhaps he wasn’t the super-confident guy she’d originally pegged him as being. So far, all he’d done was seem to be a genuinely nice guy. No sign of a giant ego to contend with. No sign that he was a daredevil who liked to live on the edge. Yet.

  Of course, she should know better than to make all kinds of assumptions about him just because of the industry he was involved in. She wouldn’t have been so quick to judge people in this way before that dreadful business with Aaron.

  She realised he was still waiting for her answer. She looked up at him and he smiled, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

  “OK,” she smiled back at him.

  The food in the Green Arms in the village was excellent, but she found herself wanting to take him to a pub further afield, so that rather than share him with the locals, she could have him all to herself.

  “The Poachers does the most amazing food. It’s a few miles out of the village.”

  Zane got to his feet. “Sounds good. The Poachers it is. What time shall I pick you up?”

  “Let me drive this time,” she answered. “Then you can have a drink if you’d like.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not fussed about a drink but, OK, if you’d like to drive, that’s fine. Shall I walk down to you? Getting a parking space near my cottage can be nigh on impossible in the evenings. It’s only a ten minute walk.”

  She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed she wouldn’t get the chance to see inside his cottage. You could tell a lot about a person by their furnishings, their belongings. Maybe she’d get to see the cottage another time.

  Another time.

  She hadn’t gone on their date tonight yet and she was already thinking about another time. Date. Was it actually going to be a date though? Or was it just a friendly drink and meal between two Carleton business-people? Was that how he saw it? Had she got completely the wrong end of the stick? Perhaps he’d just asked her out because he wanted a decent meal and hadn’t fancied sitting in a pub eating alone.

  “See you at seven,” he’d said as he’d dropped her back at the café just before closing time. Sophie had grinned at her the whole time they’d been closing up the Coffee Pot together. Teasing her about how she’d been out with Zane for pretty much the whole afternoon. Faith decided not to fuel Sophie’s teasing any further by admitting she was going out for a meal with Zane that evening too.

  Now it was fast approaching seven o’clock, and Faith checked her reflection in the mirror. She’d been unsure how to dress for the evening; she’d feel awkward if she made a big effort and he turned up casual. Then again she didn’t want to look as though she’d just finished cleaning the café’s ovens either. In the end she’d showered, washed and styled her hair and opted for a floral chiffon tunic top over a fuchsia pink vest and navy linen trousers. The day was still warm so she’d finished the outfit with sandals.

  It had been great to choose sandals with a heel. Being so tall she usually went for flat shoes, because it always felt wrong being taller than a guy she might be going out with. No such worries with Zane. He must easily be a good few inches taller than her.

  A sharp knock at the door fetched Faith back to reality. Seven o’clock. He was bang on time. Again. She opened the door, her bag and keys at the ready.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi. All ready to go?”

  She nodded, stepping outside and locking the door behind her. Following him down the steps she couldn’t help noticing he’d made an effort tonight. His hair still looked a little damp at the back, suggesting he was fresh from the shower, and he’d shaved this time too. Pa
rt of her thought he looked better when he hadn’t shaved, a little more rugged and dishevelled. A little sexier.

  Stop it.

  She wasn’t looking for some butch alpha male. But it was nice to see that he’d taken the trouble to smarten up for their evening together. The denim jeans had gone too, she noticed. Smart brown chinos were now teamed with a burgundy cotton shirt.

  “I’m really looking forward to this,” he said, clipping his seat belt into its slot in her jeep. “I didn’t get much chance to have lunch, too much running around to do at the moment, loads to get sorted, so I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” Faith replied, wondering how he’d managed to spend most of the afternoon with her if he’d got so much work to sort at the Centre. But then, she could talk, couldn’t she, leaving the café for the whole afternoon to partake of their little shopping expedition together?

  The Poachers was busy, but Zane spotted an empty table tucked in the corner and they quickly claimed it before starting to read through the menu.

  “Starters and mains or mains and desserts?” Zane asked. “Or,” he added, smiling, “All three?”

  Faith joined Zane in trying to peer around the various people getting served at the bar in order to read the specials board.

  “Maybe starters and mains?”

  Taking advantage of a group of people moving away from the bar, Faith read the rest of the menu as quickly as she could. Spotting the dessert details, she added, “Then again, I love pavlova…”

  “Decided then,” said Zane. “We’ll go for all three courses. What do you fancy?”

  Scanning the menu Faith debated over the choices.

  “The soup for starters. I can’t decide between the sea-bass and the vegetarian lasagne. Oh, make it the lasagne.”

  “Tell you what,” Zane leaned forward and touched her arm and she felt herself grow warm all over. “I’ll go for the sea-bass, then you can try both if you like.”

  Faith nodded. “Excellent idea.”

  “OK, I’ll go and order. What do you fancy to drink?” Zane asked, getting to his feet.

  “Orange juice please.” Reaching for her purse she added, “You’ll need to pay when you order. We’ll go halves.”

  “No, we won’t,” he said, shaking his head and refusing the money she was offering him. “My treat. See it as my way of saying thanks for your help with the whole cash-and-carry business. And for all the free food and drink you keep giving me at your cafe.”

  Conveniently the queue at the bar subsided and Zane was back with their drinks in a few minutes. “Food shouldn’t be long, they said.”

  “Great.” She took the drink. “So, how are things going with the preparations for the Centre?”

  “All on track. Most of the legalities are about sorted now. I wasn’t planning on having to sort all this stuff by myself. But like I mentioned before, Matt’s still in Austria tying up a few loose ends.”

  “I know what you mean. It’s tough trying to juggle everything on your own. It was like that when I set up the café.”

  “Did you do any kind of business studies before you opened the café?” he asked.

  “Yes, I did a degree in it.”

  “So at least you had the advantage of knowing what you were doing.”

  “Kind of. From textbooks to real life business is still a big leap though. You didn’t go to university then?” she ventured.

  “I did, but not to do Business Studies,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink then leaning back in his chair, stretching out long legs in front of him. “Well, not as such. I studied Recreation Management. There was an element of business to the course, but mostly it was more practical than theory based.”

  Faith noticed that despite not being the designated driver for the evening, Zane hadn’t opted for an alcoholic drink.

  “Have you always wanted to work outdoors?”

  “Definitely. I knew office work wasn’t for me. As a kid, every opportunity I got I was off climbing trees and building dens in the woods.”

  “You’ve been working overseas for a while? That must have been an adventure.”

  “Yeah, I’ve worked abroad for years. I did a four-year sandwich course at university so I could work in the Austrian mountains for a year. I learnt how to lead groups on everything from trekking to ice climbing. It was the most amazing experience. I loved every single minute of it.”

  Faith nodded, trying to ignore the warning voice in her head, which was reminding her how similar his story sounded to Aaron’s.

  “What happened after university?”

  “I went travelling for a bit, then I was offered a job back in Austria with the company I’d been working with when I was at university. I was out there like a shot. Worked with them for almost five years. Then the chance to run a large outdoor activity centre in another ski resort came up, and I moved there.”

  He paused as the waiter bought over their starters, thanking him.

  “So you’ve hardly been home in the last few years then?”

  “Not much, no.”

  “Your family must miss you,” she said, tasting her soup. It was delicious. “You said you have family close by didn’t you?”

  “Yes, my younger sister Becca and her family live about thirty minutes away. My parents got divorced years ago. I don’t see much of my mum but I stay in touch with my dad by email and phone calls. He lives in Scotland now with his new partner Helene.”

  “I bet they’re delighted to have you back in the country again.”

  He nodded. “I loved Austria but in some ways it’s good to be home. What about you? You’re local born and bred aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Went away to university but came back straight away and started the café. My parents helped me out with the initial set-up costs and the rent, but I’ve since paid them back every penny.”

  Faith paused and took a bite of the garlic bread that had come with her soup. Perhaps garlic bread might not be a wise choice in the circumstances, but, then again, she wasn’t entirely sure what the circumstances were. Were they on a date or weren’t they?

  “I tried to pay them interest, but they wouldn’t take it!”

  “So your family live in the village then?”

  She shook her head. “Not now, no. I have an older brother and he lives and works in Manchester. My parents moved to sunny Spain a few years back. They both suffer quite badly with arthritis, so the warmer, drier weather over there suits them better than the damp misty weather over here.”

  The soup finished, Faith dabbed at her mouth with her napkin before adding,

  “So, what plans have you for promoting the Centre?”

  “Loads. That’s something I wanted to have a word with you about. We’re hoping to put on an outdoor adventure festival before the winter sets in. I know it doesn’t give us very long to organise everything, but we wanted to do something this year, even if it’s only a bit of a taster. Then we can run the full festival next year, when we’ve more time to plan it all.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “I wanted to see if you might be able to organise an extra meeting of the local tourism group, so Matt and I can present our ideas and see how we can tie things in with the local businesses. Also, do you have any thoughts as to when might be the best time to run the festival? It will only be for a weekend. What do you think?”

  Faith felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. Well, that helped to clarify what they were having this evening. It wasn’t a date, it was a business meeting.

  “I’ll email everyone and ask if we can sort a meeting within the next week,” she replied, trying to keep the frosty tone from her voice.

  How could she have been so stupid? There she was, letting her guard down, enjoying their little trips out, thinking he might actually like her. Right. Men like Zane Ferguson didn’t go for girls like her – steady, responsible, boring women. He probably liked his women the same way he liked his outdoor activities – full-on, adventurous, and
exciting.

  “Great, thanks, I really appreciate it.” He smiled at her. “What about the date?”

  Faith, realising she’d not been paying attention and had instead been busy painting Zane in the same light as Aaron, looked up at him. Date? What date? Had he asked her out whilst she’d been mentally criticizing him?

  “Sorry, what date?”

  “Any idea as to when might be the best date to try and run the festival?”

  Oh, right. That date.

  “Well, Carleton has an annual hill race in five weeks’ time. I’ve entered it myself again this year, though I’ll need to try to fit in some serious practice before then. The race always pulls in the crowds. Perhaps that weekend might be a good opportunity?”

  The waiter arrived to collect their empty plates and Faith and Zane smiled their thanks.

  “Great.” Zane nodded. “I’ll start making some enquiries about bits I’ve got in mind, and see if anyone is free for then. I know it’s short notice, but I’m sure I can arrange something.”

  Faith slipped back into tourism group mode – she never could resist a business challenge, even if a tiny part of her might have been tempted by a proper date with Zane.

  “The Royal is a big fancy hotel a couple of miles outside Carleton. They have a marquee they hire out. It’s about the end of the wedding season around here, so you might be able to hire the marquee and use it at the Centre. Or maybe even use it in the hotel grounds for some of your festival events. Are you planning action and adventure films and talks, that kind of thing?”

  “Yeah, as well as the chance for people to try activities up at the Centre at a reduced rate.” He leaned across the table and placed a hand on her arm. “Thanks, Faith. For all of this and for all the help you’ve given me since I arrived in Carleton. I really do appreciate it.”

  Faith nodded and smiled. The touch of his hand had an unsettling effect on her.

  “You’re welcome. We always try to help out new people.”

  Did she see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes at her words? No. Probably just her imagination.