Summer at the Kindness Cafe

by Victoria Walters

  A noise made her shake off her impending melancholy. She had to cope with things on her own now. Mostly because of the small, blonde girl who was shuffling into the kitchen and rubbing her eyes.

  ‘Hi, darling,’ Eszter greeted her daughter. She’d been up later than usual in all the drama. ‘Are you hungry?’

  ‘Of course, it’s breakfast time,’ Zoe said with her usual deadpan expression. Eszter hid a smile. Zoe was a real character sometimes. Eszter gave her a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice but didn’t think she could face eating herself. ‘How long is she going to be in my room?’

  Eszter followed her daughter’s gaze to the ceiling where there was some definite movement happening. ‘Until it’s safe for her to go back to her house.’

  ‘Do I call her “grandmother”?’

  ‘I’ll get back to you on that one.’ They both fell silent as they heard footsteps on the stairs and in walked Mrs Harris, wearing her clothes from the day before. ‘Morning, Mrs Harris. Would you like a cup of tea?’ Eszter asked, getting up to switch the kettle on.

  ‘Yes, please,’ she said as she sat down stiffly at the table and eyed Zoe. She had spent much of the previous afternoon glancing at her granddaughter and Eszter knew she could see the resemblance between Zoe and her son. Sometimes even she was startled by it. She liked it, though – it meant Nick was still part of her life through his daughter.

  ‘Did you sleep well?’ Zoe asked her grandmother as she ate her cereal.

  Mrs Harris looked even more shocked at being addressed by her. She accepted the tea from Eszter, who rejoined them at the table. ‘Not really, I haven’t slept anywhere but my own house for a long time.’

  ‘We can collect some more of your things when it’s safe to go in. They’re sending an assessor round to look at the damage,’ Eszter said.

  ‘I do appreciate what you did yesterday, but it’s really unnecessary for me to stay here any longer,’ she replied.

  ‘It’s not safe for you to go home at the moment, not until they check the whole ceiling won’t collapse. And it’s fine for you to stay here until then,’ Eszter said, cutting in. ‘You’re family,’ she added, to remind herself more than anything.

  Mrs Harris looked at her and then at Zoe before taking a sip of her tea, apparently at a loss as to what to say.

  ‘It’ll be good for us to all get to know one another,’ Eszter said, hoping her voice sounded more cheerful than she felt. She glanced at a rather nervous-looking Zoe, but she thought of her beloved Nick and how much he wanted them to do this and she knew they had to see it through. ‘Zoe, show your grandmother where the towels are. I’m sure she will want a nice relaxing bath before we go back to her house.’ Neither Zoe nor Mrs Harris dared to contradict her and she watched them go upstairs. She sent up a silent plea to Nick for help in bringing the three of them together.

  Chapter Two

  Louise walked into her morning shift at the hospital, taking a big gulp of the takeaway coffee she had picked up from Brew. She greeted Julie in the staff room as she stored her things in her locker.

  ‘I saw Hazel and her mother on my way in. They think she’ll be going home later today,’ Julie said. Louise turned around in surprise and smiled.

  ‘That’s such wonderful news,’ she said, glad that the day was starting off so well. Hazel had been on the paediatric ward for a long time, suffering with cancer, but her latest treatment had gone well and the doctor was obviously confident enough to let her become an outpatient again. Louise made her way straight to Hazel’s cubicle when her shift started.

  Hazel was in bed clutching the teddy Louise had given her and her mum Sarah was beginning to pack up her things.

  ‘Guess what?’ Hazel cried when she saw her.

  ‘What?’ Louise asked, not wanting to ruin the little girl’s excitement at telling her the news herself. She exchanged a smile with her mother, though. The woman looked so relieved that Louise’s heart swelled for her.

  ‘I get to go home today!’

  ‘That is brilliant news!’

  ‘Will you miss me, though?’

  ‘Of course I will, but I’ll be happy that you’re getting better at home.’

  ‘We can’t thank you enough for looking after Hazel so well,’ Sarah said.

  ‘No thanks needed, this is my job.’

  ‘You went above and beyond,’ she said, enveloping her in a hug.

  This is what she got into nursing for, Louise thought as she went back to the nurses’ station. She was so happy that Hazel was on the road to recovery and that she might have helped in some small way.

  ***

  The morning went quickly as Louise moved from cubicle to cubicle, helping her patients. It was with a sigh of relief that she walked outside on her break, desperate for some fresh air, only to bump straight into a tall man who was hurrying into the hospital.

  ‘Ouch,’ Louise said as her shoulder collided painfully with his.

  ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ the man said as he steadied her arm, then stepped back and looked at her. ‘Louise! Just the person I was coming to see,’ he said when he recognised her, a charming smile spreading across his face.

  Louise found her cheeks immediately started to burn up as she realised it was Alex the vet, Hazel’s uncle, and the rescuer of her lost earrings. She didn’t know why he seemed to make her both curious and nervous.

  ‘Why was that?’ she asked, when she realised she had been staring at him in silence.

  ‘To give you these,’ he said, pulling a large bouquet of flowers from behind his back with a flourish. ‘I had to get them to say thank you for looking after our Hazel so wonderfully.’ He handed them to her and she breathed in the scent of the yellow roses. Her favourites.

  Louise was taken aback. ‘You really didn’t need to do that. I was just doing my job.’

  ‘It’s not a totally selfless act,’ Alex said then, running a hand through his hair. ‘I did wonder if you might want to grab a coffee together sometime soon?’

  ‘Why?’ she asked without thinking.

  ‘Well, it would be, uh, nice to get to know you better,’ he stammered, blushing, which annoyingly made him look cuter.

  Louise wished she didn’t find him attractive. She turned even redder along with him and she looked down at the flowers, for a second wishing that things were different. If only she could just say yes to getting to know him better, but the past wouldn’t let her.

  ‘Um, look, Alex, thank you for the flowers, and for finding my earring, but I’m not really looking to date. Anyone.’ Louise had checked Facebook before she left for work and had seen more congratulations pouring in for the man who had broken her heart who was now engaged to someone else.

  The thought of putting herself ‘out there’ again just wasn’t something she felt even remotely keen on doing. Although she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t flattered that Alex was interested in her, or that a tinge of regret hadn’t accompanied her words.

  ‘I’m sorry, Alex,’ she said, hating to see the look of disappointment on his face.

  He forced out a smile. ‘I understand. As you know, I’m always in Brew, so if you ever change your mind . . .’ He trailed off and gave her an awkward wave, before he quickly walked off into the hospital, his head down.

  Louise’s heart sank as she looked at the yellow roses he had given her, amazed that he had chosen the flowers she liked the most.

  Someone pushed past her and she realised she was standing right in the way of everyone, so she turned to head to the canteen, wondering why she couldn’t be a hundred per cent sure that she had made the right decision in saying no to Alex.

  Chapter Three

  ‘I think that should go over there,’ Abbie said to the men, pointing to the corner of the reception area and watching as the chef and gardener from the Huntley Manor Hotel moved the new plant she had found at the local garden centre into the bare space. ‘Perfect!’

  She looked around the reception, which it was her mission
to spruce up today.

  ‘Wow, it looks so much better,’ Amy, the receptionist said, twirling around to take it all in. They had started early and the room was already looking so much more inviting. They didn’t have much money to make changes so Abbie had been bargain hunting. She had found two leather armchairs at a second-hand shop to replace the threadbare sofa and, as well as the plant, had put up a couple of beautiful old paintings she had found in the attic. The room had been cleaned thoroughly and the final touch was a vase of flowers, freshly picked from the grounds, on the now polished and shiny reception desk.

  ‘I think we can call this a job well done,’ Abbie agreed, smiling at them all. The phone rang and Amy told her that Thomas wanted to see her in the ballroom. Abbie was pleased that when the phone rang again straight away, it was someone calling for a room.

  Since setting up social media accounts and giving Amy responsibility for updating them regularly, they’d already taken a few more bookings over the summer. People were actually starting to hear about the hotel.

  Abbie walked from the reception to the ballroom, which was currently being renovated for their planned relaunch party at the end of the summer. Abbie was confident their work would pay off. Even now, with the room no more than a building site, she felt a thrill of excitement. This ballroom had been the scene of some grand parties in years gone by and she was sure it would be again.

  ‘I have good news,’ she called out as she walked through the door.

  Thomas turned and smiled, holding out a hand to help her step around a pile of scaffolding on the floor. He wore a suit, as usual, paired with his wellington boots. He was still so much taller than her, even though she was wearing her high-heeled shoes, and she had to look up to meet his gaze.

  ‘What’s the news?’

  Abbie had to remind herself that he was actually a lord. It seemed so strange, when he was only thirty, that he owned this vast estate and was trying to run it single-handedly after his parents died. It had been a tough couple of years for him and the business, and she hoped that she was making things easier for him. ‘I got a company to agree to fit our bathrooms with toiletries in return for us promoting them and selling the products.’

  The bedrooms at the hotel were stunning but they lacked amenities that guests now expected of hotels. Abbie’s next task was to get working Wi-Fi for the hotel and, when they had enough money, persuade Thomas that the rooms should all have flat-screen TVs, but one step at a time.

  ‘That is good news,’ Thomas replied, his dark eyes twinkling at her. ‘We are well on our way. And see how much better the ceiling looks already.’ He pointed above them, where workers on scaffolding were cleaning the ceiling. The chandelier had been sent away to be refurbished and Abbie was certain it would be a glittering centrepiece again soon.

  ‘It is really starting to take shape. We’ll need to get our guest list sorted for the party today; the invites really need to go out, as we only have six weeks.’

  He ran a hand through his dark, floppy hair, then gestured to her. ‘Lead the way, boss.’

  Abbie laughed and they walked out of the ballroom and to Thomas’s office in what was the former library. She showed him the list of people she had started to invite – past guests at the hotel, press, both local and national, people she knew in London who needed to use hotels a lot, and names she had found on old event lists that he had given her. Thomas also had lots of family and friends who would want to support the event and he reeled them off as Abbie added the names to a spreadsheet on her laptop.

  When they had finished, Thomas suggested they have a second driving lesson. ‘We could head out to Littlewood this time?’

  Abbie shook her head. ‘The estate is fine for now,’ she said, instantly nervous about getting back behind the wheel.

  ‘Okay. One step at a time.’ They walked out to his jeep, parked by the stables, and ran through the controls again.

  Abbie took the car gently down the track that ran round the perimeter of the vast grounds. The windows were all rolled down to let in some of the July breeze.

  ‘What are you doing on Friday?’ Thomas asked as they drove bumpily through a clump of trees. Abbie was pleased for once that there weren’t many guests around. She would rather no one witness her attempts at driving. Thomas was smiling though, so hopefully she wasn’t too much of a danger.

  ‘Nothing, why?’ Abbie still hadn’t mentioned to him that her ex – Jack – was coming to visit, but she knew she’d have to as he would be staying at Huntley Manor; Thomas was bound to see them together. She wasn’t sure why she was hesitating in announcing it, maybe because she had told Thomas that she felt Jack hadn’t appreciated her enough at work and had taken credit for some of her ideas. She wished she hadn’t let her hurt loosen her tongue so much.

  ‘I thought we could have dinner together. If you’d like?’ Then he gasped. ‘Look out!’

  Abbie swerved at the last moment to avoid a massive oak tree. She quickly slammed her foot on the brake and the car stopped as she sucked in hasty breaths. Beside her, Thomas had gone pale. ‘That was close,’ she said, putting her hand on her heart.

  ‘Was it something I said?’

  Abbie blushed. The dinner invite had thrown her and she hadn’t noticed the tree until the scary last minute. ‘My foot slipped,’ she lied weakly.

  ‘Well? Providing we live until Friday, will you let me cook for you?’

  Abbie loved how polite he always was, his cultured voice making most things he said sound as if they were coming from one of her literary heroes.

  ‘You can cook?’ she asked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere in the small space between them. She was suddenly eager to get out of the car and into the fresh air.

  ‘I’m no Jamie Oliver, but hopefully I won’t poison you. Is that a yes?’

  She nodded and found she couldn’t look at him. ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘I’ll see you at seven then. Now, can you drive us back in one piece, do you think?’

  She elbowed him firmly in the ribs, making him laugh, and she was relieved the tension between them had broken.

  Chapter Four

  When Abbie returned to the cottage that night, Louise was in the kitchen making dinner for the two of them. ‘What a day!’ Abbie said, dumping her bag on the floor and climbing up onto the kitchen stool.

  ‘Wine?’ Louise slid a glass over to her.

  ‘Lovely.’ Abbie took a sip, then her eyes fell on the vase of yellow roses next to Louise as she made a salad. ‘Who are they from?’

  ‘Oh,’ Louise said, her eyes flitting to the flowers then back to the salad. She looked a little flushed. ‘They’re from Alex.’

  ‘Alex? The Alex who found your earring? The dishy vet?’

  Louise rolled her eyes. ‘Yes. He came by the hospital to thank me for looking after his niece.’

  ‘And?’ Abbie could always tell when Louise was holding something back.

  Louise sighed. ‘He asked me to go for coffee,’ she said in a rush, but before Abbie could get excited, she told her she had turned him down.

  ‘You said no?! Why?’ Abbie was confused. She was sure she had seen a spark in her sister’s eyes when she looked at Alex. And who could blame her? He was good-looking and seemed really nice, plus he looked after animals, and Louise was all about caring for others. To Abbie, they seemed like a perfect match.

  ‘Abs, I hardly know him!’

  ‘That’s the point of having coffee with him. I knew he liked you – it was written all over his face when we saw him in Brew.’ She watched her sister add chicken to the salad. She hated that Louise had become so closed off to the opposite sex. ‘Is this about Peter?’

  Louise shook her head. ‘No . . . well, not exactly.’

  ‘What is it then, exactly?’

  Louise ducked her head a little. ‘I don’t want my heart broken again,’ she replied in a small voice.

  Abbie wished she could take her sister’s pain away. ‘Lou, it’s been two years
. You can’t let Peter destroy any chance you have of being happy. Everyone is nervous at the start of a new relationship, no one wants their heart broken, but it’s about taking that leap. It’s a chance we all have to take, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m not ready,’ Louise said stubbornly.

  ‘I don’t think anyone is ever ready.’ Abbie decided to tell her that Thomas had asked her over for dinner. ‘I don’t want to get hurt again either,’ she told her. ‘I was really hurt when Jack distanced himself from me; it had felt like the start of something special. And then he told me I’d lost my job. It’s not easy for me to trust a man again either.’

  ‘But seeing you get hurt just makes me more scared,’ Louise confessed. ‘I’m happy on my own.’

  ‘Are you?’ Abbie asked her pointedly. She knew that Louise had a big heart, she had so much love to give, and she deserved to be loved in return. ‘Don’t forget our Kindness Pact,’ she reminded her. They had promised each other at the start of the summer to add some kindness into their lives. Abbie had done her part by helping Thomas Huntley, and Louise was meant to be acting more kindly to herself. ‘You should give Alex a chance.’

  ‘Are you going to give Thomas a chance? What about Jack?’

  Abbie was confused as to how she felt about Jack coming for the weekend. She had been enjoying staying in Littlewood, and it felt worlds apart from her life with Jack in the big city, but she was curious to find out why he wanted to see her. She was enjoying working with Thomas and had definitely felt a spark between them in the car, though.

  She shook her head at her sister. ‘Fine, it’s going to be complicated, but I’m going to see what happens. I’d rather be open than close myself off to the both of them.’

  ‘Even if one of them isn’t good for you.’

  ‘Well, I hope I’d realise that before I got too hurt.’

  ‘I didn’t, and that’s what worries me.’

  ‘Peter wasn’t the right man for you.’ Abbie really hoped that Louise would one day realise that Peter actually did her a favour by leaving her before they got married. ‘Will you think about Alex for me, please?’