by Karen King
The pub was crowded, as always. With all the nautical bric-a-brac such as cannons, ships’ figure heads, fishermen’s nets, anchors and even a ship’s wheel it was a target for tourists. The stone floor, granite fireplace in the bar and dark beams all added to the atmosphere, as did the various paintings of smugglers on the walls.
“Love it,” Reece said approvingly. He fished his wallet out of his pocket. “What do you want to drink?”
“It used to be half a cider,” a voice said behind them.
Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. She’d recognise that voice anywhere. She turned slowly.
“Hello Ellie.”
Lee.
She’d been dreading this moment for years. Would have done anything to avoid it. As she looked at Lee, memories flashed across her mind. Her and Lee surfing, sunbathing, at a beach barbecue, racing around in his battered mini. Making love. Lee had been her first lover and she’d thought they were forever. So many years of memories then nothing. It had been six years since she’d last seen him, when she’d walked away heartbroken to build a new life in the Midlands.
“You look good,” he said in the soft, seductive voice she knew so well.
So did he. He was older, of course, his long sun kissed blond hair now darker and cut short, his usual dress of bleached cut-off denims and tight vest replaced by chinos and a black shirt but he still oozed sex appeal. He looked quite smart, as if he’d done all right for himself. She guessed that he and Zoe had a house in a suburban street, 9-5 jobs, two children, a normal life. Were they happy, she wondered. They had hurt her so much but it no longer mattered. Looking at him now she felt nothing. He’d been her world once but now he was a stranger.
“Hello, Lee. Are you down visiting your folks?” she asked coolly.
“Back down here for good. Me and Zoe have split up.” His gaze swept over her. “What about you?”
“Just a quick visit.” She nodded. “Nice to see you again.” Then she linked arms with Reece. “Shall we sit down by the window?”
Lee looked a bit stunned. Did he think she was still carrying a torch for him? Expect her to fall at his feet just because he’d announced he’d split from Zoe. Had he cheated on Zoe too? Walked away and left her with two small children to look after? A few years ago she’d have been pleased to hear that they were no longer together but now she felt sorry for her former friend.
“Sure, you grab a seat and I’ll bring the drinks over. White wine spritzer right?”
She nodded. “Thanks.” She kissed him on the cheek then turned away. She could sense Lee’s eyes following her as she wove her way through the crowd over to the table but refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back.
Ellie sat down, her mind racing. Lee said he was back for good and he and Zoe were finished. She thought of her former best friend with her honey gold pixie cut, huge blue eyes, high cheekbones. It was always Zoe the boys looked at. She was so full of life, sparkly, fun. No wonder Lee had fallen for her. How would Ellie feel if she saw her again? Zoe had hurt her more than Lee. Zoe’s betrayal had been like a knife in her back.
“You look thoughtful.” Reece placed the glasses down on the table and sat down beside her. “And your friend is standing at the bar watching us. I think he’d like to catch up on old times? Do you want to talk to him? I don’t mind making myself sparse.”
“No, I don’t. I’ve nothing to say to Lee.” She took a sip of her spritzer. It felt cool and refreshing. “It was all a long time ago and I’m well over him but I’d prefer not to sit sharing pleasantries with him.”
Reece placed his hand on hers. “Do you want to go somewhere else? Is he making you feel uncomfortable?”
She shook her head. “No it really doesn’t matter to me. Like I said it was a long time ago.” Let Lee see her with someone else, especially someone as hot as Reece. That would show him she was so over him.
She placed her hand on Reece’s and leaned in closer. “Thank you for all your help today.”
“It’s no big deal. I’m pleased to help, you know that.”
“It’s very kind of you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Now that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you.” He’d been so helpful and supportive to her, she could at least show some interest in his life. She hadn’t even bothered to ask him what he was doing down here, what his business meeting was about. “What made you come to Port Medden? I wouldn’t have imagined a little village like this was your territory.”
“I’ve had some business in Truro and was going to stay at a hotel there but I wanted somewhere not so busy. I like to get away from it all once in a while and this looked a quaint village,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink. “Take this pub for example. It’s fascinating. Tell me a bit more about its history. I love the whole smuggling thing.” He pointed over to a ship’s figure head of a mermaid hanging just above their head. “Is that a genuine ship’s figure head?”
“Yes, apparently it came from a local ship, The Siren, which was captured by pirates in the eighteenth century.” She related the story to him. “The pirates sunk the ship, taking the crew prisoner and stealing all the goods. When the sunken ship was recovered the figurehead was hung on the wall in this pub as a sort of homage to the crew that was lost.” She turned and pointed to a ship’s wheel. “That was taken from a smuggler’s ship that was grounded by the Customs men. Cornwall is proud of its smuggling heritage.”
“I can see that. And what about that picture there? Who’s that?”
Reece listened intently as Ellie told him the old smuggler legends. She was gorgeous. Not carefully coiffured, manicured and groomed to perfection like the women he usually met, but a natural beauty. Her skin glowed, she wore the minimum of makeup, her glossy hair hung carelessly around her bare shoulders which had a hint of a golden tan and when she laughed it was like the tinkle of silver bells. No wonder that guy – Lee – couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
Out of the corner of his eye Reece could see Lee staring at them. Ellie had been insistent it was over and she didn’t want to talk to him, and who could blame her. But Reece had a feeling that it wasn’t over for Lee. He’d made it immediately clear that he was no longer with the woman he’d left Ellie for – her best friend. No wonder she’d left for the Midlands. She must have felt betrayed. Heartbroken. He wondered if Ellie still had any feelings for him? He’d heard the gasp of breath when she saw him, noted the stiffness of her body. She’d loved him. He must have been her first real love if they dated while they were still at school. Wasn’t your first love supposed to be the one you remembered most? Not that he’d know, he’d never fallen in love with anyone. Never allowed himself too. As soon as he felt he was getting in a bit deep he’d walked away. Yes, sometimes it had taken a bit of willpower to do that but he preferred a little hurt to a broken heart. No one was going to capture his heart then destroy it. Not like his Mum had done to his Dad.
That guy definitely still had feelings for Ellie though. Did he regret finishing with her? Not that Reece was jealous. And the fact that he knew Lee was watching them had nothing to do with why he kept reaching for Ellie’s hand, touching her arm, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. Nothing at all.
The evening passed so quickly. There had been one dicey moment when Ellie had questioned what he was doing here but he’d soon got her off the subject by asking more questions about the old smugglers’ legends. He could tell she loved Cornwall. Would she ever have left, he wondered, if Lee hadn’t gone off with her friend? And now he was back would she want to stay?
Well, if she did it was nothing to do with him. He’d be moving on in a few days, onto another deal, another success. Once he’d wrapped up this one. He’d sent his report over to Steve and had a meeting booked in with him to discuss it tomorrow.
“Would you like another drink or are you ready to go?”
Ellie’s voice cut through his thoughts. He focused his attention on her and smiled. “Sorry I was miles away then, imagining myself back in th
e smuggling days. You tell the tale so vividly I almost felt I was there.” He straightened up in his chair. “Actually, I’m ready to go. It’s a bit stuffy in here. If that’s okay with you?”
She nodded and pushed back her seat. “I could do with some fresh air too.”
A quick glance at the bar as they stood up showed that Lee was still propped there watching them. He raised his hand in a salute when he saw Reece look his way. Reece nodded in acknowledgement but Ellie ignored him
“I think your ex might be hoping for a reconciliation,” Reece said as they left the pub arm in arm.
“Well he’s got no chance,” Ellie said firmly. “He’s history.” She tugged at Reece’s hand. “Come on, let’s have a walk down to the seafront. It’s only a few minutes.”
He rolled his eyes. “You and the sea. I’m beginning to think you’re a secret mermaid. It’s a wonder you could bring yourself to move away.”
“It was tough, but I don’t regret it,” she said firmly. “I intend to make the most of it while I’m here though.”
Laughing, she half-pulled him down the hill towards the sea front and they walked along hand in hand.
“We must come here in the daytime then I can show you the smuggler’s caves,” Ellie said. “Well, everyone says the smugglers used them.”
“I bet you used to go exploring them hoping to find treasure,” Reece teased.
“I did! How did you guess? Once we found a secret passage and went down it. We found a wooden crate, all broken and dirty and carefully carried it all the way up the hill. Then Abi noticed a name written on the side, it was from the local fruit shop.”
Reece chuckled. “I bet you were really disappointed.” He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her on the forehead. As she turned her head up to look at him the usual spark flared up in his groins and he bent down to kiss her mouth. A deep, long, kiss that stirred the spark into a flame.
“How about we go back to the hotel and have a nightcap?” he suggested when they both finally came up for air.
She nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”
They held hands and walked back in companionable silence. He’d never felt so comfortable with a woman, Reece thought. It was as if Ellie was the ying to his yang, they slotted together so perfectly.
Whoa! Hang on there. This is supposed to be a holiday flirtation, a bit of fun. Fancy her yes, but don’t get going ga-ga over her.
“Another spritzer or something stronger?” he asked as they entered the hotel.
Ellie slipped her hand out of his. “Actually, I’d prefer a hot chocolate? Do you mind?”
“No, not at all. I wouldn’t mind one myself.”
“Let’s go into the kitchen then and I’ll make us one.” She carried on ahead, leaving him to follow. He watched her retreating back thoughtfully. He’d been on the brink of suggesting they have a brandy in his room, but the closeness they seemed to have suddenly was gone. It was as if Ellie was trying to put their relationship back on a more impersonal footing.
Hot chocolate in the kitchen wasn’t exactly impersonal.
No but it wasn’t up, close and personal either.
The question was, was Ellie trying to put a bit of a gap between them because she was thinking about her mother coming home tomorrow. Or was it because seeing her old flame Lee again and learning that he was free had rekindled her love for him?
Chapter Fifteen
Ellie was up bright and early the next morning. She wanted to make sure everywhere was spotless before she went to the hospital to fetch her mother. She found Reece already up, fixing the door handle of a cupboard in the staff kitchen.
“Morning,” he said as she walked in. “Fancy a cuppa?” He stood up, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ve just had one, thank you.” She touched his face with her hand, running her fingers over the stubble. “Thank you for fixing that. Harry’s done his best to get through the list but he hasn’t had enough time to do it all.”
“We’re nearly through now.” Reece took the list out of his pocket. “There’s a curtain rail to fix in one of the rooms, a lampshade to be replaced, the blind in the lounge to rehang and that’s about it.”
“I’ll fix you a cuppa, shall I?” She went over to the kettle and filled it up. “Mandy’s coming in early so we can make sure everything is sparkling and fresh for Mum to come home.” She turned to Reece. “You must have been up with the seagulls.”
He took a mug from the stand and spooned coffee into it. “No, I’ve only been up about an hour. I wanted to do these few jobs first then I’ll have a quick shower and change before I go out.”
“Ah, that explains the stubble.” She plugged the kettle in. “I was wondering if you were growing a beard?”
He came behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled into her neck. “Do you like beards?”
“Not really, to be honest. I don’t mind a bit of stubble but beards don’t do it for me.”
“I’ll be smooth-shaven soon,” he promised.
He pulled Ellie around and kissed her soundly. She returned the kiss for a few moments then slid out of his grasp as her phone rang. It was Harry to tell her that the plasterer had arrived. “Show him up to the Honeymoon Suite, will you, Harry?” she said.
Reece had made the coffee. “Any more news from the hospital? Does your mum have to wait to see the doctor before she can come home?”
“Yes but the sister said that’s just a formality and she’ll definitely be coming home. So I’ll get to the hospital for two. Mum won’t want to stay in there a moment longer than she has to. She’ll be itching to come home. And to get straight back to work if I don’t keep an eye on her.”
Reece grinned. “It sounds like your Mum is a bit stubborn.”
“It’s stubbornness and hard work that keeps her going, especially since Dad died.” Ellie sighed. “I just hope I can persuade her to slow down a bit.”
“I’m sure you’ll do your best.” Reece kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll take this coffee up with me. It’s time I showered and got changed now. Don’t go working too hard yourself. The hotel looks fine. You’ve done wonders in the few days you’ve been here.”
“With your help. And Mandy’s and Harry’s.” Ellie reminded him.
She took down the kitchen curtains, put them in the washing machine, cleaned the windows, then decided to tidy up the flat and put clean sheets on Mum’s bed. First though, she’d check how the plasterer was getting on.
She paused in the doorway of the Honeymoon Suite. The furniture, bed and carpet were all covered in dust sheets and a man was standing on a ladder plastering over the now-boarded up hole in the ceiling.
“Afternoon. Are you Mrs Truman’s daughter?” he asked.
“I am. Do you know my mum?” she asked.
“Aye, I’ve done a few jobs for Sue – and Pete, God Rest His Soul – over the years. I heard Sue is in hospital. How is she?”
Ellie had forgotten how quickly news spread around Port Medden. “A lot better, she’s coming home this afternoon.” She looked up at the half-plastered ceiling. “Will this take long?”
“I’ll be done within a couple of hours,” The man put some more plaster on his trowel. “But it’ll take a good few days to dry. I’d say leave it until after the weekend before you paint.”
That long. Still at least she could do it before she went home. “I will, thank you. Would you leave your bill at Reception so Mum can settle with you as soon as she feels a little better?”
“Certainly, Miss. No rush tell her. Sue’s word is always good.”
Ellie spent the rest of the morning cleaning, polishing and shining the living quarters. She changed the sheets on her mother’s bed and vacuumed but was careful not to touch anything. Mum was big on privacy. By the time she’d done all that it was almost twelve so she showered and changed then went downstairs to see how the hotel was looking. Jenny and Pat, two of the cleaners, had promised to g
ive it a good overhaul.
“It’s wonderful,” she told them. “Mum will be so pleased when she comes home. Thank you both so much.”
Reece was right, they had done wonders in a few days. And she still had over a week left so surely that was enough time to get it all straight. Then she’d be able to go back home with a lighter heart.
Ellie’s mother was delighted when, holding onto her daughter’s arm, she walked into the newly-spruced up foyer, although she scolded them all for working so hard. “Especially you, Ellie. You should be taking it easy, having a holiday not cleaning the hotel for me.”
“I came down to look after you, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Ellie told her.
“Well it all looks lovely. I know I’ve let things go a bit since your dad died but I’m going to get Gwel Teg back on its feet again as soon as I’m feeling stronger.” Sue Truman said as they all walked through into the kitchen. “I’ve been thinking about it in hospital. Pete wouldn’t want me to let the hotel go to ruin like this. It was our dream come true moving here.”
“Dad wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out, either Mum. He’d want you to look after yourself. And if Gwel Teg got too much for you he’d want you to sell and buy yourself a little bungalow,” Ellie said gently.
“I will not sell up. This is my home,” her mother said indignantly. She paused as a coughing fit overcame her.
Ellie watched worriedly as she sank down on a chair, bent almost double, the coughs wracking her fragile body. “Can I get you anything, Mum? A glass of water?”
Sue waved her hand dismissively. Finally, the coughing subsided. She sat up, her face pale but resolute. “I’m quite capable of running this place. I’ve just had a blip, that’s all. By next summer it’ll be full of guests, just like it used to be.”
It did too. Ellie remembered times when she was younger when they’d had to turn people away in the summer months. With its white pebbledash exterior, pretty window-boxes full of flowers and prime location next to the beach, Gwel Teg had been a magnet for holidaymakers.