The Summer Theatre by the Sea
Page 34
Stunned by this sudden outpouring, she took his hand. ‘Oh, Dad. Don’t say that.’
‘It’s true.’ For a horrible moment, she thought he was going to cry. ‘You were always such a mummy’s girl. I failed you.’
A lump lodged itself in her throat. It was true that without their mum to balance out the family dynamics, she’d felt like a third wheel. Lauren and her dad had always been so close; they were a team. But she couldn’t let him take all the blame. She’d contributed to the situation.
‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Dad. Isn’t that what they say? For example, I now realise that losing my mother at a young age, and feeling distanced from the rest of my family, left me with a deep-seated craving for love, coupled with an inability to express that love.’
‘Bloody hell, have you had therapy?’ Lauren looked more amused than shocked.
‘No, my GP recommended a book on the subject. When you told me you didn’t think I’d dealt with Mum’s death properly, I thought I’d better look into it.’ She shrugged. ‘You’re not the only one with issues, Dad.’
‘But as the adult, I should’ve stepped up.’ He was looking for forgiveness, she realised.
She gave him a quick hug. ‘You weren’t well. And even if you hadn’t been struggling with depression, I’d still have used building a career to avoid dealing with my own grief. It’s how I’m programmed. But I now realise that a successful career, with nothing else in your life, isn’t enough. I’ve avoided any meaningful attachments, using excuse after excuse to resist committing. I blamed you both for moving away and leaving me, but emotionally I’d already left you, and I’m sorry for that.’
Lauren wiped away a tear. ‘Christ, that was some book you read.’
Charlotte hadn’t realised that all three of them were crying until Sylvia blew her nose. ‘That’s so lovely,’ she said, dabbing her eyes with her hanky.
Barney appeared dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. ‘I need to steal away the guest of honour. She has a head wound that needs assessing.’ He took Charlotte’s hand and led her into a small lounge area at the front of the boathouse. ‘Christ, your hands are cold.’ He sat her down on the sofa. ‘Are you okay? That was some stunt you pulled.’
She felt her face flush. ‘I was trying to be romantic.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Romantic?’
The heat in her cheeks intensified. ‘I was attempting to recreate the story of Tristan and Isolde.’
The sound of his laughter did little to ease her humiliation.
She shrugged. ‘As romantic gestures go, it was pretty flawed, but I was trying to make an impact.’
He smiled. ‘Mission accomplished. You know, a phone call would’ve sufficed. You didn’t have to drown yourself.’
‘I appreciate that now.’
He held eye contact for a moment, before searching in his bag for a light. ‘So, I hear I’m not the only one making big life changes?’
She nodded, glad for a change in topic. ‘It took me a while, but I realised I no longer wanted my old life.’ At some point during one of Lawrence’s ramblings about ‘being the energy you want to attract’, she’d realised her energies no longer lay with Quality Interiors. She wanted a fresh challenge.
He shone a light in her eyes. ‘Look up. So, what do you want instead?’
It was a good question, and one she’d spent a good deal of time deliberating over. ‘Well, firstly, I want to design the set for the Isolde Players’ forthcoming production of Aladdin.’ When she’d discovered that Flo had been cast as Wishy-Washy and Freddie as Abu, she’d immediately imagined a magical world filled with exotic jewels and a mystical genie. It was a project she definitely wanted to be involved in. Especially now she knew Barney was in the show.
‘Look to the left … now right.’ He switched off his light. ‘Do you feel nauseous?’
She shook her head. ‘I also want to spend more time with my family, have girlie chats with Lauren about her new relationship with Nate, and improve the situation with my dad.’ She’d only been gone a few weeks, but she’d missed them all dreadfully.
He felt her pulse. ‘Any dizziness?’
She shook her head.
He crouched down in front of her. ‘I’m going to hold my finger in front of you. Touch my finger, and then touch the tip of your nose as quickly as possible. Okay?’ When she did as he’d asked, he smiled. ‘Perfect.’ He had a lovely smile.
‘I want to live by the sea, walk along the beach at dusk, and hang out with my new friends. I want to take part in the Morholt Festival, and get more involved in community life.’ There were so many things she wanted to do. Feeling energised and excited about the future was apparently another sign that her anxiety was under control. Who knew?
Barney’s hands gently moved around her skull, feeling for lumps.
‘The big news is that I’m going to start up my own business. I figure there must be a need for interior design in Cornwall. Paul’s offered me space at the back of his boutique, to use as an office base, and Lauren’s insisting I stay with her until I’m settled.’
His hands moved lower, his nimble fingers checking for injuries. ‘Sounds like a plan.’
‘It’s risky, but as I’ve discovered, taking a risk often comes with huge reward.’ She looked right into his eyes, distracting him from his assessment. ‘Thank you for pushing me to be more adventurous. Turns out taking risks is good for me.’
He smiled. ‘It’s good for me too. I get to reap the rewards.’
‘I haven’t worked out all the details yet, but I’m happy for things to be a bit messy for a while.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘A bit messy? Wow.’ He started laughing.
‘Shocking, I know.’ She studied his handsome face, the way he smiled at her, the love she could see reflected back in his eyes. ‘I realised something else while I was in London. I no longer cared whether you were a doctor or a surfing instructor. Being happy is what matters. And people need to work that one out for themselves.’ She placed her hand over his. ‘Sorry for being judgemental.’
His smile told her she was forgiven.
Spending the summer in Penmullion had made her happier than she’d ever been in her entire life. There had been no defining moment, it had crept up on her, a gradual softening towards the place and its inhabitants. A reluctant romance that had blossomed into a full-blown love affair. And Barney Hubble had been a big part of that.
She squeezed his hand. ‘Sometimes the best things in life are those experiences you never expected to have. And the best relationships are the ones that sweep you off your feet and challenge every view you’ve ever had.’
His expression turned mushy. ‘Is that right?’
She nodded.
‘So, what happened to being all buttoned-up and wanting the perfect life?’ She liked the teasing tone in his voice. Plus, it was a valid question.
‘Well … I’ve learnt to accept that life isn’t perfect. And you know what? That’s okay, because neither am I.’
He ran his thumb across her cheek. ‘You don’t have to be perfect to be amazing.’
‘You know what would be perfect? Being with you.’
He smiled. ‘No argument from me.’
The warmth of his lips touching hers was glorious. It wasn’t an ideal setting for rekindling a romance. She was still shivering like an electrocuted turkey, dressed in baggy joggers, and wearing yellow wellies, but it was still the most beautiful moment of her entire existence. When they fell against the sofa, the kiss deepened, his lips warm and soft and bone-meltingly gorgeous. And he didn’t stop kissing her, even when the doors crashed open and the sound of whistling and laughter filled the room.
Let go, her sister had said.
Do something reckless, her sister had said.
And that’s exactly what she intended to do.
Acknowledgments
A few years ago, I auditioned for my local drama group’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I envisioned my
self playing one of the glamourous female leads, like Hermia or Helena. Instead, I was cast as Puck! I was forced to ride a bicycle, perform cartwheels and wear shorts (something I hadn’t done since leaving school). As disgruntled as I was, I ended up loving the role, and as such, an idea formed for a story.
Life hasn’t always been straightforward, there have been a few bumps along the road, but being involved in amateur dramatics has been a gift, a great stress-reliever, and an amazing way to make wonderful and lifelong friends. So, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in The Quince Players Amateur Dramatics Society, your support and friendship mean the world to me.
My family, as always, continue to cheer me on from the side-lines, enjoying seeing my writing career develop and watching my dreams come to fruition. My parents, in particular, proofread my stories and offer unconditional love and encouragement no matter what. I am very grateful, and very lucky to have them.
To my lovely partner, Simon, who constantly checks chart positions and sends me screenshots throughout the day with captions like ‘wow, you’re next to Stephen King!’ (even though it’s a book he wrote ten years ago!).
I’d also like to thank Rosanna Ley for being a fab mentor, friend, and for the skill and wisdom she imparts during our writing holidays in Spain. I can highly recommend them!
To my amazing agent, Tina Betts, for supporting me in my writing journey, and to the wonderful team at Avon, including Rachel, Victoria and Ellie, who are all so encouraging, professional, and just downright lovely people.
Finally, I feel it would be remiss of me not to thank all the volunteers who work tirelessly for the RNLI, putting their lives at risk to save others, and rescuing us mere mortals from peril.
Love doesn’t always bloom the way you expect
Out now
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracy Corbett lives with her partner Simon in Surrey and works part-time for her local citizen’s advice bureau. Tracy has been writing for a number of years and has had a few short stories published in My Weekly magazine. As well as belonging to a local writing group, she enjoys amateur dramatics and can regularly be found dressing up in strange costumes and prancing about the stage pretending to be all manner of odd characters. The Summer Theatre by the Sea is Tracy’s second novel.
Also by Tracy Corbett:
THE FORGET-ME-NOT FLOWER SHOP
About the Publisher
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