Emily had to fight hard to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when the front door opened. Seconds later, she heard a throat clearing. “Sorry. I was going to work upstairs on the windows.”
Jake. Emily’s cheeks burned. She strove to produce an even tone of voice.
“That’s okay, Jake. Could you come back in say ten minutes? We should be done by then. Sorry to be a pain.”
“That’s fine. I’ll come back.” The door closed.
Emily waited for a decent interval until she was sure Jake was out of earshot, then rounded on Phillip, whose face was still twisted into a sneer. “Don’t you ever take that line with me again, not when we both know what happened. As soon as I discovered the truth about those so-called investors you found for me—how and where they made their money—I dropped them like a hot brick. That was all your doing. I came to you for help securing financial backing, and in turn you found me a bunch of… financial parasites.” She gazed at him in disgust. “Did you really think I’d accept their money without checking up on them? Or did you think I’d go along with whatever you suggested, because you were the City big shot? Why do you think I’ve had nothing more to do with you since then?” Emily trembled with rage. “I think we’re done here. No, you may not have the sketch. No, you may not come here again. If we happen to see each other at a family function, I’ll be polite and keep my distance. Now do me a favor and keep yours.”
Phillip’s brows knitted, his face bright red, his eyes hooded and dark. “I…”
Emily straightened. “Like I said, we’re done. You know where the door is. Goodbye, cousin.”
It wasn’t until the door slammed shut, the sound reverberating through the house, and car tires squealed off into the distance, that she allowed herself to breathe more easily. Emily leaned against the heavy oak beams set into the wall, fighting to regain her composure.
Now that was deeply unpleasant. Nausea rolled over and through her, and she took several more deep breaths, her body still shaking. She had no idea there was such rage inside her, but being finally able to say what had been on her heart and mind for so long, was almost cathartic. Then she remembered Jake. Oh, God, I hope he didn’t hear any of that. Not that she was ashamed of what she’d said, not for one nanosecond—she was more ashamed of having let her anger get the better of her.
Emily went out of the house through the kitchen door, scanning the gardens for some sign of him. Then she realized his truck was no longer in its usual spot. Voices drifted on the air, and she peered toward the rear of the garden, when the mason, Lawrence, and the electrician, Tom were strolling in her direction, talking loudly.
“Have either of you seen Jake?” she called out.
“Just now,” Lawrence replied. “He’s had to leave. Said to tell you he’d had a call about his dad, and he had to go. Says he’ll see you in the morning.”
“I see.” She hoped it was nothing serious. “If I need to talk to him, I can always call him later.”
Lawrence reached her, his face serious. “Better not, boss. Just in case he’s got a lot on his plate. Especially as… we don’t know how much longer Ray has left.”
Tom nodded in agreement, his expression grave. “And that’ll be a sad day when it ’appens.”
Lawrence indicated the house with a nod of his head. “I’ll just be getting on with the pointing.”
“And I’ve got the rewiring to do in the attic rooms,” Tom added. They left her and entered the house.
Emily was torn between wanting to give Jake his space, and a desire to make sure he was okay. Not to mention ensuring she hadn’t scared him off with her verbal explosion.
Damn it. This was not how she’d wanted her day to end. Then she took stock of her selfish attitude. His father could be on the point of death, and here’s me, thinking about another night in the sack.
Selfish was the only word for it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jake kept flicking his gaze toward the door of the pub, as if he half expected Emily to walk through it at any moment, but he knew he was just being paranoid. She was the last person he wanted to see right then, when his thoughts were in such confusion. He hadn’t been able to miss some of the exchange between Emily and her cousin, that had drifted through the open windows. Once he’d opened the door, Emily had given him the excuse he’d needed to leave. He’d walked away from the house, trying to process the part he’d overheard, but it made no sense.
What he needed was a breathing space. A chance to collect his thoughts.
The Vale made perfect sense.
From behind the bar, Brian kept glancing over at him. Jake could understand that; it wasn’t like him to be in the pub at this hour on a weekday. Apart from arching his eyebrows, Brian hadn’t queried his appearance, for which Jake was extremely grateful. He took his pint and sat in the cozy little nook that faced the bar, a good spot from which to watch the comings and goings, an even better spot to hide if you didn’t want to be seen.
Jake sat back, sipped his cold beer, and replayed the words again in his head.
“Let’s not forget that your company was built on the blood, sweat and tears of cheap labor in Third World countries.”
Jake didn’t get it. None of it. Emily didn’t seem the sort who’d do such a thing. Okay, so he hadn’t known her that long, but still… Such a ruthless image didn’t fit the picture of her that he’d built up in his mind. He’d pegged her as solid, trustworthy… honest. And yet, that had been her own cousin speaking.
Jake knew such practices went on, of course. He’d been one of those who boycotted a world-famous clothing store, when it had surfaced that all the clothes were manufactured by kids, working in sweat shops, being paid a pittance. He couldn’t stand to see people being used, and to hear those words…
And there they were again. He couldn’t stop hearing them, it seemed.
“Let’s not forget that your company was built on the blood, sweat and tears of cheap labor in Third World countries.”
He took another drink. What made it worse was that he was unable to divorce his own feelings and emotions from his confusion. One weekend was all it had taken for him to fall, and fall hard. And if what this guy had said was true, then Jake really didn’t know Emily at all.
There’s always the chance that I’ve got this all wrong.
Jake really wanted to believe that, because he didn’t like the alternative.
“A brandy, please. A double.”
Jake jerked his head toward the familiar voice. He recognized the stout figure instantly. It was Jane’s son, Phillip. He perched on a bar stool, his coat draped over the stool next to him. Brian set down the glass in front of him, and Phillip knocked back the brandy in a couple of mouthfuls. “Same again,” he barked at Brian, who pursed his lips and narrowed his gaze, but did as instructed.
“Bad day, mate?” Brian asked in a perfunctory manner, and Jake knew he couldn’t have cared less about Phillip’s day; it was written on his face.
“Still can’t believe it,” Phillips said morosely. “This is just the last straw.”
“Blimey. That does sound like a bad day.” Brian downed half a pint of water, then leaned on the bar top, a sympathetic expression pasted on his face. Jake knew that look. It was Brian’s ‘Okay, so I’ll pretend I’m listening, but I’m really not because I don’t like you’ expression. He placed another glass of brandy in front of Phillip. “So what’s eating ya? Is it the job? Money? The other half?”
“I was in here in November,” Phillip said, his voice carrying easily in the quiet pub. “For my mother’s funeral.”
Brian frowned, then recognition dawned. “Yeah, you’re Jane’s son. I remember you.”
Jake suddenly remembered too. Phillip had been the obnoxious loud-mouth who had been rude.
That didn’t automatically make him a liar though.
Phillip nodded. “That day was just… awful. Not only did I lose my mother, I lost my inherit
ance too. My cousin got the lot. The house, the land, everything my mother owned.”
“Gawd, that sounds dreadful.”
He nodded again. “So I went to see her. I begged for one small memento, something to remember my mother by. That’s fair, wouldn’t you say?”
“Seems so to me, mate,” Brian acknowledged. “What ’appened?”
“Twice I asked her to let me have something. Twice. But she refused both times.” Phillip’s voice rose. “One pencil sketch. That was all I wanted. One lousy pencil sketch. Not much when she has the lot, right? And she still said no. Wouldn’t even discuss it. Didn’t even care.” He nodded toward the bottle of brandy behind Brian. “Another.”
Jake stared at Phillip in surprise. That didn’t sound like Emily.
Brian peered at him intently, before glancing at the car keys on the bar top. “Did you drive ’ere, mate? You did, didn’tcha? Then I think you’ve ’ad enough.”
“It’s not your place to say when I’ve had enough,” Phillip spluttered. “It’s your job to serve me drinks when I bloody well ask for them!”
Brian’s expression hardened for a moment, then he took a deep breath. “Obviously you’re upset. I can see that. But it’s my name above that door, mate, and I can serve who I like. And I’d be a lousy landlord if I let ya have three double brandies, then get into your car an’ drive off. So I think you’d better pay for the two you’ve had, and then leave.”
Phillip tugged his wallet from inside his jacket, removed a banknote, and dropped it onto the bar. “There. That should cover it. I don’t know why I bothered coming back to this godforsaken village in the first place. I can’t think what my mother saw in it.”
Brian’s face clouded. “Jane loved living in Fairdown. What’s more important is that there are plenty of people ’ere who loved Jane and Clare. An’ if that’s ’ow you feel about us, then maybe you should just stay away. After all, according to you, there’s nothing ’ere for ya anyway.”
Phillip lurched to his feet, grabbed his coat, and strode toward the door. Brian caught Jake’s gaze, and shook his head. “What an arsehole.”
Jake didn’t respond. His earlier confusion had just been compounded. Twice, in the space of an hour, he’d heard things said about Emily that challenged his good opinion of her. Did the fact that the person who’d said them was an arrogant dickhead, make them any less true? He had no idea. He wanted to believe Phillip was talking out of his arse, but…
One thing he was certain of. He wasn’t about to go back to the house and confront her. Maybe by the following morning, he’d have sorted out the mess in his head. Right then, he intended going into his workshop and carving something. Losing himself in a creative task usually helped.
He hoped it would this time.
Emily went upstairs and into one of the bedrooms where Jake was replacing the windows. She stood for a moment and watched him, admiring his skill and careful work. She hadn’t had the chance to speak to him that morning since he’d arrived, which was odd. Normally the day would begin with a cheery greeting. Even more odd, after the weekend they’d spent together…
Emily cleared her throat to alert him to her presence. “Jake, have you got a minute?”
Jake paused in his task and turned to face her. “Not really. I’m a little behind after… yesterday.”
“I was going to ask you about that, but our paths haven’t crossed this morning.” She gave a half-smile, but her stomach was churning. Something in Jake’s manner felt… off.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I had a call about Dad.”
She nodded. “Lawrence told me. Is everything okay? Do you need to take more time off?”
His face flushed. “No, but thank you. Was there something you wanted?”
The churning in her stomach intensified. “Remember I said I had an idea about your plan for the land?” He nodded. “Well, last night I was thinking about it, and I’ve come up with something. Would you be interested in hearing about it?”
Jake regarded her in silence for a moment, then nodded. “Sure. Do you want to talk about it here, or….”
“Come for a walk with me. I want to show you something.”
Jake put down his chisel and got up from his kneeling position beside the window. “Okay. But then I really need to crack on with this. I wouldn’t want the job to fall behind on time.” He followed her down the stairs, her heartbeat speeding up as she descended.
Maybe his father is worse than he’s letting on. It was obvious Jake wasn’t himself, and though Emily badly wanted to ask him what was wrong, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. To her way of thinking, it was too much like intruding into Jake’s personal life. One weekend together did not give her any special privileges. All she could do was hope he would open up to her a little.
She led Jake out of the house, through the gardens, and out through the gate at the end. They walked in silence toward the lake, and with every step Emily became more convinced that something was badly wrong. As they reached the old tree by the lake, she couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do for you? Forgive me, it’s just that you seem… out of sorts this morning.”
A sigh rumbled out of him. “I’m sorry. I just have a few things on my mind. And there isn’t anything you can do, really. I need to work through them, that’s all.” He gazed out at the lake. “It really is beautiful here.”
Emily knew a change of subject when she heard it.
“I’ve always loved this place. It’s so peaceful. I used to come here a lot when I was little.”
Jake stilled, staring at her. It was a strange expression, almost as if he were seeing her for the first time. Then he coughed. “So. What’s this idea of yours?”
“How big a barn could you build here?”
He blinked. “As big as is required. Why?”
“Well, I was thinking… Having a barn to show what can be done is a good idea, but how often would you be bringing prospective clients here? For the rest of the time, it would just be sitting here, empty. So why not use it for another purpose, one that would also generate some income?” When the idea had come to her the previous night, Emily had been excited. Now all she had to do was communicate that excitement.
“What other purpose?” Jake’s brows knitted.
“I was flicking through the TV channels, when I found this show all about weddings. There was a medieval barn—a huge building—somewhere in Somerset. It’s used for wedding ceremonies and receptions. So I got to thinking. What if you build a barn big enough that it could cater for receptions of, say, up to one hundred guests? That way, you could showcase your expertise, but you’d also get revenue from it. And before you say it’s too big a project to consider, think about taking me on as a partner. You’d be focused on your barns—I could take care of the wedding side of the business.” Emily paused to draw breath. “That barn I saw on TV. It was a beautiful building, set in the middle of the countryside. Apparently, it’s a popular venue.” She gestured toward the lake. “But imagine if it were here. Imagine getting married with all this as a backdrop. We could build a covered structure right by the lake, for open air weddings. Imagine pergolas, covered with wisteria or honeysuckle, or climbing roses. Space for seating. Space for a small orchestral quartet. A barn with a floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the lake.” She pointed to the oak tree, its canopy spreading out, providing shade. “Imagine having your wedding photos taken there.”
Jake stared at her. “You really have been thinking about this, haven’t you?”
Emily chuckled. “It sounds like I got a little carried away, I expect. But these were just the first ideas that came to me. So… what do you think? Is it worth exploring further?”
Jake gazed out at the lake again. “As you were describing what it could be like, I could picture it in my head. It’s… definitely an interesting idea.” He sighed. “Look, can I think about it? This wasn’t something I’d even considered.”
&n
bsp; “Of course. It was just an idea.”
Jake nodded. “I’ll give it some thought, I promise.” He pulled his phone from the front pocket of his overalls. “And now, I really need to get back to work. If you’ll excuse me?”
“Certainly.”
To her surprise, Jake pocketed his phone and after giving a brief nod in her direction, he headed back toward the house. Emily stared after him, her chest tightening. She couldn’t shake her initial unease. Jake had been polite as always, professional… and yet…
At the back of her mind was a little niggling voice that said Jake’s change in mood was somehow related to the previous day’s events. What she didn’t understand was why he hadn’t mentioned it, if that was the case. Then she realized she was just as much at fault. She could have asked him outright about what he’d heard. She could have explained what had been going on.
So what stopped me?
For the life of her, Emily didn’t know. She only knew that something had changed between them, and she didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Why the hell did he take me to meet his family, if he was going to… pull back like this?
It was the same question Emily had asked herself every day in the week since Phillip’s visit. Jake continued to be cool toward her, always courteous but somehow distant. Emily didn’t understand. After that idyllic weekend, it had really felt as though they were moving forward, and she’d been delighted by that development. But now?
She poured another glass of wine, and distracted herself by looking through the pile of paintings stored in the barn. Her grandmother had been a prolific painter, and some of them were outstanding. The issue of what to put on the walls of the house when it was finally finished, was already sorted. All she had to do was choose a selection of paintings.
Then she took a closer look. The canvases were definitely in need of a little TLC. Cleaning, at the very least. Then she smiled to herself. She knew just the man for the job.
Pulled by a Dream Page 20