Summer at Lavender Bay

by Sarah Bennett

  ‘Like what?’ This was from Libby.

  Eliza shrugged. ‘Oh, I don’t know…tell us what’s going on with you, Libs.’

  Libby curled her upper lip and added another good glug of wine to her glass. ‘Nothing to tell. I get up, I fry chips, I serve ‘em and then I go to bed. No brooding farmers, no blue-eyed boy next door falling over himself to tell me he loves me. Not a bloody sausage unless you count the ones dipped in batter.’

  ‘Kinky,’ Beth murmured, almost causing Eliza to snort wine out of her nose.

  ‘Oh, B, that’s disgusting!’ Libby sounded properly outraged which only made Eliza giggle more. She laughed so hard her hand shook, spilling wine onto her yoga pants.

  ‘Now look what you made me do!’ She lifted her leg and bent over to suck the wine from the cotton material and it was Beth’s turn to giggle. ‘What? It’s not like I’m going to let it go to waste now, is it?’

  ‘Apparently not.’ Libby still had her nose stuck in the air as though disgusted with the both of them, but laughter glimmered in her eyes.

  Eliza turned to Beth. ‘And what about you? Everything here going okay? Sam was moping about like a lost puppy at the prospect of sleeping at home tonight.’

  Beth rolled her eyes. ‘I’m sure he’ll cope, it’s not like we live in each other’s pockets.’

  Eliza exchanged a knowing glance with Libby. ‘Of course not.’

  ‘I can’t think of the last time I saw the pair of you together,’ added Libby in her driest tone.

  ‘Oh, shut up, you two.’ Laughing, Beth poked out her tongue. ‘I love spending time with Sam, but it’s great to have a girls’ night for a change.’ Her eyes widened in worry. ‘You won’t tell him I said that, though, will you?’

  ‘Your secret’s safe with me.’ Eliza crossed her heart. ‘Besides, it sounds like he’ll have his hands full dealing with our new arrival this evening. From the way Sam was talking about him, he sounds a bit of a nightmare. Although you probably know better than me because Sam said this Owen guy tried to buy this place not too long ago.’

  It was Libby’s turn to choke. ‘Oh, bloody hell, don’t tell me he’s back, that’s all I need!’

  Her outburst startled Eliza. ‘Do you know him too, Libs?’

  ‘I could rather wish I didn’t, rude sod. He’s all right to look at, but that’s the only good thing about him.’ She tugged her jumper further over her knees, a dark scowl marring the pretty elfin features of her face. There was a story there, and Eliza might’ve started digging had Beth not spoken and distracted her.

  ‘I wonder why he’s back? If he thinks I might have changed my mind about the emporium, then he’s wasting his time.’ Beth folded her arms across her chest.

  ‘Don’t worry. Sam was already breathing fire at the prospect of that so I’m sure he’ll have put him straight before he’s finished checking in.’

  ‘Well if he doesn’t, I certainly will if I see him.’ Beth reached for the remote. ‘Right, let’s see what Netflix has to offer us, shall we?’

  Eliza cleared away the empty boxes into the kitchen and returned balancing three plates with a slice of tiramisu on each, and the bottle of wine she’d previously opened tucked under her arm. She dished out the plates while Beth scrolled through the film menu and argued with Libby about what to watch. ‘I don’t know why you’re arguing,’ Eliza said around a mouthful of delicious, creamy cake. ‘You know we’ll end up watching Pitch Perfect.’

  ‘Oh, good call!’ Beth checked her watch. ‘If we get on with it we can fit in one of the sequels too.’

  They knew the film almost off by heart, but that was what made it special. As she settled down to enjoy the mix of music and comedy her phone vibrated on the arm of the sofa where she’d set it down earlier. Expecting it to be either one of her parents, or Sam, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Jack’s name on the screen. She clicked open the message.

  I had a really nice time yesterday. J x He’d sent her a kiss. That had to mean something, because he didn’t strike her as the kind of guy who was naturally demonstrative.

  She quickly tapped out a reply. Me too x Thanks for tour.

  The phone vibrated a few seconds later. My pleasure. Bastian’s pining for you, so we’re going to swing past the pub when I take him for a walk Saturday evening

  Her heart did a little flip-flop in her chest. I’ll be sure to save him a spot at the bar

  Glancing up, she noticed the room was silent—the figures on the TV screen frozen in mid-action. Heat filled her cheeks and she cast a sheepish look towards her friends who were both grinning at her. ‘Jack might pop into the pub Saturday night.’

  Libby rubbed her hands together, her expression gleeful. ‘Right then, that’s our weekend entertainment sorted, right B?’

  Beth nodded. ‘Oh, yes. It’s been ages since I caught up with your folks, Eliza, a little get together in The Siren sounds perfect.’

  Groaning, Eliza grabbed a cushion and buried her face in it. What on earth had possessed her to say anything? Poor Jack, she just hoped they didn’t give him too much of a grilling. ‘I hate you both, so much.’

  The gales of laughter which greeted her declaration didn’t help one bit.

  Chapter Ten

  Jack reached the end of the row and switched off the rotovator with a sigh and a stretch. After raising the subject with Eliza, he’d decided to seize the bull by the horns and mentioned to his mum about wanting to diversify the farm into other fragrance-producing crops. To his delight, she’d been full of enthusiasm for the idea. With the next few days expected to be quiet, he’d pulled their old rotovator out of the back of the shed to clear and dig over the abandoned vegetable patch.

  The physical work was also helping him take his mind off his impulsive decision to text Eliza the previous evening. He’d regretted it the moment he’d hit the send button, worrying what he’d intended to be a friendly message might be misconstrued. Especially after that bloody kiss! He didn’t know what had come over him to be honest and had filed it away as a moment of madness. Now if only he could stop thinking about it every damn minute of the day.

  ‘You’re making good progress.’

  Jack turned to find his mum approaching with a mug in her hands. Accepting the coffee with a grateful smile, he took a quick sip before replying. ‘The soil’s in pretty good nick—better than I expected.’ He nodded over to the growing pile of gnarly old carrots, parsnips and other root vegetables the machine had churned up. ‘There’s enough there to make some soup.’

  His mum wrinkled her nose. ‘I’m not sure I’d feed them to pigs, never mind humans. Maybe we should stick to what the Tesco’s delivery man brings.’ She shook her head. ‘What would your dad think if he could hear us now? Ordering from the supermarket is about as far from our dream of self-sufficiency as you can get.’

  ‘Come on, Mum, don’t be like that. We’ve all done our best since losing him and now Jason. Something had to give, and I’ll be damned if you should feel guilty over a bit of internet shopping.’ He glanced down at the churned over soil at his feet. Perhaps he should’ve been more sensitive about digging up what had once been his dad’s pride and joy, but he couldn’t imagine he’d want them to leave it fallow forever. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Mum, we can reinstate the garden if you’d prefer?’

  She gifted him with the sweetest smile. ‘Don’t apologise, darling, I’m being silly and sentimental that’s all. Besides, you’re right, we don’t have the time to keep a plot this size up and I really like your plan for the roses. It’s good to see you changing things up around here.’ Her features clouded as she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. ‘I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to keep the farm going for me, I hope you understand that.’

  ‘Oh, Mum.’ The guilt in her voice hurt his heart. Jack drained his coffee to give himself a moment to find the right words. ‘I’m not Jason. I know that you and dad wanted to give us the best life possible when you moved us down he
re, and I couldn’t have asked for more than you guys gave me.’ Crouching down he gathered a handful of the rich brown soil and let it trickle through his fingers. ‘Farming is in me, blood and bone, and I cannot imagine wanting to do anything else with my life. I get what you’re saying, but I need you to know I’m not acting under any kind of obligation, okay?’

  She nodded, her eyes a little misty. ‘Okay.’

  Jack pushed to his feet once more. ‘When the time comes, I’ll give Noah the choice to follow whatever path he wants which is one of the reasons I want to keep him at school. He needs to know there’s a whole world beyond the gates of the farm.’ But there had to be a way to give him the best of the experiences Jack had had growing up without him feeling stifled. He’d never forget the excitement the first time his dad had let him steer the tractor for himself, or all the practical lessons his mum had passed on as they’d gone on nature rambles around the farm. ‘There’s that small plot of land behind the old cottage. We could turn it into a kitchen garden if you like. It’d do Noah good to learn that food doesn’t just come from a few clicks with the mouse and with the school holidays coming up we could do with something to keep him occupied.’

  Excitement replaced the last of the sadness on his mum’s face as she listened to his idea. ‘It wouldn’t have to be anything too ambitious,’ she said. ‘A few carrots and potatoes, maybe a frame of runner beans.’

  Jack nodded. ‘Exactly. Maybe even some sunflowers. Noah’s getting old enough now to take a little bit of responsibility. We can get him his own set of gardening tools and a watering can, make him the head gardener.’ He could just picture him puttering around in his wellies. ‘Let’s talk to him about it over the weekend.’ Thinking about that, he remembered his plans. ‘I’m going down the pub Saturday evening if you’re all right to watch Noah for a couple of hours?’

  His mum beamed at him. ‘I’m glad to hear it. It’s about time.’

  Jack raised an eyebrow. ‘About time for what?’

  ‘You know what I’m talking about. Eliza’s a lovely girl.’

  Wow, he wasn’t the only one getting ahead of himself. Jack held up a hand. ‘Steady on, Mum. We’ve spent the sum total of one morning together, don’t make plans to buy a hat just yet. Besides, I’ve got enough on my plate without getting involved with anyone and Eliza’s not long separated from her husband. We’re friends, nothing more.’

  She fixed the same look on him that had made him squirm since he’d been a little boy. ‘I know what you’re like Jack William Gilbert—always looking for problems that aren’t there. You’ve always been the same, worrying over doing the right thing so much that you end up missing out.’

  You could always rely on his mum to cut to the chase. She had a point, too, which didn’t make it any easier to hear. ‘It’s not the right time, okay?’

  Reaching up, she rubbed a soothing hand on his upper arm. ‘Life’s messy, darling. There’s never really a right time for doing anything. You can plot and plan to your heart’s content, think you’ve got it all mapped out perfectly and life will pull the bloody rug right out from under your feet. Did I tell you I had a boyfriend when I first met your dad?’

  The abrupt shift in topic confused him, but when he looked down at his mum her eyes had lost focus, like she was seeing a moment in the past. ‘I never knew much about how you two met,’ he admitted.

  A dreamy smiled played about her lips. ‘He was a friend of a friend. We met at a party and got chatting. It was like we’d known each other all our lives. Nothing happened that evening, there wasn’t even a hint from him that he was interested in me in that way, but I broke up with my boyfriend the next day. We’d been quite serious, and I honestly thought I had my future all planned out until your dad wandered into that kitchen for a beer.’ Her smile widened. ‘We bumped into each other at a bar a couple of weeks later—although I found out later he’d set that up through our friends—and that was it. We were inseparable from that day on.’

  ‘That’s a lovely story, Mum, but what’s it got to do with me?’ He knew he was being obtuse, but he really didn’t want to get into it with her about his love life—or lack of it. His eyes roamed over the part-dug ground in front of him. Time for a change of subject. ‘How’s the research been getting on this morning, any luck?’ His mum had taken it upon herself to get on the laptop and find out the best type of roses for his new project.

  The look she gave him made it clear the topic of Eliza wasn’t over, though she let it go for now. ‘Great! I’ve put been putting together a spreadsheet with links as well as prices. I should have it all together for when you come in for your lunch.’

  ‘Sounds good. I’m also going to make an appointment with the wholesaler, see what he thinks about us diversifying—’ His mobile rang, cutting Jack off mid-thought. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Oh, Mr Gilbert, thank goodness. I tried the house phone, but there was no answer.’

  ‘We’re both outside, sorry who is this?’ The slightly breathless voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

  ‘Sorry! It’s Mrs Taylor from the school. Noah’s a bit upset…nothing serious, but I wanted to let you know.’

  Jack put a hand on his mum’s arm to keep her beside him as he tried to stay calm. ‘What’s happened, is he hurt?’

  ‘Oh, no! Nothing like that, there was just a bit of a mix-up over something with one of the other boys that’s all.’

  ‘Just tell me what the problem is—actually, no, I’m coming now, so you can explain it when I get there. I’ll be about five minutes.’ He hung up over her blathering protests. Why phone to tell him, and then make it sound like no big deal?

  ‘What’s wrong?’ His mum had turned pale as milk.

  ‘Noah’s not hurt, but something’s upset him. I’m going down there.’ He was already moving towards the farmhouse to get his keys, heedless of the mud on his boots.

  ‘Of course.’ His mum trailed him back to the front door. ‘Will you ring me when you can?’

  ‘Yes.’ He brushed a quick kiss on her cheek. ‘Try not to fret.’ It was a pointless comment, his gut was tied in knots already, so goodness only knew how she was feeling.

  The drive to school passed in a blur, and it was only after Jack pulled on the handbrake in one of the visitor’s parking spaces that he realised he had no recall of the journey. Had he even stopped at the traffic lights at the Chapel Street junction? Gripping the steering wheel, he battled the urge to throw himself out of the Land Rover and storm into the building. Noah needed him to be calm, to not make whatever the problem was worse. He closed his eyes, counted to ten and huffed out a breath.

  Feeling more in control, he climbed out and strode towards the redbrick building. Built between the wars, it had a sturdy, slightly foreboding look to it, but inside was bright and colourful with noticeboards covered in awards for good behaviour and examples of the children’s work. A dark ridged mat covered the space between the outer and inner doors. Jack paused to wipe his boots, realised it was a futile gesture as they were caked in mud and he toed them off with a curse for not taking the time to change them at home.

  The tiles in the quiet corridor were slippery beneath his thick work socks, forcing him to check his stride or risk falling on his arse. Thankfully, it wasn’t far to the main office, and he half-skidded through the door, startling Mandy, the school secretary in the process.

  ‘Oh, Mr Gilbert! I didn’t hear you coming.’

  He wiggled his feet on the carpet. ‘Sorry, I was working outside when I got the call and forgot to change my boots.’

  She glanced down at his socks with a smile. ‘Oh, you didn’t need to worry about that. Noah’s in with Mrs Taylor, I’ll let her know you’re here.’ She picked up the phone, but he was already moving across the little office towards the closed door.

  He knocked, but didn’t wait, and had the door open before Mandy had finished saying his name. Mrs Taylor stood behind her desk, the phone at her ear as she stared at him, but he b
arely spared her a glance—all his attention was for the little figure huddled on a beige two-seater sofa which formed part of an informal seating area against the opposite wall. ‘Noah?’

  A whirlwind blur of red-and-grey uniform flew across the room towards him and Jack crouched down to catch the boy up in his arms. ‘Uncle Jack!’ The rest of what Noah tried to say was choked off in heaving sobs which cut Jack to the bone.

  Moving carefully, he carried Noah back to the sofa and sank down into the sagging cushions. Noah crawled into his lap and buried his face in Jack’s chest. Holding him close, Jack fixed a cold stare on Mrs Taylor and shook his head when she made a move to join them. She subsided into her chair, and Jack’s anger was mollified slightly by her contrite expression.

  Pressing a kiss to the top of Noah’s head, Jack gave him a squeeze. ‘I’m here, bud, Uncle Jack’s here now, it’s all right. Shh, now.’ He let him cry for a minute, muttering gently that it would be okay, that Jack wouldn’t let anyone hurt him, his heart twisting to know it wasn’t true.

  Noah’s breathing calmed, the sobs dying away to sniffles and Jack urged him to sit up a bit. Casting around, Jack spotted a box of tissues on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned forward, bracing Noah with a firm hand on his back while he made a grab for the tissues. Noah managed a little giggle as they settled back on the sofa with a thump and he took a handful of tissues from the box.

  ‘Have a good blow, it’ll make you feel better.’ They exchanged a grin when Noah made a high-pitched squawking noise as he blew his nose. ‘Are you ready to tell me what’s made you sad?’