‘You’re staring.’ There was a distinctive challenge in Libby’s tone.
Refusing to take the bait—no matter how juicy—Eliza returned to her task of filling the fridge. ‘I wasn’t staring, I just didn’t understand what you said.’
There was a moment’s pause when Eliza worried Libby would call her out on the fib, but the tension lifted as she cocked her head and grinned. ‘I was trying to decide what word best described the look on your face, and finally settled on smug.’ Abandoning the crisps, Libby squatted down beside her. ‘Come on then, dish the dirt.’
Eliza stuck her head in the fridge under the guise of retrieving a fallen bottle at the back of the shelf. The cool blast of air did little to dull the heat rising on her face. ‘There isn’t anything to dish,’ she muttered.
‘Have a word with yourself,’ Libby scoffed. ‘You and farmer hotty had a date last night and now you’re floating around on at least cloud nine, if not ten. That means dirt.’ There was no mistaking the lascivious emphasis she placed on the last word.
The effervescence which had been bubbling inside her since the previous night bubbled out in a sudden rush. ‘Oh, Libby! You have no idea…I mean, I had no idea.’
Libby’s eyebrows climbed up nearly to her hairline. ‘But, you were married all those years…oh…oh!’ A knowing grin spread across her face.
‘Exactly, oh!’ Eliza hugged herself. ‘And, he told me he loved me.’
‘He did? Oh my God!’ Libby screeched. ‘It’s always the quiet ones!’ She clapped her hands together.
‘Shh, keep your voice down!’ Eliza cast a worried glance towards the ceiling. ‘Noah’s upstairs with my dad, remember. The last thing I want is him asking any awkward questions.’
Libby looked contrite for a moment then spoke in a stage whisper. ‘Hold on a minute, did he say it while you were…’ She made an obscene gesture with her fingers that made Eliza gasp. ‘Because if he did, you know that doesn’t count right?’
Libby might have had a point, there had definitely been something of the heat in the moment in Jack’s urgently whispered words, but she hadn’t been there. Hadn’t felt the connection between them which had transcended more than the physical. ‘Believe me, it counted.’
The pair of them collapsed onto the floor, trying unsuccessfully to smother their giggles. Eliza laughed until the tears rolled down her cheeks. They were so caught up in the moment, neither heard the approaching footsteps of Sam and Owen coming up from the skittle alley below. A heavy knock on the wooden bar startled them into silence.
‘What are you two cackling about?’ Owen might have addressed the question to both of them, but his attention was solely fixed on Libby.
Any man in his right mind would’ve beat a hasty retreat at the evil glare Libby fixed on Owen as she stood to face off with him, but he was either a fool or ridiculously brave. Possibly both. ‘Nothing you’d know anything about, believe me.’ Libby cast a long scornful glare up and down Owen’s tall frame.
‘You keep telling yourself that, darling, but we both know better.’ Far from being quelled, Owen appeared delighted at goading a response from her. The smile he gave her was free and easy, the epitome of a man confident in every aspect of his life. ‘I like what you’ve done with your hair, by the way.’ He turned his back to Libby, and looked to Sam. ‘I’m ready for that cup of tea now.’
‘Sure thing.’ Sam waved Owen towards the door which led upstairs. ‘After you.’ Eliza caught his eye and they exchanged a look. After all their years growing up together they’d developed their own entirely silent language and it was clear her brother had no more idea of what was up between Libby and Owen than she did.
The door swung shut behind them, and Libby turned to face Eliza, her jaw clenched so tight a muscle twitched in her cheek. ‘Oh, God, I hate him so much.’
Rising to her feet, Eliza put her arms around Libby. ‘He’s a wind-up merchant, Libs. He only does it to get a rise out of you. I know it’s hard, but if you can ignore him, he’ll soon get bored.’ She decided against pointing out that Libby was behaving just as badly. They were best friends, so Eliza’s loyalty fell firmly on Libby’s side—even when she might deserve a good shake.
Libby rested her head on Eliza’s shoulder and groaned. ‘I know, I know, he’s just so…’ Whatever he was, she couldn’t seem to find the word to describe him.
Eliza gave her one final squeeze. ‘Come on, let’s get these fridges loaded so I can spend some time with Noah. I’ll even treat you to a bag of crisps.’
Her friend laughed as they broke apart. ‘Cheese and onion?’
‘Only if you’re very good.’
Libby snorted. ‘No chance of that!’ The wicked gleam resurfaced in her eyes. ‘And no chance for you either, after last night.’ She knelt to open the flaps on a carton of wine bottles. ‘Right, I want all the gory details…’
‘Now, are you sure you’ve got everything?’ She watched Jack rifle through the colourful backpack his mum had bought Noah to help him ferry all his bits and pieces between the farm and the pub. They’d been shuttling him and Bastian back and forth for the past week, and he seemed to be settling nicely into the routine of everything. He really was the dearest little soul and every moment she spent with him endeared him to her a little more.
‘Yes, Uncle Jack. I’m helping Mr B do his work this morning and then Eliza and I are going rock-pooling after our lunch.’
‘If you’re going to be out in the sun, don’t forget to wear your hat.’ Eliza had picked up a bright blue baseball cap which had a flap hanging down from the back to protect the vulnerable skin on Noah’s neck. It also served as a great marker for spotting him on the busy beach, or when he skipped ahead of them on the promenade.
‘I won’t forget.’
‘All right then.’ Jack gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then led him out to the car where she waited for them. He helped Noah strap himself into the back seat, then patted his knee. ‘Be a good boy for Eliza, and Mr and Mrs B.’
‘Yes, Uncle Jack.’ There was definitely a singsong quality to Noah’s tone which made Eliza want to laugh. She turned away before he could see her grinning.
‘Cheeky monkey. I’ll be down to pick you up in time for tea.’ Jack tweaked his nose, then closed the car door. Turning, he almost bumped into Eliza standing behind him, and he drew her into his arms. ‘You’ll call me if there’s any problems?’
‘Yes, Uncle Jack,’ she mimicked Noah.
‘And you’re a cheeky monkey, too.’ He swooped in for a kiss hot enough to turn her knees to water. ‘Now I know where he’s getting it from.’
Her laughter faded as he tightened his arms in reflex around her waist. ‘We’re like ships that pass in the night.’
‘There’s time enough.’ It had become their daily mantra. He pressed their foreheads together. ‘Are you working tonight?’
She shook her head. ‘The relief manager is pulling some extra shifts because he wants to save up enough money to take his girlfriend away for the weekend.’
‘Lucky sod,’ Jack grumbled. ‘We’re starting the cut on the Old English today, which means I get to spend the bulk of the day with a pitchfork in hand transferring the lavender from the trailer to the vats.’
He’d already explained the steam extraction process which would produce the essential oil, and it would be brutal work. Her back ached in sympathy. ‘Rather you than me.’
His hands settled in her favourite place—the indent of her waist just above the swell of her hips. When he held her like this she felt like her body had been shaped just for him. ‘Why don’t you come back with us when I collect Noah later? You could stay over, and I can take you home in the morning. I need you in my arms again.’ Eliza felt her breath catch in her throat at the heat in his gaze. She wanted that too, needed it like oxygen. ‘Don’t be getting any ideas, though,’ he added. ‘Rubbing some Deep Heat into my back is likely as hot as things will get.’
Laughing, she linked her arm
s around his neck. ‘If you ask nicely, I might scrub it for you first when you have your bath.’
‘Mmm.’ He moaned against her cheek. ‘I’ll be thinking about that all day.’
‘And that’s my cue to leave.’ One last quick kiss and then she was sliding into the car.
‘All set, passenger?’ she asked as she clipped on her seatbelt.
Noah raised his hand in salute. ‘All set, driver.’ They grinned at each other. It was a silly little routine they’d fallen into from the first morning she’d picked him up. With a final wave to Jack they were off.
The steady whir of the sewing machine never failed to lure Eliza into a trance as she worked. Everything disappeared into the background as she hemmed and finished the half-dozen cotton sundresses she’d promised to drop off with Beth. With the high-pressure system showing no signs of moving on, the bay was roasting under the heat of the summer sun, and her cool, floaty designs were proving popular with visitors and locals alike.
She was just stitching her logo onto the last dress when a knock sounded on her half-open bedroom door and two heads poked around the corner. Their matching grins did something funny to her insides. As much fun as she’d been having spending time with Noah, he’d developed a very special bond with her dad. His seemingly endless patience and the boy’s natural curiosity for all things mechanical were a match made in heaven. In the past week, they’d taken apart everything from one of Noah’s toy cars to an old carriage clock which had decorated the mantelpiece for as long as Eliza could remember.
‘Hello, double-trouble! What have you been up to this morning?’
‘We’ve been counting, haven’t we, Mr B?’ Noah tilted his head up to stare at Paul—a look of sheer adoration on his face.
‘That we have, Noah-lad.’ He ruffled the boy’s hair then looked across at Eliza. ‘He’s been such a good assistant, I’ve promised him some money to buy an ice cream later.’
‘Wow, that’s great!’ Standing up, Eliza stretched out her back. ‘Well, I’m finished here so how about we drop these off next door with Beth and then we can hit the beach?’
Ten minutes later, with sunhats on and every inch of bare skin slathered in factor-50 sun cream, Eliza held open the door of the emporium and ushered Noah inside. ‘Why don’t you check out the nets over there in the corner and I’ll have a quick word with Beth? We’ll need a bucket and spade, too.’
As he skipped off, she twisted round the clothes hangers she had draped over her shoulder and held them out to Beth. ‘Here you go.’
‘Fantastic. Oh, I love these colours, and this material is so soft!’
Eliza had picked up a roll of brushed cotton decorated with bright, tropical flowers. ‘There’s some left, I can put together something for you, if you’d like?’ The colours would look fabulous against Beth’s summer tan and dark brown hair.
Her friend smiled in pleasure. ‘That would be fab. How about one of those cover-ups you made last time? I was going to keep one back, but the last one sold this morning.’ The over-sized tops were little more than two squares of fabric sewn together with loose draping sleeves, perfect for throwing on and off during a day on the beach.
‘Deal.’ Eliza glanced over at Noah to check he was happily occupied. ‘I need to tell you something.’
Beth’s brows drew together. ‘Of course. There’s nothing wrong, is there?’
‘Quite the opposite.’ The past few days with Noah had gone so well that it had given Eliza the confidence to believe there really was a long-term future for her and Jack. And in order to be able to have that, it was time to get serious about sorting her life out. Despairing over Martin’s continued silence, she needed to understand her options. ‘I’ve made an appointment to see Mr Symonds tomorrow.’ The local solicitor had helped Beth navigate her inheritance from Eleanor, including the emporium.
‘Oh?’ Comprehension dawned on Beth’s face. ‘Oh!’ She looked between Eliza and Noah who was still happily browsing. ‘You’re really serious about this, then?’
Eliza nodded. ‘I adore Jack; I adore them both.’ And even if the worst happened and things didn’t work out between them, she couldn’t ever see herself going back to Martin. Being with someone who valued her own achievements as much as his own had only served to highlight how little Martin had done to encourage her. ‘Whatever happens, my future’s here in the bay.’
‘Who would’ve thought this time last year that we’d both find ourselves back here again?’ Beth sniffed, then gave a little laugh as he dabbed at her eyes. ‘Bloody hormones, who’d be a woman?’ Straightening up, she clapped her hands together. ‘Right, so tell me what adventures you two are going on today.’
Grateful that Beth had changed the subject before the pair of them started watering like a pair of pots, Eliza turned her attention to Noah. ‘We’re going rock-pooling, aren’t we, darling?’
‘Yes!’ He ran over to her, a bright green net on a pole in one hand, a red bucket and spade which banged against his knee with every step in the other. ‘Are these all right?’
‘I think they’ll be perfect. Put them on the counter so Beth can ring them up for us.’
He lifted them up, but Beth waved him away. ‘They’re on the house. A present from me and Sam.’
Noah’s eyes lit up. ‘Thank you!’ He turned to Eliza. ‘Can we go now?’
Heart full, she adjusted the bright cap on his head. ‘Of course we can, but no running on the prom, okay? It’s very busy out there so I need you to stay with me.’ She mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ to Beth, and noticed tears glimmering in her eyes again.
Beth gave her a wobbly smile. ‘Don’t mind me, I cried when Sam brought me a cup of tea this morning. Poor thing, he knows I get like this every month, but it still freaks him out. Anyway, give me a call after your appointment tomorrow and let me know how you get on,’ she murmured before giving Noah a wave. ‘Have fun you guys!’
They spent the next couple of hours scrambling over the lowest levels of the rocks which covered the top end of the beach. The knees of her lightweight trousers were soaked through from kneeling on the damp, mossy stones and Noah had had to take off his sandals after his foot had slipped into one of the pools. By the end of their explorations, the little red bucket contained a selection of shells, seaweed and even a couple of small crabs. ‘Time to put everything back where we found it.’
Noah pouted. ‘But I wanted to show Uncle Jack and Nanna what we found.’ He’d been very good, but there was a definite mutinous air about him.
‘We’ve got plenty of photos. Come on now.’ She held out a hand to lead him back to one of the larger pools.
‘But—’
‘Please, Noah. No more arguments.’ She tried to keep her voice soft, but his head and shoulders dropped as though she’d read him the riot act. He was so good most of the time that it would be easy to let him get away with it on the few occasions he balked her, but spoiling him wouldn’t do either of them any good. Crouching down, she ducked below the brim of his cap to catch his eyes. ‘Hey.’ She kept her voice as soft as possible.
His eyes flicked away then back to her. ‘Hey.’
‘I’m not trying to be mean, darling, but we can’t take the crabs away from their home. If everyone who came and played here did that then soon there won’t be anything left for other children to enjoy. Can you imagine what it would be like here if the pools were all empty?’
Noah poked the bucket with his toe. ‘It wouldn’t be as much fun.’
‘Exactly.’ She traced the back of his cheek with her knuckles. ‘Come on, Noah, chin up. Let’s put your friends back where they belong and then we can have that ice cream Mr B promised you.’
His face brightened, much to her relief and there were no more protests as Noah carefully lowered the bucket into the pool and let the crabs escape. When she held out her hand to lead him back down to the beach there was no hesitation on his part and they were soon perched side by side on the edge of the prom both clutching a ‘99
’ cone with a flake. As the creamy ice cream dripped down the side of the cone and over her fingers, Eliza sent up a little prayer of thanks. It seemed like they’d negotiated their way through their first tricky moment.
With every moment she spent with Noah, her admiration for Jack grew. He’d been thrown in at the deep end, and for all his protestations about making it up, the balanced nature of the little boy at her side was a testament to his hard work. She’d have to make sure she told Jack so later when she scrubbed his back.
Chapter Eighteen
The next week passed Eliza in a blur. With Sam entirely focused on the restaurant, the pub was absorbing all of her time, though not all of her attention. Her fingers itched with the need to go upstairs and check on her batch of soap for the millionth time. It looked fine, smelt even better, but if she tried to use one of the bars before they were fully cured it would only end in disappointment. She already had a dozen different recipes she wanted to try but until she could be sure she was on the right track they would have to wait. Her hand must have strayed to the phone in her pocket a dozen times before she stopped herself with a gentle reminder that Jack needed to focus all his energies on the harvest.
Noah was spending a few days with Michael, his mum having found a free activity workshop run by the local council, and Eliza missed her little shadow. Her dad was even worse, and the heat was playing havoc with his lungs so he’d been laid up in bed. With the hot spell showing no signs of letting up, when she wasn’t rushing around the bar, she was stationed in front of a fan she’d placed next to the sewing machine in her room, doing her best to cool off.
Lunchtime had been manic with a constant stream of families desperate to seek some shade from the blistering heat of the noonday sun. When the crowds showed no sign of abating, Eliza took the decision to keep the doors open rather than take a break as she would normally do during the afternoon lull.
Her mum had taken over around half-four, after practically frog-marching Eliza upstairs to eat the bowl of soup and sandwich she’d prepared. A long, cool shower and change of clothes had given Eliza the second wind she needed to see her through the early evening crush. She wriggled her toes against the padded soles of her slip-on trainers. A few more hours and she’d be able to lie on her bed and give her poor swollen ankles a rest.
Summer at Lavender Bay Page 20