Summer at Lavender Bay

by Sarah Bennett

  He made it as far as the car park closest to the promenade before his final shred of patience ran out behind an old woman trying to reverse into the narrowest of spaces. Forcing his way past her, he bumped up and over the curb at the bottom of the car park and abandoned the Land Rover on a patch of scruffy grass.

  ‘You can’t park there!’ The uniformed attendant came bustling out of his little wooden shed as Jack ran past him out onto the promenade and began to frantically scan up and down the beach.

  Eliza’s description of her location had been vague—there were several patches of rocks along this part of the shore, but it was soon clear from the crowd gathering about halfway along the prom from him where the drama was. Ignoring the repeated complaints of the parking attendant, who’d followed him out of the car park, Jack broke into a run once more.

  Reaching the outskirts of the people milling around by the steps, he shouldered his way through to the front and stopped dead in his tracks. Eliza was perched in a hollow between two high points on the rocks, one of her legs coated in blood. A white-faced Noah was cradled in her lap, with Bastian nosing at them both.

  ‘Someone call an ambulance!’ he shouted, as he ran down the steps.

  ‘They’re already on their way.’ Jack waved a hand to acknowledge the information, his attention already on the slick stones in front of him. What the hell had Noah been thinking? He could hear him crying, hear Eliza speaking to him in soft voice, but they were too far for him to make out her words.

  Crouching low, he began to crawl on hands and knees towards the huddled pair. ‘Shit!’ A sharp edge grazed his hand, taking several layers of skin with it. Jack paused to check the small wound, belatedly remembering his work gloves were still in his pocket. He tugged them on, then resumed his climb.

  ‘Be careful. That’s where I slipped.’ Eliza sounded shaky.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Jack made himself keep his eyes on the rocks and shale beneath his feet no matter how much his brain screamed at him to lift his head and check on them again. He reached the steepest part above them, and began to inch his way down the side. ‘What the hell’s going on?’

  ‘I’m okay, but Noah says his arm hurts.’ Jack slithered down the last couple of feet towards them, as Eliza pressed a kiss to Noah’s head. Their eyes met over the crying boy, and he could see the stark fear in their green depths. ‘He said he was coming to find me.’

  Jack managed a tight nod. He wanted nothing more than to rip Noah from her arms and clutch him tight, but it would only scare the boy further. He settled a brief hand on the top of Noah’s head. ‘It’s all right, buddy, I’m here.’

  Bastian whined and nuzzled first Noah and then Jack. ‘Come out the way, boy.’ Jack eased the dog back.

  Shouts came from the promenade. Jack glanced up to see Sam and Owen scrambling down towards them, he waved them back. ‘It’s bloody treacherous down here. Stay where you are!’ He waited just long enough to be sure they did as they were told then turned back to Eliza. ‘What the hell happened?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Eliza said. ‘Someone came running into the pub, said there was an accident. I could hear Bastian barking like mad and then I saw…’ She gulped in a deep breath. ‘I saw Noah down here.’

  ‘Swap places with me.’ Jack needed to check Noah for himself. As they shuffled past each other, he did his best not to let their bodies touch. Being this close to her was fucking excruciating.

  As Jack settled Noah in his lap, he remembered his mum and grabbed his phone. She answered on the first ring. ‘Jack?’ The desperate worry in her voice cut him like a knife.

  ‘It’s all right, Mum. Noah’s had a bit of a slip on the rocks and hurt his arm. I’ve got him.’

  ‘Oh no, is he okay?’

  Jack flicked his eyes towards Eliza, then away. ‘Not sure yet. He’s crying but talking okay. The paramedics are on their way.’ A call came from behind him and he glanced around to see an ambulance pulling onto the promenade. ‘They’re here, Mum, so I’d better go. I’ll call you in a bit when I know what’s going on. Are you all right with everything there?’

  ‘Yes, yes, don’t even think about this place. I’ve got everything in hand. Call me when you can, sweetheart. Give Noah my love, and Jack…take care of yourself too, all right?’

  Jack managed a smile. It didn’t matter how old he got, she could make him feel like a little boy who just needed his mum to make it all better. ‘I will, love you.’

  He flicked a glance at Eliza. ‘We need to get off these rocks.’ Turning his attention to Noah, he softened his voice. ‘Is it just your arm, buddy?’

  Noah sniffled, then nodded. ‘I fell on it and it hurts.’

  ‘The ambulance is here now, and they’ll fix you right up. Can you be a brave boy for me and stand up?’ Jack braced and lifted Noah to his feet while Eliza supported his arm.

  ‘Well done, Noah, you’re doing so well.’ The tenderness in Eliza’s words shredded Jack in two. She would’ve made a wonderful mother for him—for those brothers and sisters Noah yearned for. No. There would be time enough to lick his wounds; his boy needed him and that was all he could think about right now.

  Taking a deep breath to still his shakes, Jack took the delicate weight of Noah in his arms, doing his best not to jostle his arm. He whimpered. ‘Sorry.’

  Eliza moved up beside him. ‘What can I do to help?’

  He wanted to brush her off, to tell her he didn’t need anything from her, but that would be just his pride talking. ‘Can you keep Bastian out of the way?’

  ‘Of course.’ She bent to gather up the dog’s lead then began to lead him back over the rocks. It was only then he noticed she was limping.

  ‘Are you hurt?’

  She turned, and he saw the front of her skirt was stained with blood. He’d been so fixated on Noah, and trying so damn hard not to look at her for more than a moment he’d forgotten she’d been hurt too. ‘I cut my leg when I slipped, but I’m okay. It looks worse that it is.’

  The need to comfort her overwhelmed him for a moment until he remembered it was no longer his place. A shard of pain sliced through his heart so sharp it threatened to fell him to his knees. ‘Okay, be careful.’

  ‘You too. I love you, Jack.’ She turned away and began to inch her way back over the rocks.

  Jack shuddered from head to foot, making Noah whimper again. ‘Sorry, buddy. Shh, it’s all right now, Uncle Jack’s here.’ The words of reassurance sounded hollow to his ears. Uncle Jack’s here, but he’s got no bloody idea what he’s doing.

  Chapter Twenty

  Eliza tried her best to remain calm. The cut on her leg stung like hell, and wouldn’t stop bleeding. She’d pressed a folded section of her skirt to it as instructed by Julie, the paramedic who’d met them at the end of the promenade, and waited patiently while the woman dealt with the difficult task of immobilising Noah’s arm without causing him too much distress. Throughout it all, Jack sat beside her, stiff and monosyllabic unless he was talking to his nephew. Pressing her lips together so she wouldn’t obey her heart’s panicky demands to speak to him again, Eliza turned her attention to the crowd gathered around the ambulance. She wanted so desperately to explain what had happened between her and Martin, but now was neither the time nor the place. Once Noah had been seen to, hopefully Jack would calm down and she could clear up the mess between them.

  Sam caught her eye and edged his way around the gathered group to crouch beside her. ‘How are you doing, Sis?’ He brushed back a strand of hair that kept blowing in her face.

  ‘I’m okay.’

  Sam squeezed her shoulder. ‘I think they’re going to start moving you guys soon. I heard the policemen saying they’re going to move the crowd back in a minute so the ambulance can get through.

  ‘Okay, thanks.’ She touched Jack’s arm, trying not to notice the infinitesimal twitch away from her touch. ‘We’ll be on the move soon, Sam says.’

  ‘Good.’ He ducked his head over Noah’s. ‘You hear th
at, buddy? We’re going to get you to the hospital soon and get you all fixed up. You’re being such a brave boy.’

  Julie cleaned her hands, then pulled on a pair of thin gloves. ‘Right, lovey,’ she said to Eliza. ‘Let’s get your leg seen to.’ Eliza let her cluck and fuss as she cleaned the wound, then wrapped it tight. Julie’s constant stream of chatter flowed over her, and Eliza even found herself laughing a couple of times. The contrast between her gossipy, informal attitude and the swift, sure efficiency of her hands was marked, and it was clear to Eliza that even though Julie made her feel like she was the absolute centre of her attention, the woman knew everything that was going on around and behind them.

  She finished with Eliza’s leg and gave her a pat. ‘You’ll have to come along with us to the hospital. It’s a deep cut and you’ll need stitches—well, I say stitches, but they’ll most likely glue it.’

  ‘Okay, thanks.’

  A sea of faces lined the edge of the railing to the left of the steps, and it was all she could do not to snap at them. What was it about the human psyche that made so many people treat potential tragedy as a spectator sport?

  Her disgust at them vanished in a wave of warm hugs as her mum, Beth and Libby caught her up in their arms the moment she and Sam reached the top of the stairs. ‘I’m okay, just a cut…Noah’s got a broken arm, they think…’ She tried her best to keep up with their flurry of questions, tried hard to focus on them and not on the man and boy at her back who held every inch of her heart.

  ‘Oh, God, we were so worried. Are you sure you’re okay?’ Libby’s skin was ghost-pale beneath her shocking hair, her eyes flicking past Eliza’s shoulder to watch whatever was happening behind her.

  ‘I’m okay, no need to fuss.’

  A grumble rose from the crowd around them as the policemen began to herd them backwards. A handful of people started arguing, standing on tiptoes as they tried to see past the outstretched arms of the police. It was on the tip of her tongue to say something, but before she could, Libby started shouting.

  ‘It’s not a bloody soap opera, those are my friends down there, my family…’ Her words choked off and it was Owen who dragged her into a hug. Libby fought with him for a second, before her arms wrapped tight around his waist and big ugly sobs broke free.

  Eliza cast a glare at the crowd. A few shuffled their feet and looked away when her eyes fell on them, but the rest paid no notice—their attention glued to the drama on the rocks. ‘Come on, love.’ The paramedic urged her back in the direction of the ambulance.

  ‘I’m really okay.’ She wished he’d just leave her alone.

  Implacable brown eyes met hers. ‘You’ve had a shock. From the state of your skirt you’ve lost a bit of blood, so you’re going to come and sit down and have a drink of water, and you’re going to stay there until I say otherwise.’

  God, she was being a brat, and making everyone’s job that much harder. ‘I’m sorry.’

  The paramedic winked. ‘You’re all right, love. If I can handle the drunk tank on a Saturday night, I can manage you without any bother.’

  She laughed. ‘I bet you can. My folks run The Siren, the pub down the promenade so I have a good idea of what you’re talking about. Not that we get much in the way of bother.’ An idea occurred to her. ‘In fact, next time you’re all off shift you must come down for a drink—on the house.’

  A genuine smile stretched his cheeks. ‘That’ll be smashing, love, cheers.’ Eliza let the paramedic and his partner settle her on a fold-down seat in the ambulance. She accepted a bottle of water and took slow, steady sips as they instructed. The minutes seemed to drag on, and for every one that passed her anxiety ramped up a couple of notches. Desperate for distraction, she studied the inside of the vehicle, reading every notice, every label on the equipment, anything to keep the welling screams at bay.

  There was a sudden flurry of activity outside, and—thank, God—Jack appeared with Noah in his arms and Julie one step behind them. ‘Let me get out of the way.’ Eliza was down and off the ramp, ignoring the frown from the male paramedic. Feeling useless, she hovered off to the side while Jack and the paramedics discussed getting Noah transported.

  ‘Can I ride with him?’ Jack asked. His expression was agonised, and Eliza wanted to do nothing more than reach out for him, but his entire focus was on Noah.

  ‘Yes, of course, let’s just get him settled and we’ll be off.’ The paramedic clapped his shoulder then followed his partner back up the ramp.

  Eliza took her chance. ‘Jack?’

  He blinked at her almost like she was a stranger, then his face cleared. ‘We’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.’ God, he sounded almost robotic.

  Blind panic threatened to choke her and she cast around for a way to help, a way to stop him from dismissing her. ‘Have you spoken to your mum yet?’

  Fresh guilt darkened his hazel eyes, and she reached out for him as he fumbled for his phone. ‘I called when we were down there. I promised to update her…’

  Eliza placed her hand on his chest. ‘Hey, stop now, you’re doing the best you can. Let me call her, and she can come and meet you up at the hospital.’

  He shook her off. ‘She can’t leave the farm unattended.’ A scowl marred his face. ‘Shit, I’ve got the car.’ Jack shoved his clenched hands into his hair looking for all the world like he was ready to pull it out from the roots. ‘What a fucking mess.’

  ‘Give me your keys. I’ll call your mum and let her know what’s going on and we’ll sort everything out. You just focus on Noah.’

  ‘I don’t need your help,’ he gritted out.

  She swallowed hard against a surge of frustrated tears. This was all so bloody stupid. They could sort it all out within two minutes if she could only speak to him alone. ‘Stop cutting your nose off to spite your face, Jack. If you don’t want my help, at least let the others help you. Owen can take the Land Rover back to the farm and look after your mum, I’m sure Beth or Libby will go with him. I need Sam to drive me up to the hospital so I can get my leg stitched.’

  Was that a flash of guilt in his eyes? Whatever, she was too tired to worry about it now. The shock and adrenaline were ebbing away, leaving her ready to drop.

  ‘Fine.’ He was moving towards the ambulance when she called his name. ‘What?’

  Eliza held out her hand. ‘Keys.’

  He dug them out of his pocket, tossed them to her and then he was being herded into the back of the ambulance. He paused halfway up the ramp. ‘The dog? Where’s Bastian?’

  Eliza looked around, spotted Owen standing next to Libby, with the Labrador’s lead wrapped around his wrist. ‘Owen’s got him, now go!’ Jack hesitated, then ducked inside.

  Clenching her fingers around the jagged edges of the keys, Eliza drew in a deep breath. She could do this. She just need to be like a shark and keep moving and she’d get through it. There’d be time enough later to go to pieces. She and Jack would sit down and talk, and everything would get back to normal. Be a shark, not a jellyfish. The ridiculous metaphor gave her the little boost she needed to face what she needed to do next.

  Eliza limped over to where Sam and Beth stood with Libby and Owen. ‘Can you drive me to the hospital?’ she asked her brother.

  He nodded. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Jesus Christ, did you see the terror on Jack’s face? That’s one of the many reasons I’m never having kids.’ Owen was frowning at the departing ambulance. He shook himself, then turned towards her. ‘What can I do? If you’re going to be stuck up at the hospital, do you want me to help out behind the bar? I’ve never pulled a pint, but I can tidy up, keep the fridges stocked or whatever.’

  Her spirits lifted another notch. Somehow, he’d gone from an arrogant stranger to an integral part of their little group. ‘No, it’s fine. Josh is working tonight so him and Mum can handle everything. Someone needs to retrieve Jack’s Land Rover from the car park and take it back to the farm, though. It’s their biggest harvest day so his mum is p
robably swamped’

  ‘Consider it done. I’ll stay up there as long as she needs me.’ Owen tugged Bastian’s lead. ‘Let’s get you home, eh, mate?’

  Eliza handed him the keys. ‘Thank you. Sam and I should be able to swing by and collect you on the way home from the hospital.’

  He shrugged. ‘Don’t sweat it, I’ll doss on the sofa if needed. Do you know Jack’s reg number?’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s black and probably covered in mud.’

  ‘Like every other bloody Land Rover.’ Owen grinned. ‘I’ll just point and press until one of them unlocks.’

  Eliza watched him walk away. There was something about the set of his shoulders, the way he carried himself that made people instinctively move aside for him. She could do with borrowing a bit of his confidence right now.

  He was maybe twenty feet away when Libby shouted. ‘Hold up, I’ll come with you,’ and darted after him. Eliza watched Libby’s pink and yellow head bob through the crowd for a moment then shrugged. She couldn’t think about what had caused the sudden rapprochement between those two right now, there was too much else to sort out.

  ‘I’ll go and see the reception, see if I can find out how Noah is.’ Eliza took a step forward before she stopped when Sam’s arm blocked her.

  ‘You are going to sit right here.’ He steered her over to a row of plastic chairs. ‘And you are going to wait for this nice triage nurse to see your leg.’ Sam pointed at the spot of red showing through the bandage. ‘I’ll find out what’s going on.’

  Eliza subsided into the chair. ‘You’re so bloody bossy.’

  ‘Big brother’s prerogative. Behave.’ He tugged one of her curls then strode away to the reception desk.

  Two hours later, with the cut in her leg glued and re-wrapped, Eliza finally located the side room where Jack was perched by the side of Noah’s bed. The boy’s eyelids drooped, and the horrible pallor of his skin had faded somewhat. She tapped on the door frame. ‘Hey.’