by Alice Ross
Tears sprang to Amelia’s eyes. Oh God! She couldn’t cry here, in a public place. In a village this small, word would ricochet back to Annie in less than five minutes. Jumping to her feet, she dragged a reluctant Pip from under the seat and began hurriedly retracing her steps back to The Cedars where she could bawl her eyes out in private.
Following what she hoped would be a shortcut, she skirted the village green, with its picture-postcard duck pond, and scurried past the Duck Inn. Or at least she would have scurried, had Pip not come to a complete halt outside the hostelry. Several minutes of coaxing and dragging later, it became obvious that the dog had no intention of moving. Crouched down beside him, Amelia, all out of ideas, thought she might just give in and howl right there.
‘Problem?’
She jerked up her head to find a good-looking blond man striding out of the pub towards her. In running shorts and a hoodie with a large beaming sun on the front, he would’ve looked more at home on Bondi Beach than Buttersley’s village green.
She shook her head. ‘I don’t really know. He’s refusing to move. I think he might’ve hurt his leg or something.’
The man squatted down alongside her and tickled the dog under his chin. ‘Hello there, Pipsqueak.’
Pip responded by thumping his tail on the ground.
The man laughed. ‘I know exactly what’s up with him. Wait here a minute.’
Before Amelia could say a word, he shot back to the pub, reappearing a minute later with a sausage.
Pip leapt to his feet, devouring the offering in a minute.
‘It’s Jake’s fault,’ he explained. ‘He sometimes pops in for an orange juice and a sandwich at lunchtime and brings Pip with him. Naturally we can’t leave the little fella out, so he always gets a sausage.’
‘Right.’ Well thank God for that, mused Amelia. At least now they might resume their route home.
‘You can have one too, if you like,’ the man added, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
Amelia heaved a sigh. Was he flirting with her? He certainly looked the flirty type. In fact, he was far too good-looking for his own good. Probably used to women melting at his feet with one flutter of those ridiculously long eyelashes. Well, if he thought he could impress her with such clichéd tactics, he had another thing coming. She forced the corners of her lips up into a polite smile. ‘No thanks. I’m a vegetarian.’
‘Carrot stick?’
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She really didn’t need this – wasn’t in the mood for any social engagement, and particularly no feeble, time-worn chat-up repartee. The short conversation with Doug had drained her, zapping every bit of her patience in the process.
‘No. Honestly. I’m fine,’ she blustered, finding his piercing gaze almost as disconcerting as that of her niece. ‘I’d best get back. Things to do and all that.’
He nodded. ‘I’m Phil, by the way.’ He proffered a large hand. ‘Phil McNally. Owner of the pub.’
‘Oh. Right.’ She grudgingly placed her hand in his. ‘Amelia Richards.’
‘Annie’s sister. I know. I saw you in the pub last night. Jake told me you were staying with them for a while.’
‘Yes. I am.’
‘Well, I’ll probably see you around in that case.’
Not if I see you first, Amelia wanted to bat back. But she didn’t. ‘No doubt,’ she mumbled instead, before flashing him another disingenuous smile and dragging away a still-reluctant Pip.
*
‘Oh God!’ exclaimed Annie, scuttling out of the tearoom kitchen, blonde ponytail askew, a smear of flour on her cheek. ‘I’m really sorry, guys, but I’m going to have to scoot out for a bit to pick up Thomas. I’ve just had a call from the nursery to say the heating’s gone off, so they’re sending all the kids home. Of course it would have to be today, when I wanted to make the Christmas cookies for the Children’s Party.’
Ella, in the process of covering the tables with crisp white linen cloths, while Dan, the waiter, followed her round with silver vases crammed with holly, felt a fizzle of excitement. ‘I can go and pick him up, if you like,’ she offered.
Annie grimaced. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to take advantage. I would ask my sister but I don’t think that would go down well with her or Thomas, given they were only reacquainted yesterday. Jake’s in Harrogate collecting the final bits and pieces for his writing course. He said he’d only be an hour, so he can take over when he’s back.’
‘Perfect,’ said Ella, anticipation bubbling in her veins. ‘That means I’ll be back here before the lunchtime rush.’
Annie grinned. ‘You, Ella Hargreaves, are turning out to be a lifesaver. I’ll call the nursery and let them know you’ll be collecting him. And if you hold on a minute, I’ll give you my key.’
As Annie disappeared back into the kitchen, Dan narrowed his eyes at her. ‘What you up to?’
Ella willed the guilty flush stealing over her cheeks to stop. ‘Nothing,’ she replied, arranging her features into an expression of beatific innocence. ‘Just being helpful.’
*
Amelia had never been more pleased to see a front door than she had that of The Cedars that morning. As beautiful as she’d discovered Buttersley to be, and as friendly as its residents appeared – everyone she’d passed bidding her good morning or uttering some pleasantry about the weather – all she wanted to do was bury herself under the duvet and bawl her eyes out. Of course she knew she was being pathetic. There were millions of people in the world a thousand times worse off than her. She had her health, plenty of money, an impressive set of qualifications, and, despite his peripheral role in her life, she had Doug – sort of. But despite all of that, she still wanted nothing more at that moment than a good old blub.
Slipping her key into the lock, she pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately releasing Pip from his lead. He trotted off in the direction of the kitchen, while Amelia closed the door and leaned her back against it. At last. At last she could give in to the tsunami of emotions that had swamped her just hearing Doug’s voice. Closing her eyes, the first of what she assumed would be many tears had just rolled down her cheek, when she heard a noise. From the kitchen. A noise that sounded suspiciously like Thomas giggling. Swiping away the tear, she straightened up, drew in a deep breath, then followed the path Pip had just taken.
‘Oh. Ella. Hello,’ she said, upon discovering last night’s babysitter at the table with Thomas. ‘I, er, wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.’
The hopeful look on Ella’s face was replaced by one of disappointment. ‘Oh. Hi, Amelia. I, er, thought you might be Jake. Annie said he’d be back soon. He’s nipped into Harrogate.’
‘Oh. Right,’ mumbled Amelia, completely disconcerted by the girl’s presence. What on earth was she doing here? Evidently sensing her bewilderment, Ella launched into an explanation.
‘I collected Thomas from nursery. The heating’s broken. Annie has a lot on today, so it was easier for me to go.’
Amelia nodded. Typical. Just when she’d been desperate for some time on her own. Well, she couldn’t just stand there like a numpty. She’d have to say something. ‘Would you, er, like a cup of coffee?’ The second the words departed her mouth she regretted them. She stared at Ella, desperately hoping she’d say no.
‘Great. Thanks,’ bounced back the beaming reply.
*
Ella hadn’t been lying when she’d told Dan she wanted to help Annie. She really did want to help Annie. She was one of the most amazing women Ella had ever met – funny, pretty, clever, down to earth, and the way she juggled her family life with running both the tearoom and a party-planning business was nothing short of miraculous.
That aside, though, Ella still could have kissed every pipe, knob and dial on the boiler at Thomas’s nursery for breaking down. As soon as Annie had accepted her offer of picking up Thomas, she’d bundled herself up in her coat and scarf and scurried off down the road. A fortunate consequence of her obsession with J
ake was that she really did love his and Annie’s kids. Not only were they great fun, but they were both very bright too. And, thankfully, they seemed to like her.
‘Yay! Ella!’ Thomas gushed the moment he spotted her.
‘Oh,’ said Ella, feigning confusion. ‘I’m sorry. I was looking for Thomas O’Donnell, not Darth Vader.’
‘It’s me, silly,’ giggled Thomas, tugging off his mask.
Ella pressed a hand to her chest in mock surprise. ‘Goodness. I thought Mr Vader had come to whip me off into space.’
Thomas gurgled with laughter.
‘Anyway, I hear you have gremlins in the boiler,’ she said. ‘Should we go home where it’s nice and warm, and wait for Daddy?’
Thomas appeared to give the matter some thought, before asking, ‘Can we dress Pip up as Godzilla?’
Ella laughed. ‘We can certainly try.’
Arriving back at The Cedars – via the village green so Thomas could show his toy Gruffalo the ducks – Ella unwrapped him from his coat, hat and gloves, then settled him at the table with a cup of juice and the means to draw Godzilla. She then nipped to the downstairs loo for a quick freshen up. She redid her high ponytail – thanking God she’d taken the time to straighten her hair that morning – and swiped on a fresh coat of eyeliner and lip gloss.
Of course she knew it was wrong – preening herself for another woman’s husband, just as she’d known it was wrong flaunting her assets in her new push-up bra the evening before. But that was because Jake O’Donnell was the first member of the male species ever to take an interest in her. And, for some not-so-very-hard-to-comprehend reason, it was an interest she desperately wanted to cultivate – on every level …
About a month into her babysitting role, Jake had offered Ella a lift home. It had been the first time she’d babysat when he’d actually been there – one of what she now referred to as those special nights. That fact alone had been enough to render her a bag of jittering nerves, but accepting his offer had proved a delicious revelation.
The moment she’d clambered into his jeep, legs aquiver, heart hammering, she’d almost toppled out again because, combined with the smell of the beige leather upholstery, was the intoxicating scent of the man himself. But that, plus his warm, solid body being merely inches away from hers hadn’t been the best of it.
‘So, how are you enjoying working at the tearoom?’ he’d asked, as they’d headed down The Cedars’s narrow drive.
‘I love it,’ Ella had replied, determined to maintain her composure and not come across like a babbling adolescent. ‘It’s hard work but the days fly by and you meet some really interesting people.’
‘I bet you do,’ he’d chuckled. ‘With all the different courses going on there, I can imagine there’ll be lots of characters.’
Ella had giggled. ‘All I’ll say is that you wouldn’t believe some of the conversations I overhear.’
‘Great material for a book, that kind of stuff, you know. You should write it all down.’
Ella could scarcely believe what she’d just heard. Blimey! Not only did this man make her ache with physical longing, but they were obviously on the same mental wavelength too.
‘I have been,’ she blurted out. Then, flooding with embarrassment, ‘Oh God! Please pretend I didn’t tell you that.’
To her amazement, he hadn’t laughed. Pulling up at a junction, he’d turned to look at her. ‘Of course I won’t. But between you and me, I do that all the time.’
Ella’s eyes had grown wide. ‘Really? Because I feel like I’m prying. Doing something I shouldn’t. Betraying the Data Protection Act.’
He’d laughed at that. ‘Believe me, if you ask any writer, we’d all be pulled up on the same charge.’ Swinging the car onto the adjoining road, his tone had turned serious again. ‘So what are you intending to do with all those juicy nuggets? Have you thought about writing a book?’
Ella had thought about it. Not that she’d mentioned it to another living soul. She wouldn’t dare. Her family would think she was off in yet another dream world, and her friends would laugh.
‘Annie said you were taking a year out from education,’ Jake continued. ‘Any plans when the time’s up?’
Ugh! Ella’s initial euphoria at having the man all to herself was rapidly diminishing. Now, added to just about everyone else she knew, he’d think she was a total loser too. ‘I was, er, thinking about journalism,’ she mumbled, ‘but I didn’t get the grades.’
‘You could always resit.’
Like she hadn’t considered that already. It had been the first thing her parents had suggested. But the thought of another year of studying only to come out with the same – or worse – grades, was one she couldn’t begin to contemplate.
‘Sorry if I’m harping on a bit,’ Jake had apologised. ‘But I know how difficult it can be when you’re trying to sort out what to do with the rest of your life. Believe me. I’ve been there a couple of times. All I’ll say is, if you do want any help – with writing or anything else – you know where I am.’
Ella’s head had reeled for days following that conversation. Jake O’Donnell – exalted author and the man who’d inspired feelings in her she’d never before experienced – was interested in her, in her future. At precisely the same time everyone else in her life had written her off: parents deeming her only fit for menial paper-pushing; siblings looking on her as the family joke; and friends, now occupied with their new university lives, who’d all but forgotten the dunce who’d stayed at home. Yet, in spite of all of that, Jake O’Donnell appeared to have some faith in her – believed she still had a chance to make something of her life.
Of course, it could be argued that it was because he scarcely knew her. But Ella didn’t think so. It wasn’t fair that she’d been assigned to the scrapheap because of three stupid exam results. She’d lost her way slightly, that was all. And maybe Jake O’Donnell would be the one to help her find it again.
Back in The Cedars’s dream kitchen, her eyes continually wandered to the huge railway clock on the wall. Almost an hour had passed since she’d left the tearoom, meaning Jake should be back any time now. Her nerves increasing with every passing second, she almost toppled off the bench when she heard someone coming down the hall. But it wasn’t Jake. First Pip trotted in, then Annie’s sister, Amelia. Despite her best efforts, Ella could scarcely hide her disappointment. Then, to her complete surprise, Amelia offered her a cup of coffee. Aware she really should have been heading back to the tearoom, Ella heard herself replying, ‘Great. Thanks.’ Purely because she’d set her heart on seeing Jake, not because she had any desire to spend time with Amelia. Just like Ella’s own sister, Honor, who was at university studying medicine, Annie’s sister evidently belonged to that privileged group of the clever and beautiful. Unlike the decidedly-average-at-all-things troupe to which Ella had been consigned.
The visitor did, however, seem a little distracted to Ella, who, despite a valiant attempt, was struggling to make polite conversation. Thankfully, her discomfiture didn’t last long. She’d just supped the last of her coffee and concluded that she really should head back to the manor, when Jake arrived, looking, she thought, like a sexy James Bond villain, in his black leather jacket and beanie hat.
‘Well, hello, everybody,’ he said, as Thomas leapt up from the bench at the table and launched himself at his father. ‘What’s this I hear about the heating at nursery, young man?’
‘Bwoken,’ Thomas informed him solemnly.
‘Well, that’s not good,’ said Jake, scooping up his son. ‘And have we said thank you to Ella for picking you up?’
Thomas turned huge dark eyes to Ella. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘It was no trouble, honestly,’ chuckled Ella.
‘Well, we really appreciate it,’ said Jake. ‘And it wouldn’t have been fair to ask poor Amelia here to pick him up. We have to let her acclimatise a bit first. Let the fact that she’s staying in a mad house sink in, before we put her on the payr
oll.’
Ella giggled. Amelia gave a fleeting smile.
‘Anyway, I think the least we can do is offer you a lift back up to the manor,’ Jake continued.
Ella’s stomach began to fizzle. ‘I really don’t mind walking back.’ And she really wouldn’t have, had the alternative not been spending time alone with Jake in the car.
‘Don’t be silly. It’s freezing out there. I wouldn’t be surprised if it snowed later. You’ll be okay with Thomas for a few minutes while I run Ella back up to the tearoom, won’t you, Amelia?’
‘Oh. Yes. Of course.’
‘Right then.’ Jake set his son back on the ground. ‘Why don’t you show Aunty Amelia your Peppa Pig book, and when I get back we’ll make some more bread.’
‘Deal,’ said Thomas, high-fiving his father.
Jake laughed before turning his attention back to Ella. ‘Ready then?’
‘Absolutely,’ she replied, rising to her feet. For anything!
‘Thanks again for picking up Thomas,’ Jake said, the moment they were in the jeep and had closed the doors. ‘I don’t know what we’d do without you lately.’
Pride swelled in Ella’s chest. ‘Oh, I’m sure you’d manage,’ she replied, trying desperately not to grin.
Jake started up the car and swung it around before heading down the drive. ‘So, how’s the book coming along?’
Ella quailed inwardly. In the privacy of her bedroom, she’d actually cobbled together three chapters. But they were pants. Certainly not worthy of being pushed under a guru like Jake’s eyes. ‘I’m, er, still planning it,’ she said instead.
Jake chuckled. ‘Oh yes. That wonderful stage where you have no idea where it’s going. I always find that stage very daunting and fraught with self-doubt.’
Ella bit back a gasp. God! It was like this man could somehow read her mind – like they were kindred spirits.
‘That’s exactly the way I’m feeling about it,’ she confessed.
‘An author in the making then. Definitely,’ Jake chuckled as he pulled the car out onto the main road.