‘Hi,’ she said, her cheeks bunching into a smile.
‘Hey,’ Mason said. ‘You look like you could do with some help.’
She thought she might have nodded, but she was transfixed, unable to look away from him. He had a tiny, white petal stuck in his hair, and she imagined it drifting lazily through the summer breeze to land there, while he was at the helm of The Sandpiper, cruising on his way back to Willowbeck.
Mason glanced behind him, then gave her a nervous smile.
‘Summer? The queue …’ He pointed outside, and Summer forced herself to look at the row of people waiting at the hatch.
‘Help would be amazing, thank you.’
‘Right.’ Mason nodded decisively, and started clearing up tables.
Summer blinked. Her heart was thudding so loudly that she couldn’t hear anything else. She wiped her hands down her apron and smiled at the young boy who was peering in at the hatch, wondering if she looked slightly hysterical.
‘What can I get you?’ she asked him, and concentrated hard on the answer, wishing she could turn round and look at Mason again. She could hear him chatting with people, could hear Latte’s adoring barks and wondered where Archie was, whether The Sandpiper was back in its rightful place or if an opportunistic festivalgoer had snuck into his residential mooring. But she knew that she needed to concentrate on serving the queue, which would be both easier and harder now that Mason was on board.
They worked together, Summer serving at the hatch and making hot drinks, Mason plating up scones and muffins, macarons and miniature praline and coffee tarts, clearing tables, loading and unloading the dishwasher. There was no time for chat and Summer was glad, because she needed to speak to him properly, once everyone had gone and the café was closed. But their eyes kept meeting across the tables and though their smiles were hesitant, Summer found that Mason’s gaze was as penetrating as ever, his dark eyes latching onto hers and holding her captive.
With him there, Summer felt invincible. Lunch passed, people came and went, and Summer kept serving and chatting, her confidence sky-high with Mason at her side. He must have forgiven her, she thought as she served two cream teas, or he wouldn’t have come back. He wouldn’t be here, helping her, if he didn’t think there was anything to talk about.
She thought she would be counting the seconds, willing the clock hands to find six o’clock, but it came around so quickly, with a quick blast from Water Music, followed by an announcement through a loudspeaker that Summer didn’t realize Claire had.
‘The roving trader boats are now closed,’ she called, ‘but The Black Swan is serving food and drinks all evening and we’re delighted to announce that, at seven-thirty, acclaimed band Swordfish will be making their way to the stage. Thank you so much for coming to the inaugural Willowbeck music festival. We hope you’ve had a good time – we’ve all had a blast.’ The horn sounded again and a round of applause and cheers went up from the people on the boats, the towpath and the pub garden.
Summer waved goodbye to the last of the customers and walked to the bow deck, closing and locking the door while Mason shut the hatch. Latte jumped up onto a table and barked at Mason, her tail wagging madly.
Summer turned and leaned against the door, butterflies dancing in her stomach. Mason rested his elbows on the counter, and Summer was drawn to his tanned arms and strong hands as he picked up the carved wooden sun.
‘You got another one,’ he said, holding it close to his face and turning it over.
‘I did,’ she said, walking slowly towards him. ‘The day you left. The day after I – I stormed off your boat.’ She forced herself to hold his gaze, and saw a flicker of pain cloud his features, before disappearing. ‘I’m so sorry, Mason. I’m sorry for what I said, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.’
Mason put the sun back down, and Summer saw his shoulders rise and then fall. ‘Where can we go to talk? It’s a beautiful evening.’
Summer nodded. ‘Come with me,’ she said. ‘And get Archie on the way.’
They crossed Elizabeth Proudfoot’s bridge, against a tide of people making their way towards the stage. Latte and Archie were on leads at their feet, trotting along happily in each other’s company. Summer and Mason walked side by side, Summer’s heart thudding in double-time as they turned left at the end of the bridge, to where the river was quieter and the towpath was surrounded by greenery. As they walked further away from the festival, from the people and the music, Summer’s heart began to settle.
There was a bench ahead of them, just a few wooden slats on top of metal legs, the wood warped and disfigured by time and the damp atmosphere, and Summer stopped in front of it. She brushed a few leaves off and sat down. Mason sat next to her, his body angled slightly towards her, his bare knee, below grey cargo shorts, touching hers. It was cooler beneath their leaf canopy, the light tinged bright green, the sounds of the festival muted.
‘Mason—’
‘Summer, I—’
Summer laughed nervously and shook her head. ‘You go first.’
‘Sure?’
She nodded, realizing that just hearing his voice made something settle inside her, easing her tension. She looked at him as he narrowed his eyes slightly, and chewed down on his bottom lip. She waited, holding her breath.
‘I’m sorry I left,’ he said, ‘the day after you found the compass. It was partly for work, but it – I needed to get away, to have some time by myself, to think.’
‘I’m sorry too,’ she said.
‘What for?’ he asked. ‘For being angry that I had something that belonged to your mum?’
‘For asking about Tania and not waiting to hear your answer, and for leaving the way I did.’
Mason dropped his head and nodded. ‘I thought I’d blown it, that you’d made your mind up and I’d lost my chance. I tried to follow you, to call you, but when I couldn’t get through I thought that was it.’
Summer closed her eyes. ‘I was mad, shocked – I think, about the compass. It took me a while to calm down and then, when I had, you’d gone. But of course I wanted to talk to you – I planned it all out that night, that in the morning I would come bearing an olive branch, but when I woke up you were gone. I tried calling …’
‘I know,’ he said quietly. ‘But by then I didn’t know if I could speak to you. What I would say to you.’ He shook his head. ‘Summer, there’s something I need to tell you, about why I ended up on The Sandpiper in the first place, what led me here.’
Summer inhaled. ‘I know,’ she whispered.
Mason looked at her, his lips parted in surprise. ‘What? How do you know?’
‘Because I saw Dennis. I explained that you’d gone and mentioned the compass and he said – Mason, it wasn’t his fault; I begged him to tell me. He said you probably needed some time to think after everything you’d been through, assuming I already knew. He told me about the compass, how he’d given it to you as payment for some photos. I’m so sorry I accused you of taking it.’
‘He told you about Lisa?’
Summer nodded. ‘He didn’t want to, but I knew there was more to it than just a messy ending with Tania, and so I made him tell me. He said you told him on the drive up to Tivesham, after my break-in?’ She risked putting her hand on his knee. He didn’t seem to notice, but turned towards the river, rubbing his jaw.
Latte and Archie were snuffling in the undergrowth, their tails wagging, and Summer thought how simple it must be to be a dog, and have an uncomplicated friendship like theirs.
‘I’m sorry,’ Summer said again, ‘I should have waited to hear it from you. I’m so, so sorry, Mason, I can’t imagine what it feels like to lose someone you love like that.’
‘The worst thing was, I thought I’d saved her.’ His voice was calm, but Summer could hear the roughness at the edge of his words. ‘I thought, after the panic and fear, after getting away from the flames, the awful heat and the smoke, that we were OK. We got out of the bedroom window, onto the kitchen r
oof. Lisa was in and out of consciousness by then and I had to carry her – drag her – but I thought we’d made it.’
Summer squeezed his knee. Tears stung her eyes, forcing their way out to her cheeks.
‘But then we were on the grass and I could hear the sirens, but she wasn’t breathing. I tried to resuscitate her, and then the paramedics took over and I … Part of it is so clear in my mind, and part of it’s a blur. I spent months going over and over it, trying to make the pictures clear, wondering what I could have done differently.’
‘You did all you could,’ Summer said. ‘I’m sure of that. I know you would have done everything in your power to save her. It was a tragic accident.’
He turned towards her, the pain of reliving it etched on his face. Summer took his hand, blinking away her tears.
‘It’s hard to talk about,’ Mason said, ‘even now. I can’t get over the fact that I survived and she didn’t. I’m not sure I ever will. But I should have told you sooner.’
‘You don’t owe me anything,’ Summer whispered.
‘Not even the truth?’
‘You would have told me, if I’d let you that evening. That perfect evening that I ruined when I flew off the handle.’
‘I had no idea the compass was your mum’s.’
‘I know that now,’ Summer said, ‘but I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I was so relieved to see it, but at the same time it raised a whole load of questions and I couldn’t think straight. With that, and what Claire had told me about Tania, I was confused.’
‘I should have been honest with you that night in Foxburn, when Claire appeared.’ Mason sighed. ‘It wasn’t long after I’d bought The Sandpiper. I’d started to rebuild my life and I was trying, so hard, to move forward. I thought Tania could be part of that, but it was far too soon. I know I treated her badly, but I never meant to. I hadn’t even begun to deal with losing Lisa, and I was finding it hard enough to look after myself, let alone care about anyone else, so I just left. I thought it would be better for both of us. I knew Claire would have been fiercely loyal to her friend, so when I saw her in Foxburn, with you, I panicked. I didn’t want you thinking badly of me.’
Summer squeezed his hand. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ she whispered. It was as she’d imagined, as Harry had suggested once they’d found out about Lisa, and the tragedy Mason had faced. He had never meant to hurt Tania; he had been trying to grasp hold of normality before he was ready. Summer swallowed. ‘I think, now,’ she said, ‘I need to be honest with you.’
Mason sat up, suddenly wary. ‘OK,’ he said, ‘about what?’
Summer sighed. ‘About Mum. About why I feel so guilty, why I’ve struggled to cope with everything, and why I was reluctant to come back to Willowbeck in the first place.’
Summer told Mason about the accusations she’d thrown at her mum on the day of her stroke, about how irresponsible she was, how heartless and selfish, how those were her last words to her. She was comforted by Mason’s hand in hers, the way he tightened his grip but didn’t interrupt her. She told him about finding comfort with Ross, about how that had been a mistake and what it had led to. She took a deep breath and told him how Ross had been manipulating her ever since.
‘Mason,’ she said, ‘he was the one who broke onto my boat.’
‘What?’ Mason let go of her hand. ‘Are you sure? He admitted it?’
‘He did. He said he realizes now it was a bad idea, but …’
Mason shook his head, his jaw clenching. ‘I was jealous of him when I thought you were together. I didn’t like him, but I didn’t realize he could be dangerous. Anything could have happened – you could have confronted him, gone into the water to try and escape – anything.’
‘I know,’ Summer said. ‘But it didn’t. I’m OK, the boat is – everything is.’
‘Are you going to tell the police?’
‘I don’t know. I – I know how wrong it was, but I don’t want to even think about him at the moment, let alone have to face seeing him again. For now, I just want to concentrate on this, on us.’
Mason looked at her, his eyes hard with anger, his chest rising and falling.
Summer took his hand in both of hers. ‘I’m fine, Mason. We don’t have to worry about Ross any more. You’re back in Willowbeck and that’s what I care about the most.’
‘So you forgive me?’
‘For what? What is there to forgive?’
‘For Tania, for disappearing like that?’
‘You needed time,’ Summer said. ‘And I forced you to do that – to confront your feelings, and your fears, again. I should be asking you to forgive me, but I’m not sure I deserve it.’
Mason’s tired, tanned face suddenly broke into a grin, the kind that made Summer feel dizzy with desire. ‘You deserve forgiveness,’ he said. ‘In fact, I think you deserve a lot of things. And this is definitely one of them.’ He leaned in towards her, cupped her face in his hand, and kissed her.
Summer closed her eyes, moved closer to him on the bench, and kissed him back.
Mason’s skin was warm, he smelled of coffee and icing sugar, and he was back in Willowbeck, kissing her, his hand leaving her face and his arms circling her and pulling her against him. It was the resolution she’d been hoping for, and now that it was happening and she was in his arms, Summer realized she could finally let go of her hopes, because they were no longer figments, floating through her mind. Her hopes had become reality, and she thought, as she kissed Mason, felt his strong arms around her and the tickle of his hair against her cheek, that the reality was every bit as good as she’d imagined.
Chapter 5
Summer and Mason walked slowly back towards the bridge, their fingers entwined, and then stopped on it for a moment before making their way towards the festival. Summer could have spent the whole evening on the bench with Mason, getting a bottle of wine and some of the leftover cake, and returning and hiding with him under the tree canopy until dark, but Claire had worked so hard – she couldn’t abandon her on her last night. The sound of the band, Summer assumed Swordfish’s support act, was filling the air. Their music was loud and vibrant, and as she stared up into the blue sky, she wasn’t sure she could imagine a more perfect end to the festival.
The river, sparkling and resplendent with narrowboats, was below them, the garden of The Black Swan was full of people drinking and lazing in the sunshine, and she could hear the shouts, the crowd singing along in front of the stage. For the last night Dennis and Jenny had agreed to let Ralph set up a food stand outside, to help cope with demand, and so while the sandwich boat was closed, the smells of grilling meat drifted up into the air. Summer looked down into the water and thought of Elizabeth, whose ghost was supposed to haunt the bridge, and how she would have found happiness if she hadn’t listened to the rumours that her father had killed Jack, her lover. She leaned into Mason, and he kissed her forehead.
‘OK?’ he asked.
‘Better than OK,’ Summer said. ‘I meant to ask, did you find the cranes?’
‘I did – three pairs of them. The owners of the reserve are ecstatic and I’ve got lots of work ahead of me, documenting their arrival. How did you hear about it?’ He gave her a curious look.
‘Norman,’ Summer said, laughing. ‘He overheard you knocking on my door that night. The next day I took him some cake and he said you were off chasing cranes, but you’d be back. He was trying to reassure me. He’s really lovely when he’s prepared to talk to you.’
‘How did Norman know about the cranes?’
‘His iPad. I guess he looked at the reserve website.’
‘Wonders will never cease,’ Mason said. ‘Should we take Archie and Latte back? I’m not sure two errant dogs would go down well in that crowd and I don’t want to risk them getting trampled.’
‘Sure, but I want to remind you that only one of our dogs is badly behaved.’
‘Oh, give it time,’ Mason said. ‘I’m sure Latte will come round to Archie’s wa
y of thinking.’
‘Well, I’d put money on Archie mellowing, now that we’re—’ She stopped, finding Mason’s eyes with her own, unsure what to say.
‘Together?’ Mason asked. ‘Is that what you were going to say?’
Summer nodded, feeling the unhelpful flap of butterflies in her stomach.
‘Why didn’t you say it?’
‘I wasn’t sure if I should.’
‘Be sure, Summer,’ he said, kissing her. ‘I am.’
They left Latte and Archie on board Summer’s boat, with the windows open and bowls of dog food and water, and then made their way up the side of The Black Swan and into the crowd, just as the support act finished. Holding tightly onto Mason’s hand, Summer wove through the throngs of people, looking for Claire or Ryder or Jas, and eventually found Ralph’s food stand at the back of the area, a queue snaking into the trees.
‘Summer!’ Claire called, ‘there you are! We thought you’d got lost.’
Summer went to meet her friend, pulling Mason with her.
Claire and Mason eyed each other for a moment, and then Mason held his hand out. ‘Oh come here,’ Claire said, pulling Mason towards her and giving him a tight squeeze.
‘Claire, hi,’ Mason said, struggling for breath.
‘Good to see you’ve morphed into a proper liveaboard,’ she said, after she’d let him go.
‘What do you mean? I’ve been on my boat for years.’
‘I mean this,’ Claire said, pulling his T-shirt. ‘You’ve lost that neatness you had back then. You’re looking properly scruffy.’
Mason looked affronted. ‘I’m not scruffy.’
‘When was the last time you had a haircut?’
Mason opened his mouth, and then turned to Summer in exasperation.
Summer laughed. ‘I like him just like this, all tousled and dishevelled.’ She pulled at one of his curls, and it sprang back into place.
‘Oh yeah?’ Claire raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, I’m very happy for you. And glad you made it back in time for the grand finale.’
‘This is pretty amazing,’ Mason admitted, glancing around him. ‘I can barely believe we’re still in Willowbeck.’
Canal Boat Cafe (4) - Land Ahoy Page 7
