Snowflakes at Lavender Bay

by Sarah Bennett

  His eyes alighted on a Land Rover more abandoned than parked on a patch of rough grass at the back of the car park. ‘Don’t play me for a fool, Libby. The moment Sam and Beth appeared you backed away like a scalded cat. How do you think it makes me feel when my girlfriend won’t allow me to comfort her in public?’

  She froze in the action of dragging a hand through her hair, wild strands of pink and yellow spilling every which way. ‘Girlfriend?’ She sounded stunned, as though he’d said something outrageous.

  ‘Well, what the hell else is this?’ He gestured wildly between them. ‘Come on, we’ve been spending every free moment with each other for weeks now.’ Frustrated at her seeming shock, Owen marched towards the black four-by-four, activated the central locking and yanked open the driver’s door.

  She mirrored his action on the passenger side, their eyes meeting over the central console. ‘You…you never said anything.’ The confusion in her tone matched the furrow on her brow.

  ‘I didn’t think I needed to, I thought it was obvious.’ Owen hesitated. What if he’d read it all wrong and Libby really didn’t want anything more serious than a fling? ‘But maybe we’re not on the same page at all.’

  ‘I’m not sure we’re even reading the same book.’ Releasing the door, she wrapped her arms around her waist. ‘I don’t know what you want.’ Her voice had dropped to barely a whisper.

  With a sigh, Owen slid into his seat then reached out a hand to help Libby do the same. ‘I want to be with you, and not just when we can sneak away and be alone. I don’t want to hide how I feel about you from the others.’

  She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment before taking it. ‘I don’t want to hide it either, not really, but it’s easier for you.’

  Starting the car, he braced a hand behind her seat as he half-turned and began to reverse the car out of its awkward position. It was only once he’d manoeuvred them out of the car park that he picked up the conversation. ‘How do you mean, it’s easier for me?’

  He caught her shrug out of the corner of his eye as he looked for a space to join the flow of traffic on the main road. ‘Libby?’ Facing towards her side window she muttered something into the hand supporting her head.

  ‘What was that?’

  With a huff, she turned to face him. ‘I said that you won’t be the one picking up the pieces.’

  Thoroughly confused, he steered the car to the kerb and stopped. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

  She threw her hands up. ‘Oh, come on, Owen. Once you’ve finished whatever it is you’re doing down here in the bay, you’ll be back off to London and I’ll be the one left behind having to face everyone.’

  Realisation dawned. ‘You think I’m just going to up and leave you once I’ve concluded my business here?’

  ‘What else am I supposed to think? You turn up out of nowhere and barge your way into my life being all sexy and annoying and completely impossible. I still don’t know anything about you other than your name and a few snippets of tragic backstory, yet I’m supposed to somehow interpret that as you being willing to make a romantic commitment to me?’

  Women and their desperate need to uncover every little secret! ‘You’re being ridiculous. I’ve told you more about myself than I have anyone else. What burning questions do you still have?’

  ‘Where the hell do I start? You’ve not said one word about trying to find your mum since you first mentioned her, not even a name. I know I said you didn’t have to talk about it, but I hoped you’d trust me enough to let me support you. Are you even still looking for her?’ Libby drew in a ragged breath. ‘And what happens after the restaurant refurbishment is finished and you’ve got no excuse to keep coming down here every weekend? You can’t tell me you’ll be schlepping up and down on the train every week just to see me. I like you Owen, I really like you and I’m terrified you’re going to break my heart.’

  Something inside him broke, words spilling out without thought to their consequences. ‘Her name’s Deborah Mary Blackmore and I haven’t looked for her because I’m fucking terrified about it. What if she doesn’t want me, Libby? What the hell do I do then? I’ve been convincing myself that owning a property here is enough for now, that it’s still making a connection to my roots.’

  Chest heaving, he grabbed the steering wheel as he battled to get himself back under control. When he could speak without shouting, he started again. ‘When Beth wouldn’t sell me the emporium I left in the spring thinking to put this place behind me, and for a few weeks everything was fine. Then out of the blue I got a call from someone offering me a second chance to invest so I came back and then everything started to snowball. The restaurant, getting to know the others, connecting with you. Before I knew where I was, I felt like I had everything I’d been looking for. If I find Deborah and she doesn’t want me, I don’t see how on earth I can stay here. And then what will I do about you? Your life is here, your future is here, how could I ask you to leave all that behind for a man that no one else in the world has ever wanted?’

  ‘Oh, Owen.’ He heard the snick of her belt unfastening and then she was tugging his hand free from the wheel, so she could clamber across his lap to face him. Gripping his cheeks with her palms, she forced him to meet the shocking azure of her gaze. ‘You have to stop trying to deal with all this on your own. If you find Deborah and she doesn’t want you in her life, she’s a damn fool.’ She shook him gently. ‘You’re a good man, Owen. Maybe no one else has bothered to tell you that before, but it’s true and I’m here to remind you any time you need it. As for the rest, we can work it out as long as we have each other. Tell me I have you.’

  Owen had no clue what he’d ever done to deserve this gift of a woman. Maybe she was the universe’s way of trying to balance things out. ‘You do, I swear it, Libby. For as long as you want me, I’m yours.’

  Her mouth found his, her hands hooked around his neck pulling him closer until the auto-lock mechanism on his belt stopped him. One hand fumbling to undo it, he buried the other one in her hair, tilting her head to find the perfect angle as he took control of their kiss.

  A loud beep shocked them both, and they broke apart. ‘What the hell?’

  Looking sheepish, Libby shifted in his lap. ‘I accidentally leaned back against the horn.’ She started to giggle, her body shaking against his causing all sorts of pleasant sensations to ripple through him.

  ‘Come here.’ He reached for her, intent on picking up where they’d left off, when someone knocked on the window next to his head.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Libby shrieked, and the car horn blared once more, none of which impressed the police officer staring at the two of them. He pointed at the panel on the door and Owen pressed the button to open the window.

  ‘Hello, Officer.’

  ‘Good afternoon, sir. Are you aware you’re parked in a drop-off zone?’

  Oh, shit. Owen mustered up his best smile and tried to pretend there wasn’t a woman straddling his lap. ‘Sorry about that, we were having an argument and I didn’t want to drive while distracted.’

  Stoney-faced, the police officer looked from him to Libby and back again. ‘Well, it seems you’ve patched things up, so might I suggest you continue the rest of your…discussion elsewhere?’

  ‘Yes. Of course. Again, I’m very sorry.’ Owen tried to edge a giggling Libby off his lap, wincing as her foot caught a particularly delicate part of his anatomy. ‘Oof. Right, we’ll be on our way.’

  ‘Very good, sir.’ Christ, did they teach all cops to have a face liked a smacked arse? The officer continued to stare at him, and Owen wondered what else he wanted.

  ‘We’ll be off then,’ he said again, reaching for the ignition.

  The officer cleared his throat loudly. ‘Forgetting something, sir?’ He nodded downwards. ‘It’s been an offence to drive without wearing a seat belt since 1983. Let’s not add that to a public display of lewd behaviour.’

  ‘No, no of course not. Thank you.’ With
a quick action, he fastened his belt then started the engine. The road was thankfully clear enabling him to pull away from the kerb before the cop found something else to accuse him of. ‘Jesus, that might have been the most humiliating experience of my life.’

  A choked sound came from beside him and he risked a quick glance over. Tears were streaming down Libby’s face as she clutched her sides. ‘Lewd behaviour?’ She giggle-snorted.

  He felt a laugh bubbling in his chest. ‘Look, I know I wanted us to go public, but there has to be a better way to do it than getting ourselves arrested.’

  Chapter 14

  Within half an hour of arriving at the farm, Owen had Jack’s mum, Sally, eating out of the palm of his hand. Clearly worried about her grandson, the arrival of some practical as well as moral support had her smiling and laughing as Owen lavished her with effortless charm and good humour. After a quick briefing on the most immediate tasks, Owen had disappeared off to the processing shed to supervise and assist with the unloading of the lavender harvested by the team of local volunteers from surrounding farms. Libby found herself in a beautiful farmhouse kitchen helping Sally pull together an evening meal for the workers. Any worry that she might be intruding had been dispelled within the first few minutes of them arriving with the Land Rover. For all she must be desperately worried about her grandson, Jack’s mum had such a warm way about her that Libby soon felt like she’d known her forever.

  To combat the heat from the Aga, they’d opened the back door and the windows above the double sink unit. Pretty lace curtains fluttered in the breeze, giving the impression of cooler air coming in at least. Positioned before a wide wooden chopping block, Libby surveyed four still-warm crusty loaves. ‘Do you want me to slice all this bread, Mrs Gilbert?’

  Sally looked over from the other side of the sinks where she was preparing a large green salad. ‘Save one for now, my dear, and we’ll see how we get on. There’s a basket in the cupboard underneath that you can use. Just pop a tea towel over it.’

  They pottered around for the next half an hour, laying the table, checking there were plenty of cold drinks stacked in the fridge to soothe parched and dusty throats. Libby did her best to keep up a stream of easy chatter, asking questions about the farm and complimenting the kitchen. The latter wasn’t difficult as she was half in love with the spacious room with its sturdy pine furniture and terracotta tiled floor. There was a warm, homely feel to it—exactly the kind of look she wanted to recreate when it came to her plans for the teashop. How nice for people to feel like they were wandering into a friend’s kitchen rather than a shop. ‘Do you think I could take a few photos of your kitchen, Mrs G?’

  Sally glanced over her shoulder from her position before the Aga. ‘Whatever for?’

  ‘I don’t know if Jack told you, but my dad and I run the chip shop on the prom?’ When Sally nodded, she continued. ‘I’ve set my heart on turning it into teashop one day and I’d like to capture something of the fantastic, homely feel of your kitchen in the design.’

  ‘Well, that’s a lovely thing to say, you snap away, dear.’

  Libby had just put her phone away when deep voices and laughter came from the rear yard and Owen appeared at the head of the workers from the shed. Sally shooed them straight back into the yard, clothes brush in hand, and made them brush the worst of the dust and lavender heads from their clothing before they were allowed into the kitchen. A neat row of boots soon lined the little utility room between the back door and the kitchen, and hands and faces were rinsed in the large sink out there. ‘Are you going to inspect our nails, Sal?’ one of the men said with a grin as he held out his hands to show her.

  ‘Sit yourself down and behave before I decide not to feed you!’ With a flap of the tea towel she’d had draped over one shoulder, Sally herded the workers towards the long kitchen table.

  Slipping into the chair beside Owen when he patted the seat, Libby reached out to wipe a streak of dust he’d missed from his cheek. ‘How did you get on?’

  He captured her hand and pressed a quick kiss to the palm. ‘Great. These guys knew what they were doing and were very tolerant as I bumbled around trying not to get in the way.’ His self-deprecating comment hit the perfect tone with the others.

  ‘For a city boy, he did all right. Not afraid to get his hands dirty,’ the man opposite said as he offered the salad bowl across the table to them.

  Owen grinned. ‘I’m not that long off the building site myself. I know all about getting dirty for a living.’

  ‘Mind your backs.’ Sally placed a huge ceramic dish filled with bubbling lasagne in the centre of the table to a chorus of cheers and compliments.

  The aroma of melted cheese and rich tomato sauce filled the air, setting Libby’s stomach rumbling. ‘This looks fantastic, thank you, Mrs G.’

  ‘Dig in.’ Sally was halfway into her seat at the end of the table when her phone rang. ‘Excuse me for a moment.’

  With one ear to the conversation around the table, Libby kept an eye on the back door through which Sally had disappeared to take her call. When she didn’t return after a few minutes, Libby nudged Owen and indicated she was going to check on her. He nodded, then redoubled his efforts to engage everyone at the table in the conversation to keep them distracted.

  Libby was a couple of steps from the back yard when the sound of soft sobs reached her. Hurrying out, she placed a gentle hand on Sally’s arm. ‘Mrs G?’

  Turning, Sally smiled at her through her tears. ‘Oh, don’t mind me, dear, I’m just being silly. Jack said Noah’s going to be okay, but he’s staying in overnight. I know Jack can handle everything, but I hate that I’m not there for them.’

  Taking her hands, Libby gave them a comforting squeeze. ‘You being here holding the fort will be a huge weight off Jack’s mind. Owen’s going to stay with you, so you won’t be on your own.’

  ‘He’s a good boy.’ Sally cupped her cheek. ‘And you’re a good girl. Jack’s lucky to have such lovely friends to rally around.’

  ‘I’d stay too, but I need to get back to give Dad a hand in the shop tonight. I’ll be back first thing, though, to lend a hand wherever I can.’ If Jack and Noah were staying overnight, they’d need some stuff. ‘Come back and eat, and then maybe you could put a few things in a bag for Jack and Noah? Owen’s going to drop me back off in town, so we could swing past the hospital first.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right, I should’ve thought of that. I don’t know what’s the matter with me.’

  Libby hooked her arm around Sally’s shoulder. ‘You’ve had a horrible shock, so it’s not surprising if you’re not thinking quite straight. Come on, let’s go and grab some of that gorgeous lasagne before that pack of beasts in there scoff it all.’

  Though she wouldn’t have wished the circumstances which brought it about, Libby enjoyed the next couple of days helping out at the lavender farm. Noah’s accident had really spooked Jack, and Eliza was determined to show him that he didn’t have to manage everything alone. Libby had been happy to be roped in along with the rest of the gang. Spending time with her friends was never a hardship and she found the process of extracting the essential oil from the delicate purple flowers fascinating. Sally was patient and knowledgeable, and once her grandson was back home proudly displaying the cast on his arm to lots of attention, she visibly relaxed. Even Libby’s dad got in on the action—pitching up with fish and chips for everyone and staying to lend a hand. Glancing across, she couldn’t help but smile at the look of intense concentration on his face as he made sure the labels he was sticking to the bottles of oil were positioned exactly right.

  Turning her attention back to her own task—she and Beth were helping Sally to decant the oil into the bottles—Libby lost herself in the rhythm of the mini production line they’d set up. So absorbed was she in measuring out the exact amount, she missed Owen’s approach in among the general cacophony of chatter and music from a radio blasting out by the door. The sudden press of his arm around her waist made
her jump, and a little shriek escaped her. ‘You scared the life out of me!’ she exclaimed, trying to wriggle away as he aimed a kiss to her lips. When he didn’t release her, she leaned closer and whispered, ‘Not here.’

  It wasn’t that she wanted to hide things between them anymore, but she’d never been one for big public displays of affection, and the pointed looks and grins both Beth and Eliza aimed at her any time Owen came anywhere near her set her face burning with embarrassment. Some of the light fell from Owen’s eyes, and she reached up to pluck a stray sprig of lavender from the shoulder of his T-shirt and turned it into a soothing caress of apology. It wasn’t his fault she’d made such a big deal about hating him to her friends. The humble pie was hers to eat, not his. Popping up on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his ear. ‘You, me and a bottle of wine at the hut tonight.’

  Mischief and delight glowed in his smile, sending her heart fluttering. ‘You’ve got yourself a date, Miss Stone.’

  ‘Oi, stop your slacking and get back to work!’ Sam’s laughing yell drew all eyes to them and Libby made a concerted effort not to duck her head when Owen brushed a kiss over her lips.

  ‘Just taking a little refreshment break, keep your hair on.’ There was a distinct strut to his step as Owen headed back to where he, Sam and Jack had been taking it in turns to fork the huge pile of lavender into the processing vat.

  ‘We need to talk,’ Beth said, nudging Libby in the ribs.

  ‘Oh, yes we certainly do,’ Eliza added from the opposite side of the table where she was stacking the completed bottles into boxes ready for transportation to the wholesaler.

  They both looked as delighted for her as Libby felt, so although there would be some merciless teasing, she could tell they were on her side. Warmth suffused her. There’d never been a time when the three of them had all been content in their relationships; how nice it would be to gossip together without one of them—and it had usually been her—feeling left out. It felt like a real turning point, a maturing for all of them. Beth and Eliza were taking charge of their lives and building their own businesses, and she’d be able to join them in that too one of these days.