Spring on the Little Cornish Isles: Flower Farm

by Phillipa Ashley

  Jess scanned the crowds. Some were pushing their boats towards the water ready to row to the start line.

  ‘Damn. Will wanted to do this so much, even though …’ She was about to say, we’ll be thrashed … ‘Oh, God, no.’

  Adam was kissing Emmy on the cheek. She looked excited but Keri looked confused. Will slapped Adam on the back.

  ‘What?’ asked Luca.

  ‘I think Adam’s actually agreed.’

  ‘You’re joking.’

  ‘I wish I was. I really do. Bloody bloody men.’

  ‘All of them?’ Luca pulled her to him. ‘Don’t answer that.’ Before she could stop him, he kissed her. A wonderful passionate kiss but one she’d have preferred to happen in private and not under the eyes of scores of rowers and half the island. Not under the eyes of Adam, who couldn’t possibly have failed to see it.

  Jess broke away. ‘We both have to get to our boats,’ she muttered, confused and angry, with Will, with Luca and with Adam – and herself for still giving a toss what Adam thought.

  ‘Good luck!’ he called. ‘See you after the race.’

  Jess didn’t reply, but ran to the boat as the water seethed and splashed with gigs and rowers rushing to the start.

  *

  Adam had disappeared temporarily – presumably to borrow some rowing kit – as Will jogged back to the boat.

  Jess grabbed him. ‘What have you done?’

  ‘It’s either that or we quit,’ he said brusquely.

  She dug her fingers in deeper. ‘Then we’ll have to quit.’

  ‘We can’t do that. You don’t have to even look at him, let alone speak to him.’

  ‘Then I’m not rowing. You’ll have to find another woman for the boat.’

  He gasped. ‘At twenty minutes’ notice? Don’t be daft.’

  ‘I’m not being “daft”. It’s you that’s being silly, putting me and Adam in the same boat.’

  ‘If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t, but please, can you put up with him for this race and then I promise that will be it. There’s no chance of us winning anyway so you won’t have to step up and get a trophy with him and I doubt very much if he’ll join us at the pub, do you?’ Will said in a gentler tone.

  Jess knew she was overreacting. She also knew that Adam being in their boat might give rise to speculation. She glanced over to the quayside where Keri was handing an ice cream to Emmy. The little girl took it carefully, a huge smile on her face. Jess saw that Luca was deep in conversation with his team. No one was taking any notice of her or Adam.

  ‘OK, but only because it means so much to you and everyone else. I’m sorry for lashing out at you.’

  ‘It’s fine and I am sorry it had to be him. Now, I have to go and see how the team are. Adam’s borrowing some stuff from a mate. He’ll be here any second.’

  Jess said nothing. ‘Gaby’s wetting herself with nerves. You should have a word with her.’

  ‘She’ll be OK.’

  ‘She’s only doing it for you.’

  ‘If I believed that then I’d pull us out of the race myself. But she’s done well to get this far.’

  ‘Better than you expected?’

  ‘No. I always expected her to make it through. After the way she’s fitted in here, I’ve learned not to underestimate her.’

  It was the frankest admission Jess had heard about Gaby. ‘Will. Be careful …’ she said.

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean and anyway being careful never got anyone anywhere, did it? We’d never have stuck with the farm. You’d never have taken a chance on Luca. Forget it now, we have to push off.’

  There was mayhem as crews climbed into their gigs and pushed off from the shore. The loudspeakers blared out announcements and, on the quay, Emmy danced excitedly. Will herded everyone to their seats and scrambled aboard himself, but Jess lingered on shore as the boat bobbed at the edge of the water. Gaby’s face was white with terror as she gripped her oar. Robbie and Natalia were glancing around them nervously. Len was muttering to Will. Everyone was now ready for the off except her and Adam, who was shin deep, holding the boat steady, and waiting for her to move. They had to leave this instant.

  ‘Jess. For God’s sake, can you get in so Adam can push us off?’ Will bellowed from the boat.

  Snapping out of her trance, Jess splashed into the water, the surf lapping her ankles. She tried not to even glance at Adam in his rowing kit, lean and long-limbed but she couldn’t help but note that even though he’d lost weight, he still had a powerful effect on her. Will roared instructions to the other rowers, warning them about the conditions. Len piled in with helpful comments about how they’d need to row for their lives to be in with a fighting chance. Will tried to calm things down while Jess struggled to scramble on board.

  ‘Careful,’ Adam warned as he held the boat to stop it from bucking in the waves created by the wash of a marshal’s jet boat.

  ‘I don’t need a hand.’

  ‘I know that.’ He lowered his voice, and spoke close to her ear while Will and Len had a heated debate about the course. ‘I didn’t ask for this. I told Will it was a shit idea, but he wouldn’t listen. I should probably have backed out, but he put me in an impossible position.’

  ‘I could have pulled out too when I found out, so we’re quits on that. We’re both doing this because Will’s desperate and we don’t want to let anyone down.’

  Adam hesitated, struggle etched on his features. ‘Look. You told me not to hassle you and I didn’t want to start something I dreaded finishing. I’ve wrestled with this, but there’s something else that I should have told you on the beach. I wanted to tell you …’

  The loudspeakers blared.

  ‘Something else? What do you mean?’ Her heart thudded like mad.

  ‘For fuck’s sake, we have to go now!’ barked Will, switching his attention to them. ‘Get in or we won’t make the start line!’

  Jess finally scrambled in and grabbed her oar. Adam gave the boat a push and jumped into the seat in front of Jess. She hadn’t even rowed to the start yet she felt drained of energy.

  ‘Good luck!’ Luca shouted from the next boat. He blew her a kiss.

  Jess threw him a quick smile that vanished the moment they were off. She started rowing.

  ‘Pull!’ shouted Len. ‘Can we please have everyone actually bloody rowing at the same time!’

  ‘What’s the matter? What don’t I know?’ Jess called down Adam’s ear. She knew she should focus on the race but Adam’s words echoed through her mind.

  ‘Slow!’ Len ordered as they made their way carefully between other crews.

  Adam twisted round for a second. ‘I wanted to tell you before but I didn’t have the courage, but now, seeing you around, I can’t leave you in the dark. When Will asked me to join the crew, I realised it was fate that we’re together in this boat.’

  Jess thought back to her taunt and felt sick. Adam was – used to be – the kindest, bravest man she’d ever known. ‘What do you mean, fate?’

  ‘Right. Let’s at least make the start,’ Len barked, shooting Jess and Adam an evil glare. ‘And can you all please save your breath for the bloody race.’

  They rowed away from the shore. Soon Jess couldn’t speak, as they made their way towards the buoy that marked the start line. But she could think, and only one thought swirled through her mind: what other bombshells did Adam have in store?

  Chapter 28

  By the halfway point of the race, Gaby could barely breathe and her lungs were ready to burst. Every muscle in her arms and legs felt as if it was on fire and yet, incredibly, when they rounded the buoy, St Saviour’s weren’t last. According to Len – who admittedly might have been lying – they were fourth out of eight.

  ‘Pull! Come on! Put your bloody backs into it! Row, you buggers, row!’

  Len had used every swearword Gaby had ever heard and few she hadn’t and she was ready to get out of the boat and strangle him, but with Adam on board, they’d managed to ke
ep in the middle of the pack. Of course, one person alone didn’t make a team, but Adam’s skill, power and timing had rubbed off and everyone else felt they had to step up to the mark.

  Nonetheless, Gaby wanted to stop rowing more than anything else in the world. Spray stung her eyes, people were breathing heavily and grunting, but no one was going to let the boat behind catch them.

  ‘We’re closing the gap on the Gull boat!’ Len screamed.

  Gaby didn’t know where Gull were. She only knew she had to keep going if it killed her. She gritted her teeth and pulled harder.

  ‘Come on!’ shouted Will from the rear. ‘Petroc aren’t that far ahead.’

  Gaby knew that was a lie, but she hadn’t the breath to argue then the boat bucked a little, throwing her off her stroke, but she recovered and pulled with all her might.

  ‘Bit of chop as we round the headland. Come on!’ screamed Len, then burst into a coughing fit. No wonder he’d given up rowing, with the number of fags he smoked, thought Gaby wickedly.

  ‘We can get third!’ Will yelled. ‘We’re almost on Gull. More effort. Bloody come on!’

  Gaby thought she couldn’t pull any harder, but Will and Adam had upped the stroke rate and she had no choice but to ignore the fire tearing through her limbs and try to keep up.

  ‘We’re getting there. We can do this!’

  ‘Len. Shut up!’ shouted Jess.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Natalia screeched.

  ‘What?’ shouted Will.

  Len’s face was purple as he glanced to the side of them. ‘What the fuck is going on … Petroc are heading for St Piran’s. Jesus, what is their cox doing? They’re going to collide.’

  ‘Whaaaa …’ Gaby mouthed but didn’t have the breath to finish the sentence.

  ‘Fucking hell!’ Len shouted. ‘They’re going to crash into each other.’

  ‘My God!’ That was Jess.

  ‘They’ve clashed oars. Great! Don’t you bloody dare slow down. Ye-ess! I think we can win this.’ Len was grinning in delight.

  ‘Nooo. I c-can’t.’ Gaby let out a howl, but it was too late. The stroke rate picked up again and she had to keep up.

  ‘We’re past Gull!’ Will yelled in delight.

  Between gasps, Gaby caught sight of Patrick and his crew alongside them to the right, faces contorted with effort and despair. Seconds later, she spotted the Petroc and St Piran’s boats off to the left-hand side. They’d come to a halt and were almost on top of each other with their crews shouting and swearing. Then they were gone as the Athene sped past, powered by six demented lunatics and an evil despot called Len.

  ‘Row! Row until it kills you!’ he shouted.

  ‘It will!’ said Gaby and wished she hadn’t because speaking meant she’d missed a vital chance to snatch some oxygen.

  ‘Line coming up. Faster. Faster. Gull are closing again.’

  Gaby almost wept as the spray battered her face and her muscles screamed. Then there was a horn blast and cheering and shouting. The boat slowed dramatically and Will was screaming down her ear.

  ‘We bloody did it!’

  Gaby slumped over her oar, gasping for air. Around her, the crew were going nuts, whooping and shouting as she did a goldfish impression.

  ‘You were fantastic!’ Will slapped her on the back and she started coughing.

  ‘Whoa! We won! We actually won!’ Jess cried.

  ‘Course we did. We’re bloody fantastic.’

  ‘Not half bad for novices,’ said Len.

  Gaby supported herself on the oar, wondering if she would make it to shore without throwing up. She managed to glance around to see Will punching the air and Jess with her arms around Adam. He twisted round and hugged her.

  No one else seemed to have noticed, however. Len and Natalia were singing ‘We are the Champions!’ as the Petroc boat limped alongside, looking like it was the end of the world.

  ‘Congratulations!’ Luca called sportingly from his boat, though his smile faded as he caught sight of Jess with her arms around Adam, laughing. Gaby didn’t have time to dwell on them because Len was bawling at them to pick up their oars once more and row back to the shore, before they drifted into any other boats.

  Once they were close enough to the beach, Gaby hauled her aching limbs over the side of the boat and stumbled through the shallows. Jess leapt out of the boat and splashed onto the beach, without speaking.

  ‘Jess. Wait!’ Adam called, dashing round to the other side of the boat to follow her.

  Will pulled him back. ‘Leave her, mate.’

  ‘It’s prob-bably for the b-best,’ said Gaby, whose legs felt decidedly wobbly.

  Adam let out a groan. ‘You don’t know …’ he began. ‘Jesus. What a mess.’

  Will was sheepish. ‘I asked you to row. It’s my fault.’

  Adam’s face was agonised as he saw Jess run towards Luca who was helping to haul the damaged Petroc gig onto the sand. ‘Not the rowing. Everything … I have to go. Emmy and Keri need me. It’s been a long day …’

  Glancing up, Gaby saw Keri and Emmy making their way through the crowds on the quay. Keri waved at him and Emmy broke free of her mum, heading for the slipway and Adam.

  ‘See you,’ said Adam and hurried off towards her.

  Will groaned. ‘Shit. What have I done now? I’m a total idiot.’

  ‘At last. The penny drops,’ said Gaby.

  Will glanced down at her, shook his head and sighed. ‘I’d better go after Jess and apologise for asking Adam.’

  Gaby touched his arm. Will glanced down as she kept her fingers on his skin. His arm was very sweaty, salty and hairy: a heady cocktail that ought to be gross but, perversely, sent a shiver of lust right through her. Besides, she was hardly fresh from the box herself. Her hair had escaped its scrunchie and tendrils were sticking to her face, which was probably as red as a beetroot.

  ‘I was joking about you being an idiot, but you should leave Jess and Luca alone,’ she said. ‘The last thing they need is you sticking your oar in. If you’ll excuse the pun.’

  ‘I’ll excuse anything today.’ He looked at her intently in a way that made her feel deliciously shivery. ‘You gave everything in that boat.’

  The moment was interrupted by Len slapping Will on the back so hard, he almost staggered forward. ‘Come on, skipper, there’s a large pint of Tribute waiting for you.’

  Will nodded, but his eyes lingered on Gaby. ‘I can’t wait,’ he said and she might have been imagining it but she wasn’t at all sure he was referring to the pint.

  Chapter 29

  Jess had been torn between wanting to find Luca and wanting to hear what Adam had to say. However much she wanted to speak to Adam, she owed it to Luca to see how he was doing after the crash. She soon found him talking to Hugo at the edge of the beach. Or rather Hugo was talking at Luca, and ranting about the damage to the Petroc boat, judging by the way his arms were flailing. Luca was holding up his palms and trying to calm Hugo down as the rest of the crews argued over the two boats. The St Piran’s gig had clearly come off worse, from what Jess could see, but the brand new Petroc boat was also scraped all down one side. Splintered oars lay on the sand, but thankfully no one seemed to have been hurt.

  It was obviously a bad time, so she headed away from the shore to calm her mind, but Luca caught up with her.

  ‘Jess. Wait.’

  ‘Are you OK?’ she asked.

  ‘Fine. Everyone’s unscathed apart from bruised egos.’

  ‘I’m glad you’re not hurt. It was a nasty clash and I saw Hugo kicking off about the boat?’

  ‘Yes. The resort sponsored and paid for the boat, which means he’s going to have to foot the bill for the damage.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Jess because she couldn’t think of anything else to say and was bracing herself for the real confrontation to come.

  ‘Sorry? What for? Beating us? It was our fault we ran into St Piran’s. I don’t blame Will for taking advantage of the situation. I’d have don
e the same.’

  He flashed a smile at her but there was no kiss. ‘Congratulations on winning.’

  ‘Thanks. Luca … I have to say this; that thing with Adam you saw. The hug. It happened in the heat of the moment, it didn’t mean anything.’ Jess’s heart sank even as she said the words. ‘You do understand?’

  He shrugged. ‘There’s nothing for me to understand. It’s your life.’

  ‘It was an impulse. A reaction … relief.’

  He smiled knowingly. ‘Why do I think you’re trying to convince yourself here?’

  She fired up. ‘I’m not. It did mean nothing. I’d forgotten what had happened between me and Adam for a few seconds.’

  Luca arched an eyebrow. ‘I have to sort out the damage to the boat with the St Piran’s captain, then let’s find somewhere quieter if possible and talk properly. It’s been a hell of a ride for us all today. Can you give me half an hour to deal with the gig and then meet me in town? By the deli café on Hugh Street?’

  Jess nodded and headed off, scouring the crowds. Adam was no longer on the beach, and she couldn’t see him or Keri and Emmy among the throng. She wandered further along the promenade above the beach but they all seemed to have vanished. Her mind was racing and her emotions were all over the place, what she really needed was time and space to think.

  She’d reached the furthest end of Porthloo beach, so she decided to follow the path behind it, around the headland and up to Harry’s Walls, an old fort that looked over the harbour. It was a tucked-away haven and she was relieved to find herself alone when she reached the grassy space within the ruined stones. She perched on a fragment of wall and looked down on the chaotic scene in the harbour. Other gigs were still racing and people scurried over the beaches and lined the quayside. Snatches of the loudspeaker announcements drifted up on the wind.

  Jess realised she’d miss the prize-giving for the winning Mixed crew, but that wasn’t a bad thing. She couldn’t face being hauled onto the podium anyway.

  She hugged her knees, glad she’d put her hoodie on over her racing vest.

  Luca had seemed to accept that her embrace with Adam was an impulse. It was true, it was an impulse – she hadn’t even thought about it as Adam threw his arms around her in the euphoria of winning the race. And yes, in those few seconds, the past eight months might never have happened. She and Adam were one again; a team: pulling together and joined together, as she’d always felt they were.