From the second he’d stepped into the pub and caught sight of her gorgeous smile the nerves had evaporated, and he’d found himself at ease. As much fun as he’d been having chatting with the others, it didn’t compare to this though. The sweet welcome of her open lips, the way her body slotted effortless against his—in spite of the difference in their heights—like she was made to stand there in the shelter of his frame, all combined to make his heart pound and his head spin with a thousand and one dreams it was far too soon to be weaving.
That same heated connection he’d felt the first time they’d kissed roared back to life. Part of him wanted to pour fuel on the flames, but it was neither the time nor the place to consider all the delicious things he suddenly wanted to do to her. He settled instead for slow and easy, peppering her mouth with teasing pecks and the occasional soft glide of their tongues.
Her hands tightened at his waist, pulling him closer in a way that threatened to scatter all his good intentions. He pulled back with a gasp. ‘We’re in the yard of your parents’ pub with about fifty people not more than a dozen feet away.’
Her eyes flared in the soft glow of the overhead lights. ‘So, we’re back to being sensible?’
‘For now.’ He let her hear the regret in his voice.
‘You’re no fun.’ She sighed, then straightened up against the wall, creating space between them. ‘Actually, you’re a lot of fun, but you’re also right unfortunately.’ She curled her fingers through his and drew their clasped hands into the space between their bodies. ‘Why don’t you tell me about your day?’
Jack opened his mouth to tell her about the call from the school, then froze. In his desire to protect Noah he’d made no mention of him to Eliza yesterday, figuring they had plenty of time to see if their relationship was going anywhere before he had to consider the two of them meeting. But the way she made him feel, the sheer rightness he felt every time he was anywhere near her meant only one thing—he was in this for the long haul. He’d never believed in love at first sight, he still didn’t, but there was no denying there could be something special between them, and he’d be doing them both a disservice if he didn’t acknowledge it.
‘Come and sit down a minute.’ He led Eliza over to the back steps and sank down next to the fence, angling his body into the corner.
She stood over him, the long curls of her hair hanging forward to shadow her face. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘No, not at all, I just need to think a minute about what I need to say.’ Jack patted the step beside him and she sat. Turning her hand over, he massaged her palm with his thumb, marvelling at the softness there in contrast with the callouses and stubby nails of his own hand. He drew her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. ‘I like you, Eliza. I know we’re only just taking our very first steps together, but I want to get it right. I’m not trying to hurry things along between us, but I need to acknowledge this…’ He waved his free hand around as he fumbled for the right word. Damn, he was a bloody farmer not a wordsmith. ‘This…’
‘Potential?’
‘Yes!’ Relief flooded him at her apparent understanding. ‘That’s exactly it. I’ve always been a casual guy, when it comes to relationships, but whatever it is I’m feeling for you, Eliza, it isn’t that.’
She rested her arm across his bent knee, leaning her weight into him. ‘Me, either.’ She sighed. ‘I’ve still got a lot of baggage to sort out…’
The satin curls of her hair teased his cheek, and he turned his head to draw in the sweet scent of her fresh shampoo. She’d given him the perfect opening so it was time to make it clear what she would be taking on. ‘I don’t know if you know this, but when Jason died he left behind a son.’
Straightening up, she turned to face him. ‘Oh, that’s so sad. He can’t be very old?’
Jack shook his head. ‘Noah’s six. His mum’s not been in the picture since he was a baby. Jason asked me to be Noah’s guardian in the event anything happened to him.’ Reaching out he touched a gentle hand to her cheek. ‘I have a son. It’s not something I would have ever asked for because of the way it came about, but for now and the foreseeable future, Noah has to be my number one priority.’
‘I see.’ She remained silent for a long moment. ‘So there’s more than just us at stake in all this.’
‘Yes.’ He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he needed to be clear. ‘I don’t want to introduce the two of you yet. He’s been through so much turmoil, I need him to find his feet, to know he can place his absolute trust in me before I bring someone else into his life. With the best will in the world, things between us might not come to anything, but I also didn’t want to not tell you about him because that wouldn’t be fair to you either.’ God, that might have been the most words he’d said to anyone in one go in his life, and he still wasn’t sure he’d managed to convey what he was feeling. He scrubbed a hand at the back of his neck, wishing like hell that for once life could be uncomplicated for five minutes at a time.
Lifting her arm from his knee, Eliza wiggled closer until she was tucked in against him with her back resting against his raised leg. She rested her head on his chest and cradled their clasped hands in her lap. ‘Thank you for telling me about Noah. I completely understand that you need to protect him. It’s something I’m going to have to think about as well. You already know things between me and Martin are unresolved—not that there’s any circumstances under which I’d want to get back with him—but it will still take time to extricate myself from our marriage.’ Lifting her head to gaze up at him, her mouth curled up at one corner in a wry smile. ‘Meeting someone else so soon was never in my plans, and meeting someone else with a small child in tow…’
Disappointment settled in his gut like a heavy weight. Noah was going to be a deal-breaker for her. He didn’t blame her, but that didn’t stop it hurting like hell. ‘I get it. I’m just glad we had this talk before either of us got too involved.’ He needed to get out of there, but when he made a move to dislodge Eliza she curled her arms around his waist and held on.
‘Wait a minute, that’s not what I said.’ Keeping her hands locked behind his back, she turned her face up to meet his eyes. ‘Shrugging and saying that it’s fine would be as wrong for both of us as if you hadn’t brought the subject of Noah up at all, surely you can see that?’
Jack forced himself to sit back, though it was hard to let go of the tension in his limbs. She had a point, a bloody good point. ‘You’re right.’ His previous thought surfaced again. ‘God, this adulting shit is hard work.’
Eliza laughed as she pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. ‘Isn’t it just?’ She went silent for a few moments, then loosened her arms to sit back and stare at him. ‘Now I get why you were asking me about circumstances putting me in the position of having a child when we were discussing why I didn’t want to have a baby with Martin.’
What else could he do but nod? ‘Yeah, Noah was definitely on my mind then.’ A surge of possessive love swept through him. ‘He’s a good kid, Eliza. A great kid, and I adore him. I won’t ever not choose him, you know?’
She nodded. ‘Whatever happens, I won’t ever put you in a position where you’d have to make a choice. I’d like us to keep seeing each other, and I’m not averse to you coming with an added bonus, it’s just a lot to take on board.’
An added bonus. He really liked her choice of wording, and it summed up the kind of person he already believed her to be, someone with a generous heart who would always see the best in a situation. ‘I want to keep seeing you too, very much.’
‘Good. We just need to keep being as honest with each other as possible, and try not to get too ahead of ourselves.’ She settled back against his chest. ‘You were going to tell me about your day…’
Jack rested his chin on the top of her head, holding her in the circle of his arms as he explained about his sudden dash to the school that morning. ‘Thankfully, Noah seemed right as rain when I picked him up this afternoon. We had a go
od talk over glasses of milk and some of his Nanna’s homemade rock cakes.’
‘Man to man?’ He could hear the smile in her voice.
‘That’s right. I asked him about this other kid, Michael, and from what Noah said they normally get on pretty well together. I think the headteacher was right, that the boy lashed out because he didn’t want to be the only one missing out on the football.’
‘Poor kid, it must be horrible to miss out on stuff. Beth’s mum was always a bit like that, which is one of the reasons we became so close. Mum and Dad always made an effort to include her in our family stuff, so she didn’t feel left out. I think that’s partly why Sam’s so protective of her, too. When her mum remarried she made it clear Beth was a spanner in the works which is why Eleanor, the old lady who used to run the emporium, took Beth in. She left the place to Beth when she died in January, that’s how come she moved back here.’
Jack thought about it. They might have been more insular than some other families, but his folks had always made sure he and Jason felt wanted and loved and treasured. ‘I wonder if I should have a word with a couple of the other dads, see if we can work out a way to include Michael without him feeling like the odd one out.’
‘When is it, next Sunday?’ Eliza sat up. ‘Why don’t you have a word with Sam? He’s a big kid at heart and I’m sure he’d love a muck around on the beach. I’ll check the rota, and make sure he’s not working.’
It was a nice idea, but…
‘I couldn’t impose like that, I hardly know Sam.’
Taking his face in her hands, Eliza pressed a kiss to his lips. ‘Ah, Jack. You really don’t understand what us Barneses are like. We come as a package deal. This would be no different to Dad and Pops helping out with your tractor—everybody gets something out of it.’
He still wasn’t sure, but she looked so certain it was hard to do anything other than nod in agreement. ‘Okay, I’ll mention it to him and see what he says.’ The overhead light glinted off the face of his watch. They’d been out there almost the full twenty minutes of her break. He hadn’t meant for things to get heavy between them, but he was glad he’d told her about Noah, even if he’d rather have been doing other things, like kissing the little spot beneath her ear that made her breath catch in her throat. ‘It’s almost half-past, do you need to get back to work?’
To his delight, Eliza tugged his head down. ‘Mum can spare me for a few minutes more.’
When he deposited a slightly rumpled Eliza back behind the bar, Jack saw the others had returned from their trip downstairs to the skittle alley and had commandeered a table in the corner. Having accepting a bottle of alcohol-free beer from Eliza with a wink, he wandered over and took a seat next to Sam.
Sam glanced up from the sketch he was scribbling on the back of a napkin and grinned. ‘There you are, we thought we might have to send out a search party.’
Jack sipped his beer. ‘Yeah, sorry I missed the tour, a better offer came up.’
The others laughed, apart from Sam who grimaced. ‘Mate, stop, that’s my sister you’re talking about.’
Jack shrugged, not feeling the remotest bit apologetic. ‘Anyway, there’s something I’d like to have a quick word with you about if you’ve got time?’
When Sam nodded, Jack outlined the situation with Noah and the football match. To their credit, they all seemed to take the news about his responsibility for his nephew well, although Jack didn’t miss the pointed look Beth and Libby shared with each other. ‘I was talking to Eliza about it, and she thought you might be willing to help out on the day, so I could get Noah to invite Michael along as well.’
‘You’ll have to be careful how you do it. If that kid’s sensitive about stuff at home, he won’t like feeling like a charity case.’ Owen’s mouth had set in a grim line, and from the set of his shoulders it looked to Jack like he was talking from experience.
‘Okay. What would you suggest?’
Owen glanced away, then back, discomfort radiating off him in waves. ‘If you single him out, that’s as bad as him not going at all. He probably gets a hard enough time as it is, don’t give the other kids any more ammunition to use against him.’ Owen took a long draft from his glass, then crossed his arms on the table to lean forwards. ‘Speak to the teacher, tell her you’ve got a couple of mates who’d love to get involved only they don’t have boys of their own. If this Michael thinks he’s doing us a favour so we get to join in, then it makes him look better. Kids need all the pride we can give them.’
‘But if it’s next weekend, you won’t be here!’ Libby’s interruption surprised Jack. He’d sensed the awkwardness between her and Owen, had even done his best to distract her earlier when he’d seen Eliza watching her friend with concern. He’d thought them all sitting together meant things had improved, but from the frown on her face…maybe not.
The tightness in Owen’s frame melted away in an instant as he gave Libby a wide grin. ‘Now that Sam and I are going into business together, you’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of me about the bay.’ She opened her mouth, but whatever her response might have been it got lost in Sam’s whoop of joy. There was no mistaking the shock on her face though.
Not wanting to be caught staring at her, Jack turned his attention to the others.
‘You’re serious?’ Sam asked Owen.
‘Absolutely. We can hammer out the details over the next few days. I’ll need to go back to London tomorrow night, but most of my current projects are well in hand so I can be back here next weekend. See if you can make an appointment with the bank manager for the Monday or Tuesday afterwards, we should have things sorted between us by then I reckon.’
They shook hands, Sam still beaming. ‘Fantastic, that’s really fantastic, I can’t thank you enough.’
Owen laughed. ‘You haven’t tried working with me yet. But, seriously, mate, I should be thanking you. I’ve been wanting to invest in something down here for a while now, and this is gonna be a great opportunity for the both of us.’
Libby stood abruptly. ‘I need to get back and give Dad a hand with the late evening rush. I’ll see you later, B.’
Apparently oblivious to the laser glare Libby was drilling into his back, Owen stood up. ‘I’ll walk back with you. Sam was telling me earlier how you make the best fish and chips in the county. I missed dinner, so I’m starving.’
A muscle twitched in her cheek. ‘Fine.’ Turning on her heel, Libby marched towards the door.
Owen drained the last of his pint then stood up. ‘See you guys later. Jack, nice to meet you.’
Shaking the hand he offered, Jack half-stood. ‘You too.’ He hesitated, then decided to go for it. The football thing had worked out great, and the worst Owen could do was say no. ‘Hey, do you think you’d have time to do a bit of a consultation on the side for me? There’s an old cottage up at the farm and I’d like some advice on doing it up for my mum. It’s a bit of an old-fashioned layout—downstairs bathroom and all that, so there’d be some structural stuff which is well outside my comfort zone. I’d just like to know what I’m up against, you know?’
Owen grinned. ‘I’d be happy to. We’ll catch up at the football, yeah?’
‘Fantastic, thanks, mate.’ A warm glow suffused Jack; he might just get used to this asking-for-help lark.
With both Owen and Libby gone, Jack felt a little awkward. Sam was still grinning ear-to-ear as he whispered something to Beth which made her duck her head, but not quickly enough to hide her blush. Definitely time to leave. He stood. ‘Look, I appreciate you offering to help out with this football thing. I’ll talk to Noah and the school and get back to you, Sam, okay?’
‘Yeah, no probs, mate.’ Sam’s response was distracted as he tugged Beth closer into his side.
‘Well, I’d better go, see you later.’ Glancing around for Bastian, he spotted the dog curled up by the end of the bar, tail thumping lazily as he watched Eliza move back and forth serving customers and clearing dirty glasses. Jack bent do
wn and hooked the lead that had been hanging from his back pocket onto the Labrador’s collar. ‘Come on, fella, we’ve got a long day tomorrow.’
‘Are you off?’ Eliza bent to give Bastian a pat on the head, then sidled around the side of the bar until she was standing close enough for Jack to count every freckle dusting across her nose.
‘I don’t like to leave Noah for too long, he’s been having a tough time of it, nightmares and stuff.’
Her brow crinkled in concern. ‘Poor little guy.’
If they’d been alone, he would’ve picked up where they’d left off in the yard, but he wasn’t one for making a public spectacle. He settled instead for brushing the back of her hand with his. ‘Message me later when your shift is over, so I can say goodnight.’
A hint of colour highlighted her cheeks. ‘All right.’
With a soft tug on Bastian’s lead, and a quick wave to Beth and Sam, Jack began to make his way home. He’d barely made it to the end of the promenade when his phone began to ring. ‘Mum? Is everything all right?’
‘Not really.’ His gut plummeted. Behind her worried whisper, he could hear the sound of sobbing. ‘Noah woke up and panicked when he couldn’t find you.’
Shit! ‘I’m on my way home now. Can you put me on speakerphone?’ Jack turned off the promenade and began to jog up the hill, letting out a good length on Bastian’s lead as he did so to let the dog trot behind him. ‘Noah? Noah, buddy, it’s Uncle Jack, can you hear me?’ He had to shout into his phone to make himself heard over the noisy crying.
‘Y…you…w…w…weren’t here.’ The trembling voice of his nephew dissolved into tears once more.
Summer at Lavender Bay Page 15
