Page 80 of The Summer Swap

“You’re feeling the pressure.”

“In some ways, yes. They’re trying so hard. It would feel churlish to turn round and tell them I still don’t want the place after everything they’ve done.”

He sat back in his chair. “But they’re doing this for you. Because they’re trying to make you happy.”

“That’s true.”

“So why not let them get on with it and decide to shelve the decision for a while. When it’s finished, you’ll know. I doubt they’d be doing it if they didn’t want to. Are they enjoying themselves or does it seem like a chore?”

Cecilia thought about the laughter and the banter. She’d seen an entirely different side of Lily over the past few days. And a different side to her grandson.

“They are definitely enjoying themselves. And they make a good team.” Maybe this was something they’d both needed. “Lily is painting the cottage at the moment, so her talents don’t just extend to canvases.”

He helped himself to an olive from the dish on the table. “Are you matchmaking?”

“No. I don’t believe in interfering. Let’s just say I’m allowing two people to occupy the same space and work on something together. The rest is up to them.” But that didn’t mean she couldn’t hope. “Lily hasn’t had the easiest time. And Todd was with someone else until recently. A mistake. Fortunately he realized that, which is a relief because even though I know it’s not my business, I was worried. Do you worry about your grandchildren?”

“All the time, although they’re nowhere near at the relationship stage. At the moment I worry about busy roads, and shopping malls, and stranger danger. I think I worry more about my grandchildren than I did about my own children.”

“I know what you mean.” She watched as a gull swooped past them. “Maybe that’s experience. Or maybe it’s age. We no longer believe we’re invincible.”

“All the more reason to make the most of every moment.” He topped up her wineglass. “Let’s enjoy this evening and not think about tomorrow. But I’m here for you, Ceci. If you want to talk things through. If you need someone to listen. I’m here for you.”

She reached out and took his hand, her throat thickened. “Seth—”

He was the last thing she’d expected to happen to her.

She’d thought about him of course, but only in terms of making contact, looking up an old friend, expanding her life a little.

But the feeling they shared was more than friendship. She knew that and so did he. It was the reason she’d been careful to have no contact after she married Cameron. A simple friendship would have been easy to maintain, but her relationship with Seth had never been simple.

And now he was back in her life, and she had no idea what would happen next.

16

Lily

“She didn’t come home last night.” Lily poured coffee into two mugs. She’d taken some vacation days that were owing to her and negotiated a few extra days unpaid. She and Todd been working flat out on the cottage for the best part of a week, and it was finally starting to take shape. Her arms ached and her shoulders ached. Her clothes were flecked with paint. She’d never been so tired in her life, and never been happier. “Should we be worried? She didn’t call or anything. This must be how mothers feel about their teenagers.”

“Don’t ask me. I’m incapable of conversing intelligently on any subject until I’ve had coffee, you know that.” He suppressed a yawn. “Don’t be fooled. My body may be upright, but my brain is still asleep. What time did we finish last night?”

She liked the way he looked first thing in the morning, with sleepy eyes and rumpled hair. “It wasn’t last night, it was this morning. My phone told me it was 3 a.m. I did suggest taking a break at midnight, but you insisted we carry on. Are you listening to me?” She put the mug in front of him and waved her hand in front of his face. “Wake up! And I thought I was bad in the morning.”

He picked up the mug. “I’m awake, I think. Mostly. Three o’clock. That explains a lot.” He was silent for a moment as he drank half the mug of coffee. Then he put it down. “Right. You asked me if we should be worried. The answer is no. My grandmother isn’t a teenager. It’s not as if we don’t know where she is. Dinner turned into dinner and a sleepover. Natural progression, I’d say.”

She topped up his mug without waiting for him to ask. “Do you think something is going on?”

“I hope so. Her life has been pretty sad since my grandfather died. She just rattles round that big old house and tends the garden. Did you see her face when those flowers arrived?”

“Not only the flowers. When she talked about Seth.”

“Yes. She lit up.”

Lily picked up her mug and walked from the kitchen to the living room. They’d thrown open doors and windows to help let out the paint smells and she could hear the shriek of gulls and the sounds of the sea.

“He’s obviously special to her. And maybe it’s a good thing that she’s not here. We’re making progress.” She felt a rush of pride as she surveyed their work. “I can’t believe you managed to source the wood so quickly.”

“I leveraged contacts.” He nudged one of the strips of wood with his foot. “This came from an order that was canceled, so one person’s indecision is our new shelving unit.”

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