Page 113 of Never Too Late

I’d mentioned to Dax the same day Bernie told me he was going to sell about my plans to purchase and he was completely onside with me. Telling me how he also thought it was the perfect role for me and he couldn’t imagine me anywhere else.

I don’t want him to hurt knowing he’s sold it too.

“Everything will be okay, won’t it Alice?” I whisper into the wind.

As though she’s responding to me in her own way, I hear the crackling sound of a motorbike coming towards the cliff.

A few months ago, the council built a footpath directly to the cliffs which meant you no longer had to walk through the graveyard. Dax, however, takes it into his own hands when no one’s around and uses it to drive straight to the cliffs on his bike.

Not wanting him to see the sorrow on my face, I muster a fake smile, and turn and greet the love of my life, because if anyone can make anything better, it’s him.

He always knows what to do.

No matter the sadness I feel in my heart right now, he always brings the happiness out of me.

“I knew you’d be here,” he says as he climbs from his bike, slowly removing his helmet from his head.

“Am I that predictable?”

“Nope. You’ve just learnt where to run from me.”

Run from him? If only he really knew just how much he’s in my heart, under my skin.

I could never run away from him, and I’d never want to.

I don’t need to turn around to know he’s behind me, I can feel him breathing on the back of my neck, “I saw the sign on the shop. I’m sorry.”

Me too, baby.

“It’s okay. It happens. Maybe I can open my own place somewhere else.”

“You could. But you don’t need to do that.”

“Excuse me?”

His face turns crimson red when he blushes. The colour of my favourite flower, a red rose, and I find myself unable to take my eyes away.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.” My brows draw together at his words.

Taking my hand, he guides me to the edge of the cliff. His favourite spot to go when he needs to think. Which has also become mine.

My hair has started getting a bit longer now, the curls forming around my face. He gently moves his hand up to touch one with his fingers, staring in awe as he does so.

“I’m sorry you’re upset about seeing the sign on the shop and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it sooner. I wanted to tell you before you saw it. I didn’t want you to be upset,” he confesses. “I’ve known all along about Bernie wanting to sell the shop. Well, I haven’t, Tyler has. He overheard him talking to Cee about it in the café a few months ago and immediately ran back and told me what he’d heard.” He brings his hands away from my curls.

“Him and Novah placed bets against me actually, they thought I’d tell you a lot sooner than I had,” he continues to speak as he swirls his fingers round in circular motions, trying to keep himself distracted so he doesn’t stop what he’s saying.

The urge I have to take hold of his hands rushes through me, but I know I can’t, or he’ll stop.

“I’ve been planning this for a while. I was already getting everything drawn up before you started working with Bernie. Ace has been in and out of town a lot, it’s handy knowing a lawyer when you’re buying another shop.”

“Why did you buy – what do you mean you bought another shop?”

“I saw the sparkle in your eyes when I first saw you in the flower garden back home. I’ve noticed the way you watch them, the way they speak to you. The comfort they give you. I recognise it because they do the same to me, and to Bernie. Tyler has been helping me arrange this all along. I know how much you didn’t want to stay at home all the time and I hated dragging you to work with me, so I bought the shop.”

He pauses for a moment and slowly lifts his eyes, bringing them to mine, offering me a warm smile.

“You worked so hard to make sure my dreams come true, and I had to repay you somehow. I knew you would be the perfect person to take over the shop all along.” His voice goes silent towards the end, as he reaches back up to the curl falling in my face and pushes it away.

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