Page 27 of Spring Dreams at the Cornish Bakery

‘Penny from the café came in just after you’d left. She’d found Nora’s purse under the table she’d been sitting at. It must have fallen out of her bag.’ Zac rubbed his thumbs in a circular motion on the backs of her hands.

She blinked before finally meeting his gaze. ‘She did?’

‘Yes.’ Taking one hand away, he tucked her hair behind her ear before holding his palm against her cheek. ‘Lynsey, tell me what’s going on. Please?’

‘I... I was accused of something I didn’t do.’ Falling into his arms, she let the tears fall freely across her face. She’d wantedto tell him. She had. But not like this. ‘My ex stole from the company where we worked, and he set me up.’

‘Oh, Lynsey. That’s awful.’ Bending his knees, he lowered himself to the floor, bringing her down next to him before wrapping his arms around her and listening intently as she told him everything. He listened as she told him how Ross had finally been found out, how she’d moved here for her fresh start, how Nora losing her purse had brought back all the memories of that dark time.

And all he did was hold her. All the way through, he held her and told her it everything was going to be okay.

Epilogue

‘Hold up one second before we go in.’ Zac paused outside the bakery and looked at her.

‘Is everything okay?’ Lynsey frowned as she turned to face him, and he took her hands in his. Lynsey glanced towards the bakery. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the street, seeping out of the bakery where everyone was gathering for Elsie’s bakery family dinner. She smiled. She’d been in the bay two months now and she still had to pinch herself in order to believe that this was really her life now. She was surrounded by friends who felt like family to her, Elsie had given her a job to cover Diane’s maternity leave and, most importantly, she and Zac’s relationship was going from strength to strength.

‘Yes.’ Zac nodded as he pulled at the collar of his flannel shirt. ‘In fact, it’s more than okay. I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me. These past couple of months since I met you have been manic, crazy and busy what with renovating your cottage and starting up my new business, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it and I want you to know how much you mean to me.’

Lynsey grinned as she looked into his eyes. He meant more to her than he could ever realise. He’d not only been her rock when it came to breathing life back into her little cottage, but he’d helped her heal from the events of the past year, too. He’d shown her there were still good men in the world. ‘You mean the world to me, Zac. And you’ll never realise how much you’ve supported me these past couple of months.’

Reaching out, he cupped her cheek in his hand and inched closer. When their lips were barely millimetres apart, he whispered, ‘I’ve fallen in love with you Lynsey Lucas.’

Leaning back, Lynsey widened her eyes. ‘You have?’

‘I have.’ Zac frowned as confusion swept across his face. ‘It’s too early to admit it, isn’t it?’

Grinning, Lynsey wrapped her arms around him. ‘I don’t know if it’s too early or not, but it’s how I feel too. I love you, Zac.’

Wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, Zac chuckled. ‘You had me worried, then. I love you too.’

‘Hey, Lynsey! Zac!’ Pippa’s loud voice penetrated the quiet of the cobbled street and Lynsey turned to see her hanging out of the bakery doorway.

‘Hi, Pippa.’ She called back as they turned and began making their way towards the bakery again. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘Quick.’ Pippa shouted, her voice echoing in the street as she waited for them and then waved them through into the bakery. Once inside, Pippa’s voice immediately quietened as she whispered, ‘We need to be quiet. Diane and Harry have brought baby Esme!’

‘Ooh.’ Lynsey held her hand over here mouth to cover her laughter as Pippa, completely oblivious to the fact her voice would still have been heard inside the bakery when she’d been shouting at them, was now tiptoeing towards Diane and Harry who were sitting at one end of the large makeshift table, Diane cooing over the tiny

Taking Zac’s hand again, Lynsey led the way as they followed Pippa. ‘Aw, Esme grows more beautiful every time I see her.’

‘Thank you, Lynsey. Esme already takes after Harry and has his energy from four am every day.’ Diane rolled her eyes at Harry before turning to Esme and stroking her tiny dark curls.

‘I know another one who has more energy at four in the morning than they do at school time, don’t we, Pippa?’ Teresa placed a tray of sauces on the table before coming to stand next to Lynsey.

‘Hey, not me! I’m a good girl at bedtime now.’ Pippa crossed her arms and pouted.

‘Oh, at bedtime you are, yes. But when you hear get out of bed to get ready to come here and bake with Nana Elsie, you’re wide awake.’ Teresa undid Pippa’s plait before she began to style it again.

‘I don’t.’ Pippa shook her hair away from her mum before running off and tagging Hudson, who had been sitting on Wendy’s knee on the opposite side of the table. In a flash, he’d joined in the game of tag too and so had Teresa’s two boys, Rueben and Toby.

‘Uncle Harry, Uncle Harry save me!’ As Pippa ran past, she tugged on Harry’s jumper.

Rubbing his hand over his face, Harry stood up and kissed Diane on the top of her head. ‘I suppose I need all the practice I can get now more than ever.’

‘You sure do.’ Diane leaned her head back and grinned at him. ‘Win at tag and show them how it’s done.’

‘Haha, have you seen how fast these kids run?’ Chuckling, Harry was quickly pulled away by Pippa as she ran past again, Rueben hot on her heels.

‘Nothing changes.’ Diane laughed.

‘Nope.’ Teresa grinned as they watched the children loop around the bakery. ‘Anyway, I’ll go and see if Elsie or Ian need any help in the kitchen.’

‘I’ll come...’ Lynsey began before a movement caught her attention outside and she watched as a woman cupped her hands and peered through the window and she turned to Zac. ‘Who do you think that is?’

‘I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ve seen them around before, have you?’

‘No, I don’t think so.’ Shrugging, she left the group and headed towards the door. Pulling it open, she stepped outside and looked up and down the cobbled street. She could see any sign of the woman who had looked through the window. Shrugging, she turned to head back inside again before pausing as she spotted her sitting on one of the benches. Walking across to her, she smiled. ‘Hi, I’m from the bakery, can I help you?’

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