Page 50 of Finding Love in Micklewick Bay

Alice’s cheeks flushed pink. She clapped her hands on her knees and said, ‘Well, I don’t know about that, but anyway, I’m ravenous. How about we rustle up some sandwiches and a bit of salad for lunch? You can tell me all about your charming young man while we’re eating.’

Crafty, Mum, turn the attention back on me!The mention of food cut through Stella’s thoughts; a timely reminder thatshe’d only had a couple of biscuits all day. Her stomach rumbled perfectly on cue. ‘I like the sound of the sandwiches, but I think I should clarify before you get carried away, Alex is not my “young man”.’

‘Are you sure about that, sweetheart? I’m not the only one who’s sparkling, you know.’

It was Stella’s turn to blush.

Over a meal of chicken pesto sandwiches in crusty granary bread accompanied by a crisp salad – all ingredients courtesy of the local deli – mother and daughter chatted away, perched opposite one another on bar stools at the island. Stella’s mood had softened towards her mum since the day of the auction, and she happily told her about Alex and Fred, her face animated, her insides dancing as she spoke.

Alice dabbed her mouth with her napkin. ‘The thing is, lovey, listening to you talk, seeing how happy you are, is exactly how Rhys makes me feel. And I know it’s early days for you but I?—’

‘Mum, I’ve barely known Alex any time at all. How can I know for sure? I’ve never felt like this before, but what if I’ve got it all wrong?’ The warnings had begun to creep in again, Johan de Groote and the obvious impact he’d had on her life, hovering at the corners of her mind.

‘I don’t think it matters how long you’ve known him, especially if being around him is triggering those kind of feelings. I knew there was something different about Rhys from the first moment we spoke to one another. No one has ever made me feel that way, not even Johan de Groote, with all his smarmy charisma and “champion stud” genes.’ She chuckled, pressingher hand to her mouth. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t speak to you like that about your father.’

‘No need to apologise at all on that score.’ Stella set her knife and fork down on her plate. She was interested to hear her mum’s take on her feelings for Alex.

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘I know I’ve drilled it into you not to depend on a man, that you should avoid getting bogged down in a relationship, and how you’ll only risk being disappointed or hurt. But I realise now how wrong that was of me. I let my experience with Johan cloud my judgement and influence you.’

‘It’s understandable after what happened, but it’s a shame you’ve been on your own for such a long time.’

Alice nodded. ‘I can understand why you think that, but in truth, I’d never met anyone I wanted to build a relationship with.’ She raised her eyes to meet Stella’s. ‘Until I met, Rhys, that is.’ Her face flushed again. ‘I always say everything happens for a reason. Seems I had to wait for Rhys to come along for me to find love, so it’s the perfect time for me. I suppose it meant I could focus on you and setting up the business without the distraction of a relationship.’

‘Well, I’m happy for you, Mum.’ Smiling, Stella reached across the countertop for her mother’s hand.

‘Thank you, that means a lot, sweetheart.’ Alice’s face was wreathed in smiles. ‘Which is why I want to tell you that if Alex makes you feel the way Rhys makes me feel, then don’t let what I’ve told you in the past get in your way. Let love into your heart. You’ll know if it’s right, and if it is, just go for it! You deserve to be loved, my darling, and from the way Alex was looking at you, I think he could be “the one”.’ She put finger quotes around the words.

Butterflies fluttered in Stella’s stomach. ‘I do really like him, Mum. No one has ever made me feel the way he does. Ihonestly never expected this.’ Her heart started dancing, Alex’s handsome face appearing in her mind. ‘I never thought I’d fall in love.’Oh my days!Had she really just said that out loud? Had she fallen in love with Alex? A surge of emotions flooded her chest as she realised, yes, she’d fallen head-over-heels in love with Alex Bainbridge, just like Maggie had done with Bear all those years ago, and just how Stella, the “lovephobic” as her friends had regularly described her, had found difficult to comprehend.

‘Well, grab it with both hands and let yourself be happy.’ Alice beamed at her daughter. ‘Tell you what, why don’t you and Alex come over to Magnolia Gardens, join Rhys and me for a meal? Did I tell you Rhys is anamazingcook? His chicken curry is to die for.’ Watching her mum speak so animatedly warmed Stella’s heart.

‘Much as I think that sounds great, Mum, I think it’s a bit early days for dinner with a parent and her partner. I mean, I don’t want to scare Alex off before we’ve even got properly started. You’ll be rushing us down the aisle at this rate; that’d be guaranteed to have him running for the hills.’

Both women looked at one another and burst out laughing.

‘Sorry, lovey. Looks like I’ve got a lot to learn with this rules-of-dating malarkey,’ Alice said through her giggles. ‘Tell you what, you shout up and let me know when you’re ready to come round and I’ll book Rhys for cooking duties. How does that sound?’

‘Much better.’ Mother and daughter exchanged happy smiles.

TWENTY-NINE

Rain had been lashing against the windows for the last couple of hours, the overcast sky had meant Stella had needed to use her desk lamp. It lent a cosy air to her apartment. She’d added to the ambience when it had turned a little chilly, flicking the switch on the uncannily realistic electric fire set in the wall; it even emulated the sound of crackling wood which she loved.

Once her mum had left, Stella had spent the afternoon at her desk, catching up with her work as much as her concentration would allow. She wasn’t one to be distracted easily, but with the events that had unfurled over the last few days, she’d found her mind wandering. Would she hear from Johan de Groote again? she wondered. They hadn’t exchanged contact details, though with Pim being in touch with him, Johan would be able to get a message through him. She still struggled to refer to him as her father, still didn’t think he deserved the title.

She’d spent several hours researching the law on a particularly complicated aspect of a murder brief she been instructed in as junior counsel. The silk she was working with on the case had asked her to look into it, content in the knowledge she’d be thorough. She was pulled away from her onlinelawbook by a knock at her door, making her jump, her thoughts immediately springing to Alex.

Stealing a quick glance in the mirror in the hallway, Stella smoothed down her hair and checked her eyes for smudges of mascara – she hadn’t replaced her make-up after she’d been crying earlier and didn’t want to open the door to him looking like she was an extra in a Halloween movie.

‘Hi.’ Alex was leaning against the doorframe, his deep voice sending a fizz of excitement through her. He really was easy on the eye.

‘Hi, come in.’ She beamed a smile at him. Her conversation with her mum had gone some way to easing Stella’s concerns about the strength of her feelings for him, allowing herself to enjoy them instead.

‘Thanks. I can’t stop long, I’ve got a few work-related phone calls to make, but I just wanted to check in with you first, see if you fancied joining me for a bite of supper?’ He followed Stella into the lounge.

She stopped and turned to him, unable to keep the smile from her face. ‘I’d love to, thanks.’ He always smelt sogood.

‘That’s great.’ Alex closed the gap between them. He brushed her hair off her face and looked deep into her eyes. ‘You okay?’

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