Page 40 of A Little Love Song in Seabury
‘I did,’ said Will. ‘I mean, I do. I just didn’t want to put you off the first course of your breakfast with my bumbling attempts at an apology!’
‘First course?’ said Leah, momentarily distracted.
‘Ewan made us fresh scones,’ said Will, ‘and there’s jam and cream to go with them.’
‘Oh, wow!’
‘Yeah.’ Will cleared his throat ‘Anyway… I’ve got some explaining to do first. Then you can decide if I’ve ruined your appetite for good.’
‘Go on then,’ said Leah.
Her hands twitched. She wanted to reach for her bag, pull it onto her lap and hug it close like a teddy bear.
‘Right, so. Yesterday, to start with,’ said Will, looking pained. ‘I was really distracted.’
Leah shook her head. Suddenly, she didn’t want to hear him list all the reasons he didn’t want her there.
‘Don’t,’ she said quickly. ‘You don’t need to explain. I’ve gate-crashed your holiday and keep commandeering your family. I don’t blame you for being?—’
‘No, you’ve got it wrong,’ said Will, his eyes wide as he shook his head.
‘But yesterday in the café… and then up at the house. You took one look at me and just disappeared. I mean—you did ittwice. You clearly don’t want me here… and I’m sorry that I’ve imposed.’
‘The others were right,’ sighed Will. ‘They said that’s what you’d think.’
‘Whatelseis there to think?!’ said Leah, her voice rising slightly.
‘Leah… let me explain. Please?’ said Will.
She wanted to shake her head again and tell him it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to hear that he needed her to maintain better professional boundaries—to keep her distance from his family. Because she couldn’t. Not anymore. Rosie and Connie were her friends, and she wasn’t willing to give that up.
And then there was Will himself… her boss. The man she was in love with, in spite of everything.
‘Fine,’ she said, shaking her head sadly. ‘Explain.’
The sooner he said what he needed to say and got it out of his system, the sooner she could get a ride back into town and then head to London with her tail between her legs.
‘Leah… did you hear me playing piano last night? At the house, I mean, when I left you in the garden with the others?’
It was probably the last thing she’d expected him to say.
Leah nodded. She’d heard him. Hell, she could still feel that burst of desperate chords echoing somewhere in her soul.
‘Good,’ said Will. ‘Both times I disappeared on you—from the café, and at the house—it was because I needed to get to a piano.’
Leah raised an eyebrow. Coming from anyone else, it would have been the lamest excuse in the universe. Coming from Will, though? It meant something major had shifted.
‘I’m working on something,’ he said. ‘Started yesterday morning… after the Froth. It’s not an excuse for my behaviour,’ he added quickly. ‘Just… an explanation?’
‘Well… I mean… that’s exciting,’ said Leah.
But it didn’t explain all the glaring, staring and frowning in her direction, though, did it?
‘I shouldn’t have come here,’ she said. ‘To Seabury, I mean. It was a mistake. I’m clearly in the way. I’ve already started tomake plans to head back to London today. We can talk more when you get home.’
‘Wait, what?’ gasped Will. ‘You don’t need to do that!’
‘I do, though, don’t I?’ sighed Leah. ‘Me being here is clearly disturbing you. If you’re playing again… if you’re composing?! I mean, that’s such a huge breakthrough. Being here with your family is clearly doing you good… and I don’t want to get in the way of that.’
