Page 52 of Finding Love at Roseford Blooms
They turned away from the chapel, arms still around each other. ‘Shall we go?’ Simon asked. ‘I’m not sure I can cope with an evening of any more reminiscences.’
‘If you’re ready, then let’s get out of here,’ Lizzie replied. She looked down at her feet. ‘I’m not sure I’m in the right shoes to walk back, though. Can we reschedule the taxi?’
Simon smiled. ‘Of course.’ He pulled out his phone, and in a few moments he’d cancelled the cab and arranged for one to come immediately. As he ended the call, he heard Andy Watson’s voice from across the car park, where they were heading.
‘Leaving so soon?’ He was standing by a reassuringly normal-looking Audi estate, a few years old and with a child seat in the back. ‘Had enough of the nobs?’
Simon grinned. ‘Something like that. I was in two minds about coming, anyway.’
‘Me too.’ Andy grinned. ‘Some things are better left in the past, I think.’
‘Why do we put ourselves through this stuff?’ Simon raised his eyes to the sky. ‘Surely, if we’d wanted to keep in touch with people, we’d have done it.’
‘Thanks,’ Andy replied dryly. ‘I was about to say how nice it was to catch up with you.’
‘Well, perhaps there are exceptions,’ Simon replied. ‘It was good to see you again.’ He paused. ‘I thought you were heading off to check on your youngest?’
Andy shook his head. ‘My wife managed to sort it all out over the phone, thank goodness. Aoife suffers from pretty heavy separation anxiety, and the chicken pox doesn’t really help. This is the first night we’ve had away on our own since she was born. She’s three now, and starting to come out of it, but it’s been a long road.’
‘I can imagine,’ Simon said.
‘My sister was the same,’ Lizzie interjected. ‘She did eventually grow out of it, but it took a lot of patience from Mum and Dad.’ She smiled sympathetically. ‘Thankfully, she got there in the end.’
‘Before she was old enough to leave home?’ Andy quipped.
Lizzie laughed. ‘Just about.’ She found she liked Andy, a lot, and hoped that Simon really would keep in touch with him, and it wasn’t just an idle promise.
‘Well, we’d better go and wait for the taxi,’ Simon said, in the ensuing pause.
‘Where are you staying?’ Andy asked. ‘I can give you a lift if you like.’
‘We’re at the Silverton House B & B in the next village,’ Simon replied.
‘That’s where we are, too!’ Andy said. ‘Look, Marina’s just popped to the loo, but we’re pretty much fed up with this grisly evening. Why don’t we all head back and have a proper drink? Catch up away from the rest of them?’
‘I’d like that,’ Simon said. Then, turning to Lizzie, ‘Are you all right with that? I could vouch for Andy when he was sixteen, and he doesn’t look like the type who’ll abduct us.’
Lizzie laughed. ‘I trust you. And yes, let’s get out of here.’
Lizzie watched Andy’s face soften as he caught sight of a smallish woman hurrying back to the car park. He introduced his wife to Simon and Lizzie, and then they all got into the car. The back of the Audi, and the child’s car seat, meant that Simon and Lizzie were a little cramped, but it was only a short drive back to the B & B, and Lizzie was more than happy to be pressed up against Simon. He called the taxi firm back, apologising for the cancellation, while they were en route.
When they’d reached the B & B and clambered out of the car, Simon turned to Lizzie.
‘Thanks for tonight,’ he said softly, before Marina and Andy joined them again. ‘It meant a lot to me, having you there to hold my hand.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Lizzie replied. She leaned up and kissed him quickly. ‘Now let’s have a drink and hopefully Andy will be able to tell me what you werereallylike at school!’
43
A few hours later, a slightly less than sober Lizzie and Simon finally made it back to their room. They’d spent a long but enjoyable evening talking to Andy and Marina, and Simon wished that he’d jumped onto Facebook years ago and reconnected with his friend. It had been so easy to write off his school days as terrible after he’d left that he’d forgotten just how good a friend Andy had been to him; how they’d supported each other through some dark times, but also found moments to have a laugh.
And among the laughter tonight was the rather more serious notion of setting up the inaugural weekend of RoseFest. Andy and Marina had seemed genuinely interested and excited by the prospect of getting on board to help create the festival, and Simon was optimistic that, should he get the go-ahead from the British Heritage Fund, this could be achieved in the next year or so. As he and Lizzie retired to bed, he took her hand. ‘Thank you for convincing me to do this,’ he said. ‘I never would have had the balls to, if you hadn’t pushed me out of my comfort zone.’
Lizzie smiled back at him in the half-light. ‘I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.’ She dropped her gaze, embarrassed. ‘I really, really like you, Simon. And there’s a part of me that just wants to stay in Roseford for good. I never thought, when I came back, that I’d be feeling like that.’
‘I’m glad you did come back,’ Simon said softly. He raised a hand and lifted Lizzie’s chin so that he could see her eyes again. They looked wide open, and vulnerable, and he was seized, yet again, with the desire to protect her, to love her, not just right then, but for always. ‘I don’t want you to go home, either.’
Lizzie shook her head. ‘I’m not quite sure where home is, these days. But it feels more and more like it’s wherever you are.’ She paused, embarrassed again. ‘Sorry. That must be the booze talking.’
