Page 78 of Eden's Comfort Kitchen
‘I feel confident you could – don’t forget I’ve seen you in action.’
‘Do you need to discuss it with the others before you give me your answer?’
‘Perhaps. I imagine they’ll all say the final decision is with me – and of course, it’s not my land or my building, so I don’t know whether the owners need to be consulted too.’
‘Once the land has been signed over, I don’t really see what it has to do with them. You might mention it as a courtesy, but I don’t think you need to. If you want time to talk to your team, I can give you that.’
‘That would be amazing. I don’t know what to say.’
‘You don’t need to say anything. I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement – of sorts, at least. It will make things easier from here onwards.’
‘I hope so.’ Eden wondered whether she ought to offer some sort of apology for being such a thorn in his side, but then decided – however softened she’d become by his suggestion – that she owed him no such thing. She’d been fighting for something that mattered – not just to her but to many people. He surely understood that. In his own way, though she felt the cause was far less worthy, he’d been doing exactly the same. If the whole thing was rerun ten times over, neither of them would have done anything differently, even armed with the knowledge of how it would end. ‘Thank you. I know you didn’t have to do this.’
‘I want to help if I can. Don’t forget that it’s not set in stone. You might still want to look into a plan B.’
‘I’m already on it – Livia and I are going to do some research. We’re also going to get Ralph’s help.’
He looked into his mug for a moment and then up at her again. ‘Will you even be here when all this happens? Aren’t you supposed to be heading back to London at the end of the year?’
Eden took a deep breath, for the first time about to air a decision she’d made in her head weeks before. ‘I’m not going back to London. I want to stay here. This is where I belong.’
He nodded, holding her in a thoughtful gaze. ‘I can see that. It suits you far better than London ever did.’
‘I think I’m a better person here.’
‘I think everyone is. I think Sea Glass Bay makes you that way.’
Eden chanced a small smile. ‘You know that old film,Brigadoon?’
‘Never heard of it.’
‘Oh,’ she said, her smile growing. ‘It was just…Never mind. There’s no point trying to explain it if you don’t know.’
He pulled in a long breath. ‘Look, thanks for the coffee and everything, but I think I’d better go.’
‘You don’t have to?—’
‘I do. A lot of work on, you know? Emails to send, people to call.’
‘Oh, yeah, I remember what all that was like.’
‘I suppose you look at me now with pity,’ he said, and Eden was struck by the sudden melancholy in his expression. Where had that come from? He’d been sad about Bilbo, of course, but even so, this was almost…if she didn’t know better, the only word she’d be able to find wasexistential. Like he’d suddenly discovered his whole life had been a lie.
‘No,’ she said, trying to shake the thought. ‘I look at you like someone with a proper career. I mean, look at me now.’
‘I am,’ he said. ‘You look happy. You never looked this happy when we worked together.’
‘Cam…are you really all right? Because if you want to talk?—’
‘I’m fine. Ignore me – weird day, right?’
‘Yes, I suppose it is. If you’re sure. But promise you’ll look me up if you change your mind.’
‘You know I won’t, but thanks.’
‘Cam…’
‘Yes?’
