Page 18 of The Little Island Flower Stall
‘Promise?’
‘I can’t promise, but I’ll do my best to defend you from attack – how’s that?’
The awning of the parlour was mint green and pastel pink. There was a small seating area outside and another inside, and a long glass counter where countless flavours of ice cream were on display.
‘What do you fancy?’ Rory asked. ‘Remember I said I’d treat you.’
‘I’m not going to argue with that,’ Bella said with a laugh. ‘Feel free to buy me ice cream any time. I mean…’ she added hastily, ‘not that I’m expecting you to come back and take me out again…I wasn’t implying that we…’
He smiled and saved her from digging the hole she was disappearing into any deeper. ‘I didn’t think for a minute that you were.’ He turned to the display. ‘I think I might go for the Biscoff.’
‘It looks nice, but I’m being pulled towards the cherry cheesecake.’
‘Double scoop?’
‘Better not. Single will be enough.’
‘Are you just being polite?’
‘No, I’m being sensible.’
He grinned and then, when his turn came to be served, ordered a double scoop for them both. Bella made a flimsy attempt to protest, but he simply shook his head, his grin spreading.
‘Too late now, I’m afraid. Once the order is in, it’s legally binding.’
‘Legally binding, huh?’ Bella took the ice cream from the server and gave it a swift appraisal. Not only were there two scoops but they were the size of footballs too. ‘I certainly don’t want to break the law so I suppose I’ll have to eat it.’
‘I wouldn’t want you to break the law either, so I think it’s for the best,’ Rory said in a voice full of mock gravity. ‘So where would you like to sit?’
‘Outside, I think. The awning will keep us safe from flying thieves, and it’s really too nice to be indoors today.’
‘Outside it is then.’
There was one small table with two chairs vacant. ‘See,’ Bella said, taking a seat. ‘It was meant for us.’
‘Seems that way.’ Rory sat across from her. Bella tried not to get drawn into how blue his eyes were as the sun hit his face, but she was finding it difficult not to. She could happily have stared at them for the next half hour as she licked at her cherry cheesecake ice cream. ‘I’m beginning to feel a lot of things that have happened today were meant to be. Like if I hadn’t been dumped on by that gull, I wouldn’t have made a new friend.’
‘If I see him, I’ll let him know you said thanks.’
He chuckled. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.’
Bella licked at her ice cream. It was sweet and creamy with decent chunks of biscuit hiding in every mouthful, and she’d probably regret the calories later, but for now she was enjoying it. Almost as much as she was enjoying the company of the man who’d paid for it. She was quickly finding that Rory wasn’t only easy on the eye but funny and charming to boot. ‘So you’re on holiday here?’
‘Sort of.’
‘Hmm. You said that earlier. How can you be sort of on holiday? Is it a work trip? Are you really meant to be slavingover a laptop right now instead of sitting with me? You can come clean – I won’t tell on you.’
‘Nothing like that,’ he said. ‘I’m actually on a quest.’
Bella leaned forward. ‘A quest? What sort of quest?’
‘Looking for some long-lost family.’
‘Wow, that sounds like a TV show.’
He seemed troubled now. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said…I’m sure you’re not…’
‘God, no, I’m intrigued. I mean, who wouldn’t be? So you think they’re here on Jersey? Like in St Rosa?’
