Page 49 of The Little Island Flower Stall
‘How did you get involved in that? Have you done it before? You said you’ve been visiting for years…’
‘Funnily, I always wanted to do it when I was a kid on holiday here, but I was never allowed.’
‘So it’s true that all good things come to those who wait?’ He chuckled softly. ‘I must remember that.’
At the pub, he opened the door for her. Bella was hit by the humidity as soon as she walked in. On a weekday, she’d expected it to be quiet, but the bar was full and rowdy, hops and salt and vinegar on the air. She hadn’t been hungry before, but now she was.
‘Could we skip the drinking bit and go straight to the food?’ he asked.
She grinned up at him. ‘I was thinking the same thing. I can smell fish and chips.’
‘Me too. I had thought we’d get them at the place on the seafront, but now that we’re here, I don’t think I can wait.’
They stood together, scanning the room for a table, and then he pointed. ‘There’s one. You go and grab it, and I’ll get us some drinks. What do you want?’
‘I don’t know…a cider would be nice.’
‘Right. Shall I order our food too?’
‘I don’t see why not.’
‘Do you want the menu first?’
‘No, fish and chips sounds great, thanks.’
While Bella settled at the table, she watched him go to the bar. He seemed at ease as he leaned on it, checking out the beers, making the barman laugh with some quip. She liked that he didn’t need to try. He wasn’t trying to be some big man or make some impression on everyone, or pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Sean would have been all alpha male, swaggering around the place, wanting desperately to look important. Pathetic, Bella realised now, and she couldn’t imagine how she’d ever been impressed by him in the first place.
She had to tear her gaze away as Rory picked up their drinks and turned to make his way over. She’d been staring, but she didn’t want him to know that. She wished she could stop doing it, but whenever he was around, it was like her gaze was magnetised and she could only look at him.
‘Here you go.’ He put down the drinks and took the seat across from her. ‘The table’s a bit small, actually. I think a bigger one is free over there if you’d rather…’
‘I don’t mind this one. It’s cosy.’
‘It’s that,’ he said with a smile. ‘Watch out when the food comes – I might have to put my plate on your lap.’
‘We’ll manage,’ Bella said with a laugh. Her gaze caught sight of another familiar face, and the man waved cheerily at her.
‘Who’s that?’ Rory asked as Bella put up a hand to acknowledge him.
‘Bernard – he’s on the committee for the Liberation Day parade. Celestine says he’s a bit self-important, but he’s pleasant enough whenever I speak to him. I might feel differently after parade day, of course.’
‘Is there anyone in St Rosa you don’t know?’
‘Quite a lot, I should think.’
‘So how come every time I’m out with you, someone says hello?’
‘Coincidence. You’ve been out with me about three times and I know about three people. It just so happens I’ve run into them all at the same time as you were there.’
‘I don’t know about that. You told me about everyone loving Celestine – I bet if you were here long enough, everyone would love you too.’
Bella flushed as she picked up her glass. ‘I doubt it.’
‘I don’t. I know I feel as if we’re good friends already.’
‘Me too,’ Bella said. ‘I never expected it, but here we are. I’m glad you came to our flower stall and not someone else’s.’
‘Is there another in St Rosa?’ he asked with an impish smile as he sipped his beer.
