Page 27 of The Little Island Flower Stall
Bella wondered if she might like some impropriety, but she shrugged off the thought.
She drew a breath. ‘I should tell you that I’ve literally just left my husband of fifteen years. And when I say literally, I mean days ago. The rubber on my car tyres has barely cooled off. So if this is going into any kind of date territory, then I’m afraid I’mprobably not in a good place for that. Maybe if we were a couple of months down the line…’
He gave a tight smile. ‘I’m sorry; I must be coming across as a dick. It’s just…I don’t know how long I’m going to be in Jersey, and I know you’re only here for six weeks, so it really felt that there was this pressure not to waste time and…well, I don’t know what it is but I feel…like I already know you after barely an hour of conversation. And I really enjoy talking to you. It’s not pressured at all; it’s just easy.’
‘Me too. You’re not coming across badly, but I’m not in a good place right now. I hope you’re OK with that. But that’s not me saying I don’t want to talk to you at all. In fact, I want to know how your search is going.’
‘I could give you my number…You wouldn’t have to give me yours, of course. But if you had mine and you wanted an update, you could message me. Or we could connect on social media. If you really are interested, I mean.’
‘I’d like that.’
He got out his phone and showed her his number so she could copy it into her own, but he didn’t take hers, and she liked that. It was nothing like Sean would have been; he’d have pushed for what he wanted. Bella had told Rory how things were and he’d taken a respectful step back while showing her that he was still interested all the same. And despite what she’d said, she was interested in him too. It would be easy to treat this as a fun fling – and itwouldbe fun – but there was a little voice of warning in her head telling her it would be a bad idea. Perhaps because she already felt that she liked him way beyond fun-fling territory. Could she trust her instincts? She was far less certain of that. She’d told him about Sean, but he hadn’t mentioned whether he’d ever been married or what his situation was now. Should she be concerned about that? He was around her own age – at a guess – and so it seemed a safe bet that he had at leastone romantic relationship in his past…or even in his present, but she liked him and she wanted her faith in men restored, and so she tried hard not to think about that. She could ask, but that might reinforce the message that she did want more than just conversation with him and, whatever else she felt, she was certain that was a bad idea.
‘It’s been lovely chatting, but I ought to get back.’ Bella put her phone away and stood up. ‘My aunt will worry if I’m not home soon.’
‘Of course. It’s been great to run into you again. Thanks for listening to me…again. I feel like you’ve had more than your fair share of listening to me today.’
‘I don’t mind; I’ve enjoyed it. I might see you around if you’re here for a while longer?’
‘I’m not sure what the plan is yet, but I think I might be. I’m going to do some more hunting through records and it seems easier to do it in situ rather than online, back on the mainland.’
‘Well, good luck. I’ll check in now that I have your number, see what you’ve uncovered.’
‘I’d like that,’ he said, with a smile so warm and genuine there was no mistaking that his words were sincere.
A pang of regret swept over Bella at the sight. What was it about this man? She shook it off. She barely knew him.
With a final nod and a smile of her own, she left him on the bench and began to walk back to Villa Rosa.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Celestine insisted on waking early with Bella to go and help with the morning’s delivery, despite Bella’s protestations that there was hardly a point in her being there at all if Celestine wasn’t going to use the next few weeks to recuperate.
‘You want to go home?’ Celestine had asked with the expression of a puppy that had just been kicked. ‘I’m glad you’re here, but I don’t want you to feel you have to be.’
‘Of course I don’t! All I mean is you haven’t done a lot of resting. Take advantage of me, please, and put your feet up. You’re not…’
‘Getting any younger?’ Celestine had raised her eyebrows in a way that had forced Bella to smile.
‘You know I think you’re amazing for your age, but even stubborn Celestine Everard has to accept sometime that she’s in her nineties and for most humans that’s a bit on the old side.’
Celestine had made all the noises to suggest Bella had won the argument, but here she was now, whizzing around in her scooter, looking over Bella’s shoulder at every opportunity as she tried to organise their newest delivery.
Don’t put them there – too much sun later when it moves around.
Those will need trimming before you put them in water.
Pop some support in there – they’ll droop.
They’ll drop pollen everywhere so best to keep them away from everything else.
Bella nodded at each slice of wisdom, and she tried not to feel as if everything she did was being critiqued, but it was hard. While they were still getting along, it seemed the honeymoon period was over. Was she about to witness the real Celestine? A bit bossier than she remembered, a little bit more critical, watching her like a hawk? Bella wondered if it was only her aunt’s way of feeling useful – after all, she’d run this business for over sixty years and to suddenly have it taken away from her must have made her feel strange and redundant. Bella could only imagine.
‘How about a nice cup of tea?’ Celestine asked once they’d set up. ‘I’ve made the flask up.’
‘I could murder a coffee quite honestly,’ Bella said. ‘Is there somewhere nearby I can get one? I mean, if it’s all right for me to leave you. You seem to have things under control here, and I wouldn’t be long.’
‘Of course it’s all right. There’s a café off the promenade…go that way’ – she pointed left – ‘then take the second left and the first on the right. It’s at the top of that street. I can’t say I’ve had coffee from there, but their cakes are lovely so I’m sure that’s fine too. Take as long as you need; I’ll be all right here.’
