Page 41 of Love in the Air at The Cornish Bakery

Chapter Twenty

As she turned the showeroff and reached for the towel, she heard a quiet tapping on the bathroom door.

‘I’ve put some clothes on the rail for you. They’ll be a bit baggy, but they’ll be better than putting your wet stuff back on.’ Rowan’s voice was quiet, calm.

‘Thanks.’ Stepping out of the bath, she pulled a blue t-shirt of Rowan’s over her head. She recognised this one. Had she bought it for him one birthday? Would he have kept it that long? She shrugged. It didn’t matter. Pulling a pair of jogging bottoms on, she used her hairband to tighten them before she towelled her hair a bit more.

‘Are the clothes okay?’

Pulling the door open, Nina nodded as Rowan pushed himself away from the wall opposite where he’d been leaning.

‘Looking good.’ He grinned and held out his arms.

Sinking into his embrace, Nina hugged him back, squeezing him tight.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Rubbish.’ She whispered against his chest.

‘I’ve made you some hot chocolate. Come on through to the living room and let’s sit down for a bit.’

Nodding, she followed him along the hallway and into the living room before sinking into the sofa cushions. Once Rowan had laid a throw across her knees, he passed her a mug. ‘Thanks.’ Wrapping her hands around the hot ceramic, she filled her lungs with the warm, sweet steam.

‘I rang and told Elsie you’re here.’

Frowning, Nina looked up at him. ‘Why?’

‘Because she’s been looking for you. Elsie, Ian, Brooke, Diane, Teresa, Molly and Wendy. They’ve all been looking for you.’ Perching on the coffee table in front of her, Rowan leaned down and gently stroked her hair from her forehead. ‘They’ve been worried about you. We’ve all been worried about you.’

‘You know?’

‘Not everything. No. Just that your gran is Brooke’s mum’s mum.’ Rowan shook his head. ‘Is that right? You’re related to Brooke? Is that why you got upset when Max said you two looked alike?’

Nina nodded. Everyone would know now. Everyone would know how she’d come down here and kept this whole thing a secret for so long. ‘I wanted to tell you.’

‘But you had to tell Ian first? That’s understandable.’

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen now. I think I’m going to have to go back home.’ Looking down into her mug, she watched as two bubbles danced together on the surface of her hot chocolate before hitting the ceramic wall of the mug and finally bursting.

‘No, you don’t. Elsie and Ian, they’re worried about you. Not angry at you. You didn’t do any of this. And by the sounds of it, it was all out of your gran’s control, too. Most of it anyway.’ Leaning down, he wrapped his hands around hers, taking some of the weight of the mug. ‘No one thinks any different of you.’

‘Of course they do. They will. They all will. How can’t they? I should have told Ian straight away. I should have told Brooke as soon as I’d worked out who she was.’

‘They’ll understand why you didn’t.’

Nina closed her eyes; she wasn’t sure they would.

‘I’ll give Elsie a call, tell her she and Ian can pop by. You’ll see, it’ll all be okay.’

‘No! Please don’t.’ Putting the mug on the coffee table, Nina wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands. ‘I’m tired. I just want to sleep. Can I stay here tonight? Please?’

‘Of course you can.’ Standing up, Rowan kissed her on the forehead before sitting at the far end of the sofa and lying a cushion over his lap.

‘Thank you.’ Lying down, her head on the cushion, Nina closed her eyes.

---