Page 11 of A New Arrival at Cwtch Cove

He really was very handsome. Almost too handsome, she thought, the way men like Jeff Bridges and Brad Pitt had been when they were younger. They were still handsome now but there had been a time when they were in their thirties and forties when their beauty was almost too sharp to look at. Henry was like that. She wondered if he realised how good looking he was and if it had hindered him at all in life or if it opened doors for him wherever he went.

‘What I’m going to do with my life.’ She pulled a face and he laughed.

‘That old quandary, eh?’

‘Did you always know you wanted to bake?’

‘Kind of, but growing up, it wasn’t exactly the career I thought I’d choose. I liked baking from an early age and used to bake with my mum but I thought I’d end up becoming an athlete or a lawyer. As a child, I didn’t even realise that I could make a living from baking. These hands have power though and they showed me the way.’ He held out his hands and Alice found her eyes drawn to them again. They certainly did have power and she couldn’t help imagining some of the things he could do with them that didn’t involve baking.

‘That’s nice. I wish I could be so sure about what I want to do.’

‘So dentistry isn’t the way ahead for you?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know.’ She looked down at her hands. Hands that had pulled teeth, filled holes and administered injections into patients’ gums. Not quite the same as creating culinary delights. ‘I don’t think so right now but I’m trained and I have student debt to sort out. I guess I should look for a job with a local practice but…’

‘Your heart’s not in it?’

She shook her head and was horrified to feel tears spring into her eyes. His gentle tone, the kindness in his eyes and the fact that she felt like her confusion was growing all brought her raw emotions to the surface and she gasped to catch her breath.

‘Hey… It’s OK.’ He stepped closer and placed a large hand on her shoulder. ‘It’ll all work out, you’ll see.’

‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me at the moment.’ She could feel the warmth of his hand through her clothing and when his thumb gently brushed against the exposed skin of her neck, she felt weak, like she could drop to the ground and sleep on the fallen leaves.

‘You seem exhausted,’ he said.

‘I am. And I slept all morning. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’ Alice burst into noisy tears then and covered her face with her hands.

‘I’m so sorry. I would offer you a hug but I’m quite sweaty. Uhhh… how about we go and grab a coffee and you can tell me all about it? Perhaps we can come up with some solutions to your problems. What is it that they say? Two heads are better than one?’

Alice sniffed then met his eyes. ‘How aren’t you in work today?’

‘I was but it’s my day to finish early. Your mum and I try to have one Saturday a month each where we finish at noon. It doesn’t always happen but today she insisted that I leave and so I thought I’d get my run in early then I can relax for the rest of the afternoon. So… about that coffee?’

Alice nodded. ‘Do you want to come to Mum’s?’

‘Or we can go to the café? That way I won’t sweat all over your mum’s furniture.’ The skin at the sides of his eyes concertinaed as he smiled.

‘All right.’ She sniffed. ‘But aren’t I ruining your run?’

‘I was done anyway and cooling down along the path here.’ Mischief filled his eyes. ‘That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It honestly wasn’t a case of me being desperate for the chance to skive off my run.’

‘OK then. I believe you. The coffee is my treat though.’

‘This time,’ he said, and a thrill shot through her.

This timemeant that there would be another time and she liked the thought of that.

Chapter11

Henry

In the café, Henry sat down while Alice went to the counter. He’d been surprised to see her out walking because Trudy had told him that Alice wasn’t well and she hoped she’d spend the day resting. But Henry knew that exercise and fresh air could help with a variety of ailments and he thought that perhaps Alice was in need of some time to decompress. Trudy had told him how stressful being a dentist could be and how she worried about Alice many times and so he was aware that Alice could be suffering the effects of stress. He really cared about Trudy and didn’t want to see her worried. It was a shame that Alice was having doubts about her chosen career but it happened and it didn’t have to be the end of the world.

Alice returned to the table and sat down then she stood up and removed the fleece from around her waist and hung it over the back of the chair before sitting down again.

‘That’s better.’ She rubbed at her middle. ‘I think I tied it too tight.’

‘So… we need to discuss what you’re going to do with your life, right?’ he asked gently, hoping she’d pick up on his teasing tone.

---