Escape to Polkerran Point, page 12
Lauren did as she was bid, but then her friend joined her, placing an arm about her shoulders.
‘I think moving in at The Lookout is a great idea. You’ll have the space you need and a proper desk to work at…’
‘But?’ Lauren had a feeling she knew what was coming.
‘I know I’m teasing you, but take care of your heart, Lauren. Daniel’s in a very complicated place and it’s hard not to—’
‘It’s okay.’ Lauren eyed Anna with deep affection. ‘I’m not in any danger. Gerry can think what she likes. I’ll do what’s asked of me for the recording, but it doesn’t change how things are behind closed doors. Daniel’s off limits, his heart is rigidly attached to Claudia, and if I needed any other barrier, there couldn’t be a better one than this.’ She rested a hand on her bump.
‘Good.’ Anna’s relief was clear as she hurried back to the cupboard to search for cakes but, returning her attention to the coffee, Lauren couldn’t help but wonder if she’d dropped herself into yet another challenging situation.
Then, she shrugged. What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter Fifteen
Barrow Boy
Life fell into a pattern over the next couple of weeks, with Lauren working hard for her clients, but taking time to go through interior design choices, placing orders and compromising on choices where the lead times were too long.
Daniel seemed happier, for some reason, and Lauren attended her appointments, listening intently to the baby’s heartbeat and smiling wryly as the midwife confirmed the latest bump measurement. She didn’t need Pauline to tell her she was increasing in size.
Still enjoying her morning runs, listening to various podcasts – though there was a mix now of business and baby topics – Lauren stopped to gather her breath one morning, only to clutch her middle. She waited. It happened again and, her heart pulsating with emotion, she kept her hand on the bump. It was more substantial than the flutterings of recent weeks. Was this the first kick Anna had been eagerly anticipating? No further sensation followed, and Lauren adjusted her headphones and resumed her run, only at a gentler pace.
‘Sorry, Kitten,’ she huffed. ‘Don’t mean to jostle you.’ She’d reached the lane where it ran past The Lookout, and took another breather. ‘Think you were meant to be a small melon or dessert something, but my mate changed the app to animals last week.’
‘Hey, Lauren!’
Looking over, Lauren waved at Daniel as he appeared from beside the cabin, clamping down on the frisson of pleasure that accompanied every sight of him lately. Hell, he’d got his bloody shirt off again!
Conscious of her sweaty running gear, hair scraped back in a band, Lauren walked to meet him in the driveway.
‘Should you still be running?’ Daniel frowned. ‘Is it… you know, safe?’
Lauren trained her eyes on his face. ‘Perfectly, as an experienced runner. Wouldn’t be quite so wise to take it up as a new sport in this condition.’
His expression darkened. ‘Promise me you don’t go down onto the beach? Those steps are pretty treacherous as it is.’
‘I haven’t.’ Lauren assumed interest. ‘But now you mention it, I—’
‘Please don’t!’
With a laugh, she put a hand on his arm, dropping it instantly.
‘I promise I won’t run on the beach. Or up and down the steps.’
‘Good. Have you finished, got time for a cuppa?’
‘Always.’
Daniel soon had the kettle boiling on the little stove in the cabin, and Lauren did a few warm-down stretches, tucking her earphones into her pocket.
The sun had not long risen, and the glassy sea reflected the paleness of the skies above it. A wood pigeon chorus trilled from the treetops and the faint chug-chug of fishing boats leaving the harbour drifted upwards on the still air.
Lauren rested a hand on her growing bump, hoping for another kick. Kitten did not indulge her, and she shrugged. Cats were known for being disobliging.
‘Here you go.’ Daniel handed over a mug, placing his own on the ground. ‘Do you mind if I finish off?’
‘Carry on. What time did you say the landscaper’s due?’
‘About now. I was just moving some sand when I heard someone on the lane and thought it might be you.’
She looked around for somewhere to sit, and Daniel paused his shovelling.
‘If you wait a minute, you can sit in this.’
He indicated the over-sized wheelbarrow, and Lauren eyed him in disbelief.
‘Thanks, but no thanks. I’m happy on a crate.’ She perched on a nearby one. ‘What’s in here?’
Daniel paused again, leaning on his shovel, and Lauren eyed him covertly. He seemed to be getting more attractive to her every day. What would those hands feel like on her…
‘It’s the slate for the hearth in the snug. It’s being fitted later. Oh, and good news,’ he picked up the shovel again. ‘The entertainment unit arrives tomorrow, and the sofas and dining furniture the following week.’
Daniel and Lauren had agreed she’d join him when the last of the furniture arrived.
‘Great,’ Lauren sipped her tea, savouring its heat as it trickled down her throat. ‘I can’t wait to move in.’ Before she did, she really needed to get a grip. Perhaps she ought to distract herself with the finer things, like cushions and ornaments.
A notification pinged on her phone, and Lauren pulled it out. Kit, damn him. She skimmed the message, a longer one this time, then sighed. He was as persistent as a gnat. She’d need a giant bottle of spray to get rid of him. Or just a massive swatter.
‘So.’ Daniel had discarded the giant barrow by the cabin, tugged a T-shirt over his head, much to Lauren’s relief, and retrieved his mug. ‘How’s it going?’
‘Fine, other than this.’ She waved the phone. ‘My ex is constantly messaging.’
Daniel’s eyes narrowed. ‘The baby’s father?’
‘Yes. He’s got this fixation – fuelled no doubt by my mum – about my being alone.’
‘But he chose not to be part of this, didn’t he?’
‘There’s no logic to it. I’m a grown-up, reasonably intelligent woman, but they just don’t seem to think I’m capable of coping without help.’
Lauren checked the time. ‘Best go shower. Due on a call at nine-thirty. Thanks for the tea.’
She crossed the driveway, already marked out by the landscape team, and cast a look back before heading down the lane into the village.
Daniel had disappeared inside the cabin, and she chewed on her lip as she walked. These stupid feelings were persistent little buggers and, like the bump on her front, seemed to be making their presence felt more by the day. Was it wise to move in with Daniel?
Then Lauren shook the concern aside. It was an arrangement, nothing more, and would serve them both equally. Besides, she really liked Daniel. They got on well. It would be like staying with one of her brothers.
Liar, liar, pants on—
Don’t start!
* * *
The next ten days flew by for Lauren, with little time for her to dwell on either the cuteness of Daniel Tremayne and her wisdom in moving into his home, or the impending change to her life.
Aside from her daily work, she had to visit a supplier in Hertfordshire, onto which she was able to tag a meeting at the Devere Corporation in London. Deciding to make the journey worthwhile, she stayed over in her favourite hotel, the Montague near Russell Square, so she could shop and do a show, before calling at another supplier in Southampton the following day.
It had been a successful trip, both from a business and shopping perspective, but for the first time, Lauren had found the crowds around Oxford Circus a little too much. She wasn’t too keen on being bumped into from every side on the Tube, either, and had forgotten how pungent some of the less pleasant odours could be in the passageways.
Once back in Polkerran, Lauren started to pack up her things, hardly able to believe she’d been staying at Westerleigh Cottage for two and a half months. She would miss the lovely room, with its gorgeous view, old beams and even the creaky floorboard by the bed. Lauren smiled to herself as she made her way down the stairs. She’d miss her friend’s constant companionship too, but she was looking forward to having a bit more space and a proper desk to work at.
On her last evening, as they finished their main course, Lauren leaned back in her chair, thankful for her new looser clothing. ‘I can’t thank you both enough for putting up with me all this time.’
‘I’ve loved it!’ Anna beamed at her. ‘It’s been almost like the old days.’
‘Thanks,’ Oliver said dryly as he picked up his wine glass.
Anna reached up and kissed his cheek. ‘And I wouldn’t change things for the world.’
‘I think the old days were a little wilder.’ Lauren smirked at Anna, then added to Oliver. ‘Well, for me, anyway. And I have news. Thanks to the Peanut app, I’ve chosen the baby’s name.’
Anna clapped her hands together. ‘Please tell me you went with Darcey.’
‘Sorry, love, no. I’ve decided on Amelia Grace.’
Already on her phone, Anna looked up. ‘Amelia means hard-working and industrious. Sounds more like her mother.’
‘And Grace is one of the meanings of Anna,’ Lauren said, feeling quite emotional as realisation dawned on her friend, who all but chucked her phone at Oliver as she leapt to her feet to come and hug her.
‘I don’t care about Darcey. It’s a beautiful name,’ Anna sniffed through her tears, and Oliver made an exaggerated sigh as he extracted another of his neatly pressed handkerchiefs and handed it over.
Once this little bit of excitement was over, they all cleared the table, but then Anna – as was her tendency – shooed them away so she could finish off the dessert, and as they resumed their seats, Lauren smiled at Oliver.
‘Anna is a gem. Is there no end to her talents?’
Oliver cradled his glass in both hands. ‘Don’t tell her I said so, but no, I don’t think there is. She’ll be an amazing mother when the time comes.’
Lauren laughed. ‘She’s far more ready for this than I am, a fount of information, forever sending me links to articles or podcasts she’s come across. None of them to do with baking, I might add.’
‘No.’ Oliver met Lauren’s amused gaze with a serious one of his own. ‘Don’t take this as a dig at your situation, but Anna is ever the traditionalist. I’d like to get a wedding ring on her finger before we head down the parenting route.’
‘And are you truly ready for it?’
Oliver remained silent for a moment, his startlingly blue gaze on Lauren.
‘Anna has such faith, for one who never knew what it was to grow up in a loving family.’
‘From what she’s told me, you didn’t have a great experience either.’
‘It was different. I had the family, it just wasn’t a happy one. Talking of which, my father has been in touch. He’s not got long, apparently.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
Oliver shrugged. ‘The circle of life. We’ve never been close, but I’m the only child. He’s been in Dubai for years, but he’s had to drop everything. He came home a month ago and went into a hospice near London. He’s asked for me.’
‘And your mother died some time ago?’
‘About four years now. She had little time for me, but what her passing gave me was my grandmother, without whom I’d never have met Anna.’ He met Lauren’s interested gaze openly. ‘I’d had a failed marriage, was convinced history would repeat itself, that it was best avoided. Until Anna came along.’
His gaze rested on her friend, his normally inscrutable expression absent, and Lauren could see exactly why her friend had fallen for him. He was adorable.
‘I’ll be glad when this damn search is over. I’d like to set a date.’ He sent Lauren a sheepish smile. ‘I’m not getting any younger.’
Lauren emitted a ladylike snort. ‘You’re what… mid-forties? And in your prime.’ She smirked. ‘So Anna tells me.’
Oliver almost choked on his drink.
‘Sorry. Couldn’t resist. We don’t talk intimacies, but I’ve known her long enough to realise how happy she is.’
They sipped their drinks in unison for a minute, but then Oliver said, ‘You don’t seem overly fazed by what’s coming. Aren’t you anxious?’
‘Deep down. It’s a huge responsibility.’ Lauren gave a small laugh. ‘And it’s assuming much larger proportions than managing a team.’
‘You’ll be fine. Ah, here she is.’
It was as Anna placed a slice of homemade tiramisu on Lauren’s plate that she noticed the striking engagement ring again.
‘Do you know its history?’ She pointed to it before picking up her spoon.
‘Not really. Aunt Meg kept it in an old tea caddy, which she said contained the things that mattered most to her. It was in a leather box and, curious in the way all kids are, I opened it once. She took it from me, then snapped the lid shut, burying it beneath some papers.’
‘Did she say anything?’
Anna shook her head. ‘I said how pretty it was, but she said something like, “it’s just a ring”.’
Oliver sipped his coffee. ‘We realise it had to be more than that to be in the caddy.’
Lauren eyed it keenly. ‘It’s definitely a one-off.’
‘I agree.’ Oliver took Anna’s hand and placed a kiss on it. ‘As is Anna.’
With a smile, Lauren tucked into her dessert. ‘This is so delicious.’ She let the creamy dessert dissipate in her mouth before loading another spoonful. ‘How is it you’re not the size of a house, Oliver?’
‘Because every now and again, she lets me do the cooking, and that is guaranteed to reduce your appetite.’
Anna laughed as they polished off the remains of the dessert. ‘Oliver is selling himself short. He’s a great cook.’
Lauren looked from one to the other, but she didn’t envy them because it warmed her trampled heart. Their happiness gave her hope for the future.
Amelia gave Lauren a resounding kick or two, and she rested a hand on her bump. The immediate future, however, looked like it could be fun – despite her misgivings over how attractive she found Daniel – and Lauren’s spirits lifted in anticipation of her move into The Lookout the following day.
Chapter Sixteen
Mat-er-knitty
Lauren awoke to mixed emotions the next day. Her life may have been turned on its head but living at Westerleigh Cottage had brought its own routine: the view from the window each morning, changing only with the weather and the seasons, the smell of breakfast being prepared for the guests, the constant interruption of her work by the locals calling for sustenance and a chat.
What would life at The Lookout bring?
‘Only one way to find out,’ Lauren announced to the room as she donned her recently acquired supportive running gear. She would hit the twenty-four-week mark within days. The celebration was another check up with Pauline – more bump measuring and listening to Amelia’s heartbeat, which had become Lauren’s absolute favourite thing.
Going running remained invigorating, but Lauren had started to take a less strenuous route through the village and back, rather than along the cliff path, with its challenging terrain.
What the run didn’t succeed in dispelling that morning, however, was the rather erotic dream she’d had in the night, triggered, no doubt, by the memory of a shirtless Daniel chopping wood, his torso tanned and lean, the taut muscles in his arms rippling as he wielded the axe.
As Lauren showered, towelled dry and rubbed cream onto her distended belly, she fought the wisps of the dream. Then, catching sight of her flushed face in the mirror, she shook her head in admonishing fashion at her reflection.
‘Grow up, Lauren Kirkham. You’re just missing not having had sex for months.’ With a small smile, she rested her hands on her bump. ‘Sorry, sweetie. You shouldn’t have to listen to this. Mummy’s just being silly.’
That’s all it was. The inability to satisfy her natural desires. Lust, basically.
Lauren dressed and headed down the stairs, but despite the attempt at justification for her attraction to Daniel, some misgivings persisted as she ate breakfast with her friend, and as they enjoyed a last cup of tea, she aired them.
‘I’m wavering between being excited for the move and questioning the wisdom of it.’
‘Because you fancy Daniel?’
‘A bit.’
Anna reached for her cup. ‘It’s not like you to have second thoughts. You’re the decisive one, the grab the opportunity girl. You don’t get lost in dreams like I do.’
Lauren’s dreams were best kept to herself. ‘It seemed the perfect solution at the time – a win-win on all sides.’
Anna sipped her tea. ‘You’re right, it serves more than one purpose. You need somewhere to stay where you’re not living alone, and I need your room for bookings. And you’re helping Daniel by taking that producer woman’s pressure off over having someone else in that last section.’
‘All true.’ Why did she have such misgivings? ‘It’s just me being me, isn’t it? You know what I’m like, I have to fancy someone, and Daniel’s hard not to crush on. I think I feel a bit underhand, finding him attractive.’
‘Don’t,’ Anna admonished. ‘He’s a grown man, going into this of his own free will. Besides, he’s still besotted with Claudia.’
Lauren pushed away a spasm of hurt. Ridiculous.
‘Who wouldn’t be?’ She summoned a rueful smile. ‘Hell, I could fall for her myself!’
Anna’s lips twitched but she said nothing, merely eyeing her friend in a knowing way over the rim of her cup.
‘Stop it, Anna!’ Lauren’s gaze dropped to the more prominent mound. Her child. Her daughter. Every decision now needed to be with Amelia’s happiness, safety and future in mind.
‘You are still allowed a life, you know?’ Anna spoke softly, and Lauren raised her eyes to meet her friend’s kind face.
‘Not yet.’
Anna went to speak, but the boot room door opened and Mrs Lovelace came in with Jean and Mrs Clegg.
