Page 100 of Second Chance Summer
‘Yes, and I don’t needthaton top of everything else. I’ve a big decision to make about the business that’s been weighing on me.’
His brow creased in concern. ‘You’re not in trouble?’
‘No, not trouble. The opposite, in fact. You don’t need toknow the details and I think I already know my answer. Only it would affect everyone at the company.’
‘Separate it off. That’s work. This is aboutyou.’ He flattened his palm over the centre of his chest. ‘Look after your heart. The rest will follow.’
Suddenly, like a murmuration of starlings, the children stopped whirling, changed direction and streaked back to them. They spoke as one: ‘Can we go to the Hangman’s Rock?’
Étienne’s eyes widened. ‘Whatrock?’
‘Hangman’s Rock,’ Tania said. ‘Where they extinguished the pirates. Morven told us about it.’
‘Extinguishedthe pirates?’ Étienne echoed. ‘I’d like to have seen that.’
Lily had to hold her hand over her mouth.
Amelie nodded solemnly. ‘Yes, that’s what Morven said.’
Lily caught her breath. ‘Morven says a lot of things. You can’t land onthatrock these days but you can go to the Rock pub or the café for an ice cream. How does that sound?’
It sounded perfect, judging by the squeals of delight. Even Étienne did a little dance, much to Lily’s amusement.
Twenty minutes later, back at Tresco harbour, Sam was adding a large polystyrene container to several others on theHydra. Sweat glistened on his biceps in the hot June sun. Lily thought back to her first impression of him at the heliport: ruggedly handsome but rather reserved. Now her heart skipped a beat every time she looked at him.
Tania greeted him from the quayside above. ‘Do you like ice cream?’
‘Who doesn’t?’ he called back.
Lily jogged down the steps and onto the boat. ‘Can we pop into the café for some? It’s a more appealing option than trying to climb up Hangman’s Rock … Morven’s been giving the twins a history lesson.’
‘Has she? Wow. Well, I can’t land on the rock,’ he said, adding loudly, ‘so I think it had better be ice cream.’
Everyone had some, and the adults had cold beers before they returned to Stark. Sam took them to explore the island before they massed on the beach around a fire to make scallop kebabs with samphire they’d found by the ruined cottage beach. The sun began its slow descent to the horizon, time was ticking by …
The adults chatted about the islands, about living and working there in the winter. Sam asked Étienne about his job in London and Lily told them about the email she’d received from Penny, thanking her for going to the craft fair and saying what a boost it had been. She kept her plans for Lily Loves Scilly to herself. She hadn’t yet worked out the right way to approach the makers without patronising them. Most of all, she wanted to run it by Richie and the team so the decision was a shared one.
Amelie and Tania snuggled between Étienne and Lily, wrapped in blankets as damp from the sand seeped into the air. Tania gave a huge yawn.
‘Right. That’s our cue.’ Étienne rose to his feet, pulling his daughters up with him. ‘Come on, sleepy heads. Time for bed.’
Amelie protested wearily.
‘We all have a long journey tomorrow and I have to be on the late shift.’
‘Will Lily read to us?’ Tania asked.
‘She has to help Sam clear up.’
‘I don’t mind,’ Lily said.
‘No, you stay here.’ Étienne’s tone meant business and she was grateful to him, for giving her permission to have this final time alone with Sam.
‘I’ll look in when I come to bed,’ she said, but she knew they’d be asleep.
That was it, then. Just the two of them alone, drinking beers. Their final evening together. Time was precious, she’d learned that much, but could she summon the courage to do what she’d promised and make the most of it?
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
