Page 14 of Second Chance Summer
Lily’s relief at finding her accommodation was up to standard had both pleased and shamed him. The weather was shit, the journey had been horrible and her PA had said she’d been unwell. Added to which he’d found out that one of the Tresco gardeners had been talking to her at the heliport and God knows what he’d had to say. She hadn’t chosen this break – it had clearly been thrust upon her.
Then there was Morven. She’d done a decent job of preparing the cottage, even if she’d moaned about having to help. He was paying her a generous rate and allowing her far more leeway in her hours than any island hotel would have. They’d never have put up with her truculent attitude either. As her uncle, he had no choice. Her father – Sam’s older brother, Nathan – was living in the States, working as a games designer, and hadn’t been back to the islands for six months. He’d left Morven with Elspeth and Sam, promising to send for her when he’d found his feet.
But even though Nate now had an apartment and a job, there was still no sign of an invitation to his daughter. He had, however, told Sam that his new girlfriend Grady wasn’t super keen on the idea of having a ‘hostile seventeen-year-old moving into the condo’.
Morven had declared she’d rather poke out her eyeballs than move in with ‘The Gorgon’ as she called Grady. Though they’d never met in person, two Zoom calls had been enough.
Morven’s paternal grandparents – Sam and Nate’s mum and dad – lived near Exeter and she hadn’t wanted to up sticks and live with them either. She’d finished her A-level exams and hadn’t as yet made plans for September – now it was probably too late and Morven still wouldn’t discuss any options. Although she didn’t seem to want to move away or go to college, she moaned constantly about Bryher being ‘boring’ and ‘a dump’.
Sam had constantly to remind himself to cut her some slack. Nate had only been twenty-two – five years older than Sam – when Morven’s mum, Holly, had handed over custody of the baby to him.
Holly and Nate had had a brief holiday fling. Holly was married and had two young children already. Her husband had refused to let another man’s child live with them. She had been forced to make the very tough decision not to be involved in Morven’s upbringing. The upshot was that Nate had brought his daughter up with the help of his brother.
Her grandparents had done what they could, though living on the mainland, they could only see her during theholidays. Without their aunt Elspeth, Sam didn’t know how he and Nate would have coped at all.
Elspeth was like a surrogate grandmother while Nate was away and Morven did love her. However, the girl clearly sometimes felt she wasn’t wanted and didn’t fit in anywhere. If Sam was in her situation, he’d probably feel hurt and rejected too.
She’d been a big help to him when it had suited her, helping to paint and decorate the cottages, offering advice on the interiors with her flair for quirky design, yet he hated to see her wasting her talents and simply drifting around.
Sam was at a loss. He was trying to get his business off the ground. He was too old to be a friend to Morven and couldn’t be a replacement father to her. Nate was her dad, even if he was five thousand miles away.
So, they existed in an uncomfortable limbo, with Morven living in the attic suite at the top of Hell Bay House, Sam’s home. Elspeth was only a few hundred yards away in her own cottage. She and Morven made a formidable pair, with Morven rowing with her great-aunt one minute and then ganging up with her on Sam when it suited her.
At times, it was all too much for him and working on the retreat had provided a much-needed escape, from all kinds of issues he’d rather not confront.
On the downside, he’d practically had to abandon the building business he still owned with his mate Aaron, but there was no going back now. Too many locals had said he’d never finish the work.
Yet Sam hadneededto throw himself into a project thatwas almost too big for him. The challenge of building the retreat had consumed him at a time when he was desperate for something to help blot out the grief and despair he was feeling. Gradually, Stark had become a place of solace too; somewhere he could escape into hard physical labour with the wildness of nature to comfort him.
That had been the idea behind calling Stark a ‘retreat’, not a ‘resort’. He’d always found it a place of sanctuary since he was a boy. If he and Nate had rowed, or if Sam just felt he needed space, he’d come over and lose himself amid the heather and ruins, or take his kayak and go fishing. Now, he hoped to share that with other people in need of peace and solace, who would surely benefit from the natural beauty of the island …
His heart sank. That didn’t seem to be happening with Lily: in fact, his half-finished project had only caused her further stress. Though he did wonder ifanyplace, however luxurious or beautiful, could ever work its magic on such a driven character.
With a sigh, he tried to focus on preparing the evening’s meal. After checking the menu with Lily, he’d decided to make a lobster salad, followed by tarragon chicken. He’d eaten and cooked with Scilly seafood since he was young so the salad was a staple.
The leaves, like the tarragon, had been grown on the islands; only the chicken was brought in, chilled. Pudding wasn’t his strong point but Bryher’s café made wonderful cakes and desserts. He hoped Lily would enjoy the strawberry millefeuilles.
She’d seemed amazed that he was going to cook a three-course dinner, but of course was unaware he was used to cooking for himself and Morven.
He’d hastily unwrapped the plastic from the new chair in reception, added some coasters to the tables and lit the lamps. He then turned his attention to the small dining room, laying the table with the sea blue napkins and aqua glassware that Morven had chosen. The napkins were linen and, along with the top-notch cutlery, had cost more than he’d wanted to pay. However, with the addition of a tealight, he had to admit the table looked good.
It was such a shame that there was only one guest.
With an inner sigh, he walked back into the bar.
‘Hi there.’
Lily was shaking the drops off her umbrella in the entrance to the bar.
She was wearing spa slippers from her room, skinny jeans, and an oversize silky sweater that slipped off her slender frame. Her hair was still damp from the shower, fluffing round her head like a cherub’s. Sam did a double take. She looked more angelic than Morven’s description of ‘evil’, though he still braced himself for conflict.
‘Is everything OK with the cottage?’
Her reply disarmed him.
‘I wondered if –’ she said politely ‘– there was any fresh milk available. For a cup of tea?’
‘M–milk?’ Sam stuttered. ‘Ah, of course. Sorry, I meant to bring it round. I just popped the bottles in the fridge. I’ll be along with some ASAP.’
