Page 36 of Second Chance Summer
The dilemma, like the sky and ocean in front of her, was too big to capture or resolve.
With no phone beside her to remind her of the time, only the fact it was too dark to work stopped her. The stars were fully out now, a milky network twinkling from a vast sky of deepest blue. Such darkness was alien.
Lily went inside, stunned to find it was after midnight.
She held her painting out in front of her. The colours, she admitted, were beautiful: ultramarine, silver, teal, even a tiny hint of pink had crept in. It must have been the reflection of the sun over the horizon at the last moment of light – she couldn’t remember adding it.
It was then she noticed through the window a figure lit up by moonlight: a figure who wasn’t in her painting as he’d only just appeared, standing on the edge of the cliff, with his back to her.
It was Sam, shoulders hunched and hands in pockets,staring out to sea, as if he was looking for something – or someone – in the vast night sky, with the weight of the world on him.
Her heart ached, recognising a lonely, lost soul.
Before he could turn around and spot her watching him, Lily put the painting down on the coffee table and stepped away, suddenly feeling as weighed down as Sam. Was it due to exhaustion or a delayed reaction to today’s trauma? Was it from a sense of loss – of Cara and, ludicrous thought, having to leave Stark … and Sam?
Damn it. This was the second time she’d cried in two days! She’d been beginning to think that the break had done her good, despite the fact she’d almost died. But this solitude and introspection wasn’t good for her.
It was making her emotional, and weak – neither of which would be any help in securing the future of her business and protecting the livelihoods of her team and makers. No matter how seductive Stark might be, how compelling its owner, it was an escape from reality – and while Lily resolved to make more time for herself in future, right now it was more important than ever that she step up and take the helm again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘You’re up early.’
At six-thirty a.m. Lily was in reception with her bags, startling Sam who was emerging from the kitchen carrying a paper bag.
She was back in her travelling outfit of blazer and jeans.
‘I’m always up at this time and I didn’t want to delay you for a moment,’ she said, firmly but politely.
‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘And you’ll be delighted to know that there’s a place for you on the nine a.m. flight.’
‘That’s lucky,’ Lily said, not feeling delighted but rather relieved that she was going back to normality. The emotions that had been stirred up by their near-drowning were still churning away, even though she was putting on a professional exterior.
‘Not really. One of the islanders agreed to delay their trip until tomorrow.’
‘Oh … are they OK with that?’
‘It was one of the gardeners at the abbey. I guess she wouldn’t have done it unless she was,’ he said.
‘But she won’t miss anything important?’ Lily said, feeling guilty for interrupting the gardener’s plans.
He shrugged. ‘All I know is that the helicopter bookingoffice asked around and someone volunteered when they heard you urgently needed to go home.’
‘I suppose it’s not strictlyurgentbut …’ Lily hesitated, feeling guilty for inconveniencing anyone. ‘Will you please thank her for me? I really do appreciate it.’
Sam nodded curtly. The bond between them seemed to have dissolved on his part too. He must be embarrassed about the emotional discussion they’d had the previous evening.
He held up the paper bag. ‘Anyway, I made a packed breakfast for you to have en route,’ he said gruffly. ‘It’s only pastries and juice, I’m afraid, but you’ll soon be back to civilisation. Well, Penzance anyway.’
‘You needn’t have gone to the trouble,’ Lily said politely, deflated by the re-emergence of the more reserved Sam Teague.
‘You’re my guest, the least I can do is provide breakfast. Now, as you’re ready to go early, we’ll get underway, shall we?’
‘Yes. Of course.’
While Sam locked the door to reception, Lily waited outside, drinking in her final moments of the view from Stark. The sun was shining amid a few fluffy clouds. The sand flats she’d painted the night before were now covered by water, with only rocky outcrops visible above the surface. Several yachts were moored in the channel between Bryher and Tresco, where its twin castles stood sentinel on either side. It was like a scene from a fairy tale.
All of this natural beauty had been hidden under the fogwhen she arrived, tantalising her – Lily was struck by another thought, even more outrageous than the one where she’d felt she might miss Stark and Sam. Was it possible that they hadn’t survived the near-drowning and, instead, had woken up in heaven?
