Page 72 of One Cornish Summer With You
Some of the potential clients found it very hard to grasp that their commission depended on the tides and the weather and that she could offer no absolute guarantees the project would go ahead.
One man had tried to book a birthday treat for his partner on a remote beach near Land’s End for the following year. Tammy had to explain that the beach in question might not even have any sand left following the winter storms which could scour it away in a night.
However, she already had three workshops planned over the summer, and was looking forward to them, even though her experience of teaching was limited. She was always big on the idea that beach art was for everyone because the landscape literally belonged to everyone. Her higher profile gave her the opportunity to share her skills and passion with more people.
She’d been out with her friends a couple of times and fended off questions about Ruan. Everyone liked him and Lola went in for some gentle teasing about when they’d get to meet him again. Tammy had answered with vague mentions of how busy he was with work and kitesurfing with his friends.
Davey had told her she was looking tired, but she’d batted back that so was he and said she was snowed under with enquiries. He’d offered to ask Breda to help out in the gallery again, but she’d insisted she was OK.
‘It’s July now. We’ll only get busier as the schools start to break up.’
‘The private school kids will be in here before we know it, knocking stuff over,’ Davey grumbled.
‘All kids break stuff,’ Tammy said, his comment having raised one of the few smiles she’d managed that week. ‘And their parents are your best customers. You’ll need my help and Breda’s – and probably Mullet Boy too.’
‘He’s called Keiron,’ Davey said archly.
‘Keiron, then. I’m off to the post office shortly so if there’s anything else you need me to take, can you let me know as soon as?’
Davey nodded and returned twenty minutes later with a small parcel and two letters.
Tammy headed out into the sunshine, noting the increase in cars, visitors and seagulls. Peak season was just around the corner and with her growing list of commissions there was no time to think about Ruan – except she did think about him. Not thinking about him was exhausting and not seeing him caused a physical ache in her chest. She had to make her peace with him sometime, but could she ever feel about him as she had before?
After finishing her errands at the post office, she trudged out to the harbourside, trying to focus on the warmth of the sunshine and the waves slapping against the stone quay. Her phone buzzed and she stopped by the slipway to check it. There were two messages: one from Lola inviting her to supper and one from Ruan, asking again if they could meet to talk.
‘Tammy.’
She glanced up and her heart plummeted to the bottom of the harbour. Sean rose up in front of her like a rotting boat that had been uncovered by the falling tide.
Was that fair? He had been telling the truth after all.
‘I was right, wasn’t I?’ he said. ‘You’ve been to the house. You know he’s been lying.’
Tammy rapidly revised her opinion. She’d been more than fair. Sean had only shared his news to take revenge on her.
‘How can you possibly know that?’ she asked. ‘Have you been following me?’
‘Not following. I happened to be driving the lads back from the Logan Rock pub last week after Spike’s birthday. I saw your van parked in the layby round the corner from Rosewarne.’
Tammy gasped in astonishment at the lengths Sean had gone to. ‘Sure you were. You just happened to take the bottom road for a change. The road that’s completely out of your usual way?’
‘One of the lads lives in Lamorna. I dropped him off. You think I persuaded them all to have a birthday drink at the Logan Rock just so I could stalk you?’
‘No … but it seems like a hell of a coincidence.’
‘It is a coincidence. Like it is that Ruan just happened to be in Porthmellow and happened to chat you up.’
‘He didn’t “chat me up”. Jeez. What is this, 1975? We met randomly. I know he inherited the place and that’s – well, that’s how it goes.’ Tammy faced up to him, refusing to giveSean an ounce of satisfaction for being the one to reveal the truth about Rosewarne.
Sean snorted and a smirk spread over his face ‘I was right.’
‘Yes, Sean, you were right. Clever boy.’ She mimed applause. ‘Now you can be as smug as you like.’
‘Well, I did it for your sake. I love you.’
‘No, you don’t. Hurting me and revelling in my pain isn’t love and if you think that destroying me and Ruan means I’ll gratefully come running to you for comfort, you can think again.’
‘I’ve shot myself in the foot, haven’t I? How can a humble builder compete with a flash lawyer who owns the dream place you’d love to get back. Now he has everything you want and I’ll never get a look-in.’
