‘Who’s that for?’ said Matt, giving Rosie a peck on the cheek as she headed off to grab them a table.
‘Me,’ said Will.
‘Seriously? I thought you hated that stuff!’
Will bit his tongue.
‘Leah, why don’t you head over and join Rosie?’ said Matt. ‘I’ll bring this lot over.’
‘Okay, thanks,’ she said, shooting a look at Will that he didn’t understand.
‘You okay?’ said Matt, as soon as Leah was out of earshot.
‘Of course,’ muttered Will. ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Millionaire shortbread?!’ said Matt.
‘People change,’ he huffed.
‘Not that much,’ said Matt. ‘Not when it comes to cake.’
Will bunched his hand into a fist and glanced over towards where Leah was laughing at something Rosie had just said. A run of notes trickled through his head, and he took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly. A weird kind of calm descended.
‘You know… I’ve got to go,’ he said, turning to Matt with a smile.
‘Go?’ said Matt. ‘But why? Seriously, man, are you okay?’
‘I’m…’
The notes played again, trickling into his bloodstream like golden raindrops. Will’s fingers danced at his side, following them on imaginary ivory keys.
‘I’m great,’ he said. ‘I’ve just… got to go. Sorry. I’ll catch you this evening!’
Will didn’t wait to hear Matt’s response. He simply turned and strode from the café, focusing on the black dots floating on the stave in his mind’s eye, and Leah’s smile, and the music he suddenly couldn’t stop to save his life.
He needed to get to a piano!
CHAPTER 8
LEAH
Leah pulled the little hire car to a halt outside Seabury House and killed the engine. She still wasn’t sure this was such a great idea, but after the day she’d just had, the last thing she needed was to spend all evening in her own company, moping. She’d done enough of that already today.
Pulling down the sun visor, Leah checked her face in the mirror. Good – she could no longer see the signs of the hours she’d spent crying. Her concealer was working overtime, and the whites of her eyes had finally lost their tell-tale pinkness.
‘What a mess,’ she sighed.
After such a lovely start to the day, it was a shame it had unravelled so quickly.
Still, at least watching Will leave the café like that, just because she’d joined him and his family for breakfast, had made her decision easier. Okay, maybeeasierwas the wrong word, but ithadmade her choice more obvious. Leah was definitely going to hand in her notice before the holiday was up.
Leah now had to face facts. She was in love with a man who saw her as part of his professional life, and nothing more. Of course, she couldn’t hold that against him. It was the way it should be. Will was being completely professional. It washerwho’d managed to blur the boundaries by falling for a man she couldn’t possibly have. Having the audacity to follow him on holiday and spend time with his family was simply the nail in the coffin.
It was such a shame, though! Day one of her holiday, and it was already ruined. Day one, and instead of reading her book, drinking coffee, eating cake, wandering the beaches and visiting the wool shop, she’d hidden away in her flat, working her backside off on a hefty manual that she’d eventually hand over to her replacement.
‘Come on, Leah, you’ve got some apologising to do,’ she muttered, heaving herself out of the car.
She’d sent Connie a text earlier to tell her she was keeping herself to herself for the day because she’d developed a headache. It was the same excuse she’d used on Matt and Rosie when she’d bowed out of the café just ten minutes after Will had made a break for it. She simply hadn’t been able to keep it together any longer. The look he’d thrown at her, along with his disdainful "hey, you’re here then?"had practically broken her heart.
