‘No pressure. It's just something to think about, yeah? We don't have to decide anything right now. I must say your flat is quite small. I’m still bumping my head daily…’
Cally took a long sip of her drink. She faltered for words. ‘It's not that I don't want to. It's a big decision.’
Logan nodded. ‘Of course. I get it. Like I said, no pressure. I just love you, Cal. Simple as that, really.’
‘I love you, too.’
‘Think about it. I'm not going anywhere.’
As Cally looked out over Lovely Bay, she wasn’t quite sure what to think about what Logan had proposed. ‘I've worked so hard to get to this point, to be able to buy my own place. Part of me feels like I need to do this on my own, you know? To prove to myself that I can. It’s been my goal since, well, since you know when.’
‘Totally. You've accomplished loads.’
‘I've always been so independent, you know? Since I was very young.’
‘I know. That's one of the things I love about you. It doesn't mean giving up your independence, but yeah, it’s chill. Just do what you want to do. The offer's there. Whenever you're ready,ifyou're ever ready... I'm here.’
A little part of Cally was a bit put out. Or maybe a large part of her was. Logan was beingverycasual. It was hardly an earth-shattering proposal. He was so nonchalant about moving in together that she wasn’t sure what to think. Almost as if she was a mate of his or something. She didn’t like how it made her feel. There were no brass bands playing. Logan’s words wereso casual they almost did the opposite of their intention. Off-putting. She took a sip of her drink and attempted to change the subject. ‘So much has changed since I first came to Lovely Bay. If someone had told me then that I'd be sitting here now, considering getting a mortgage and, well, everything else, I'd have thought they were absolutely bonkers.’
‘I know. Life goes its own way, doesn’t it?’
‘It certainly does. It surprised me with you that’s for sure.’ Cally joked and nudged Logan on the elbow. ‘I’m still trying to work out whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.’
Logan laughed. ‘You are very lucky to have me.’
‘Same.’ Cally steered the subject further away as she held her head up to the sky and exhaled. She’d debrief the moving in together thing later. ‘This was a perfect idea. I'd almost forgotten how beautiful it is up here.’
‘We should do this more often. Get away from it all, just the two of us. Fresh air does wonders for the brain cells, or so they say.’
‘It does. Maybe we should bottle it and sell it. Make our fortunes.’
Logan frowned. ‘Why do we need to make our fortunes?’
Cally shook her head. She’d waited a long time to make her fortune and she’d certainly not come anywhere near yet. Of course, it wasn’t the same for the person sitting beside her. He didn’t have to worry about fortunes. He already had a nice, big, fat one under his belt. It wasn’t even in his vocabulary. She made a noncommittal sound.
Logan shook his head and surprised her with what came next. ‘I don’t really need to make a fortune. I’ve got what I want right here beside me. I already feel like I won the lottery, Cal.’
Well played, Henry-Hicks.
You can stay.
For now.
2
The tinkle of the bell above the chemist's door signalled the departure of the last customer of the morning prescription rush. Cally watched Mrs Higgins, a very old and very established Lovely customer who was wearing one of the blue wax Lovely coats, stop and chat with Colin from the riverboat outside the shop’s front window. A group of tourists, easily identifiable by their matching anoraks and confused expressions, huddled around a map on the opposite pavement. Cally smiled at the scene playing out before her on the street; she loved it. The small, seemingly insignificant moments in Lovely made her appreciate the quiet rhythm of life in the little town. She picked up a huge carton from underneath the counter, made her way past the dispensary, and plopped the box down in the back room.
Birdie poked her head around the corner. ‘Have you got a minute? Fancy a cup of tea?’
‘Of course. You’re the boss. It’s not our usual tea time. What's up?’
Birdie glanced towards the front of the shop and then walked into the small kitchen. ‘I’ll pop the kettle on. Let's have a sit-down, shall we? I’ve been wanting a proper chat...’
Cally's heart rate picked up a notch. In all her time working at the chemist's, she'd never seen Birdie look quite as serious if that was even the right word. Maybe it wasn’t serious. Determined or something? Scary, perhaps? Cally didn’t know but she didn’t like it that much. She internally fizzed as it ran through her mind that she was about to get the sack.
Here we go again,her inner voice taunted. ‘Sure.’
Birdie smoothed down her always-impeccable white dispensary coat, picked up the kettle, and held it under the cold tap.
