Never Too Late (22 page)

And yanking her arm from his grip, she fled with his mocking laughter following her.

* * *

Molly paused among the lush green vegetables of the kitchen garden on her way to Barrowdene house and sniffed in the grassy citrus scent of the tall, potted lemon verbena beside her. 

The past nine days had been a whirl of activity. Tim had exceeded expectations. It had taken an army of people to do it, but the builders had finished and left yesterday, and the decorators were right now moving to the upstairs bedrooms, having finished downstairs. Every room had been done to her specification, with Jake just a presence, letting her take the lead. It had been the most invigorating time of her life and she should have been happy, proud of what she had helped accomplish, but the end had caught up with her. It was right around the corner.

Rose Cottage stood behind her, but she hadn’t slept there since the day Jake returned from taking Lilayni to the airport. Jake’s bedroom was more familiar now. Their days had been long and busy, and when she collapsed with him exhausted into their bed at night, there had been no time for the future, no time for worry, only time for each other. Theirs had been balmy summer nights spent worshipping each other’s bodies, and for a while it had been all too easy to pretend this way of life would last forever.

She walked on towards the big house, the cotton material of her blue summer dress swinging above her knees. The evening was warm and she had no need for a cardigan. These past few days she’d lived in jeans and t-shirts, with her hair scraped back in a tight ponytail and her face bare. But she wasn’t as stupid as Brian had implied. Seeing her in a dress wasn’t going to make Jake fall madly in love with her all of a sudden. No, she was wearing this for herself, not for him, even though he’d be expecting to see her first thing when he returned to Barrowdene today after half-a-day spent elsewhere.

Nan was a dark shadow outlined against the glass of Barrowdene’s kitchen window, and Molly let out a breath. She had to be more practical. Jake’s time at Barrowdene was done and she and Nan would need a new home. Martin was still in London and she hadn’t been able to contact him, and because Jake hadn’t mentioned him, she’d kept quiet, but really this had only one ending. It didn’t look good for Martin, and there was nothing she could do.

They couldn’t go back to how things had been. She had to find another job, and soon. She could only hope Belinda’s jealous vitriol hadn’t destroyed her chances of finding some sort of employment in the village.

She reached the kitchen door and the chug of an industrial lawn mower started up faraway. A team of gardeners had arrived this morning to work on the grounds with Nate, and it sounded like they were still at it. 

The first thing she saw on entering the newly refurbished kitchen were two red-rimmed cherry pies cooling on racks on the counter. The air was thick with the fruity buttery smell of more pies about to finish baking.

Molly peeked into the large ovens of the new range. “You made four?”

“One is for you and Jake tonight. The other is for Nate. And these two here…” Nan indicated the pies on the counter. “I’m taking to the women’s committee meeting later.” She gave a knowing smile. “You won’t be coming with me, of course.”

Molly shook her head. Nan knew she was with Jake day and night now, but neither of them had felt the need to discuss it. “Do you need help with anything?” she asked brightly.

“Well, now that you’re here, you can take those pies out of the oven for me. They’ll be done in a bit.” She stretched her back and then hobbled over to a chair and sat down.

With a frown, Molly dropped to her knees beside Nan and inspected her left leg that was still encased in light support stockings. “Have you been straining your leg today?”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad until now. And it was to be expected really, what with all those people to make tea and coffee for. I felt like a proper tea lady. It’s a mercy I didn’t have to cook for them as well.”

“You should have told me. I’d never have let you run around like that.”

“You helped plenty enough with all that fetching and carrying. I couldn’t ask for more.” She patted her leg. “There, it’s feeling much better already. I just needed to sit down for a few minutes.” The oven timer began an incessant beeping. “That pie is ready. Best get it out before it burns.”

With a defeated shake of her head, Molly stood and pulled on oven mitts as Nan chatted in the background. 

“It’ll be easier now the builders have finished. A handful of painters and decorators aren’t too much of a bother to keep watered.”

Molly pulled open the oven door, and hot air wafted over her face. “You’re not to do anything over the next few days. I’ll see to everyone’s tea.”

“Now that sounds nice and boring,” Nan sat forward as Molly carefully took the pie out of the oven and placed it on a cooling rack. “That one’s for Nate. I thought I’d add a dash of his wine to it. It’s a little surprise.”

The pie was deep ruby red and its crust more bubbly on top than the others. It smelled pungent too, like fruit that had ripened too long and developed a sharp alcoholic edge.

Molly eyed it dubiously. “I hope you didn’t add too much. You know how strong that stuff is.”

Nan chuckled. “And it’s extra strong this year. He gave me a bottle a few days ago. My goodness, I barely needed a drop to send me off to sleep for the whole night. You could’ve lined all those builders up outside the cottage and had them doing a jig on those infernally loud machines of theirs and I wouldn’t have stirred.”

The timer on the second oven beeped and Molly went to take the last pie out.

“I’ve never seen the house look so good,” Nan mused. “Not even when I first arrived here. I’d hate to see it go back to being empty and quiet after all this effort.” 

It was true. Barrowdene was barely recognizable from what it had been before. Even the old kitchen had been reworked. Gone were the rusting ironwork and the grey stone counters, and in their place stood a modern kitchen diner complete with a carved oak table big enough to seat at least ten. The counters were polished granite, the floor a gleaming cream-swirled marble, and the equipment and brand new range cooker installed would have done any hardworking restaurant justice. Nan had surprisingly taken to it like a rabbit to a burrow, even going so far as to learn how to work all these ‘newfangled thingamajigs’.

“I don’t think Jake intends for it to stay empty,” Molly said, placing the pie on the rack beside the others.

Nan nodded. “I thought not. And the way you two have been these past few days, and the look in your eyes whenever you mention him. He’s planning to stay on here, I take it?”

Molly froze in the middle of pulling off the oven mitts. “Nan… it’s not like that.”

“Now tell me. Are my old eyes deceiving me? You do love him, don’t you?”

Molly stared, at a loss what to say. But no matter what Jake felt, she couldn’t deny her own love. She nodded.

“There, I knew it,” Nan said with a triumphant smile.

“This isn’t what you think!” Molly threw the oven mitts down on the counter. “He’s not in love with me.”

“Men don’t talk about love, Molly. You have to watch what they do. Jake’s taken care to bring out the best in you. I’ve seen how your confidence has blossomed since you began working with him on Barrowdene.”

“No, Nan, he’d do that for anyone. That’s what he’s like.”

“If that’s so, then why go to the trouble of pulling together a party just so he can show off your work in the house?”

Molly frowned. “What party?”

“Now don’t fret that he told me first. He called about a half hour ago, and he only gave me a few details, but I’m sure he’ll tell you everything when he gets back.”

“What did he say, Nan?”

“He’s planning an open day at Barrowdene tomorrow evening, and he wanted me to tell the ladies of the committee today. Well, I told him to prepare to be swamped. I’m sure every nose in Appleby is twitching to see how the house looks now.”

Molly’s frown deepened. So that’s what Jake had been doing today. But why not tell her before? Had he thought she might object to his plans? “But the house isn’t ready. The bedrooms upstairs still need painting. I thought it would take another week.”

“It’s all mostly done. And it’s a smart move to do this early. Get everybody on side right from the start. If Francine had done something similar, she’d have had a much easier time in Appleby.” Nan eyed her. “You’ll be centre stage tomorrow. Why don’t you wear that pretty turquoise dress you bought? It looked lovely on you.”

Why? To make a fool of herself again with another man who didn’t want her? “It’s not really my style,” she muttered.

Nan shook her head. “As you please.” She made to stand, and Molly was immediately by her side, but she waved away Molly’s supporting hand. “There’s no need, child. My leg’s fine. I have to get those pies packed up.”

“I don’t think you should be going today.”

“I wouldn’t miss the meeting for anything, especially as all the talk is going to be about Barrowdene and Jake’s party tomorrow.” Nan picked up Nate’s pie and handed it to Molly. “Now get this to Nate before he disappears down the pub.”

Molly found Nate in Barrowdene’s back garden, admiring the neatly trimmed and manicured grounds that looked like they’d sprung straight out of a princely estate’s brochure.

He grinned and gestured proudly at the garden. “That’s a grand sight, that is, and you can bet yer eye-teeth I’ll be keeping it like this.”

His lanky hair was disheveled and his overalls streaked with sweat and dirt, but he stood as tall as he could, his chest puffed out with the satisfaction of a job well done.

She smiled and handed him the pie. “Something special from Nan.”

“Thank yer, Nan, gal,” he said, bringing it to his nose and sniffing appreciatively. “Just what a man needs after a day like this.”

“Are you going down the pub?” she asked as they walked back towards the house.

“I’ll have a bite to eat first. Guinness tastes better on a full tum.”

“I’m sure it does.”

“There, I near forgot.” Nate stopped in his tracks. “Yer Martin was here about half hour ago.”

She stared at him. “Martin? Where is he now?”

“Buggered if I know. He left. He were looking for you, but I figured you’d gone off with his lordship, seeing as how the pair of you are as thick as thieves these days.”

Heat scorched her cheeks. Nate’s nickname for Jake had caught on with the other villagers too, and no doubt Nate wasn’t the only one to notice how close she was to Jake. “Nate, did Martin say where he was going?”

“Nope. He were babbling on about some gal.”

“Belinda?”

“Wouldn’t know through all the bawling.”

She gaped at him. “Martin was crying?”

“Ha! The man was a right state. T’was all I could do to shut him up. I gave him a good slug of wine in the end. It took half a bottle to do the trick, but he were as happy as a babe in a manger after that.”

“Oh good god! You got him drunk and then you let him go?”

“I weren’t gonna babysit him, now was I? I had work to do.”

“No, of course not.” She stared into the distance, perturbed. The thought of Martin staggering around boozed up on Nate’s cherry wine was worrying. Hopefully, he’d gone home. Where else could he go?

“I saw his lordship’s car up by the house a few minutes back.” Nate’s sly voice broke into her thoughts.

“Oh, Jake’s come back?” She glanced at the house. “I’d better go find him.”

Nate grinned salaciously. “You do that.”

“And as for you,” she said, scowling. “Don’t overdo it at the pub.”

“Yes, m’lady.” 

His salute was mocking, and shaking her head, she walked away. 

M’lady. Huh. Did everyone around here think she was angling to marry Jake and become lady of the manor or something? 

She rubbed her brow with a weary hand. Any other time and she would have searched out Jake and flew into his arms, looking for the peace and happiness she always found there, but now with Martin finally deciding to surface, and Jake planning behind her back, the sense of the sky about to crash down on her head had returned with ominous force.

Molly pushed open the door to Jake’s bedroom and walked in without bothering to knock first. They were well beyond those formalities now. But the sight of his toned torso as he pulled off his t-shirt had her hesitating just inside the doorway.

Grinning, he tossed the crumpled t-shirt on the bed, and with a few steps, pulled her into his arms and claimed her mouth in a deep kiss.

She kissed him back with all her heart, pressing herself to him, tiptoeing up and winding her arms tight around his neck. Their tongues danced and their breaths mingled as they explored each other, unable to get enough of the other. 

With a grunt he broke the kiss and pulled back a little, his breathing harsh as he studied her face. “Hell, I need you too much,” he muttered with a shake of his head, and abruptly releasing her, turned away and stalked to the wardrobe, ripping open the brown belt of his jeans along the way.

Trepidation curled in her belly as a wall of remoteness she hadn’t seen in the past nine days shuttered down between them. She cleared her throat. “Jake… are you planning an open evening for tomorrow?”

He glanced back over his shoulder as he stepped out of his jeans. “Yes.”

All of a sudden, she had to fight the urge to avert her eyes. He still had his boxers on, and for heavens sake, she’d seen him in far less. But just then, in the chill of uncertainty that had crept into the room, it was as if she didn’t belong here in his private space anymore.

The jeans joined the t-shirt on the bed and she breathed an inner sigh of relief as he grabbed a pair of dark trousers from the wardrobe. 

“That’s… um… rather sudden,” she said. “I didn’t think the house was ready.”

“The bedrooms aren’t in such bad shape, and they’ll only take a couple of days to finish.” He pulled on the trousers and turned back to her as he buttoned them. “It doesn’t make sense to wait.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t.” There really wasn’t an argument against it. Besides, it didn’t look like he was going to give her much say in it. The party would go on. “Nan thinks it’s a great idea, but there will be a lot to get ready for tomorrow, the food, the drinks…”