Page 19 of Wishes & Waves at the Cornish Bakery
‘What is?’ She placed her hand briefly on his forearm, and he turned to look at her. ‘If you want to talk about it, that is.’
‘My dad is struggling at the moment with his health, and I know I told you we moved to the bay twenty-five years ago, what I didn’t mention was I’ve only recently moved back to look after him, so I’m readjusting to being back here.’
‘I didn’t realise. Where did you live before? I mean, when you moved out of the bay before coming back?’
‘Bristol, so a little different from here.’ He swept his arm out in front of them, encompassing the thatched cottages and the ocean at the bottom of the hill. ‘It was a tad busier.’
She smiled. ‘Just slightly, I imagine.’
‘Haha, exactly. A completely different way of life. I missed this place, though. Every single day I was living there, I missed the peace of the bay. But now I’m back, it’s taking a little while longer than I thought it would to settle back in.’ He ran his fingers through his hair as they walked. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I really do love this place. I love the people, the community, and the views. But I still seem to be a long way off getting back to the position I was in back in Bristol. You know, getting my own place, building my business from the bottom up once more, that sort of thing.’
Tilly nodded. That’s what it would be like for her, wouldn’t it? She had to rebuild her life from the bottom up wherever she happened to end up after here. ‘I understand. What made you move to Bristol?’
‘Love.’
Shoving her hands in her pockets, Tilly looked at the path. Why did she feel as though her heart was sinking to her trainers at his admission? Isaac was just a man she’d met, a friend. Heck, some guy she’d run over in her first minutes of being in Penworth Bay, so why did she feel a wave of disappointment rolling over her at his answer?
Sighing heavily, Isaac dragged his hand over his face, the coarseness of his stubble scraping against the skin on his palm. ‘Or more accurately, what I thought was love. It wasn’t. Or I hope it wasn’t. If it was, the universe can keep it.’
Tilly coughed, clearing her throat. ‘Sorry to hear that.’
‘Don’t be. It was a lesson I needed to learn. I moved, completely changed my life to accommodate hers, and then we just grew apart. One morning, she left me to go back to her ex. I like to think that had it been true love, the love we all aspire to, we wouldn’t have grown apart as we did. We would have both been committed to work on our relationship.’ Pausing, he looked at her, their eyes meeting. ‘How about you? Have you got a sorry love story to tell?’
‘Ha, no.’ Tilly shook her head vehemently. She hadn’t even been in a relationship for over seven years. Her one and only ex-boyfriend had made it perfectly clear he wouldn’t be pleased sharing her with her responsibilities towards her aunt, so she’d sent him packing. She frowned. That suddenly felt a long time ago - which it was - but how had seven years passed and she was still standing here alone? Did she admit to him that she hadn’t been in a relationship for so long?
‘No? Come on, you must have one?’
She kicked at a loose stone. What did it matter whether she told him the truth or not? It wasn’t as though he had any of these weird, mixed-up feelings she had for him for her, was it? She took a deep breath, her eyes trained on the stone as she gently kicked it ahead of her. ‘I haven’t been in a relationship for over seven years. My ex asked me to choose between him and my aunt.’
Isaac whistled through his teeth. ‘Wow, that was harsh. I’m guessing you chose your aunt?’
‘Too right I did.’
‘Good. No one should ask someone they love to choose between them and their family. I know I wouldn’t have.’
Feeling him stop beside her, she paused, letting the stone roll away into the road before turning to him.
‘I wouldn’t have asked you.’ He held out his hands, waiting for hers.
Giving a little smile, she placed her hands in his, relishing the warmth from his skin as he enclosed hers within his own. ‘I wouldn’t have gone back to my ex.’
‘I would have supported you. A partner should be there through the brightest of days and the darkest.’ He ran his thumb across the back of her hand.
What was happening? Was this his way of showing her he felt the same way? She searched his eyes. She thought it was, but it had been so long since she’d even given any thought to starting a relationship, let alone having someone interested in her, that she wasn’t sure. Why would he want anything to do with her? She had nothing. She was no one. She blinked back tears as she spoke, continuing his train of conversation, ‘I would have stayed to work things out.’
Taking one hand from hers, Isaac tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Do you want this? Do you feel what I do?’
With her eyes still fixed on his, she nodded. He did feel the same way, didn’t he? He felt it too.
Leaning forward, Isaac placed the pad of his forefinger on her bottom lip before gently curling his finger beneath her chin and tilting her head. With his eyes still on hers, he leaned down, their lips brushing together. Pulling away, he frowned slightly. ‘You definitely want this?’
‘I do.’ Tilly nodded before standing on her tiptoes and leaning into him. This time when their lips touched, she reached behind him and placed her hand on the nape of his neck, pulling him closer as she kissed him back.
Stepping back, Isaac rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Wow.’
Looking down, Tilly laughed nervously. ‘When?’
‘When did I know I wanted this?’ Isaac waved his hand between them. ‘To get to know you better?’
