Page 121 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
I’m glad when Ash suggests we take a walk together; it’s a beautiful morning and we decide to walk through the town and across to the beach. We’ve spent so many happy hours together here with Basil that I feel even worse about what I’m about to do.
The beach is packed this morning with holidaymakers enjoying picnics and building sandcastles. I don’t know what has happened to St Felix this summer, but every day the town seems to be getting busier and busier with visitors.
The sight of so many people enjoying the town lifts my spirits a little, but my joy is short-lived. A Labrador runs past us after a ball, and I’m reminded that Basil is no longer here with us.
‘It’s OK to be sad,’ Ash says as we pause for a moment to watch the waves.
‘I know,’ I tell him. ‘I’ll miss Basil so much though. He was more than just a dog, he was my friend too.’
Ash puts his arm around my shoulders, and immediately I’m reminded of Jake doing the same this morning.
‘I’m sorry again about what happened,’ Ash says softly. ‘I shouldn’t have gone off in a strop at Jake’s party. I should have trusted you. I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with Jake.’
His last sentence hangs in the sea air, like a seagull riding on a gust of wind.
‘It’s fine, really,’ I assure him. ‘I shouldn’t have left you for so long alone at the party. It wasn’t fair.’
‘Ah well, I had Charlie to chat to. Nice lad. He’s going to come out with us again. He really seemed to enjoy riding the waves. He’s a natural.’
‘That’s great. Thank you so much for doing that for me.’ I turn and look at Ash properly for the first time since we’ve been here on the beach. ‘Please don’t ever think I don’t appreciate it.’
Ash looks at me with a puzzled expression.
‘I would never think that, Poppy. I’m always glad to help you.’ He pauses for a moment as if he’s considering something, and his arm drops away from my shoulder. ‘So whatwasJake doing banging on Willow’s door yesterday, demanding his jumble back? You haven’t told me yet. Seems a bit odd.’
We find a space to sit on the sand, and then I tell Ash all about Stan’s flower pictures, and what had happened at Caroline’s house.
‘Go, you!’ Ash says punching his fist triumphantly in the air. ‘Stan will be over the moon. I’ll have to pop over and see the old fella sometime, now we know where he is. Maybe we can go together?’
I close my eyes. I have to do this sometime.
‘Do you think it’s karma?’ I ask, then open my eyes. ‘Finding all the pictures to help Stan, then Basil dying? Something good happens, so then something bad has to happen to balance out the universe.’
‘You’re sounding more like Amber every day,’ Ash says, grinning at me. ‘No, don’t be silly; it’s just a coincidence. You did a good thing for Stan, Poppy. Don’t lose sight of that.’
‘Perhaps…’ But what about what had happened between me and Jake last night – that was good. But the bad thing was I now had to break up with Ash as a result. Maybe Amber spoke more sense than I gave her credit for. But I knew it was Jake I really wanted, and it wasn’t fair to string Ash along.
‘Ash,’ I say, at the same time as he asks, ‘What was Jake still doing at your house this morning, Poppy? Did he spend the night?’
I knew Ash didn’t really believe me about Jake. The things he’d said this morning had been Willow’s thoughts and words.
‘No – I mean yes. Yes, he spent the night at the cottage, but it wasn’t anything like that. Honestly, Ash, I’m telling you the truth. He was just there comforting me about Basil.’
‘You like him though, don’t you?’ Ash asks, not looking at me, concentrating instead on a small boy building sandcastles with a shiny red plastic bucket.
‘Yes, of course I do, but —’
‘And he likes you enough to kiss you this morning.’
‘That was on my head,’ I protest. ‘It didn’t mean —’
‘Oh, I think it did,’ Ash says, in a heavier tone than I was used to hearing from him. He still isn’t looking at me. ‘I’m not stupid, Poppy; I see the way the two of you look at each other, and not just this morning but when I’ve seen you together before. It’s written all over your faces. Are you in love with him?’
‘I…’ I have to think about Ash’s question a tad too long. ‘Yes, I think I might be,’ I tell him honestly. ‘I’m so sorry, Ash, it was nothing you did. I really like you, honestly I do.’
‘But notlove,’ Ash says in a tight voice. He looks at me. ‘Right?’
I shake my head.
