Page 14 of Winter at Wishington Bay
‘You OK?’ Billy’s voice was quiet as he came to stand next to me. ‘I’m sorry if I made things awkward.’
‘No, not at all,’ I said, trying to dismiss it. ‘I’m just a bit funny about things like that. I didn’t mean to seem like a diva.’
‘You didn’t at all. Although…’ he paused and I looked up, meeting the laughing eyes. ‘It’d be nice to have a picture of all of you. Us.’
I nodded. ‘You’re right, it would.’ I dug my phone from my bag. ‘Here. You’ve probably got the longest arms. You take it,’ I said, as I gathered Carrie and Eloise around me Billy squeezed in and took the selfie before showing it to the rest of us.
‘Aah, that’s lovely,’ Eloise smiled. ‘You’ll have to send that one on.’
‘We could put it up in the restaurant,’ Carrie said, a tentative look on her face.
‘Yes, that’d be great,’ I smiled back. There was a board in the restaurant where Carrie and Ned pinned up various photos of the staff, great food shots, pictures of the fishermen hauling a catch destined for the restaurant on to the beach as faint swathes of dawn colour streaked the sky behind them. I loved this board. And I loved that Ned and Carrie did it. As we’d explained to Billy, Ned’s restaurant might be award winning but it was first and foremost a family restaurant. And I was part of that family. Which made me feel even worse about the fact I was keeping a secret from them.
‘Will you send that to me?’ Billy asked. ‘I promise not to post it anywhere.’
‘It’s just the corporate stuff I’m a bit hesitant about.’ I had no concerns that any of my old friends would be following a gardener. Unless they were on television, of course. Although even that didn’t make any difference to some. The fact that someone got their hands dirty for a living was enough for them to decide they ‘weren’t our sort of people’. Having spent the afternoon in Billy’s company, I realised now how much they – and I – had missed out on by taking this attitude.
‘So?’
‘Oh! Yes, right. I… I guess I need your number?’
‘Nicely done,’ Carrie nudged him and winked in a very unsubtle manner.
I shook my head at her, laughing as I handed my phone over for Billy to enter his number.
When I took it back, I found the photo, pressed share and then searched my WhatsApp contacts for the new addition. Finding him, I pressed send and a moment later a small chime rang out. Billy opened the message.
‘Perfect. Thanks.’
‘It’s been so lovely to meet you, Billy,’ Carrie said as she and Eloise both hugged him. ‘Thanks for making it such a brilliant time.’
‘You’re very welcome. I’ve had a great time too.’
‘And you must stay and eat when you drop those off,’ Carrie said, checking her watch as she did so. ‘I’ve already told Ned about it when I rang him to tell him to come and collect us and he completely agreed. On the house, of course.’
Billy’s ruddy cheeks coloured more. ‘Oh, Carrie. You can’t do that.’
‘Already done.’
He inclined his head in a thank you.
‘And a guest, of course. If you want.’ Again, the look she slid across to me was not understated.
‘I’m working on that part.’ He grinned back and I felt my cheeks begin to colour, almost matching his own outdoor complexion.
‘Looks like Ned’s here,’ I said, recognising the car as I turned away a little and glanced through the leaded casement window.
‘Saved by the bell.’ Billy looked down at me and I met the gaze, shaking my head a little.
‘When’s a good time to drop those extra wreaths off?’
‘Oh, anytime. And the offer to eat is an open invitation – just take it when you’re ready.’
‘Thanks. That’d be great. You think it’d be quiet here in the winter but we’re actually pretty busy at the moment and have a couple of people out with flu.’
‘It might give you more time to decide who you’d like to bring, too?’ Carrie said. If she’d have pointed at me with a huge foam finger, it would have been less obvious.
Billy gave us all another quick hug before heading out towards the front entrance of the hotel. Ned was waiting in the car and Carrie popped the boot, allowing us all to lay our creations inside. The baby seat was in the front with their son sleeping happily, tucked cosily inside it. The three of us climbed in the back seat and strapped in, before giving Billy one last wave as Ned drove away.
