‘Are you okay?’ Maria asked. It was late afternoon a couple of days later and darkness had fallen. The Christmas lights had just come on, twinkling over Castle Street. Yorkshire’s Best was brightly lit but only on the ground floor. The first floor remained in darkness as it had done for the past couple of days.
‘Yes. I’m fine. Why?’
‘Because you’re very quiet and you keep staring across the street. Has something happened between you and Jed?’
Heat raced to my cheeks. ‘No. Why?’ I could hear the guilt in my voice.
‘Oh my God! It has! You wouldn’t have said no that quickly if it hadn’t.’
I shook my head. ‘Honestly, Maria, nothing has happened. Well, something has, but not what you’re thinking.’
She stopped stacking the tray of mugs into their cubby holes. ‘I’m listening.’
‘You know that painting I wanted that had already sold? Turns out it hadn’t really sold. He’d clocked that I liked it so he put it aside. He gave me it as a gift and it’s an original.’
‘Wow! Really? He must think a lot of you.’
‘I thought so, but I messed up.’
‘How?’
‘He emailed me on Monday and asked me out but I was too distracted by getting in touch with Kirsten and suggested a rain check. I went over to apologise and explain on Tuesday night and somehow managed not to do either. I’ve been watching out for him since then but he hasn’t been there. It’s been Anastasia each day.’
‘So go across and ask her when Jed’s back.’
‘I can’t do that.’
‘Of course you can. There are plenty of us to hold the fort here. Go on. Shoo!’ She practically shoved me out the door.
‘Hi, Tara,’ Anastasia said as soon as I pushed the door open. ‘How are you?’
‘Good, thanks.’ I glanced round. There were several customers in the shop. A man was holding a couple of prints while the woman with him rummaged in her bag, probably for her purse. Trust me to pick a busy moment.
‘I won’t keep you. I wanted a quick word with Jed but I haven’t spotted him in here for a couple of days. Do you know when I might catch him?’
She smiled. ‘Right now. He’s literally just arrived back. I’m sure he won’t mind you going upstairs.’
The couple with the prints approached the counter.
‘You’re sure that’s okay?’
‘You’re friends now, aren’t you?’
I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush. Jed must have told her that. Be brave. This might be your only chance to catch him. Taking a deep breath, I crept upstairs to the first floor.
‘Hello? Jed?’
No answer.
I stepped into his studio but it was empty and the lights were off. He’d obviously been in there as I could hear the kettle bubbling.
The streetlights outside illuminated the dark shapes of the two easels. I could tell that neither were covered but it was too dark for me to make out any detail on the paintings.
Feeling like an intruder, I felt my confidence seeping away and was about to turn and run back down the stairs but curiosity stopped me. What’s on that second painting? He’d been very cagey about it. Was that because it was another one of me or was that my overactive imagination at work and it really was a case of an unfinished project being unfit for reveal?
The sound of footsteps on the stairs from the top floor rooted me to the spot. The light flicked on and Jed burst into the room, stopping abruptly when he saw me, no doubt looking very guilty in my position halfway between the door and the paintings.
‘Tara? What are you doing in here?’
‘Sorry for intruding. I wanted to speak to you and Anastasia said you…’
His eyes flicked towards the paintings and I could see what looked like panic in his expression.
‘I didn’t look at them.’ But as I said the words, I automatically turned my head towards them, my heart thumping as I took in the scene on the second painting. Oh my God!
‘You weren’t meant to see that.’ He rushed forward, grabbed the dust sheet off the floor and opened it out.
‘No! Don’t cover it up.’
‘But, I…’ He lowered the sheet and sighed. ‘I guess I’m too late.’ There was such defeat in his voice.
‘Can I take a closer look?’
Silence.
‘Please?’
Jed nodded slowly and I took a few steps forward.
The setting was unmistakable – the covered walkway by The Bay Pavilion. A full moon shone in the starry sky, releasing a silvery ribbon across the sea, leading towards one of the stone arches. A woman wearing a sparkling purple dress was locked in a passionate embrace with a man wearing a tuxedo. My heart raced even faster as I was transported back to the evening of the awards when Jed held me and I’d longed for him to kiss me beneath the stars. Had he felt that way too?
I took a deep breath as I turned to face Jed. ‘You have an amazing gift.’
‘Thank you.’ He cleared his throat and the confidence returned to his voice. ‘It’s lucky that others agree because I was starting to run out of career choices.’
‘You are a brilliant artist, but that’s not what I meant. Your gift goes far deeper than that, Jed. You see things. Really see things. Emotions, thoughts…’ I pointed to the other picture. ‘I said that you’d captured my thoughts on that painting. It was like you could see into my soul. And, on this one…’ Be brave. You can say it. He painted it so he must have wanted it too. ‘You’ve done the same. When you held me that night, I didn’t want you to let me go. I wanted what you painted. I still do.’
He frowned. ‘But I asked you out and you blew me off.’
‘I know. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that and I came to apologise on Tuesday but I got side-tracked by the first painting and didn’t get a chance to explain…’
His expression softened. ‘You don’t have to explain. It’s my fault. I should have taken things more slowly, especially knowing what you’ve been through.’
I shook my head. ‘My response to your email was nothing to do with that. Something else happened on Monday that was completely unexpected and long overdue and it distracted me from everything else. I spoke to Kirsten.’
His eyes widened. ‘Tara! That’s amazing. Oh my God! How was it?’
‘It was pretty special.’ Tears rushed to my eyes and I tried to blink them away but there were too many. ‘She had cancer. They caught it but… I could have lost her. I shouldn’t have pushed her away like that for so long. She’d done nothing wrong. She’d only ever…’ My voice cracked.
‘Hey! Come here.’ Jed pulled me close and held me again while I sobbed, transporting me back to the arches, being held by a man who had stirred feelings and emotions in me that I’d never expected to experience again.
‘I’m sorry.’ I stepped back and wiped my wet cheeks with my hands. ‘I’m such an emotional wreck at the moment.’
‘I’m not surprised. Speaking to your foster mum after all these years… That’s huge.’
‘I know. It’s not just her, though.’ Be brave. ‘It’s you as well. It’s dreaming about having that—’ I nodded towards the second painting ‘—but being scared of it too.’
Jed looked at me with such tenderness that I felt like I could melt. ‘You’re not the only one who’s scared, but great things come to those who have courage.’
‘That’s what Carly keeps telling me. I’m trying.’
‘Why don’t we face our fears together?’ He cupped my chin in his hand and gently tilted my head towards his.
‘I’d like that.’
I swear my heart skipped a beat as his lips met mine, softly at first, as though worried about pushing things too far. He’d taken that first step and now it was my turn. Stepping a little closer, I slid my arms round his neck and intensified the kiss. Oh my goodness, it was worth it. I’d always thought that my first kiss with Garth was pretty special, but my first proper kiss with Jed completely eclipsed it. So tender yet so passionate.
He brushed my curls back from my face. ‘Even better than I imagined when I painted that picture.’
‘Even better than I imagined when I was standing in the arches with you.’
I kissed him again, running my hands through his hair and down his back. We both gasped for breath when we parted.
‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘I had to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.’
Jed smiled. ‘Please never apologise for kissing me like that. And, if it was a dream, it was a million times better than any dream I’ve ever had.’
A flush spread from my cheeks to my toes and I couldn’t stop grinning. Unfortunately, work called. ‘I hate to say this but I’m going to have to get back to the café.’
‘Can I see you tonight? We could go out for a meal or just a drink if there are things you need to do.’
If any sort of relationship with Jed was going to work, the starting point needed to be absolute honesty. I’d told him my story but I needed to show him the real me. Which meant he needed to see my home and meet the other man in my life.
‘Can you come over to the café at seven? There’s someone I want you to meet. He needs to give you his seal of approval.’
Jed looked confused for a moment, then smiled. ‘Ah! Hercules. I can’t wait to meet him.’
‘I can’t wait for him to meet you too. I think the two of you are going to be great friends.’