A warm and furry presence wound its way around Poppy’s legs as she stood in the doorway to Jake’s – or rather Archie’s – cottage.
‘Oh! What a gorgeous cat! He’s huge. Is he yours?’ She rubbed the top of Leo’s head, feeling the thick fur between his ears.
‘No, he belongs to Fen and Archie. Or rather they belong to him,’ said Jake, eyeing Leo warily. ‘He switches between their two cottages, depending on who has the tastiest morsels, I guess, but at the moment, he prefers Fen’s, obviously, because my grandpa’s away.’
Leo purred and let Poppy carry on stroking him.
‘Wow. You’re highly honoured. He won’t let me do that. We’re not the greatest of pals, though I’ve known him from a kitten, but I haven’t seen much of him lately. Fen adores him and my grandad even let him into the studio. I think he was a stray.’
‘Well, he’s adorable. He must be the biggest cat I’ve ever seen.’
‘Hmm. Personally, I think he’s half sabre-toothed tiger. His teeth and claws are sharp enough. Come in.’
Once inside, Poppy homed in on a plate of mashed potato and prawns on the coffee table. Tempting aromas wafted under her nose and her stomach rumbled. She was reminded that she hadn’t eaten since her tea shop lunch.
‘I’ve interrupted your dinner. I fell asleep in the chair and when I woke up, it was pitch dark. I almost fell over the bed trying to find the light switch. I only popped in to collect the bedding, but I can come back after you’ve finished.’
‘No. Don’t be silly. I mean, don’t be sorry. I’ve got everything ready for you. Over there on the armchair. Leo! Get off!’
Leo had jumped onto the duvet, which had been folded up.
‘You’re not allergic to cats, are you?’ Jake asked.
‘Not me. Dan was, so we couldn’t have one. He didn’t like animals much, anyway, so it was convenient.’
Jake lingered in the middle of the sitting room. He made no attempt to hand her the bedding. Poppy spotted an open bottle of beer on the floor next to the sofa.
‘Shall I take the stuff and get out of your way so you can finish your meal?’ she said.
‘Wait. Did you say you’ve been asleep since I left you?’
‘Not the whole time since you left. I – um – had a few calls to make to my parents and sister and friends, to let them know I was OK. I also managed to get my laptop working with the Wi-Fi too,’ said Poppy.
No way would she let Jake know that she’d actually gone back down to the gallery and decided it was even worse than on first sight. It had been all she could do not to take to Facebook with a pity post and share some photos of the broken bed. Just in time, she realised any comfort she might get from her friends’ sympathetic comments would soon evaporate. She’d only end up feeling embarrassed and some of her family and ‘mates’ would feel justified in having warned her she was completely nuts to take on such a project alone. Even worse, Dan might get to hear of it, and she’d rather jump off a cliff – or get back on the Islander – than let him think he’d won.
Instead, she’d made a brief but cheery call to her mum, glossing over the truth, and a ranty warts-and-all one to Zoey, both of which had made her feel much better.
‘So, you haven’t had any dinner?’ Jake asked.
‘No, not yet.’ Damn, she wished she hadn’t admitted she hadn’t eaten, but it was too late. ‘But I can rustle up beans on toast with what I bought from the Co-op.’
‘You look like you need more than beans on toast after today.’ He paused. ‘I’ve made a fish pie. There’s plenty if you want to share. I’m no chef, but it’ll save you cooking – or opening tins – on your first night. It’s getting late.’
She hesitated. She hadn’t expected Jake to be sociable; she’d already come to the conclusion that he was a very reluctant host at best, only dealing with her because there was no one else, but she was hungry and in need of company.
Leo appeared at her feet, nudging her bare leg with his nose. He gazed up at her as if to say ‘if you don’t eat it, I’ll have your portion’.
Her stomach rumbled loudly. ‘I’d love some pie, but only if you’re sure you have enough and I wouldn’t be bothering you.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t have asked if you were.’
Wow, that was clear enough. Poppy believed him.
He tempered his brusque reply with a quick smile. ‘I’ll fetch you a plate. I can reheat mine in the microwave. Would you like a beer? Or a bottle of cider? Grandpa kept the pantry well stocked.’
Half an hour later, Jake went to fetch them each a second bottle of beer and cider. The fish pie had been delicious and it had been served with samphire, which Jake said he’d foraged from the dunes at the end of the beach. Poppy had never had it before, but it tasted lovely, sautéed in some butter and lemon.
‘I have to admit that was a lot better than beans on toast,’ she said, sitting on the sofa next to Jake. A fire was glowing in the hearth and the cider was easing the tension from her limbs.
‘I hope so. Things always seem better when you’ve had a decent meal, not that I’m claiming my cooking is decent …’ said Jake.
‘It’s decent enough for me. I must say, I’m feeling a lot more positive than when I first arrived.’
‘Thank God for that.’ He sounded very relieved. ‘Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to Fen, if she doesn’t pop round first. She’s a lovely lady and a great friend to Grandpa, but she’s bound to make a big fuss of you. You’ll have to be firm if you feel she’s interfering too much.’
‘Thanks for the tip, but I’m sure I need all the help I can get.’
‘You’ll find most of the islanders are desperate to say hello. A new face is always welcome in a small place like this.’
‘I’m looking forward to it, but I’m not sure I’m that fascinating.’
‘I think you might be a lot more fascinating than you think.’ Was that a hint of amusement on his face? He took another swig of the beer. ‘I don’t want this to sound patronising, but you’re brave for coming out here after what’s happened. I’m not sure I could do it.’
She laughed. ‘I’m not sure whether to be flattered or worried by that.’
‘Flattered. Totally. Me and my big mouth.’ Jake squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head in embarrassment. ‘I’m sure you’ll be fine and I’ll give you all the help I can while I’m here. If you want it. If not, just tell me to keep my mouth shut.’
‘I will. Um, how long do you plan on staying?’ she asked, trying to make the comment sound as neutral as possible. The last thing she wanted was Jake thinking she wanted to rely on him in any way, even if she was enjoying his company.
He hesitated. ‘I don’t know yet. I’m a professional photographer and I’m booked to lead a tour to Cambodia and Vietnam in the autumn, but I’ve got a load of stuff to catch up on at home on the mainland before then and I want to spend some time with Grandpa and the rest of the family.’
So, he was a photographer. Poppy had had no idea, but she wasn’t surprised he did something creative, considering his background. ‘Cambodia and Vietnam? That sounds very exotic,’ she said.
‘Oh, it is. Leo would be well at home. There are panthers, sun bears, leopard cats and even tigers. I’ve been once before and it was incredible, though even a few years can make a huge difference to the habitats of these animals and make them endangered.’ He spoke faster, his voice infused with passion. ‘The place I really want to go is the Amazon. Have done ever since I was a kid. There are birds, invertebrates, jaguars and giant anacondas.’
‘Wow. They sound less than friendly.’
He laughed. ‘The animals are fine unless you harass them and then it serves you right.’
‘How long have you been a photographer?’ she asked, keen to keep him talking, and loving the way he came alive when he spoke about his work.
‘I’ve taken pictures professionally since I left school. I studied at Falmouth University and managed to make a bit of a name for myself. I’m very lucky to make a living doing what I do.’ His eyes were bright and he was far more animated and at ease.
‘Do you only take pictures of wildlife or do you do portraits and press stuff? I used to run a PR department and I had to book the photographers,’ she added, thinking of the briefings she’d had to deliver on how to capture the perfect rainwater pipe or a toilet waste in a new office block. She couldn’t imagine Jake doing that.
‘Nowadays, all my work is natural history or landscape related, although I did some portraits when I was starting out. I’d much rather be outdoors than in a studio, even though I could probably make more money with commercial jobs. I get commissioned by magazines and travel companies and I run small group tours.’
‘Do you have a base in the UK at all?’
‘I have a small flat in Cornwall with a studio in an outbuilding. Harriet and I shared it until she died, but I don’t spend much time in it these days. In fact, my mate Ryan is on permanent flat-sitting duty while I’m away. I had to sleep on my own couch the last time I was home.’ He laughed. ‘He has more of his stuff in the place than I do now.’
Until she died. So the worst had happened to Jake’s fiancée. Poppy was upset for him but relieved that he’d mentioned her death in the course of conversation. She was sure she’d have found out soon enough on the local grapevine, but she’d much rather hear it from Jake. There was also no way she was going to destroy the moment by asking him for any more detail.
‘It sounds like a dream job,’ she said, steering their chat in a more positive direction.
‘I don’t make a fortune, but it’s plenty to live on. I get paid well for doing what I love and that’s way more than most people can say these days.’ He smiled.
‘It has to be better than writing about building products. I think the last straw was the day I had to compose my eighth feature on soil drainage systems in a month.’
Jake laughed. ‘The Starfish is definitely a big change from that.’ He hesitated and looked at her closely. ‘So, what made you decide to run a gallery? Do you like art? Or was it your partner’s dream?’
‘I loved Art at school, and I was going to do it for A level, but Mum and Dad persuaded me to stick to more academic subjects. Like I mentioned, I do enjoy making jewellery in my spare time – just as a hobby,’ she added hastily, in case Jake asked if she was going to sell some of her creations in the shop. ‘And I’ve always loved visiting galleries. Big ones like the V&A and small ones like this one. When Dan showed an unexpected enthusiasm to run our own place, after we’d visited that day you met us … to be honest, I was amazed at first. Not to mention terrified. Be careful what you wish for, if you know what I mean.’ She’d perfected the gallows humour lately.
‘I know what you mean …’ said Jake softly, then waited for her to continue again.
She wrinkled her nose. ‘But I’m here now and, whether I like it or not, I have to make this work for financial reasons, if nothing else. At the moment, Dan and I have agreed to keep our semi in Staffordshire and use the rent to cover the mortgage. He’s moved out and lives with his …’ Poppy had to stop herself from saying something extremely rude about Eve. ‘With his new woman, but I don’t know how long that will last. He may want to sell our house at some point.’
‘You can tell me to mind my own business, but I take it you didn’t ask him to move in with this woman?’
‘You’d be right. We were all set to come out here together. I’d quit my job and I thought he’d quit his and then – boom – one night he came home and told me he’d been having an affair and was moving in with her.’
At the memory of that bombshell, Poppy had to take a few deep breaths of the Scilly air as her anger resurfaced and made her feel almost sick again. The past few weeks had been the longest, most miserable ones of her life … but now she had to make the best of things, like thousands of other people whose partners had dumped them for the sales director of a bulldozer firm.
‘Jesus. Did you even suspect he was playing away?’ said Jake.
‘No … I’ll admit the last few months were fraught but I put it down to him worrying about coming here. We decided to let out our house to cover the mortgage and found tenants who were ready to move in as soon as we moved out. I was doing long days at work and our spare time was spent packing up and selling stuff we didn’t want to leave in the house or couldn’t bring with us. Dan was snappy and tense because he was away a lot with his job and on a business course at the local college.’ She sighed before she went on. ‘At least that’s where I thought he’d been … now I know better. I was blind and naive.’ She clammed up. She’d said far too much already to a man she’d only known a couple of hours.
‘At least you’re here. In spite of him.’ Jake pulled a face, as if he thought Dan was a bad smell under his nose, which brought a smile to Poppy’s face.
‘Dan didn’t think I’d come here at all. In fact, after we split, he burst out laughing when I said I was still going to run the gallery. He said, “you’ll never make it on your own”, which makes me even more bloody determined to run the Starfish. I want to show him how wrong he is, that I don’t need him and I can make a success of my life without a bastard like him!’
Her mouth snapped shut again. Her heart beat faster. She cursed herself. Despite thinking she was more relaxed, the anger had boiled over again. The raw hurt was still so close to the surface.
‘You must think I’m completely mad,’ she said, trying to make light of her rant. ‘I suppose I’m still letting Dan rule my life in a way. Yes, even though it was his idea to move here in the first place, he never expected me to follow it through and that’s partly what’s driving me on.’
‘I don’t think you’re mad at all. From what I remember, Dan didn’t seem too impressed with the gallery. Mind you, he did think I was trying to get money out of him.’
‘Serves him right! He could be a bit stingy,’ said Poppy, recalling her suspicion that Dan might have been jealous of her reaction to Jake. A reaction that, unfortunately, hadn’t diminished now. When he laughed, and the light flared again in his expressive brown eyes, she got goose bumps on her arms.
‘I may have wound him up a little …’ Jake winced but was also smirking.
‘Good!’ said Poppy.
‘So, did you go along with his idea of buying the studio to please him or did you really fancy a change?’
‘I’d definitely thought about what it might be like to pack in my job and live and work somewhere idyllic like St Piran’s. I think everyone daydreams about “what if …” at times but I was taken aback when he actively suggested it. Deciding to move to a remote island to run a gallery was so unlike him. He convinced me that he thought his life was slipping by and that his job was boring and stressful. He was a sales manager for a company that makes those giant bulldozers.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Eve, the woman he was shagging – is still shagging – is a director of the same firm. Now the earth obviously moves for them both.’
Jake, who was mid beer, spluttered.
‘Sorry!’ He wiped foam from his mouth as he laughed. ‘It’s a good sign that you can joke about him even though you’ve had a shitty time of late. If you want my opinion, he’s a loser. I’ll let you into a secret. I thought he was a bit of a prat and Grandpa called him “a know-all”.’
Poppy gasped. ‘I had no idea.’
‘My grandpa really liked you, though, which is why he sent me after you with the painting.’ He waggled his empty bottle. ‘Want another?’
‘I shouldn’t and I ought to be getting home … I mean to the Starfish. Then again, I’m not sure I can sleep yet after dozing off earlier.’
Jake smiled. ‘I’ll take that as a “yes”.’ He took the empty bottle from her hand. ‘Back in a mo.’
She heard him open the door to what must be the pantry and the pops as he undid the caps. She glanced around the sitting room. It was small but cosy and the fire glowed invitingly. It had been strange to hear Jake’s view of Dan, and she didn’t think he was merely being kind. ‘A bit of a prat’. ‘A know-all’. She stifled a giggle as Jake re-entered the sitting room. She really hadn’t seen her ex in this way until he’d dropped his bombshell about Eve, but she now knew he wasn’t the person she thought he was.
‘Here you go. Out of cider, I’m afraid, so we’re onto the lager.’
‘Have I drunk the bar dry?’ she asked, covering her maudlin thoughts with a smile.
‘Impossible. There’s enough crates of bitter in there to stock the Moor’s Head and Driftwood Inn combined – Grandpa’s favourite haunts. I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of them.’
They sat for a while longer, as Jake told Poppy more about his job and some of the exotic, beautiful and downright dangerous locations he’d worked in.
‘What about here?’ she asked. ‘Don’t you find Scilly inspiring?’
He took an interest in his beer bottle for a few seconds before answering. ‘I used to. In fact, it was coming here as a boy that first inspired my interest in photography. The landscape and wildlife, in their small-scale way, are the equal of anywhere I’ve been.’ He took a drink. ‘But I’m afraid I’ve fallen out of love with the isles. They let me down … maybe not in the way Dan let you down, but enough that I can never feel the same about them that I used to.’
‘Oh.’ Goose bumps prickled Poppy’s skin again, and not in a pleasant way. ‘I’m sorry …’ She thought back to the boatman’s comment about Jake’s past. If there was ever a good moment to find out what happened, it was now. ‘Does this have anything to do with your fiancée?’
Jake gazed at his beer bottle for a few seconds before replying. ‘I’m afraid my fiancée died … unfortunately, on the same day that I first met you.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ She didn’t know what else to say.
‘It’s a total coincidence that the accident happened that day. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I’m sorry.’
‘No. No wonder you remember meeting us that afternoon. Seeing me again must bring back terrible memories.’
‘Actually, our meeting brings back the only good memories of that day …’ he said gently, although she thought he was just trying to make her feel better.
Should she ask more or leave it? After Dan had left her, while a few mates like Zoey, who she known since uni, had been brilliant, others would have crossed the street to avoid her. Anyone would think she had the plague rather than a cheating louse of a partner. Maybe they hadn’t known what to say to her or were scared that rejection was catching.
She decided to be bold. ‘You don’t have to tell me. Not if it’s too painful. It must be so awful and I didn’t mean to bring it all up, but if it helps to talk, then please go on.’
He hesitated for a few seconds then let out a sigh.
‘You’ll find it out soon enough from somebody else, so it’s better coming from me. I was on my way to the little marina when you saw me. Harriet, my fiancée, was meeting me and we were going sailing. Grandpa has a small sailing dinghy that he uses a lot … but he and my parents kept a larger boat before that. Nothing fancy. A second-hand twenty-seven-foot Westerly Centaur.’
He glanced at Poppy as if the description ought to conjure up a detailed picture in her mind it was, but she hadn’t a clue.
‘It was like some of the ones in the harbour, only not as grand …’ he explained. ‘There was an accident while we were out on the water. The boom hit Harriet and she fell overboard. I was there. The boat was moving fast, and by the time I’d got back to her and got her on board …’ He paused and took a breath. ‘By then it was too late.’
Poppy knew that Jake must have heard every word of horror, comfort and concern in the book. So she just listened, though her whole body had gone cold. Losing Harriet in front of his eyes must have been a horrific experience. Worse than what had happened to her and Dan by a million miles.
‘I don’t know what to say,’ she said.
‘That’s OK because there’s nothing you can say and I shouldn’t have spoiled your evening by telling you. You’ve had a rough time yourself and you don’t need to share in anyone else’s drama.’
‘It’s not a drama, it’s real, and I am very, very sorry.’
‘It was almost three years ago now and I ought to be moving on. I am coping better now and I guess it’s time. Grandpa obviously thinks so.’
She wasn’t sure what Jake meant by that, but she wasn’t about to ask.
He finished the last of his beer in two swift gulps. Poppy still had half a bottle left, but she’d gone off it anyway.
He picked up his bottle and her previous empties and stood up. ‘I’ll get rid of these.’
‘I’ve had enough too,’ she said, taking the hint that Jake wanted her to go. ‘I need to make an early start.’
‘Finish your drink and don’t rush. I’m not trying to get rid of you.’ He smiled. ‘Honest.’
It was a good attempt at making her feel welcome to stay, but Poppy wasn’t fooled. She was sure Jake regretted revealing as much as he had.
‘Can I help you wash up?’ she said, trying to offer a distraction for them both.
‘No. Thanks. Chill out here until you’re ready to leave.’
‘Actually, I’d better get a move on. Tomorrow will come around soon enough. Thanks for the food and beer.’
‘Do you need a hand carrying the bedding over to the studio?’ he asked.
‘Oh. I’d almost forgotten that.’ She was certain he was only being polite with his offer. Despite his kind words, there was visible tension in his body. ‘No, I’ll be fine, but thanks for the offer anyway.’
Jake handed her the duvet and bedding, which she squashed to her chest. He piled a small carrier bag on top. ‘There’s a few essentials you might need in there.’ His voice became serious. ‘At least, the essentials I could find in the cottage.’
She closed her eyes in shame, realising he was referring to the knickers. ‘I didn’t expect you and your grandpa to supply everything. I’d have been a little worried if you had.’
Jake managed a smile. His arms relaxed by his sides. Either the joke had rebroken the ice or he was more comfortable now she was leaving.
He opened the front door. ‘See you tomorrow, then.’
She was barely off the threshold when the door was shut firmly behind her. She walked onto the cobbles of the harbour, clutching the duvet and bag to her chest, and risked a glance behind. The light went out in the sitting room of Archie’s cottage.
It was a clear night with an almost full moon, which fortunately lit her way to the Starfish Studio, otherwise she’d have had to use her mobile as a torch. She’d forgotten about the lack of street lighting. The masts of the yachts in the harbour clinked together and she could hear water slapping softly against their hulls.
Shivering, she pulled the zip up higher on her hoodie. Jake had been through a horrendous ordeal: seeing his fiancée disappearing under the waves and not being able to do anything. How terrifying that it could happen in such an idyllic place: a place he had once loved and that had inspired his whole career. No wonder he wanted to leave.
Once she reached the studio, she deposited everything on the veranda while she fumbled the key into the lock in the darkness. She probably didn’t need to lock the place but it was a habit that would be hard to break.
In the darkness inside, two yellow eyes glowed back at her. She flicked the light switch and blinked as Leo strolled up to her feet. His orange fur was bright against the starkly illuminated walls.
‘Leo! How did you get here without me seeing you? You sneaky little devil. Well, you can’t stay here,’ she said, holding the door open for him to escape.
Leo blinked, so Poppy made a grab for him, but he shot up the spiral staircase. The cat must have followed her out of Jake’s cottage all the way to the studio and sneaked past when she opened the door.
‘I’m not chasing after you all night!’ she called. ‘You’re here until morning now.’
She collected the bedding from the veranda, locked the door and struggled upstairs with her bundle. She was glad that, earlier, she’d dragged the mattress onto the floor of the sitting area, because she was too knackered now. Leo was lying on the middle of it, as if he owned the place.
‘Looks like it’s you and me,’ she said, laying out a sheet, pillow and the duvet next to him. ‘And to be honest, Leo, I’d rather share with you than Dan any day.’
As for sharing with Jake … she was ashamed the thought had even entered her mind for a nanosecond. Without Dan around, she felt able to admit to herself that she fancied him like mad, but Jake was clearly oblivious to any other woman and still grieving for Harriet. Poppy decided that the sooner he left Scilly, the better, for his sake and hers.