Page 14 of A Little Love Song in Seabury (Seabury #16)

LEAH

L eah’s head was spinning. She felt like she’d somehow managed to get wedged inside a dream, and that any moment she’d wake up back in Doris’s flat—all alone, with nothing but the long, lonely journey back to London ahead of her.

This couldn’t be real, could it? She simply couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Will had gone from his double-whammy grumpy retreat from her just yesterday, to being present, attentive and seemingly hell-bent on making her dreams come true today.

Leah frowned and nibbled on the toasted bagel in her hand. It was packed with cream cheese, smoked salmon, the freshest salad leaves and a hint of lemon. It was possibly the most decadent breakfast she’d ever had.

Shifting her weight slightly on the feather-soft cushion, Leah stared at the waves as they lapped gently at the golden sand.

‘Would you like more coffee?’ said Will.

‘I’m okay for now,’ said Leah. ‘Thanks.’

Will nodded, taking a sip of his own drink.

Leah let out a little sigh. She wished they could get back to the easy-ish banter they’d started to rediscover in the car and on the short walk to the beach.

The minute they’d sat on the cushions, a wall had suddenly appeared between them.

It felt like they were both waiting for something… she just wasn’t sure what.

Hadn’t Will said something about grovelling? Maybe he was nervous… or maybe there was more to this than a simple apology.

Urgh, shut up, brain.

Leah glanced at the remaining few bites of her bagel, but her appetite had deserted her. She set it down on the fine china plate and grabbed a linen napkin to wipe her fingers.

‘You okay?’ said Will, lifting his eyebrows in concern.

‘Yeah, just… full,’ she said.

Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was turning over with nerves. She picked up her coffee cup and took a restorative sip. As wonderful as this surprise was, part of her wished that she’d managed to make a break for it and get out of Seabury before Will had turned up at her door.

Having breakfast with him wasn’t going to change anything, was it? Sure, they might manage to clear the air a bit… if they actually spoke to each other instead of just sitting and staring at the sea.

Ultimately, though, she was still going to resign. Ultimately, she wasn’t going to tell Will she loved him. Ultimately, her life as she knew it was going to be over.

Leah coughed as her throat tightened with emotion, and she set her cup down again. Her fight-or-flight instinct was starting to rear up, and considering she was basically a hostage on this beautiful beach because Will still had possession of the car keys, her only option was to fight.

‘Didn’t you say you had some grovelling to do?’ she bit out.

Will blinked at her in surprise, and Leah instantly wanted to run away… or bury her head in the sand… or somehow, miraculously, find herself about a hundred miles away from this beach.

Leah watched in consternation as a slow smile crept across Will’s gorgeous face.

‘I did,’ said Will. ‘I mean, I do. I just didn’t want to put you off the first course of your breakfast with my bumbling attempts at an apology!’

‘First course?’ said Leah, momentarily distracted.

‘Ewan made us fresh scones,’ said Will, ‘and there’s jam and cream to go with them.’

‘Oh, wow!’

‘Yeah.’ Will cleared his throat ‘Anyway… I’ve got some explaining to do first. Then you can decide if I’ve ruined your appetite for good.’

‘Go on then,’ said Leah.

Her hands twitched. She wanted to reach for her bag, pull it onto her lap and hug it close like a teddy bear.

‘Right, so. Yesterday, to start with,’ said Will, looking pained. ‘I was really distracted.’

Leah shook her head. Suddenly, she didn’t want to hear him list all the reasons he didn’t want her there.

‘Don’t,’ she said quickly. ‘You don’t need to explain. I’ve gate-crashed your holiday and keep commandeering your family. I don’t blame you for being?—’

‘No, you’ve got it wrong,’ said Will, his eyes wide as he shook his head.

‘But yesterday in the café… and then up at the house. You took one look at me and just disappeared. I mean—you did it twice . You clearly don’t want me here… and I’m sorry that I’ve imposed.’

‘The others were right,’ sighed Will. ‘They said that’s what you’d think.’

‘What else is there to think?!’ said Leah, her voice rising slightly.

‘Leah… let me explain. Please?’ said Will.

She wanted to shake her head again and tell him it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to hear that he needed her to maintain better professional boundaries—to keep her distance from his family. Because she couldn’t. Not anymore. Rosie and Connie were her friends, and she wasn’t willing to give that up.

And then there was Will himself… her boss. The man she was in love with, in spite of everything.

‘Fine,’ she said, shaking her head sadly. ‘Explain.’

The sooner he said what he needed to say and got it out of his system, the sooner she could get a ride back into town and then head to London with her tail between her legs.

‘Leah… did you hear me playing piano last night? At the house, I mean, when I left you in the garden with the others?’

It was probably the last thing she’d expected him to say.

Leah nodded. She’d heard him. Hell, she could still feel that burst of desperate chords echoing somewhere in her soul.

‘Good,’ said Will. ‘Both times I disappeared on you—from the café, and at the house—it was because I needed to get to a piano.’

Leah raised an eyebrow. Coming from anyone else, it would have been the lamest excuse in the universe. Coming from Will, though? It meant something major had shifted.

‘I’m working on something,’ he said. ‘Started yesterday morning… after the Froth. It’s not an excuse for my behaviour,’ he added quickly. ‘Just… an explanation?’

‘Well… I mean… that’s exciting,’ said Leah.

But it didn’t explain all the glaring, staring and frowning in her direction, though, did it?

‘I shouldn’t have come here,’ she said. ‘To Seabury, I mean. It was a mistake. I’m clearly in the way. I’ve already started to make plans to head back to London today. We can talk more when you get home.’

‘Wait, what?’ gasped Will. ‘You don’t need to do that!’

‘I do, though, don’t I?’ sighed Leah. ‘Me being here is clearly disturbing you. If you’re playing again… if you’re composing?! I mean, that’s such a huge breakthrough. Being here with your family is clearly doing you good… and I don’t want to get in the way of that.’

‘It’s not them, it’s you!’ Will’s raised voice bounced around the cove.

Leah stared at him.

‘It’s you, Leah,’ he said again, his voice more gentle as he ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Every time I saw you yesterday, more music started. New music.’ He shook his head, clearly struggling to explain. ‘God, I’m crap at this.’

‘Crap at what, exactly?’ said Leah, her voice low.

The desire to run was gone. A seismic shift of some sort was taking place… but she was here for it. And whether it destroyed her or changed her life forever, she wasn’t going anywhere until she found out.

‘Apologising. I’m crap at apologising for being a weird, floaty asshole,’ said Will.

‘For disappearing on you and making you feel like you don’t belong.

Because you belong here, Leah. Wherever I am, you belong there.

Wherever you are, I want to be there. Please.

Don’t leave. I mean… unless you really want to. But… I’d love it if you’d stay.’

Leah swallowed a knot of emotion. She wasn’t sure if it was a cheer or a sob trying to break loose.

‘And if I stay, what happens next?’

‘Next?’ said Will, relief flooding his face. ‘Well… next we tuck into Ewan’s scones, because I think he’ll sulk otherwise.’

A giggle escaped, and Leah clapped her hand to her mouth.

‘After that,’ said Will, ‘I’d like to take you on a date.’

‘A date?’

He nodded. ‘A real date. Only if you want to, of course.’

‘Depends on what you’ve got planned,’ said Leah.

‘Strawberry picking,’ he said, not quite meeting her eye.

Leah laughed again. It was another thing straight off her holiday bucket list.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘First, answer me one thing… and this is the deciding factor as to whether I say yes or not.’

She watched as Will’s face grew serious, and she could swear he paled slightly.

‘You ready?’

He nodded seriously.

‘Scones,’ she said, cocking her head, already struggling to keep her face straight. ‘Jam or cream first?’

Will let out an involuntary snort of laughter that was full of joy and relief. ‘Oh, the pressure!’

‘Just be honest!’ said Leah.

‘I know we’re in Devon, but I’m a jam first boy. Cream on top. Always have been.’ He paused and stared at her, clearly waiting for her verdict. ‘Did I get it right?’

Leah pretended to think for a long moment, then, heaving herself to her feet, she picked up her cushion without saying a word.

‘Wait, where are you going?!’ gasped Will, looking panicked.

Leah rounded the picnic blanket, tossed the cushion down next to Will’s and kneeled down.

‘Right here,’ she said. Leaning forwards, she wrapped her arms around Will’s neck. ‘For the record,’ she said quietly, locking her eyes with his wide ones, ‘as long as jam, scones and cream were still involved, you couldn’t have got it wrong.’

The moment her lips met Will’s, everything fell silent. The waves, the gulls’ calls, even the sound of her racing heart faded into the feeling of his mouth on hers.

‘So,’ she said, pulling back after several long minutes. ‘I guess we need to talk about what happens after the date…’

‘I’m taking you back to my place!’ said Will without missing a beat.

‘Wow!’ Leah laughed loudly. ‘Nice to see your old confidence is back in full force.’

Will shook his head. ‘I didn’t mean…it’s just… Hattie’s cooking dinner for us, and I’m having it delivered to the cliff house.’

‘Blimey!’ said Leah. ‘You really did ransack my bucket list, didn’t you?’

‘Yep,’ said Will with a grin. ‘All the way down to the last item on the agenda.’

‘What was that?’ said Leah. She didn’t need to ask, though. Leah knew exactly what that last line said.

‘An afternoon nap,’ said Will, holding her gaze. ‘Lucky for you… I just happen to have a very comfortable king-sized bed.’