Page 15 of Happier Days (Family Life in Somerley #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After another delightfully deep sleep, Ava woke when her alarm went off and pulled her arms from under the covers. She stretched her whole body, feeling alive right down to her toes and grinned, before even realising why.

Yesterday had been surreal, leaving her with a wonderful fuzzy feeling. It had been exactly what she needed after a horrendous two years. Nice people to spend time with and share memories as well as make more.

After a light breakfast, she picked up her bag, her camera tucked inside it. Popping the strap over her shoulder, she set off for the day.

Her phone rang, and she grimaced at the name that flashed up.

‘Hi, Brendon,’ she chirped. ‘Everything okay?’

‘It will be once I know what you’re up to.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I want a top job doing on this. It could bring in a lot of income for the company.’

Ava held in her sigh. ‘I’ve only just arrived. I spent yesterday finding out what work they required and I’m now off to take some photos.’

‘Well, make sure you do an excellent job. This could be the start of other projects for you.’

Which you’d get the money for.

‘I’ll do my best, Brendon. I always do and?—’

‘Yes, yes. Off you pop, then. I’m not paying you to chit-chat.’

The phone went dead in her hand before she could respond.

She groaned loudly. The cheek of the man.

He couldn’t even give her more than thirty seconds, and never a compliment on any occasion.

Still, she was almost outside Ruby’s cabin now.

She pressed on the door handle, smiling when the bell tinkled to announce her arrival.

Ruby was sitting at the table at the back of the room, surrounded by tubs of coloured beads in containers. Ava had caught her with her tongue sticking out of her mouth in concentration before she looked up.

‘I said I’d stop by and here I am,’ she said.

‘Morning,’ Ruby cried. ‘So good to see you. Do you have time for a drink?’

‘I’ve just had one, so can I take a rain check?’

‘Sure.’ Ruby stood up and stretched. ‘This plays havoc with my back if I stoop for too long. The perils of getting older.’

Ava smiled. Ruby was the same age as her. She and Eliza Broadhurst had taken her under their wing when she’d first arrived. Each summer Ava was added to their twosome, and three never seemed to be a crowd.

‘Are you settling in?’ Ruby asked, popping lids onto plastic containers.

‘Yes, thanks.’ Ava’s hand went into one she hadn’t closed yet. ‘These are a beautiful colour. Do you take orders?’

‘I do. Would you like me to make you something?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘Consider it done. So, tell me about yourself. How has life treated you, and what brings you back here?’ She pointed to the chair across from her.

Ava sat down. ‘Where to begin. I’m divorced with a daughter, Georgia. She’s eighteen and the best thing to come out of the relationship.’

‘Well, there is that, and similar to me. I’m divorced, too, and I have a daughter. Poppy is nine. Her dad, Kevin, you might remember him? Idiot who sometimes hung around with Jack and Dan, always talked about poo and other disgusting things. Lived on a farm just outside Somerley.’

Ava laughed. ‘I do remember him. He used to follow you around like a puppy.’

‘We were childhood sweethearts. Not anymore. He had an affair, so I booted him out four years ago.’ She went over to the counter and pulled out a photo of a young girl cuddling a teddy bear. She was the spitting image of Ruby.

‘Oh, she’s gorgeous. Does she get to see her dad often?’

Ruby scoffed. ‘He’s living down south. Comes “when he can.” I think it’s because I make it awkward for him, but it wasn’t nice what he did.’

‘I can imagine,’ Ava humoured. ‘I caught my ex out with another woman.’

‘You see? They’re all so… predictable.’

‘Not all of them, I hope.’

They shared a smile.

‘I don’t know about you, but I feel I got married far too soon,’ Ava went on.

‘Giles came along when I was at a low ebb in my life, feeling desperately lonely. My mum had recently remarried and moved to Spain, and it was only two years after my dad died. I’m not sure if there was anything going on between her and Ray beforehand, because it felt pretty quick, but they do seem to be happy.

’ She shrugged. ‘So Giles came along with all his flattery that he was so good at, and before I knew it, we were married, and I was pregnant with Georgia.’

‘Maybe you’re right, I don’t know. But there is so much pressure on us to conform at that age. I’m certain I loved Kevin but now I wonder why.’

‘What’s the gossip about Jack?’ Ava said, as casual as she could manage. ‘Do I need to know anything before I work with him?’

Ruby paused. ‘It’s really sad about what happened. The whole village was shocked, and with Dan being Jack’s twin? It must be hard to lose a sibling, but I wonder how that feels, like losing a part of you.’

Ava nodded, grateful for a customer popping in so she could take a moment.

Ruby was right. When Ava’s dad had died, she’d felt as if her world had ended.

Grief often came in waves even now, as she caught a smell of cigar smoke, or occasionally spotted a Triumph Spitfire out and about. He’d loved that car.

‘Did he and his wife split up before or after it happened?’ she wanted to know.

Ruby gnawed at her bottom lip. ‘Best let Jack tell you about that. He will, in his own time, I expect.’

Even though she wanted to know more, Ava knew when not to press. She needed to reintegrate herself in the village, not isolate anyone because she was too curious.

But she couldn’t help it. There was a gap of so many years that she wanted to fill. Having said that, she hadn’t told Jack about her past yet.

‘I’d better be off,’ she said, standing up and popping her hat back on. ‘Don’t want to be late.’

‘Do you have plans for tomorrow evening?’

‘Not really, although the highlight of it will be dinner at the hotel. It’s going to be bliss being looked after for the next four weeks.’

‘Come to mine afterwards. I can introduce you to Poppy, and once she’s in bed, we can have a good natter.’

‘I would love that.’ Ava beamed. ‘It’s a date.’

Ruby handed her a business card. ‘Send me a message so I have your phone number.’

Outside again, Ava went to take a few photos before going back to the hotel. She smiled to herself as she walked. It was heartwarming to reconnect to people she barely remembered, but who had never forgotten her.

She’d enjoyed chatting with Ruby while they filled each other in on what had happened over the years they’d been apart. Their divorce stories were startlingly similar, which was sad, but at least it was good to see they had both come out the other side as stronger, more independent women.

Ava envied Ruby, though, finding the courage to set up her own business. She had listened to her journey into the jewellery world with fascination and spent an age looking through the coloured beads on display.

She crossed to the middle of the bridge and took a few photos, over the water and around the perimeter. The boats at the side of the wooden pier; a bench in between the trees; a red woollen hat on a little boy contrasting with the deep blue of the water. It was all so peaceful.

Her work done for now, she popped the camera into her bag and made her way back to the hotel.