Page 39 of Suddenly Beck
‘Nat.’ He lets go of my hand to shake Ryan’s, and the sudden pang of jealously takes me by surprise.
Ryan is my oldest friend, and we’ve known each other since we were five years old. He’s been my best friend, my confidant and more often, along with Jess and Deak, my partner in crime, but seeing the way his eyes skim over Nat’s face and down his body has my jaw clenching so tightly, I’m surprised I don’t hear the bone crack.
‘Well, you’re just edible, aren’t you?’ Ryan grins, sending him his signature smile, leaving Nat looking a little dazed.
‘Alright, that’s enough.’ I roll my eyes, placing my hands on Nat’s hips as I steer him into the house, breaking Ryan’s grip on his hand and throwing a warning look in his direction as I pass, very clearly mouthing the word ‘No’.
Ignoring Ryan’s deep, amused chuckle, we step over the threshold into my childhood home, and it still gives me a slight twinge of pain. Although it’s been a year since my dad passed away, it’s still hard being here, and I often find myself wondering how my mum can bear it. I suppose it helps that she still has Juni and Joss living at home, but I can’t help but wonder how she’ll feel once the girls move on and she’s all alone.
‘Hey?’ Nat’s soothing voice interrupts my thoughts. ‘You okay?’
I look up to find Nat watching me, those intense blue eyes of his filled with understanding.
‘Yeah, I guess,’ I exhale quietly. ‘It’s just… no matter how many times I’m here, it’s hard to get used to.’
He reaches once again for my hand and squeezes, and it’s surprisingly comforting.
‘Oh, good, you two are back.’ Mum wanders out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a tea cloth. ‘How was the market?’
Nat drops my hand quickly, his expression a little guilty, and I instantly feel the loss of warmth from his hand, and the disappointment takes me by surprise. I’m not in any way in the market for a relationship, but whenever he and I share the same space, I end up homing in on him, like he’s my own personal center of gravity.
‘We’ve found a couple of new suppliers who’re willing to send us samples,’ Nat tells her animatedly. ‘And we found this incredible vendor who makes cold pressed oils. I’ve got several to try, and I’ve got an idea percolating for a new dish I’d like to try out. It’s going to be difficult as I’m in the B&B and don’t have my own kitchen to experiment in, so would you mind if I used the restaurant?’
‘Not at all.’ Mum smiles at his enthusiasm. It’s obvious that cooking is his absolute passion, and I’m not surprised that Mum saw it and hired him on the spot. Of course it helps that he has the talent to back up the enthusiasm.
‘How did the deep clean go?’ Nat asks.
‘Oh god,’ Mum sighs. ‘Nat, sweetheart you have no idea.’ She links her arm companionably through his as she steers him toward the living room, continuing to speak. ‘That bloody Scott, firing the last cleaners. We’re lucky we didn’t get shut down.’ She frowns angrily. ‘Anyway, we’ve got the health and safety inspection the day after tomorrow. So, I’m going to keep the restaurant closed until after then, and I’m still going through the books. I’ve got some people lined up for interviews for more staff. It’s a mess. I think it’s best we take the time now to pause, assess the damage that man did and make a plan of action. As we head into the summer season it will start picking up, that’s what we need to be ready for.’
‘Well, you know I’ll help any way I can,’ Nat tells her earnestly.
‘I know you will.’ She smiles at him warmly as she pats his arm. ‘But for now, take the day off tomorrow too. I’ve got to go through all the books and inventory.’
‘You sure you don’t need any help?’
‘I know where to find you if I do.’ She smiles.
‘Do you need any help with dinner?’ Nat asks.
‘No, love, everything’s almost done, but thank you for asking.’ She pats him again fondly. ‘Come and meet the girls.’
They head into the living room with me following silently behind. Joss is sat cross-legged on the floor, with a basket of pocket-sized mewling fur balls beside her, which must be the kittens she’s fostering for Jesse. He came across a pregnant stray a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the mother didn’t make it, leaving the pair of them to try and hand rear the babies. Joss is totally on the same wavelength as Jesse when it comes to animals. She’s determined to become a vet, so she and Jesse run the practice together.
‘Joss,’ Mum calls to her as she glances up, a tiny grey and white tortoise shell kitten in one hand and a bottle of milk in the other. ‘Where’s Juni?’
‘She’s outside, setting the table,’ Joss replies as her gaze snags on Nat, flicking to me before going back to study him.
‘Joss, this is Nat,’ Mum introduces them as she heads toward the door. ‘I’ll just go find Juni.’
Once she disappears out onto the back deck, Nat turns to Joss, leaning down and offering his hand.
‘It’s nice to meet you.’ He smiles, his eyes widening when Joss simply deposits the kitchen carefully in his outstretched palm and hands him the milk bottle. ‘Oh… er, what do I do?’ he asks sinking down to the floor and sitting comfortably cross-legged, mirroring her pose and placing the bottle back in the kitten’s mouth gently.
‘Lift the bottle a bit, she’s swallowing air.’
He does as she instructs, and she watches him for a moment before picking up a tiny ginger kitten from the litter and another bottle. Although it may seem like all her attention is focused on the kittens, I know my sister too well. Joss has a very simple ethos in life. She doesn’t trust anyone who’s not kind to animals.
She watches as Nat smiles down softly at the precious little fur ball in his big palm, gently cradling her fragile body as he makes sure she’s feeding. There’s a sweet smile on his face, and he’s so careful with her.