Page 59 of Suddenly Beck

‘You should,’ I say genuinely. ‘Because the real you, Molly. She’s magnificent.’

‘Molly the Magnificent,’ she laughs. ‘You’re such a charmer, Nat.’ She pats my face in an affectionate grandmotherly way, and something inside me warms. ‘I think I’m going to enjoy our friendship.’

‘Me too,’ I tell her. ‘Come on, I’ll walk you back.’

‘No need.’ She shakes her head. ‘I know you need to be at Sully’s soon, Melanie will be waiting.’

‘If you’re sure,’ I reply.

‘I am.’ She smiles. ‘Thank you, Nat,’ she adds, her voice soft with gratitude and affection. ‘I’ve had a really lovely morning.’

‘Me too.’ I lean down and kiss her delicate, papery cheek and inhale the scent of violets and face powder. ‘I’ll see you later, Molly.’

‘You can count on it.’ She winks cheekily as she turns and wanders down the path.

Checking my watch, I realise she’s right, Mel will be expecting me at the restaurant soon. It’s been closed for a few days now, longer than she originally intended, and I’m starting to worry. She’d called me at the B&B this morning and left a message to meet her but didn’t say why.

I push away from the wall and head down the beach toward the steps leading up to Sully’s main decked terrace. The closed sign still hangs ominously on the other side of the door at an odd angle, but the doors unlocked.

Letting myself in I call out into the stillness of the restaurant, but there’s no response. Locking the door behind me I head out back toward the office and find Mel sat at an old, battered oak desk, dwarfed by stacks of paperwork and files. I knock lightly, and when she glances up, she looks exhausted and sad.

‘Hey.’ I frown. ‘What’s wrong?’

She shakes her head. ‘Why don’t you go and grab us both a coffee, Nat and then come and take a seat.

I do as she suggests, and when I place the mug down on the desk, she looks up at me gratefully as I take a seat opposite her.

‘How are things with you and Beck?’ she asks as she sips her coffee.

Shit, is that what this is about? I know Beck had mentioned she didn’t want us seeing each other. Was I going to lose my job?

‘Don’t look so panicked, Nat.’ She shakes her head. ‘I’d know about you and Beck, even if he hadn’t called me this morning to tell me himself. I’m not blind. I saw the way you two were with each other on Sunday.’

‘I uh…’ I frown. ‘I don’t know what to say, Mel.’ My heart sinks. ‘I know you didn’t want us to…’

‘Nat,’ she stops me bluntly. ‘When I said that, I was concerned for you. I love my son, but he hasn’t had a great track record with men, and I was worried you’d end up getting hurt and selfishly I didn’t want you to leave.’

‘Leave? Are you serious?’ My brain tries to catch up. ‘You’re not firing me then?’

‘Firing you?’ she laughs. ‘Nat, you’re the best thing that’s happened to this place in the last year. No, I am not firing you. I just… I want you and Beck to be happy, but I suppose I am a little worried. After what happened in Florence…’

‘Why, what happened in Florence?’ I reply in confusion.

‘I don’t know exactly.’ Melanie sighs. ‘I think Jesse and Ryan are the only two Beck’s confided in. All I know is that Beck left for Europe for an apprenticeship in Florence to learn how to cast bronzes. He was so excited. Now, like I said, I don’t know exactly what happened, he won’t say, but he came home about a year before his dad got sick, and he was different.’

‘Different how?’ I frown not liking the sound of that.

‘Before he left, he was a dreamy romantic, the brightest and most optimistic of all my kids. But when he came back, he was colder, more distant, jaded I think is the word. It was obvious he was hurting. After that, there was just a steady stream of one-night stands. He doesn’t do relationships. I don’t know who broke my baby’s heart, but it left him scarred. When his interest homed in on you, I’ll admit I was worried he’d just sleep with you and walk away leaving me to find a new chef, but…’

‘But?’ I push.

‘But he’s different with you,’ she says softly as she studies me. ‘It’s like I have my Beck back again. He’s softer and he laughs more. I watched the two of you on Sunday, and now, I’m worried for an entirely different reason.’

‘Because you think I might hurt him?’ I reply quietly with a dull thud of pain.

‘Because I think you have the power to hurt each other,’ she tells me earnestly. ‘I’m not going to get involved with whatever is going on between you, just... be careful with each other.’

‘It’s not like that, Mel,’ I try to reassure her. ‘We’ve talked about this, and we’ve set boundaries. This is just casual.’