Second Chance Summer, page 6
‘Not yet.’
‘OK. For now, let’s just say you and I are simply listening to some music together but when you have guests – after you’ve opened properly – you’ll have to think about it.’
‘I’ll add it to the list,’ he said, his shoulders slumping in dejection. Lily suspected he’d probably bitten off more than he could chew with the retreat and needed all the professional help he could get.
She laid down her cutlery. ‘What’s your brand?’ she asked. ‘Is it modern and sophisticated? Or elegant and traditional?’
‘Erm …’
She smiled. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about your brand because I know you have. I’ve seen your guest welcome pack and website. You’ve done a great job with those.’
‘I have?’ He gave a wry smile. ‘Actually, Morven and her friend designed the website. I was going for barefoot luxury like you get in exotic island hotels. We did some travelling after uni, working in a couple of resorts in the Seychelles. I worked in the kitchens briefly and then in maintenance. It gave me some ideas – and a pipe dream.’
She noted the ‘we’ followed by the hasty change to the first person.
‘Barefoot luxury is very on trend, though I have to say that Stark is more at the barefoot end of the scale than the luxury one, at the moment.’
His lips parted in dismay.
‘Don’t worry, we can do something about that. First things first, back to the music: this is a retreat, so you want something that’s chilled out but contemporary. Look, why don’t you at least sit down at the table rather than hovering by it? I’m sure that doesn’t count as fraternising with your guests.’
Her comment drew a smile that lit up Sam’s eyes. Lily was struck by his handsome profile, tempered by the lines fanning out from beside his eyes. He could only be in his mid-thirties but the telltale marks of strain and responsibility were etched on his face.
‘I don’t want to interrupt your meal,’ he said.
‘You aren’t.’
Reluctantly, he drew back a chair and sat down opposite her.
‘We invested a lot of money on getting the Lily Loves branding spot on. We don’t have our products in stores,’ she said, careful not to add ‘yet’, ‘but I learned a lot about the retail environment – and that includes all the strategies they use to maximise spend. One of those is sounds.’
‘Sounds?’ he echoed.
‘Oh, yes. Guests linger longer and spend money if you can perfect your music branding,’ she said, getting into her stride.
Sam’s brow creased. ‘I’d no idea. Here I was, thinking I could simply connect my iPhone to a speaker.’
‘We could brainstorm some ideas after dinner if you like, or set up a time to do it tomorrow?’
‘I’m sure you’ve plenty to do without being a mentor to me.’
‘On the contrary. With no Internet or distractions, it’s the perfect opportunity to do a deep dive into the whole ethos of the Stark Island Retreat. It’s practically the only free time I’ll ever have to do it. I’ll be back in the thick of it once I can get back to civilisation.’
He nodded but pushed back his chair and got to his feet.
‘Lily, this is all very kind of you, and I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure we’ll both have plenty to do tomorrow. I’m flattered you’re willing to spend your precious time helping me, but I’m also conscious you’re here for a rest – even if only for two nights.’
‘Okayyy …’ she said, taken aback.
‘My number one promise to guests is to offer them a relaxing escape away from everyday cares,’ he went on, firmly. ‘It’s why I called Stark a retreat, not a resort. It’s wild and remote – a prison to some, but hopefully, soon, it will also be a haven. Your PA said you’d try to resist taking a break and he begged me to resist you.’
‘He said what?’ Lily could hardly believe what she’d heard.
‘He said you needed saving from yourself. And from what I’ve seen, you do need the rest.’
‘Isn’t that a bit paternalistic?’ Lily said.
‘Of Richie or me?’ he asked.
‘Both, actually.’ Lily set her jaw.
Sam grinned. ‘Maybe, but that’s what I’m going to do: make sure you have a complete break. Now, please,’ he said, ‘relax and finish your meal.’
Lily arched an eyebrow, torn between annoyance at Richie and Sam – and being secretly touched that they cared.
‘And if I’m good, I get pudding?’ she joked.
‘Something like that,’ Sam said drily. ‘If you’re very good, I might even take you on a tour of the island tomorrow.’
CHAPTER SIX
‘Good morning.’
Sam was aware how the brief banter of the previous evening had turned to dwindling enthusiasm when Lily slouched into the dining room the next day. They hadn’t spoken much after he rebuffed her offer of brainstorming branding and business ideas. She’d eaten half the dessert then disappeared off to her room with the rest of the bottle of wine. He could hardly blame her: he wasn’t sure his comments had come across as he’d intended.
‘Sleep well?’ he asked, his jaw aching with putting on a cheery face when he felt so grim inside. Lily’s comments had reminded him of how much he still had to do at the retreat and made him feel more than a little out of his depth.
‘Surprisingly, yes,’ she muttered, ‘Even though it’s still raining.’
‘Only a bit and not for long.’ He placed a platter of fresh fruit in front of her. ‘The storm front’s almost passed. We’ll be the first in the country to see the sunshine.’
She raised her eyebrows, disbelief etched on her face. ‘Can I get that in writing?’
‘I’ve seen the forecast. It’ll be better today. Would you like tea or coffee?’
‘Coffee. Please.’
Sam filled a cafetière. It was for the second time that morning, the first having been for himself as he needed the caffeine. Unlike Lily, he hadn’t slept well. He’d lain awake wondering if he’d gone too far in telling his guest she had to take a rest, and deciding that he had.
Not only had he turned down the invaluable advice of an expert, but he’d also made Lily think he was a chauvinistic pig. On the other hand, Richie had pleaded with him to ‘make sure’ she rested, and said that he’d ‘have a nightmare’ trying to stop her from working.
Sam had wondered if Lily’s need for a break, and brittle mood, might have anything to do with the sad associations that had been triggered by the Nina Simone track.
God knows, he knew how difficult – impossible – it was to come to terms with sadness. Hadn’t he also tried to blot out the pain of his own losses by throwing himself into work? Was creating Stark – trying to bring life back to a dead island – his way of clawing back what had slipped away from him so unexpectedly?
He’d no idea. He’d tried not to analyse his actions too deeply, until Lily had arrived.
Had last night been a cry for help – did she want to talk about what was upsetting her? Sam was no therapist; he’d barely got to grips with being a host. He’d also felt that interfering in Lily’s life in this way was too much of a burden to bear, so he’d listened, been vague, and joked that Stark was a place where he could guarantee complete quiet if nothing else.
He would have many guests in need of recuperation, peace and quiet – so long as Lily didn’t go home and spread the word that Stark was a dump and its owner a bully.
‘Is the fruit OK? Would you like a cooked breakfast or continental?’ he asked, trying to smile and be as helpful as possible. ‘I have bacon, eggs, sausage – vegetarian alternatives … Or pastries, which I baked fresh this morning.’
‘Continental is fine,’ Lily said, adding archly, ‘and stop trying too hard.’
Her amused tone took the sting out of her remark. She looked less exhausted this morning. He had to admit her eyes held a glint of mischief he found disturbingly attractive.
‘OK, I’ll fetch the croissants,’ he said, back in host mode.
While he arranged pastries in a basket, he heard a yelp and dashed into reception. Lily was standing in the porch with the door wide open.
‘What’s the matter?’ he said.
‘The sun’s out! And, oh my God, will you look at that view?’
Sam followed her outside, blinking in the dazzling light of a June morning like a creature emerging above ground after a long winter. The full panorama of dozens of low islands and rocky skerries unfolded ahead of them, floating in a sea of azure, turquoise and deepest blue. Even though he’d known they were there all along, hidden by the veil of fog, he was seeing them through Lily’s eyes and experiencing the full impact on her.
She seemed to blossom under his eyes, holding her arms wide and saluting the dazzling orb in the sky.
Touched by her happiness, he stood by her side. ‘You can have breakfast out here if you like.’
‘Oh, I’d love to.’
He smiled, lifted by her lighter mood. ‘I’ll bring it outside with some fresh coffee.’
She switched her focus to him. ‘You will join me though? I’m dying to find out what all these other islands are. I can’t believe it’s the same place as yesterday. It looks like the Greek islands or the Caribbean.’
Sam had heard his home described that way before and it always gave him a glow of pride, though Scilly was, in his eyes, even more beautiful than those other glamorous destinations. ‘I’m glad it’s cleared up for you.’
‘I must have been very good.’ Her blue eyes sparkled, like a kid let out of school to go to the seaside.
Sam went back into the kitchen, thinking of how Lily had reminded him of himself, a young boy at the end of term, arriving back on Bryher from the Island Comp, knowing there would be no more lessons or boarding for six weeks. He’d enjoyed school and staying in dorms had been fun up to a point. He’d settled well unlike some of the other islands children, who’d found it hard to get used to boarding during the week because the daily journey would have been too disruptive.
Yet nothing compared to home, to the freedom of running free on Bryher; sailing to Samson with his father and Nate and, later, with his friends Aaron and Ben. More recently, he’d loved exploring with someone else, sitting on deserted beaches or swimming together in the crystal waters. Once again, his desire to share that passion with others came back to him.
When he returned, Lily was pointing across the ocean under shaded eyes. ‘What’s that island there, with the square building and the waves breaking over it?’
‘St Helen’s.’
‘And the lighthouse in the distance. That’s the Bishop that we heard last night, I presume?’
‘Yes.’ He seemed surprised she knew.
‘And beyond?’
‘Nothing until Newfoundland.’
She swung round to look at him. ‘Wow. I’d no idea that it would be like this.’
‘Despite the website?’
‘I had a quick look after Richie booked, but not in detail. I was too busy trying to tie up loose ends before I came away.’
He shook his head. ‘I thought you were supposed to have a complete break.’
‘I couldn’t just leave. Not without letting key people know I’d be back.’
‘Well, you’ll be back with them tomorrow.’
‘Yes, but I think I can allow myself today off. As I’m stuck here.’
Her eyes challenged him but he wasn’t fazed. ‘How long has it actually been since you took a proper holiday?’
‘Oh … I’m not sure.’ Lily appeared to be dredging a corner of her mind. ‘I went on a hen weekend to Barcelona last May, though I flew back earlier than everyone else to prepare for the team’s mid-year reviews. I was in France on business earlier this year.’ She sighed. ‘I missed my parents’ Ruby Wedding party. I regret that.’
Sam’s interest was piqued by this admission. ‘What happened?’
‘I was all set to go to the party. I even had my bags packed in the office – but a potential client asked me to fly urgently to Paris for a meeting.’
‘Couldn’t you have put them off?’ Sam said.
‘No.’ She sighed. ‘Well, I didn’t think so at the time, but afterwards … I wish I’d gone to the party. My auntie Tina had flown over from Australia and I missed that. And my great-uncle Matthew was there. He was a hundred and two.’ Her voice faltered. ‘Unfortunately he passed away the week after.’
‘That’s such a shame. I am sorry,’ Sam murmured, seeing the genuine regret in Lily’s eyes.
‘We all were, even though he’d had a wonderful life. He just keeled over while he was feeding the ducks in the grounds of his nursing home. I hadn’t seen him for a long time and because I missed the party … well, I never got to talk to him again. To tell him how much he’d inspired me. He used to love making things. He did wood turning and carving.’
Sam listened, surprised and moved to see her lift the corner of this veil on her private life.
‘Maybe that’s where you got your creative side from.’
‘Maybe.’ She shrugged and then declared, ‘So I’m going to make the most of this opportunity. Even though it will be short.’
‘I’ll try to make sure it’s not too awful,’ Sam said wryly, noting the reminder that she expected to leave the next morning. ‘Would you like to see the island with me after breakfast or explore on your own?’
‘Both, please. A tour and then a solo adventure.’ She stopped and rolled her eyes. ‘How embarrassing. Will you listen to me, sounding like a little kid?’
‘We all need to be kids again from time to time,’ he said, wondering when he’d last enjoyed a carefree day himself. ‘Though it may surprise you, I do plan on offering activities to guests. Nature and history walks, beachcombing …’
‘All of which sound great,’ Lily said.
He smiled, feeling genuine pleasure. ‘Before I leave you to enjoy the rest of your breakfast, I’d like to check this evening’s menu with you.’
She seemed more than happy with most of it: goat’s cheese salad, with a key lime cheesecake he’d brought over from the bakery. It was just as well, as the only dessert alternative he could have offered was cheese and biscuits.
However, she hesitated over the lamb shank he’d intended to braise for the main course.
‘Do you have any more of Rory’s fish?’ she asked. ‘It seems a shame not to eat more seafood when it’s so delicious and fresh.’
‘I could probably rustle up some sea bass,’ Sam said, thinking that while she was off exploring he could take out the fishing kayak and catch some. Not that he would admit to Lily that he’d have to go out ’specially.
‘Great.’ She rewarded him with a smile that almost made the effort worthwhile. ‘That’s one of my favourites.’
Sam left her, basking in her approval of his ideas for activities – when he could get them sorted – and of his plans for the evening menu. Even though these small aspects had gone well, he needed to get his supplies and logistics sorted. There were two big freezers in the utility building behind the kitchen, but they were virtually empty. It was one more sign of how badly he’d underestimated the amount of work and staff needed to run the retreat. One guest and one night had made him feel completely exposed.
And it had to be this guest: a celebrity business owner with a big online presence. If she did choose to go public with her opinion of the retreat, any review could be shared far and wide. Perhaps he should thank Lily for shining a light on its – and his – failings so he could take steps to improve things.
At least the weather was on his side now and Lily looked happier than she had at any moment since he’d collected her from the heliport.
With the sun shining, and his guest warming to her island ‘prison’, today was his last chance to make a good impression before she flew home and offered her verdict.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Wow, wow and wow.
Lily was fully aware she’d uttered the words too often and they’d only left the retreat ten minutes previously. She’d become embarrassed by saying it again and again but there was no doubt that while the retreat had its shortcomings, the natural setting was simply out of this world.
They were climbing the gentle slope of what Sam called the South Hill and, with every step, the views became better and better.
Could she really be in England? she wondered for the umpteenth time, gazing around at isles sprinkled like jewels over a turquoise sea. Light bounced off the water, dazzling her; gulls wheeled overhead; foxgloves and daisies flourished in the shelter of ruined walls. Far below, great rounded boulders and jagged rocks sheltered pocket-sized coves with pale sand.
Automatically, she reached into her pocket to whip out her phone and take photos before realising her contraband tech had been handed over. ‘I wish I could share these views with my family and Richie.’
Sam pushed his Ray-bans onto his head. ‘You’ll be able to tomorrow when we reach Bryher.’
‘Now the weather’s cleared, could we go over there today?’ she offered.
‘We could. If you really want to, we can … or you could enjoy the digital detox for one more day if you think you can cope?’
‘Of course I can cope,’ Lily retorted, refusing to admit she was twitchy without her phone. ‘I should have brought a sketch pad. I left it in the cottage.’
‘We can go back and fetch it?’
She softened. ‘No, it’s OK. I’ll come out later once I’ve got my bearings around the island. Although,’ she said, pausing again to shade her eyes and drink in the vista, ‘I already know I’ll be so frustrated when I can’t capture this place as I’d like to.’ She’d be leaving the island tomorrow and would do her best to create a lasting memory of how gorgeous it was in the summer light.
‘I’m sure you won’t.’
‘I will. All artists are doomed to fail in their mission: it’s the trying that counts. I’ve also seen the artwork on your walls. I couldn’t produce anything of that quality.’ She noticed his mouth curve as he listened to her. ‘What’s funny?’
