Chapter 26

26

‘Megan, are you okay coming in here for a moment?' Standing at the door into the reception area, Ginny indicated to Megan to join her.

‘Yep, okay.' Megan held her hand next to Cindy and waited until she'd dropped the tennis ball she'd been carrying into her hand before leading her towards Ginny. ‘Is everything all right?'

‘Yes. I hope so, anyway.' Ginny lowered her voice. ‘I had a think about what you were saying about Percy and ended up speaking to Susan and Alex, and, well, we've decided an intervention is needed.'

‘An intervention?' Shutting the door, Megan unclipped the lead from Cindy's collar.

‘That's right. This has been going on for years. Percy being too nervous to ask Flora out. Certainly before I came and Susan, who's been here the longest, even remembers when she started volunteering that she thought they were a couple. If Percy doesn't ask her now, I don't think he ever will.'

Megan reached into the jar of treats on the counter and passed one to Cindy. ‘I guess you're right. But what if it goes wrong? What if Flora says no?'

‘I don't think that will happen.' Ginny walked across to the kitchen door. ‘They'd make a great couple, but even if it did go wrong, Flora's so lovely. I think she'd go out of her way to make him feel less awkward about the whole thing.'

‘Their friendship still wouldn't be the same though, would it?'

Were they doing the right thing by interfering?

‘But if he never speaks to her about how he feels, then they will definitely never get together.' Ginny shrugged.

‘True.' Megan nodded as Ginny opened the kitchen door. Percy was sitting reading the newspaper in his usual spot at the end of the table, opposite Flora's chair, and Susan and Alex were chatting between themselves. As they walked in, the room fell silent.

Looking up from his paper, Percy frowned. ‘What's all this then?'

‘We wanted to speak to you,' Susan spoke first.

‘You want to speak to me?'

‘No, yes, we all want to speak to you.' Susan indicated Alex, Ginny and Megan.

‘Oh, I don't know if I like the sound of this.' Percy folded the newspaper and pushed it slightly across the table.

Ginny laughed. ‘It's not anything bad. We just want to talk to you about something that's been on our minds for a while.'

‘You don't like my beard?' Percy stroked his chin before picking up his mug. ‘Or I've not been making my fair share of cuppas?'

‘Ha ha, nothing like that.' Ginny looked around the room. ‘We all like your beard and you make more than your fair share of drinks.'

‘Let's just get on with it, shall we?' Alex crossed his arms. ‘We think you should ask Flora out.'

Percy spluttered and lowered his mug before pulling a red handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his mouth. ‘I'm sorry?'

‘Just that. Just what Alex said. For as long as we've known you, you've held a torch for Flora and, well, now's the time to act on it.' Susan patted Percy's hand.

‘I… No…'

‘There's not any point in trying to deny it, Percy. We've all noticed it over the years.' Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘And now you need to put your feelings into action and ask her out for dinner.'

Percy pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Is it that obvious how I feel?'

Megan looked around the table as everyone else nodded.

‘Yes,' Alex said. ‘It is.'

Frowning, Percy moved his chair a little. ‘If it's that obvious, then does Flora know?'

Ginny frowned. ‘I don't think so. Maybe.'

‘No, no, I can't.' Percy held his hands up and shook his head firmly. ‘I'm not jeopardising the friendship I have with her.'

‘But if you never ask her out, if you never tell her how you feel, you won't ever get together.' Susan spoke softly, kindly.

‘I know, I know all of that. But no, I can't. And that's final.' Percy pushed his chair away and stood up just as the kitchen door opened.

‘What's final?' Flora paused in the doorway and looked around the room. ‘Am I missing something?'

As he slowly sat back down, Percy's skin turned a deep shade of red.

‘Ginny? Susan? Alex? Megan? Percy? What's going on?'

‘Er, nothing. It's all good.' Alex grinned.

‘Umm, there's clearly something I'm missing.' Flora crossed her arms and lowered herself into her seat. ‘Something you're trying to keep from me.'

‘Right.' Susan stood up, resting her hand briefly on Percy's shoulder as she walked past him. ‘I'm going to go and start cleaning out the kennels.'

‘I'll help you.' Alex jumped up from his seat and followed her to the door.

‘You've already done them today.' Flora frowned.

‘I've got to go and check on Ralph,' Ginny added as she took her mug to the dishwasher.

Megan looked from Flora to Percy and pushed her chair back. ‘Come on, Cindy, let's take you for a wander.'

As she walked out of the door, she could hear Flora quizzing Percy again. She closed the kitchen door quietly and clipped Cindy's lead to her collar.

She hoped Percy didn't think she had anything to do with the intervention. Yes, she'd mentioned their conversation to Ginny, but she had a feeling the intervention would have happened regardless of what she'd said.

‘You look deep in thought.'

Megan turned around to find Jay and Sally walking across the courtyard towards her.

‘Sorry. Yes. Hello, Rex.' Leaning down she fussed over the small Jack Russell while Cindy nudged her nose against Jay's leg and then Sally's.

‘We've just been doing some agility training with this little one, haven't we?' Sally smiled as she pulled out a treat for Rex before giving Cindy one too.

‘Aw, how is he getting on?'

‘Great. He did really well.' Jay grinned as he knelt down and fussed over the dog.

‘Maybe give Flora and Percy a few minutes in there.' Megan nodded towards the door.

‘Oh really? What's going on?' Sally frowned and peered through the small window of the door.

‘Ginny, Alex and Susan told Percy to ask Flora to dinner.'

‘Oh, as in a date?' Sally raised her eyebrows.

‘Yes. They told him he'd been taking too long and if he never asked her, then he'd never find out what she'd say.' Megan gave little Rex a final fuss before straightening her back. ‘And just as they were speaking to him, Flora walked in, so she knows something is going on. Hopefully Percy will take this opportunity to talk to her.'

‘That's exciting then.' Sally grinned.

‘I'm not sure if he actually will or not. He looked a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights.'

‘Aw, bless him. I don't suppose he realised everyone knew how he felt?'

‘No, I don't think so.' Megan made a face.

‘It certainly shocked me to find out they weren't a couple.' Jay patted Cindy before standing up.

‘Exactly. I almost think that if they do get together then not much, if anything, will change. They act like a couple already.' Sally smiled and looked from Jay to Megan and back again. ‘Talking of which…'

Megan could feel her face warm as her lips curled into a smile. She looked across at Jay and took his hand. ‘How did you know?'

‘I may have mentioned our trip to the theme park.' Jay smiled.

‘But I guessed the rest.' Sally grinned. ‘I'm really happy for you both. You make a lovely couple.'

‘Thank you.' Megan looked across at Jay.

‘Well,' Sally said, passing Rex's lead to Jay, ‘if the kitchen is out of bounds, I might just go and take a look at the agility see-saw. It was a bit wonky, wasn't it?'

‘It was. Shall we take these two on a walk?' Jay nodded towards Rex.

‘Good idea. Catch you both later.' Sally turned and held her hand up in a wave before heading back towards the paddocks.

‘Shall we head down to the beach with them?' Megan indicated the two dogs.

‘Maybe we could grab a drink from the chip van in the village first?' Jay said as they headed across the courtyard, the dogs following at their heels. ‘You don't mind that Sally worked it out, do you? About us?'

‘No, of course not.' She slipped her hand in his. ‘Why would I mind?'

Jay shrugged. ‘I just wasn't sure whether it would make things worse for you if Lyle found out. After the way he reacted before when he saw us together digging the foundations…'

Megan sighed. ‘He can think what he likes. He will do anyway. I just want to get on with my life.'

‘Good, good.' Jay swung the gate open, stepping aside to let Megan and Cindy through first before following.

‘Now, this is the life.' Megan grinned as she sank to the sand. Cindy and Rex had played in the sea whilst she and Jay had paddled and now both the dogs were tired and in need of a rest. ‘That's it, Cindy. Come and sit down and rest for a moment.'

Jay sat next to her and rolled his trouser legs down. ‘You know, I'll miss this when I do get a job.'

‘Me too. Although let's hope we'll still both have time to come and help out.' Megan stroked Cindy between the eyes as she flopped her long body against her.

‘Most definitely.' Jay nodded and glanced over his shoulder. ‘I wonder how Percy is getting on. Do you think he asked Flora?'

‘I'm not sure. I hope so and I think it would have been tricky for him to get out of having the conversation… a conversation at least. Flora knew something was going on and if she'd overheard anything then I don't think he would have got away with not asking, but I'm not sure if she did.' Megan shrugged. ‘Besides, if he really has been wanting to ask her out for decades then I'm not sure whether he suddenly will now.'

‘If he doesn't, maybe we all need to get together and set them up. We could book a table at a nice restaurant and send each of them an invitation to an open night or something. I don't know.'

‘Yes, that's a good idea.' Megan nodded. ‘Maybe we should.'

‘I think so. But, like you said, hopefully Percy will have asked her by now.' Jay shifted on the sand.

‘Let's…' Megan frowned as the ringtone of her mobile filled the cove.

Please don't let it be Lyle. Please, not Lyle.

She pulled it from her back pocket and glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number. She closed her eyes, bracing herself just in case he'd now moved on to withholding his number.

‘Hello?'

‘Afternoon, is this Megan Trussel please?' It was a woman's voice. The tone cheery.

‘Yes, I'm Megan.' Looking down, she drew a circle in the sand.

‘I'm Primrose from the Ice Cream Parlour. We met the other day when you came in to put your card up on our noticeboard?'

‘Hi, Primrose. Yes, that's right. Did you need me to take it down?' Megan used her fingernail to scrape off the top layer of sand from the circle.

‘No, I was actually ringing to offer you a job.'

‘A job?' Megan straightened her back. She could see Jay grinning beside her. ‘Wow, that would be amazing.'

‘Let me just tell you a little about the role before you accept or otherwise.' Primrose laughed.

‘Yes, of course. Sorry.'

‘Please don't be sorry. I need someone enthusiastic. The role would be behind the counter primarily and with perhaps a little help out the back with preparing the ice cream and things like that.'

‘Okay, that sounds good.' But before she could let herself get carried away, Megan felt her heart sink. ‘I've got to be honest with you. I don't have any retail experience. Not recently anyway. I mean, I worked at a newsagent for a couple of years when I was a teenager, but?—'

‘Don't worry. Our system is pretty straightforward. Nothing will take long to get your head around, I can promise you that. I just need someone reliable who can be flexible.'

‘I can be flexible.' Megan looked across at Jay and crossed her fingers. He copied.

‘Good, good. You see, my mum isn't too well and sometimes needs a little help, which is why I need someone who could, after training, be confident enough to run the parlour if I'm called away.'

‘Oh, right. Yes, that would be fine.'

‘Great. Could I ask you to pop in sometime and we can have a chat?'

‘Yes, okay.' Megan glanced at Jay and waved her hand between him and Cindy before pointing up the beach to question if he was happy to head back.

Grinning, Jay nodded.

‘I can pop in now if it's convenient? I'm just at the cove, anyway.' Megan bit down on her lip. Did she sound too eager? Was there any such thing as being too eager when applying for jobs?

‘Perfect. I'll see you in a little while then.'

And with that, Primrose ended the call.

‘Eek.' Megan jiggled her legs up and down and laid the mobile on the sand. ‘I've got a job! Hopefully, anyway.'

‘That's amazing! Congratulations!' Leaning across the dogs lying between them, Jay cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her.

Megan reached behind the back of his neck and kissed him too. Yes, her new life was beginning to fall into place. Leaning back slightly, with her hand still resting on the nape of his neck, she grinned. ‘If I do get this job, then it means I'll be able to save up, do an accountancy course and begin to build my own business.'

‘It sounds as though you have the job already.' Jay tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

‘Ah, I don't know. I still need to get through this interview-chat thing first.'

‘You will. I'm sure she'll love you. And by the end of the day you'll have bagged yourself a job!'

‘I really hope you're right. I literally thought it would take ages to find something.' Megan leaned towards him again, their lips touching.