When she toyed with the salt cellar, Declan reached forward and caressed the tip of her missing finger. ‘I spotted this last week. Is it a kitchen accident?’
Tammy had been so self-conscious about her finger all through childhood and especially in her teens, but now she barely noticed it. She shook her head. ‘No, it’s a result of contracting meningitis when I was a young child.’ She lifted her fringe and showed him the hidden scar on her forehead. ‘Thankfully, I had a skin graft done here, but it still scarred.’
‘Geez, you were lucky. That’s a terrible virus. I bet your parents were beside themselves with worry.’
‘According to my social worker...yes they were.’ Declan’s brow pulled together, showing his confusion. Tammy’s chest tightened. She hated disclosing her different childhood, but something about Declan’s easy manner made her want to open up. ‘I was raised in foster care after my parents’ unexpected early deaths.’
Declan’s jaw almost hit the table and his strong hand curled around hers. ‘I am so sorry Tammy. I didn’t mean to rake up the past.’
Tammy shook her head and smiled. ‘It’s fine. It was a long time ago. I don’t remember them. However, coming here to Seagull Bay was possibly the best thing that ever happened to me.’
‘Is that because you met me?’ Declan winked cheekily.
Tammy laughed. ‘Maybe that’s a small part.’ Declan chuckled. ‘Uncle Ben found boxes of old photographs of my parents and told me so many special stories about them.’
Declan’s hand found hers again. ‘That’s amazing Tammy. I’m so happy for you.’ He scoffed and sat back in his chair. ‘I wish that kind of magic could happen for me.’
Tammy’s brow rose. ‘How so?’
‘Like you, I was raised in the system, but my parents abandoned me. I’ve tried to trace them over the years, but I come to a dead end every time.’
Tammy gasped. She couldn’t believe how parallel their lives were. The tinkle of the bell above the door alerted them to a new customer. This time, Tammy reached across the table and grabbed Declan’s hand. ‘We’ll find them together. I’ll help you start afresh after the barbecue.’
Declan’s eyes widened. ‘You’d do that for me?’
‘Of course. Anything for a friend.’ Tammy couldn’t help but notice a flicker of disappointment wash across his face. She smiled brightly at the customer as she stood up from their cosy tête-à-tête. ‘Good afternoon, what can I get you?’
After the afternoon rush had dissipated, and wanting to brighten the mood between her and Declan, Tammy suggested they tackle the task of rearranging the seating area outside the tearoom. As they moved tables and chairs, their laughter filled the air, the shared effort turning into a playful competition of strength and creativity. At one point, Declan picked up a chair and pretended to carry it on his back like a weightlifter, causing Tammy to burst into giggles.
‘Careful there, you might strain something,’ she teased, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.
‘Oh, I’ve been hitting the gym,’ he retorted with a wink, his playful bravado earning him another round of laughter.
The chemistry between them was undeniable, a magnetic pull that drew them closer with each passing moment. Tammy’s heart had transformed from a flutter to a steady rhythm, a rhythm that seemed to sync perfectly with the moments she shared with Declan, still though, she held back. Romance was not what she’d come to Seagull Bay for.
But as the late afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow across the tearoom, Tammy and Declan found themselves standing close to each other again, it seemed that wherever he went, she was drawn to him. Their eyes locked in a shared moment of connection. The straggling customers and the surrounding tearoom seemed to fade into the background, leaving only the two of them.
Declan’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of vulnerability. ‘You know, Tammy, I never expected to find someone like you in Seagull Bay.’
Tammy’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She had been so focused on her past and her determination to avoid romance that she had almost missed the wonderful person standing right in front of her. ‘Likewise, Declan. I thought I was coming here for a fresh start, but I didn’t anticipate finding a friend like you.’
Their gazes lingered, and Tammy felt a warmth spreading from her chest to every corner of her being. The connection between them was undeniable, a magnetic force that pulled them closer together.
Just as Tammy thought Declan might lean in for a kiss, a familiar tinkle of the bell above the door interrupted their moment. They both turned to see a couple entering the tearoom, hand in hand. Tammy recognised them as her new regulars who always came in late, a kind elderly couple who always shared a slice of cake.
Declan stepped back, clearing his throat, and readjusting his apron, a hint of disappointment flickering in his eyes. ‘I guess we should get back to work.’
Tammy nodded, her cheeks tinged with a blush. ‘Yes, we should.’
As they resumed their roles, serving the couple with smiles and small talk, Tammy couldn’t help but steal glances at Declan whenever she got the chance. There was something about him—his kindness, his warmth, and the way he made her feel—that drew her in like a moth to a flame.
The day steadily came to an end, and Tammy and Declan seamlessly navigated their duties. The earlier energy in the tearoom was replaced with stillness, but underneath it, there was a subtle tension—a longing that neither of them dared to voice.
As closing time approached, Tammy couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed between them. The day had been filled with shared laughter, confidences, and lingering glances, and she couldn’t deny the growing connection she felt with Declan. It was a connection she hadn’t expected, one that both excited and terrified her.
Once the last customer had left, Tammy and Declan began the familiar routine of cleaning up and closing the tearoom. They moved in sync as if they had been doing this together for years. The silence between them was comfortable, a testament to the ease of their companionship.
Finally, as Tammy wiped down the last table, Declan spoke, his voice soft and filled with sincerity. ‘Tammy, I know we both said we weren’t looking for romance, and I meant it. But I can’t deny the connection I feel with you.’
Tammy turned to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been grappling with her own feelings, torn between her past and the unexpected warmth she had found in Declan’s presence. ‘Declan, I feel it too.’
He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto hers. ‘I don’t want to rush into anything, Tammy. But I also don’t want to let this connection slip away.’
Tammy’s hand reached out, and Declan took it in his, their fingers interlocking. ‘Neither do I, Declan.’
A soft smile curved his lips, and he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. ‘Then let’s take it one step at a time, okay?’
Tammy nodded, her heart filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation. ‘One step at a time.’
As they locked up the tearoom together, Tammy couldn’t help but feel that the balloons that had heralded the start of this day had carried with them not only the promise of good weather but also the promise of a new beginning—and as she looked into Declan’s eyes, she couldn’t help but wonder if they also held the promise of something more—a connection that had the potential to blossom into something beautiful.
