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“Well, I can’t speak any other languages, so we’re a bit stuck. Aren’t we girl?”
“Oh, she looks like she understood that!” Leah laughed as Bluebell looked up at Callum, looking for all the world like she was grinning at him.
She handed his coffee back and wrapped her fingers around her own mug, gazing out at the ocean.
“So, you’ve got an easel set up in the loungeroom.”
“Yeah. Thought I’d branch out a bit. Do something bigger than the ceramics. Not having much luck with it, though.” She had only just arrived in town when she signed up for a painting workshop at Juniper’s shop. In no time at all, she was being offered a job, painting all the delicate earthenware Juniper produced. She’d rediscovered a love of painting that she’d long since been forced to abandon. Trying to transfer that love to canvas, though, was proving much more difficult than she’d expected.
“No?”
“Nah, I can’t get into it.”
“Can’t get a feel for it?”
“Yeah, something like that. With the ceramics, I feel like I always know what the piece needs. Maybe it’s because it’s Juniper’s work. She never tells me what she wants me to paint, she just lets me go. But, I don’t know, maybe her vibe is so good that she makes it easy.”
“You reckon?”
She shrugged. “I mean, her work is really strong, but also really light, so it wants delicacy. Fine work. It speaks to me in that way, I guess. That sounds weird.”
“No, it doesn’t. I know the feeling when you’re trying to create something and it flows, or when it doesn’t.”
“Yeah, right, okay. So with the ceramics it just flows, but I can’t get that same feel with the canvas. So I’m never happy with how it comes out and just end up chucking it.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
“You sound very confident about that.”
“I am.”
“Oh, well, thanks.” They fell into silence again, but it didn’t seem as awkward this time. It felt more companionable. Leah liked it. She liked it a lot.
Once Callum had finished his coffee, he pushed to his feet. “I’m just gonna look around, if you don’t mind, get an idea of what you’ll need. You can stay here with Bluebell.”
“Okay, great.” Leah hesitated for a moment, then said “Then I can run you home, if you like.” It’s what she would do for Mikayla, or Juniper. Or their partners for that matter, rather than make them clamber back over the rockfall. So, if she was going to try and be friends with Callum, the same rules had to apply.
“Oh, if you’re sure.”
“Of course. I’m heading up to the lighthouse a little earlier than usual to set up a display with Juniper, so it’s no hassle.”
“Great. I’ll be about fifteen minutes here.”
“Perfect.” She shifted closer to Bluebell, giving her a pat as Callum headed inside.
CHAPTER TWO
It was a beautiful Spring morning at the Blessed Inlet Lighthouse compound. The sandstone buildings glowed in the bright sunshine and a steady breeze blew in from the ocean. Callum took a deep breath as his father, John, pulled the truck to a stop in front of the Long House. There was every chance Leah was inside, working away at her long table near the front entrance, across from Juniper’s pottery wheel.
Callum removed his toolbox from the back of the truck, hefting it in his hand and turned to his father. “So, I’m gonna finish up the shelving in the storeroom, then I’ll join you in the stables, right?”
“Yeah, and send William over, when you see him. I wanna check that he’s happy with the window frames on the mezzanine level before we put them in. Juniper’s given the go ahead, but she wants William to confirm.”
“Sure thing.”
“Seeya.”
“Seeya.” Callum felt a little thrill of anticipation. Leah. He felt like things were getting better between them, more comfortable. A few days before, when they’d just sat on her deck drinking coffee and watching the sunrise, had felt really good. So, thanks Bluebell. He’d been totally pissed off when the little dog had done a runner, but all was completely forgiven when that runner led to Leah.
