AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twelve
Maddie stacked up the books on the stall and glanced up at the clouds. As long as it stayed dry, the summer fete wouldn’t be ruined. Typical. The one day the entire town came together to do something and thick white clouds had rolled in. The weather hadn’t said anything about rain so she hoped that proved to be true but Cornish weather was always unpredictable.
Around her, bunting and flags fluttered in the breeze. Mrs Newcombe was setting up her homemade honey stall next to her while Margaret, who normally ran one of the souvenir shops, was proudly displaying her crocheted wares. Maddie tried not to grimace at the brightly coloured monstrosities. Margaret wasn’t a natural crocheter.
Inevitably, her attention turned to Sawyer who was helping to wrestle a huge gazebo into place for the local brass band. Ryan and a couple of the other guys from the lifeboat station were helping but none of them drew her attention like his did. His arms flexed against his t-shirt, flashing the ink on one. She had to tense to fight a shudder running through him as she recalled the times she’d had those arms wrapped around her naked body. Since their fight almost a month ago, they’d barely been apart—even at night.
She sighed. There was no fighting it. She was head over heels for Sawyer Steele.
And yet, she was still holding back and she didn’t know why. She needed to tell him about the lottery winnings but she hadn’t asked the others if that would be okay. It would be easy enough to text them or stop by the pub on Saturday and yet, she’d been putting it off.
Perhaps because he was still keeping something from her. That day at the house had been a revelation for her. She’d seen how wounded inside he was from his father’s treatment of him. She didn’t doubt that wound would take longer than twelve years to heal but he wasn’t the same boy who had left Ballicliff Bay. No, he was determined, serious, even sensible at times. She adored his reckless side but, she had to admit, the practical part of him appealed to her just as much.
There was still something, though... His job she supposed. He never talked about that. And his plans for their future. She was almost fearful of bursting the beautiful bubble she’d found herself in but he hadn’t said anything about what was going to happen between them since the first time they’d made love. He’d said he wanted to stay in Ballicliff but what if that had been a mistake? Something said in the heat of the moment?
Maddie glanced around the pretty blue and white stalls then at the old town hall with its clock forever reading the wrong time. She peered into the distance at the coastline. She would give this up for him if she had to. She didn’t want to but she would. Maybe she should tell him that.
Searching him out again, she grinned at the way he joked with the guys from the lifeboat station. There were still those who didn’t trust him—mostly the older locals with long memories—but sometimes it was hard to remember he’d ever been gone.
“Are we all set?”
She glanced up to see Nikki approach. Today there were blue streaks in her hair in honour of the fete. Naturally, her friend was as beautiful as ever in ridiculously short shorts and a t-shirt that said something about reading past her bedtime. Even holding a hotdog smothered in mustard, she looked sexy. Maddie felt almost frumpy in her strappy top and cream trousers.
“Pretty much. What’s the time?”
Nikki glanced at her watch. “Nearly eleven. They’ll be opening the gates soon.”
Tourists came from all over Cornwall for the Ballicliff fete, anxious to buy the farm produce and homemade wares. They had various food stalls with hundreds of varieties of cheeses, sausages and fish. And then there were the rides set up for the kids which she’d also seen Sawyer helping with. She couldn’t help sigh.
“Your mum’s here,” Nikki said through a mouthful of hotdog.
“I didn’t think they’d be home in time.”
Her stomach dropped a little. If her mother saw Sawyer, there would be questions to answer. Frankly, her parents’ dislike of him had been the only reason they’d waited until she’d turned eighteen to marry. They might have done it sooner if they’d believed they could get permission from them. Still, she supposed it was better to get it over and done with. She’d remind her mother that she was a grown woman. Heck, she was considered a wealthy woman now. She could definitely make her own decisions.
“I’ll find her later.” Maddie strode around the stall and positioned herself behind it. “They’re opening the gates now.”
A stream of tourists filled the market square. Before long, Maddie was on her way to making more profit than she did on even the best days. Something about the fun atmosphere made people far more willing to part with money and fill their suitcases with books. Of course, a percentage would go to charity but she’d still make a nice amount and clear out some of her old stock in the process.
By the time the fete was winding down, she hadn’t seen her mother and she’d only seen Sawyer once when he’d brought her a burger and a coffee. He’d been helping run one of the rides and she kept stealing glimpses of him helping the kids on and off. Each time he glanced her way, her heart squeezed.
She needed answers. She had to know where this was going. The house was coming on brilliantly. Did he still intend to sell? What she would do was, she’d go up to him and she’d say—
“I hear you’ve been helping restore the old Steele place.”
Maddie sighed as her mother came around to place a delicate kiss on her cheek. Always glamorous, her mother wore a 50’s style floral dress and her dark hair was sleek and shiny, just brushing her shoulders.
“How are you? How was your trip?”
“Oh lovely. I ate far too much though.”
Maddie glanced down her mother’s slender figure and shook her head. Her mother had never had a problem with her weight or, well, with anything really. It always made Maddie feel completely imperfect. It was hard to keep up with her mother even when she did try to think everything through so carefully.
“So, this house renovation... you haven’t put any of your money into it, have you?”
“No, of course not. Sawyer is funding it.”
“Mrs White says you’re spending a lot of time with him.” Her mother’s lips compressed.
