‘I’m delighted to hear that.’ He nodded at the basket. ‘There are some things in there that should probably go in the fridge to keep them fresh. And… you know… to protect them from Willy.’
Lila giggled. ‘Have you brought cheese?’
‘And ham.’
‘Then I had better get them in the fridge and pronto.’
‘I’ll just take a look around and check everything then add any finishing touches.’
‘Great.’
Ethan watched as Lila headed through to the kitchen then he climbed the stairs, more than a little bit sad that this would probably be the last time he’d be inside Lila’s home.
Lila set the picnic basket down on the kitchen table and realised that she was grinning. Having Ethan around had been so enjoyable and now he’d come on his final day with a basket filled with goodies. What a lovely way to celebrate her anniversary. It wasn’t the way she’d envisaged her wedding anniversary being, but then she’d had no idea that Ben would do what he did. Therefore, she would be happy to celebrate not marrying Ben and even happier to enjoy lunch with Ethan, a man she was starting to believe in the more she got to know about him.
She lifted the lid of the basket and peered inside. There was a bottle of champagne, a block of cheddar and a wedge of creamy brie, a packet of thick deli ham and a tub of shiny black olives. She put everything in the fridge then returned to the basket and pulled out the small square box.
‘Champagne truffles!’ She gasped. ‘He shouldn’t have done this,’ she said to Willy and Cleo. The cats were watching her from their vantage point in the sunlight that was pouring through the open back door. She returned the truffles to the basket then switched the kettle on.
Today they would enjoy a picnic lunch in her garden, sip some expensive looking fizz and this enjoyable time would come to an end. It brought a lump to Lila’s throat to think that this was it, that Ethan would move on to work on someone else’s house and Lila’s cottage would be quiet once more. Having Ethan around had been very pleasant. Though he was quiet as he worked, he seemed to fill her home with life, to bring a gentle cheer along with him and she was going to miss knowing that he was near, that when he left in the evening, he would return the next day. But he was a workman, had been here to paint and decorate, to mend and improve her cottage. Lila couldn’t forget that or let the fact that they had spent time together cloud the reality that for Ethan, this was probably no more than a professional relationship, and he was just a friendly man with a kind heart. Yes, they had talked about themselves and their lives but not discussed deeper issues, not got to know each other on a more emotional level, and it would have been strange if they had because he was there to work not to fall in love.
Fall in love?
Where had that come from?
Lila was not in love, not falling in love and not remotely interested in falling for someone. Not now and she didn’t think she ever would be. She just liked Ethan, that was all. No more, no less. He was the first man she’d spent any time with since Ben had left and her thoughts were muddled, her heart was vulnerable. Ethan was a friend and she hoped with all her heart that he would continue to be her friend because the thought of him disappearing from her life completely was hard to digest.
Ethan sat back in the chair, leant his head against the wall behind him and closed his eyes. Perfect moments were hard to find but this was one of them. After he had finished up at Lila’s, they had come out into her back garden to have lunch and it had been lovely.
The sun was shining, birds were singing, the air was fragrant with sweet flowers and herbs that grew in Lila’s pots and borders and the conversation had flowed freely. He’d told Lila more about his childhood, his life in Tonbridge and she’d told him more about her background.
Lila hadn’t had what could be described as a great childhood, having two parents who apparently didn’t want her in the first place — they had told her she was an accident and that her arrival had hampered their lifestyle. As Lila had grown up, they had provided for her physically but not been there emotionally, and it was why Lila no longer had a relationship with them. What Lila told him about her parents made him even more grateful for his mum. People shouldn’t have children if they didn’t want them; it wasn’t fair on the children to be born into such circumstances, he thought. However, in spite of this, Lila had turned out strong and independent, kind and sweet.
‘What are your plans now?’ Lila asked, so he opened his eyes.
‘Oh I don’t know… stay here and take a nap.’
She smiled, bringing those adorable dimples to her cheeks.
‘That sounds lovely and after the champagne, I could take a nap too, but I meant for the next few weeks and months.’
Ethan nodded. ‘Well… I’m keen to make a go of my business, so I’ll be focusing on growing my customer base. I also want to spend some time with Mum because the past few years have made it difficult for us to get much quality time. I mean… really, my head wasn’t in anything important after… after Tilly passed away and now I feel I owe Mum some time and attention. Does that make sense?’
‘Of course it does.’ Lila inclined her head. ‘I’m sure your mum understands why you’ve been—’
‘Drifting?’
‘Yes. If that’s how you see it.’
Ethan ran his gaze over her flushed cheeks and golden hair, over her clear skin and pretty little nose. If only he was in a better place emotionally but the thought of not being strong enough for her or giving her the love and commitment she deserved would put a lot of pressure on him and he coulnd’t bear to let her down.
‘I do. I have been drifting, not committing to anything or anyone, not even my mum. Unable to commit is more accurate.’
‘Oh, Ethan I’m sorry.’
He shook his head. ‘It’s certainly not your fault, but thank you.’
He had told Lila that he’d lost Tilly to cancer and she’d admitted that she knew some of the details, then she’d sat quietly, waiting for him to talk if he wanted to. And he found that a part of him did want to open up to her. However, he didn’t want Lila to see him differently, as a widower and someone to pity instead of as a friend and as a man, and telling her all about Tilly might change how she saw him. He was surprised to find that he actually cared about her opinion of him and it was revelatory because he hadn’t cared about how people saw him in a long time.
‘What about your future?’ she asked. ‘Will you stay here or move on?’
He shrugged. Who knew what the future held?
‘I’d like to stay here for a while, perhaps settle in Wisteria Hollow again. The village is lovely, the people are too and Surrey is a great place to be.’
‘A good place to heal?’
‘Hopefully.’
He held her gaze across the table and before he knew what he was doing, he reached out and squeezed her hand. Lila looked shocked initially but then she relaxed and caressed his hand with her thumb.
‘I hope you can heal, Ethan. You deserve to be happy.’
‘So do you, Lila. What are your plans?’
‘I’m going to work hard to grow my business too. I neglected it after Ben left and neglected myself.’