Jen’s knowing smile in response brought Noah up short. ‘Everyone needs to find their home, don’t you think?’
‘Um, I suppose so.’ Noah wondered if they were still talking about Monty.
‘It’s good of you to let Bella stay in the cottage, too,’ Jen continued. ‘She needs a bit of stability after racketing around for so long.’
Noah’s curiosity was piqued. He wondered how much Bella had told Jen about her life prior to coming to live in Lower Brambleton. ‘She told me she’d, er, travelled around a lot. Sounds like she’s settled now, though.’
‘Oh, Bella never stays anywhere for long.’ Jen picked up the spare set of cutlery from the unoccupied place on Noah’s table. ‘She always jokes that she might just up sticks one day and be off again, but between you and me, I think she feels at home in the village.’
‘I’m sure you and Paddy have a lot to do with that.’ Noah smiled at Jen. ‘She’s always saying how much she likes working here.’
‘She’s a grafter, that one.’ Jen’s brow furrowed. ‘And working behind the bar of a country pub might not be where she thought she’d end up, but Paddy and I are glad she’s here. We’d like to keep her as long as we can.’
Noah mulled Jen’s words over for a while after she’d left him to his food. Jen was clearly very fond of Bella, and as he watched Bella working behind the bar, he knew that he was beginning to feel that way about her, too. There was something about her all-encompassing smile that made his heart beat a little bit faster; something about the way she seemed to know enough about the customers to make them feel at home when they ordered their drinks that suggested she listened to each and every one of them. He realised, with a jolt, that since she’d moved into Jack’s cottage, he’d been feeling more at home there than he had since his grandfather had died. She’d made it easier for him to tolerate being in the cottage without Jack; she’d made it feel like his home again.
Noah shook his head to himself. This was daft thinking. The cottage needed to be sold, and it didn’t matter how sentimental he felt about it, or whether what he thought he was feeling for Bella was authentic or not. Perhaps he was suffering from a surfeit of nostalgia. All the same, he had no desire to go back to the cottage while Bella was on shift at the pub. He figured he’d have another pint and then decide on a pudding. Hopefully, by that point, Bella’s working day would be over, and he could walk her home. It was the polite thing to do, he convinced himself. The thought of sitting in the living room with Monty glaring at him until Bella came back was not as appealing as an evening walk with Bella herself. He settled back in his chair and tucked into his lasagne, pulling out the Lee Child novel from his bag to at least give the illusion that he wasn’t continuously staring at Bella, and got comfortable.
42
Bella and Noah ambled back from the pub in comfortable conversation. It was sweet of him to wait until the end of her shift, Bella thought, although she rather got the impression that he wasn’t too fond of being alone in the cottage with Monty. Much as he’d got to know the cat in the weekends he’d come to Lower Brambleton, their relationship was still a little uneasy.
The night sky, mostly untouched by light pollution, lay dark and wide above them, punctuated by bright, blue-white stars. Their light would soon be dimmed by the rising moon, but for the moment they looked down watchfully onto Bella and Noah. Bella had learned from chatting to various customers at the Star and Telescope that Lower Brambleton had once been a hub for astronomers, both amateurs and professionals alike, and on nights like this she could see why. The newish housing development that overlooked the centre of the village had been built on the site of the Lower Brambleton Observatory, and although Bella had only lived in the village for a year or so, she’d spent enough time looking at the huge number of framed photographs on the walls of the pub to be able to imagine what it would have looked like prior to the houses.
‘It’s so quiet here at night,’ Noah said as they walked the short distance back to the cottage. ‘Where I live, the streetlights are on all night, and the traffic only lets up for an hour or two. It’s like another world.’
‘It really is.’ Bella paused and looked up towards the sky. ‘It’s a reminder to stop sometimes, I think. To notice the little things.’ She jumped slightly and then pointed. ‘Look! A shooting star.’
‘Where?’ Bella smiled as Noah’s head snapped up to catch a glimpse, but by the time he did, the star had vanished. ‘You’re winding me up!’
‘No, I’m not. Haven’t you heard of the Perseid Meteor Shower? It shoots across the sky for a few days in August, and if you’re lucky and the light’s not too bright, it’s possible to see it with the naked eye.’
‘Have you been reading the walls of the pub again?’ Noah teased. ‘Your boss needs to give you some more work!’
Bella gave him a playful little shove. ‘Idiot. Everyone knows about the Perseids around here. They’re practically a local attraction. Last year, there was a full moon, so they weren’t so visible, but it looks a whole lot better this year.’
Noah kept gazing upwards. ‘I can’t see anything.’
‘Keep looking. You never know.’
After a minute or two, Noah dropped his gaze again. ‘Must be like a watched pot,’ he said wryly.
‘Well, we’ll still get a great view from Jack’s garden,’ Bella said. ‘How about we grab a cuppa and sit out for a bit, if you’re not too tired from all the gardening?’
Noah smiled at her and Bella felt a corresponding warmth in her chest. He’d been so serious, almost dour, when they’d met. It was lovely to see him relaxed and happier. This unusual living arrangement still felt strange at times, but she was getting more used to having him around at weekends, and, oddly, she was starting to feel more at home when he was there. They just seemed to get along, and with Noah there she felt much less like an interloper.
‘That sounds good. But you’ve been on your feet all night, so I’ll get the tea, shall I?’
‘It’s a deal.’
A short time later, Bella was sitting on the small wall that separated out the patio from the lawn. Jack’s patio set had been well beyond repair, so it had gone in the skip that the foam removal firm, who would be starting work the following week, had had delivered, along with a leaky watering can and a bundle of old bamboo poles. The brickwork was quite warm, and any perch felt like a luxury after standing behind the bar all night.
‘Here you go.’ Noah handed her a steaming cup of tea.
‘Thanks.’
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, sipping their tea and staring up at the stars.
‘Are you sure you weren’t winding me up about that so-called meteor shower happening tonight?’ Noah teased. ‘I haven’t seen a thing.’
