‘Nowhere else I’d rather be, Effie, because you’re here. When I first came back, I was at a complete loss over what to do. I was floundering. All that photography business stuff was a way of trying to get myself grounded. I just floated about looking for something to moor myself to. Then one morning I got chastised by an angry mermaid and I was transfixed. I loved helping you in the shop. It was the best thing I’d done in years, it even made me think about joining Dad’s business again,’ Jake laughed.
‘I’ve had some really positive enquiries from people wanting my photography skills, and I’m meeting with the hotel from the showcase on Thursday. It’s all promising enough to make me think it could be a viable business, that it’s really worth a shot. Of course there’s Lola and Tristan’s wedding in a couple of weeks, my big break—’ he exhaled ‘—not nervous at all.’
Effie laughed. They both knew Lola had some very exacting demands.
‘Effie, please say something, anything to make me feel like you’re not mad at me about the Tara thing. Even though you have every right to be.’
‘I’m not mad. I never was. I was sad. Sad, because I thought we had something. OK, so it hadn’t really got off the ground, and I suspected you weren’t ready for a relationship before you even told me. I respected that but I felt safe with you, comfortable, which I’ve never felt before. I could be me, and you didn’t judge. When you left with Tara, it made me feel I wasn’t enough. Look at her, all glamourous and jet-setting, and I’m walking around with sea-frizzed hair and dungarees. I just didn’t think it meant to you what it meant to me.’
Jake pulled her into his arms. ‘Oh, Eff, I’m sorry I made you feel like that. I never meant to. You’re perfect as you are. You’re beautiful with your wild mermaid hair and I love how excited you get when a new shipment of books arrives. How you inhale the smell off the pages. I love how you put yourself out there even though you are absolutely terrified and somehow you manage to win every time. You really underestimate yourself, Effie, if you think I was going to run off with Tara when I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you.’
Jake tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes beseeched her, vulnerable and sparkling with desire. Effie allowed everything he’d said to wash over her. He loved her! It spread a smile across her face. She leaned in and kissed him, slowly, as if for the first time. Jake loved her, it bloomed in her chest, unfurling like petals on a rose. She pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss.
They pulled apart and snuggled into each other as the sun ducked behind the horizon, a shower of gold over the sea. Somehow it felt like a blessing.
‘I know I did the wrong thing, Effie, and I know you shouldn’t just change your mind because I love you. You can take whatever time you want or need, I’ll be here, waiting.’
Effie thought about it, about being angry with him, about being upset, but it was her he was with watching the sun set in Cornwall, not on a tropical beach with Tara. He’d made his choice. How could she keep him waiting when she already knew her answer?
Turning to him, she kissed him again. ‘I don’t want to wait, Jake. I know I shouldn’t have done, and I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it, I’ve fallen in love with you too,’ she said, the words forming like a smile on her lips.
Jake let out a sigh of relief as he pulled Effie in tightly against him. ‘I don’t deserve this but I’m not going to protest and risk you changing your mind. Effie, I am the luckiest man alive.’ He beamed down at her.
‘Jake, I’m not going to change my mind. Anyway, I need somewhere to stay tonight.’ She glanced up at him in what she hoped was a seductive way.
‘Oh.’ Jake caught her meaning. ‘Of course, if you’re sure, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want—’
She silenced him with a kiss. ‘I want to,’ was all she said before standing up and holding out her hand to him. ‘But can we also get some chips, I’m starving.’
‘Anything for you,’ Jake said, pulling himself up to his full height, and instead of taking her hand, he swung her up into his arms. Effie let out a surprised squeal of delight as Jake carried her up the stairs and across the road, into their future.
Epilogue
Pulling open the church hall door, Effie slipped out into the cooling evening air. It was the last Saturday in May and Lola and Tristan’s wedding reception was in full swing. The whole village had been involved in the wedding in some shape or form. The village committee had decorated the church with gorgeous red and white summer flowers to match Lola’s bouquet and set up the hall for the reception. Effie and Freya had been honoured to be bridesmaids and taken the organisation of catering upon themselves. However, Lola had still insisted that she made the cake, after all, no one else’s baking was quite up to scratch.
Lola and Tristan hadn’t wanted anything too formal, just a celebration of their love, and of the happiness they had found in Polcarrow. The wedding had been beautiful, Lola and Tristan’s families had been bundled into a friendly embrace by the locals. In fact, the whole day had felt like a celebration of Polcarrow’s future and Effie had loved being swept up in being part of the village she now considered home. However, needing a few moments to herself, she had snuck outside.
From her vantage point by the village hall door, Polcarrow was laid out before her, sweeping like a letter S towards the sea, which glittered in the evening sunlight. She recalled the day she’d arrived, trundling down the streets with her dad, the car stuffed to the brim with books, balls of wool and all her dreams. Opening the bookshop had been hard, the biggest challenge she had ever taken on, other than giving Zach a piece of her mind, but she was immensely proud of her achievement. Every morning when she pulled up the blind, she couldn’t quite believe that, with Clive’s help, she’d made her childhood dream come true. Her own bookshop. Well, almost.
Then there was Jake. A smile spread across her face to think of him, her own happy-ever-after. Kind, funny, gorgeous Jake. They were taking things slowly, building their relationship in Polcarrow, finding pieces of themselves to fit together in harmony, like a jigsaw of their lives. Effie was enjoying constructing it, even the wrong fits had somehow turned out all right. From early-morning swims, to hiking the coast path and tentative plans to travel to Scotland, it was all coming together beautifully. They’d been officially together for a month, and Effie was enjoying the beginning of their story.
Just as she was about to turn and head back inside, the door opened and there he was, her Jake, taking her breath away in a dark-blue suit that highlighted the colour of his eyes. His tie had long been discarded, along with the jacket, but he still looked divine enough to make her catch her breath.
‘You OK?’ he asked, concern furrowing his brow as he joined her.
Effie nodded and snuggled against him. ‘Yes, I just needed some air. Some time to reflect.’
Jake kissed her forehead. ‘I understand. It’s been full on.’
‘More so for you with all the photography.’
‘But I’m loving it, Eff, this is definitely what I want to do.’ He switched on his camera and skimmed through some of the shots he’d taken of the speeches. ‘Look at this, capturing all those private moments that passed so quickly, that Lola and Tristan can now have forever.’ He turned the camera off and focused on Effie. ‘They’re gearing up for the first dance. Are you ready?’
‘Of course! I’ve heard they’ve been practising for weeks to get it right. We can’t miss that!’ She shooed him back towards the hall door.
Back inside, Effie glanced around. The whole of Polcarrow was waiting for Lola and Tristan’s first dance. Even Scruff was sitting patiently by Alf’s feet, a bow around his neck. Effie joined them whilst Jake got his camera equipment ready. Steve dimmed the lights from where he was running the music decks, and an excited, expectant hush went through the hall.
‘Give a round of applause for Lola and Tristan for their first dance as husband and wife.’
