Page 125 of Twilight Tides
Honestly, it was like they were speaking another language. How London knew immediately about friendship bracelets and whatever greater meaning there was to them, I didn’t know … but I also didn’t care because it was just so gratifying to see how close the two of them had grown.
“After you’re done here, how would you feel about leaving early? I thought we could get some ingredients to make paella. Perfect summer food.” London rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
Kelly shrugged. “Sure! Can Anna and Lucas come?”
“I’m okay with that.” London looked to me.
I nodded but reached out to stroke London’s flushed cheek. “Is there a reason you want to leave early?”
London’s lush mouth twisted into a moue. “Every villager I bump into asks why I don’t have a stall here. They’re pestering me to do the honesty box every day. It’s a little tiring.”
Understandable, considering London was still confused over what her next move should be. She and Tierney had agreed she’d stay at the B and B until Tierney had secured a new chef. However, London was flailing with uncertainty about her career path.
“Then let’s go home.”
An hour later we were back at the house, Mum was over, and London was in the kitchen teaching (at their request) Kelly, Anna, and Lucas how to make chicken chorizo and shrimp paella. Mum and I sat in the music room, watching London in the kitchen as she laughed with Kelly and her friends as they followed her instructions, clearly fascinated by her. I understood that fascination, of course.
“She’s patient with them,” Mum murmured, expression warm with affection. “She really seems to enjoy teaching them.”
As soon as she said it, I tensed, an idea forming as I thought of the piano lessons London had given Kelly on top of the sporadic cooking lessons. She was a great teacher and really did seem to take pleasure in it.
After dinner, after everyone had gone home, Kelly was asleep in her room, and I sat up in bed, watching London smooth lotion down her legs, enjoying the view. Trying not to be distracted by her beautiful body, I cleared my throat. She turned her head to look at me, sensing I had something to say.
“You were great with the kids tonight. Teaching them to cook.”
She beamed. “It was fun. I loved how into it they were.”
“Have you considered that as an option?”
“Considered what?”
“Teaching people to cook. You’re fantastic with seafood, and people come to Glenvulin for experiences. What better than a cooking lesson with a professional chef teaching them how to use local ingredients? The high school might even be interested in you doing pop-ins for their home economics class.”
London cocked her head, her expression considering.
Slowly she lowered onto the edge of the bed. “Do you … do you think I’d be good at that?”
In that moment, there were no words for the magnitude of my feelings for her. I leaned forward, hoping she heard and saw my absolute sincerity. “I know you’d beamazingat that.”
Her smile widened as she considered my suggestion. “Maybe I could use what’s left of my savings to rent somewhere in Leth Sholas that could be used as a cooking school.”
“Or I have another option.” I explained about the modern holiday lets Quinn had built for me five years ago on the west coast of the island. “They all have amazing sea views. We could convert one into the school. Imagine the marketing. ‘Come and learn to cook local ingredients by the Sound of Glenvulin.’”
I could tell the idea excited her, but she shook her head. “I can’t take one of your properties.”
“A ghràidh, the holiday lets were just a way to invest money. I really don’t need them all.”
She tilted her chin stubbornly. “Then I’ll rent it from you.”
“You want me to charge my wife rent?” Indignation scored hotly through me.
London’s sigh was long-suffering. “Don’t be deliberately obtuse. You know how important it is to me to take on my career change myself.”
“I do know it’s important. But you solidified the importance of that in your mind before you became my wife not just in name. A marriage is a partnership, London. It means leaningon each other, giving each other support, in whatever form that needs to take for it to work for us. I didn’t have that in my first marriage.”
“Yeah, Jill took and took and took from you.” London pushed abruptly off the bed, marching into the bathroom.
I groaned, getting off the bed to follow her in there.
