Page 81 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

He sighed heavily as he lay in bed, willing himself to get up and help her. He thought back to when she had kissed him the previous evening. It had seemed like a kiss between friends, but the reaction from his hammering heart on having her lips touch his had been anything but friendly. He had wanted more. He had wanted to never let go of her.

And yet she had walked away. If the restaurant had been a success, perhaps she might not have, he mused. But it had and so she had walked.

He finally got up and dressed, not having the stomach for breakfast, so he headed downstairs and found Belle clearing away the tablecloths in the restaurant.

‘Morning,’ he said, hovering by the doorway.

She spun around and raised an eyebrow at him. ‘I think it still is, just.’

‘Sorry,’ he said, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘I should have got up earlier to help.’

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘It’s okay. I can handle it.’

‘I didn’t sleep very well, so I think I’ll go grab a coffee from the shop,’ he said. ‘Do you want one?’

She nodded. ‘Sounds good.’

Outside, he found the air had cooled significantly overnight and there were signs that there had been a frost. It was barely above freezing and he could see his breath in the air as he walked across the narrow pedestrian bridge towards the shop.

The river had slowed down and was reflecting the blue sky overhead. It had remained clear, but the sun was now low, still hidden behind the trees in the distance. A few people were out walking, but thankfully not anyone he recognised as friends or family.

He hesitated before heading inside, not wanting to face his brother or Amber quite yet. But the thought of a decent coffee finally made up the decision for him, so he went up the steps and pushed the door open.

Grandma Tilly was standing by the till alongside Amber. ‘Well, look who decided to finally get up,’ she said.

‘How did you know?’ asked Pete, nonplussed.

‘Josh tried to call you earlier,’ said Grandma Tilly. ‘When there was no reply, he checked in with Belle to make sure that you were okay.’

They were always looking out for him, he thought, his family. That would never stop, Pete realised. And he didn’t want it to. It gave him a warm feeling inside that somebody cared for him. But he had let them down.

‘I had a bad night’s sleep,’ he told his grandmother.

‘I’m not surprised,’ she replied, picking up her knitting. ‘Was it the pork?’

‘You weren’t ill, were you?’ asked Amber, looking concerned.

Pete shook his head. ‘No. Has anyone reported being ill?’

Both Amber and Grandma Tilly shook their heads, which caused Pete to let out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness for that.’

‘They were all probably just hungry,’ said Grandma Tilly. ‘I think most folks went without dinner altogether.’

‘Well, they don’t need to worry about eating in The Black Swan ever again,’ Pete told them both, attempting a smile. ‘I gave Andre the sack, so that’s the end of that.’

‘There are other chefs, you know,’ said Amber softly.

But Pete shook his head. ‘Not around here. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What matters right now is that I badly need caffeine. Can I help myself to a coffee? And one for Belle too?’

‘I’ll make them for you,’ said Amber. ‘The machine can be a little temperamental at times.’

‘Much like my brother,’ said Josh, coming out from the back room. ‘Add another one to that order, would you please? We’ll take them outside.’

The brothers headed outside to the veranda.

Pete sat on the bench and enjoyed the view. Watching the river slowly make its way downstream and listening to the nearby birdsong was giving him a sense of peace he hadn’t felt for a long time.

Josh sat down next to him. ‘How are you doing today?’ he asked.