Summer Of Love

Alex had never thought of himself as a creative person. His family would laugh at the very idea – in fact, his dad had, the first time he plucked up the courage to mention it. He was a numbers man, all about the hard facts and figures. But then, during a two-week holiday – his first in three years, and forced upon him by his boss to, in his words, “stop you burning out, you idiot,” – he’d picked up a camera and gone looking for things to photograph. And suddenly, as simple as that, Alex had found something he loved more than numbers.

He’d taken a couple of courses since then, and spent his limited downtime improving his technique. He’d stopped staying out late, so he could get some good shots of the morning light on the Thames. He’d stopped dating his usual kind of women, because they always wanted him to photograph them. It wasn’t that he didn’t like taking shots of people, but he wanted them to be real. His girlfriends always wanted to be posing, perfect and unreal. Alex wanted to take photos that showed who they really were.

For some reason, they never liked that very much.

He hadn’t told anyone yet, but the accountancy thing was only to keep the finances ticking over while he fixed up his new home. In the long term, he planned to be a photographer. Like he’d told Cora, his dad’s death might have speeded things up, but this had always been his plan – and knowing it was a plan his father had supported, once he’d got over his surprise, made him all the more determined.

He’d intended to take it slowly, build it up a bit at a time. He didn’t need to rush, not while he could still make money the old way. But seeing that opening at the Mill… What better place for him to set up a studio?

He shook his head and stepped back from the sign. He was moving too fast. Being able to make split-second decisions might be an asset in the City, but not always in real life. So he’d take some time to think it through, look at his plans and budgets, and move when the time was right for him.

Except that strategy was the same one that meant he hadn’t managed to move home properly until after the funeral. And, since he was there anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to look.

Inside, the bright and airy feel of the Mill matched the sign outside. The outbuildings had been built back up from their crumbling state, forming the main artisan units, housing studios and shops, all with wares on display outside in the sunshine. In just a casual glance, Alex spotted a glassblower, a blacksmith, a painter. The Mill building itself, on the edge of the rushing river, looked to be a cafe-cum-gallery, with whitewashed chairs and tables outside, and a chalkboard proclaiming the best Welsh Rarebit in the county.

There were customers and patrons enough wandering around to give the place a buzz; apparently art was thriving in Felinfach. Tucked away in the corner sat an antiques shop – presumably providing some of the heritage the signs boasted of. And next to it…

‘Tiger Lily Jewellery,’ Alex read from the hanging metal sign. The words curved around a stylised white lily, a reminder of a much younger girl than the one he’d seen the day before. Still, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt to whom the shop belonged. And it was about time he paid her a visit.

* * * *

Even tea hadn’t been enough to improve Lily’s day.

She struggled to open a tiny silver jump ring with her straight-nosed pliers, just enough to slip on the earring hook and a sparkling crystal star charm, cursing when the whole damn lot slipped out of her grip and clattered to the scarred and marked work table. With a deep breath and a sigh, she checked the clock above the shop door for the umpteenth time that morning. Still only twelve-thirty. And she still thought just writing the day off and going back to bed might be the best thing she could do.

Except Edward would probably wake her up to talk weddings when he got home, even if she had the duvet over her head and her headphones in.

Gathering up her beading tools and trinkets, Lily finally had to admit the avoidance tactic had run its course. Pretending the engagement hadn’t happened, or that it didn’t mean there ever had to be an actual wedding, wasn’t going to work any more. Which meant she had to make some decisions. Did she marry Edward, or did she call the whole thing off? Admit that she was too scared to go through with it?

Time to own her decision and face the consequences.

On the face of it, an easy choice. She loved Edward, had spent the last seven years building up their relationship to this moment. They were comfortable together. She knew exactly what her life would be if she married him. It would mean she’d finally grown up and settled down. Would show the town she wasn’t the girl they remembered any more. It would make her mother happy, her friends happy, and Edward happy.

But the wiggling uncertainty in her belly told her it might not make her happy.

Of course, she’d been wrong about that sort of thing before. Once upon a time, she’d been certain that the only thing in the world that could make her happy was Alex Harper noticing that she was a woman. Since she’d been fourteen at the time, with the benefit of hindsight she knew it was just as well he hadn’t. Then there was the time at seventeen when she’d been sure that moving out of her mum’s house and in with her much older boyfriend would make her life complete. It had lasted three weeks.

Lily tossed the last of the findings back into her box and tried to stop her mind replaying the list of stupid decisions she’d made from the age of twelve to nineteen. It was lengthy, embarrassing and old news now, anyway, for all that her mother liked to relive them regularly. They didn’t matter now. None of the idiotic things she’d done as a teenager did. She was twenty-six, for heaven’s sake. She owned her own business, took care of herself, and was engaged to a successful businessman who loved her very much. She wasn’t that disappointment, that failure, any more.

Straightening her shoulders, Lily decided a new mantra was in order. ‘I am a grown up,’ she told herself. ‘I am a successful person, not defined by my past.’ She grinned; it felt good, not just to say it, but to believe it.

But then the shop door opened and Alex Harper walked in, bringing her past bang up to date with her present.

‘Lily Thomas,’ Alex said, his smile broad and warm. ‘You’ve turned into a veritable entrepreneur while I was gone.’

Rolling her eyes, Lily reminded her fluttering insides of her mantra. A decade-old crush on her best friend’s dishy older cousin really had no place at all in her grownup life. ‘Hardly. I rent my space here, sell my jewellery, and still owe the bank my soul.’

‘Still, quite the set-up you’ve got here.’ Alex turned slowly around, making a big show of taking in the room, with its glass display cabinets along one wall, and the workbench at the back. People liked to see how her jewellery was made, Lily had learnt early on. She couldn’t do everything out on show in the shop – anything remotely dangerous or involving heat she kept for the studio behind the main shop. But during trading hours, she liked to work on smaller, simpler and cheaper pieces out front. It still amazed her how many times someone had watched her make a pair of earrings, then bought them on the spot.

‘I like it,’ she said, shrugging. For some reason, she didn’t want Alex to know how much the place meant to her. Hadn’t ever wanted anyone to know, really. If they knew she really cared, they’d just be watching, waiting for her to screw it up. Same as always.

‘Really, Lily. This place is something else.’ She looked up into his eyes as he spoke and, to her surprise, saw real meaning there. Biting her lip, she smiled up at him, and he grinned back. Then, in a burst of movement, he was off investigating her window display. ‘I mean, look at these!’ Grabbing a champagne flute full of rings from the display, he brought it over to her workbench and tipped them out onto the surface she’d just cleared. ‘They’re all so sparkly. Are they white gold?’

Lily looked down at months of work, learning to shape, then stamp or engrave the perfect ring, then exploring the best ways to add stones and gems. Rings were still a fairly recent addition to her collection, but she was building up a bit of a local demand for individually designed rings. If someone intended to wear a piece of metal around their finger forever and ever, it made sense that they wanted something personal, something they’d chosen. Edward obviously hadn’t understood that.

In the pile of silver on the desk, Lily could see the progression of her abilities, could see them getting better. Not many of those were of saleable quality – they were more for practice than anything else – but that’s why they were piled up inside a champagne flute for display purposes. No one looked closely, and collectively they had quite an effect.

‘Sterling, most of them. One or two brass and copper, as you can see.’ Lily started packing them back inside their glass, and the sound of them clinking against the glass filled the studio. ‘The white gold and platinum ones are over there.’ She motioned towards the locked display cabinet on the other side of the studio. She’d made sure she was really good before she’d started in on the more precious metals.

Alex wandered across to look, leaving her to pack up the display rings again. ‘These are really beautiful,’ he said, his fingers reaching up to touch the glass. ‘You made Cora’s ring, right?’

‘Of course. She’s my best friend. Like I’d let anyone else do it.’

‘You let someone else make yours,’ he pointed out, turning back to face her. The quirk of a smile told her he was joking, but the words still barbed her heart.

‘Yeah, well. That’s different.’ Tipping the last ring into the glass, she placed it back into the window display. ‘What are you doing here, anyway? Ring shopping for the fiancée you haven’t found yet?’

‘Actually,’ Alex said, sounding hesitant for the first time Lily could remember. ‘I had something I wanted to talk to you about. Fancy a spot of lunch while we talk?’

A lunch date with Alex Harper. How her teenage heart would have pitter-pattered. Lily looked around the empty shop; she’d had a decent number of customers that morning, but Monday wasn’t exactly her busiest day. ‘As long as we eat at the Mill, so I can keep an eye on anyone wanting to look in the shop.’

‘Whatever you want,’ Alex agreed, holding the door open for her. The warmth in his voice promised considerably more than lunch, but she suspected that would be the same whoever he was talking to. The man was walking charm and sex, after all.

Lily grabbed her bag and her keys, reminding herself that she was a grown up, engaged woman, and she didn’t want that sort of thing from Alex any more.

Probably.

Chapter Three

It was ridiculous that he should feel nervous about this. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to find the right words, or the way to start the conversation. Not that Lily seemed to notice his discomfort; she was too busy glancing back at her shop every few moments from their table outside the main Mill building, in case anyone wanted to buy anything. Alex gazed at the menu, not taking in any of the words. He needed her full attention, and the only way he knew to get it was to talk about her stupid fiancé.

‘Does Edward like you working here?’ he asked, and Lily spun back round to face him, as predicted.

‘Is that what you brought me here to ask?’ The sharpness in her tone felt familiar, somehow.

‘No.’ But suddenly he wanted to know the answer. What was her life like with this man? Alex might not have met him, but he knew already he was wrong for Lily. She needed someone like her, someone sharp and bright and honest. Someone who would let her be herself.

Lily’s gaze dropped down to the menu, held tightly in white-knuckled hands. ‘He’s been very supportive,’ she said, but the words were dull, empty.

‘Supportive how?’

‘He says…’ She sucked in a breath, as if steeling herself for something unpleasant. ‘He likes that I’ve found a way to make my hobby pay for itself.’

‘He… Hang on. What? This is your career, right?’

She gave a sad little laugh and lowered her head so her hair fell into her eyes. ‘He’s right. I mean, I don’t earn anywhere near as much as him, but then, I’m only just getting started…’

A hot rage started in Alex’s belly, rising up through his chest. Who the hell was this man to try to keep Lily Thomas from being every golden thing she’d always been meant to be? To patronize her and make her feel less, when Alex knew straight off she was worth a dozen Edwards?

‘And you call that being supportive?’ Alex asked, trying to keep his voice even.

‘I know, I know,’ Lily said, looking up with a quick smile. ‘But he doesn’t mean it that way.’

‘I don’t really see what other way there is to mean it,’ Alex said, the words coming out clipped.

‘He just… It’s more art than work to him.’ She shrugged. ‘He understands the business side of it, and he helps with the books and that sort of thing. But he doesn’t really understand that fiddling with bits of metal and stone can be a real job.’

‘Of course it is,’ Alex said immediately. It was as real as photography, anyway. He hid a wince. Wasn’t he the same? Not telling anyone about his dream in case they thought it was stupid? In case they thought a numbers man couldn’t have a creative side? In case they all told him he was an idiot for wanting to try?

Well, at least he had one person, right here, he could trust to be on his side. So now he just had to tell her. It had to be better than talking about her idiot fiancé, anyway.

‘In fact, that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.’

Lily’s brow crinkled up. ‘My shop?’

‘To start with, yeah. How did you get set up here?’

Leaning back in his chair, Alex listened as Lily embarked on a lengthy story, with several subplots, about how she came to be ensconced at the Mill. She paused only briefly to order the Welsh rarebit when a waitress interrupted them. Alex followed suit, more interested in Lily than the menu.

He’d been wondering since yesterday where the Lily he remembered had gone, but listening to her talk about the renovations the Mill had undergone, the committee structure, how they decided who to let in to the collective… He saw her again. Her cheeks flushed, her hands constantly moving… He could see the passion in her face, the brightness of her eyes, even with every flash of that incongruous ring as she illustrated a point with a gesture. She looked alive, for the first time since they’d met again.

‘So you were part of this from the start?’ he asked as the waitress brought their drinks. ‘This is, well, all your doing?’

Lily shook her head, looking down at the glass in her hands. ‘A very small part of it. But the whole idea of the collective was that we all got to have some input into how it was set up. We pay rent, like we would anywhere, but we also help to run the place.’

‘It’s a great set-up.’ Alex sipped his drink while he found the courage for what he wanted to say next. Hearing Lily talk so enthusiastically about the Mill had made up his mind. What was the point in waiting when such a great opportunity had opened up before him? ‘Which is why I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about the studio space that’s opened up for rent.’

A frown creased across Lily’s forehead. ‘The studio? Why? I mean, if you’re looking for office space, this really isn’t the right place.’

‘I’m not,’ Alex said, but Lily kept talking over him.

‘Although a few of the guys here would probably be interested in speaking to you – a lot of them used Mr Phillips as their accountant and he’s been trying to help us out since he retired, but he really does need to slow down now. The doctor says –’

‘Lily.’ Reaching across the table, Alex rested his hand on hers, his thumb brushing across the smooth skin of her palm before he even realized he was doing it. ‘I’m looking for a studio. Not an office.’

‘A studio?’ she echoed, bafflement shining across her face. ‘But why?’

If she laughed, Alex would give up the whole idea, right now. But he had to tell somebody, sometime. So… ‘I’m setting up as a photographer. Not an accountant.’

‘Oh.’ Her eyes widened, but she didn’t laugh. ‘That’s… that’s wonderful, Alex.’

The tightness in Alex’s lungs began to loosen, and he could breathe again. ‘It’s kind of a secret project for now, if you don’t mind. I mean, I talked it through with my dad, before he died. We planned it all out together, But… I want to get properly set up before I start telling people.’

‘And you need a studio. Of course.’ Glancing behind her, Lily caught the attention of their waitress and asked, with a smile, ‘Jess, is Max in today?’

The girl nodded. ‘He’s in his office. Want me to call him down?’

‘Don’t worry. We’ll go up and see him when we’re finished.’

‘Max?’ Alex asked when the waitress walked away.

‘Mr Hughes,’ Lily clarified, and Alex nodded, recognizing the name from her story.

‘He owns the place, right? He’ll want to check me out, I suppose.’

‘Yeah.’ Lily looked hesitant for a moment. ‘He’ll probably want to see some of your work. I don’t know how far along you are with your plans…’

Not far enough, Alex realized. He was jumping in head first, moving too fast. He should slow down… But as he looked around the Mill, saw what it had become, and as he stared into Lily’s eyes, full of belief in him… He couldn’t risk missing this chance.

‘I’m still in the early stages,’ he said honestly. ‘But I’ve got my equipment and student portfolios back at the cottage. I need to set up some shoots for more professional shots, and I’ll need to kit out a studio properly…’ He had lists, back home on his laptop, lists and plans and schedules. Why hadn’t he brought them with him? Because he hadn’t known this opportunity would present itself. Still, he should have been prepared.

Lily clapped her hands together. ‘I know! You can photograph my new ring collection for my promo material and catalogue!’ Alex glanced up at her, surprised out of his self-recriminations. ‘If you wanted to, of course,’ she said, enthusiasm dimming.

‘No, no, I want to,’ he hurried to reassure her. ‘That would be great. Perfect, actually. And maybe a few of the other artists here would be interested in letting me photograph their stock. Help build a proper portfolio for me, and give them some shots to use on their websites and such.’

‘I think they would.’ That beautiful smile spread across Lily’s face again, and it caught at something in Alex’s chest. This was the life he’d left London for. Working at something he loved, with like-minded people. And a beautiful woman at his side.

Except, Lily wasn’t his. And he still had to convince Max Hughes that he was a good bet for the collective.

‘Okay,’ he said, pulling out enough cash to cover their lunch and a decent tip. ‘Let’s go see if we can get your pal Max on board with the plan.’

* * * *

Pausing at the door to Max’s office, Lily glanced back at Alex. His expression remained blank, unconcerned, but she could see a tension to his shoulders, his jaw, that made Lily think this was a bigger deal to him than he wanted to let on. Who’d have thought it? Alex Harper, a photographer. And he’d given up that big career in the City that Cora’s parents were always boasting about just to pursue his dream.

Lily had to admire that sort of determination.

But then, Alex had always been good at proving people wrong. After a teenage phase of getting into trouble every Saturday night, being on first name terms with every policeman in Felinfach, and becoming a byword for every father’s worst nightmare when it came to dating their daughters, Alex had somehow managed to straighten up and fly right. While others – okay, she – still struggled every day with the reminders of the trouble they’d caused as children, Alex had escaped to London, made a fortune and his name, and been welcomed back by the town like the prodigal son.

Not that she wasn’t happy for him, of course. A bit jealous, maybe. But now he had to try and convince Max, and that was a whole different ballgame.

‘Ready?’ she asked, and Alex nodded. ‘Okay then.’

Max called them in almost before she’d knocked. Jess had probably phoned up to warn him, and you couldn’t walk up the creaking staircase at the centre of the old Mill building without Max hearing you coming. The look he gave her over his steepled fingers as he sat behind his desk like a Bond super villain confirmed what she’d already suspected. Jess had told him they were coming, filled him in on who Alex was, and now Max was going to use this opportunity to tease and embarrass Lily for his own amusement. Great.

‘Max? This is Alex Harper.’ Stepping into the office, she moved to one side to let Alex pass her and reach out a hand for Max to shake. Max hesitated just a moment too long before taking it. Lily bit her lip. This might be a hard sell.

‘I’ve heard about you,’ Max said, his gaze fixed to Alex’s face. Lily watched him too; Alex met Max’s eyes without hesitation, and his posture was loose and easy. ‘Prodigal son returns to hometown, right?’

Alex smiled. ‘Something like that. A lot’s changed since I was gone. This place, for instance. I’m impressed with how you’ve managed to save so much of the old place.’

The tension in Lily’s shoulders started to relax a little. That was the right thing to say. The Mill was Max’s baby, and with Max, a little flattery went a long way.

‘Lily had a lot to do with that,’ Max said, and Lily’s attention jumped back to him. It wasn’t a lie; she’d met Max almost his first day in town, when she’d been selling her jewellery at the market in the town square. He’d bought her a coffee and listened to her opinions about the town and the opportunities for almost an hour before he’d told her what he was planning. And once she’d heard his idea, there was no way she’d let him do it without her. The money was all Max’s, but a lot of the ideas, the dreams and the hard graft that made it happen were hers.

‘I’m not surprised.’ The smile Alex gave her was soft, caring, and surprised her even more than Max’s praise. ‘She’s always had great dreams.’

‘So you two go way back then?’ Max’s eyes glinted in an alarming way, and Lily realized she really should take some control of this conversation before they started dissecting her history.

‘Alex is Cora’s cousin,’ she said, leaning her hip against Max’s desk. ‘He’s a photographer, and he’s looking at renting our empty unit.’

‘A photographer? I thought he was an accountant.’

‘That too,’ Alex said, shrugging. ‘The photography’s a newer direction for me.’

‘You got a portfolio? Don’t know what Lily’s told you, but we’re a proper collective here. We vote on newcomers. They’ll want to see your stuff.’

‘Of course. I’m still building up my portfolio at the moment. Lily suggested that maybe a few of your artists would let me take some shots of their stock. For free, of course.’

That hadn’t been her suggestion; it had been his. But Alex had obviously noticed Max’s fondness for her, and was playing up to it. Clever man.

‘Maybe.’ Max glanced up at her and she knew he wasn’t fooled at all. Motioning towards the chair on the other side of the desk, he said, ‘Have a seat, Alex.’

Max’s office was tiny; it barely had room for the desk and two chairs already there, so Lily perched on the windowsill to watch the exchange.

‘So, you want to be a photographer?’

Alex nodded. ‘That’s the plan.’

‘I heard you were making good money in the City. Great money, even.’

‘Good enough, yes.’ Alex’s shoulders were looking stiffer, now, Lily realized, biting her lip.

‘So what happened?’ Max asked, eyebrows raised.

‘I decided it was time for a change in direction.’ The words came out clipped. Alex never had liked explaining himself to people. It was one of the things that had got him into so much trouble as a kid. But if he wanted to be part of the collective… Well, she was afraid he’d have to learn. There was nothing the collective liked to do more than talk about stuff.