A Fresh Start on Crumcarey (Crumcarey Island #5)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

MAGGIE

M aggie was having another fantastic day at The Tallyaff. She might only be on her third shift, but she’d already reached the point where she couldn’t imagine life without her new job. How had she survived so long with so little human contact?

After Luke and Mr Harris’s island-wide call for help the previous day, the floodgates had opened. People had been bouncing up to Maggie all morning, offering building supplies and all manner of things to help make Pear Tree Cottage a bit more cosy and weatherproof – plus tea and sympathy whenever needed it.

As well as being touched to the point she’d teared up several times, Maggie had also spent a great deal of time apologising in advance for the fact that she probably wasn’t going to be able to remember everyone’s names. She might have prided herself on knowing the faces of the locals before she’d started her new job, but now she knew their names, where they lived, their family history going back at least three generations – and their coffee and pastry preferences too!

She was also discovering that there were dozens of social groups on the island that she’d had no idea about.

‘So, you’ll come along to the knitting club?’ said the elderly lady, leaning heavily on her stick as she beamed at Maggie her through her thick glasses. ‘It’s over at my place next time. We all bring a bit of baking to share and have a grand time.’

‘I’ll… sure!’ said Maggie, finding it completely impossible to say no, even though she didn’t have a clue how to knit.

‘Don’t worry if you don’t have the necessaries, I’ve got plenty to start you off with!’

‘Oh, wow,’ said Maggie, wondering if her new friend was a mind reader. If only she could remember her name! ‘Well, thanks. I might need a lesson in the basics, too.’

‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ she said. ‘Mr Harris!’ she added, nodding at the old man who was still propping up the bar, nursing his second espresso of the morning.

‘Mrs Harcus,’ he replied with his own nod.

That was it – Sue Harcus!

Maggie did her best to stifle a giggle as Mr Harris rolled his eyes.

‘What was that for?’ murmured Maggie in amusement as soon as she was sure the Sue was out of earshot.

‘No dogs allowed at the knitting group,’ he tutted. ‘Not that McGregor really cares. Just a bunch of knots and silly sticks!’

‘You missing him, huh?’ said Maggie.

‘Don’t be soft,’ said Mr Harris. ‘He doesn’t get on very well with the cows, so it’s for the best.’

‘What do you think about the swimming group Anna was telling me about earlier?’ she said. She’d been invited to that too. In fact, she’d been invited to enough groups and events to fill up every day of the week for the rest of the year if she agreed to go to all of them.

‘Sharks,’ said Mr Harris, shaking his head. ‘And jellyfish.’

‘I thought you liked swimming with Anna?’ said Maggie in surprise.

‘I do,’ nodded Mr Harris. ‘But I have private sessions in the pool up at Crum House. It’s nice and warm in there… no sharks. You should look into it!’

‘Okay,’ said Maggie, nodding. ‘I will.’

‘Blimey girl, you’re a popular one this morning,’ said Olive, bustling over to her with a broad smile on her face.

‘Sorry!’ said Maggie automatically. ‘I didn’t mean to spend so much time gossiping!’

‘Get on with you,’ tutted Olive with a good-natured eyeroll. ‘It’s been brilliant. I think half the island has rocked up to see you this morning – and most of them stopped for a cuppa and something to eat. We’re almost out of pastries!’

Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. At least her socialising had been good for business.

‘Oh,’ said Olive, ‘I meant to say – I’ve got some half-priced diaries out the back… just in case you need to write down all these invitations you’ve been getting!’

‘Have you got a social secretary lurking out there too that I can borrow?’ Maggie laughed.

‘Not quite!’ said Olive with a grin. ‘I’ve got some stickers you could use for the important dates, though?’

‘Actually, that’d be great,’ said Maggie.

‘Only dragons or unicorns left,’ said Olive.

‘Dragons sound perfect!’

‘Should be sharks,’ muttered Mr Harris as Olive disappeared to fetch them.

‘Hey,’ said Maggie, turning to Mr Harris, ‘now that it’s a bit quieter, I wanted to say thank you. Properly, I mean.’

Mr Harris instantly started to shake his head, but Maggie reached out and laid her hand on top of his weathered, gnarly one.

‘Seriously,’ she said. ‘Thank you. For everything you’ve done – driving me around, being my friend… and for everything at the cottage.’

‘That was mostly Luke,’ said Mr Harris gruffly, taking a sip of espresso with his free hand.

‘Yes, Luke’s been brilliant too,’ said Maggie, deciding to let him off the hook as he clearly didn’t know what to do with her gratitude.

‘Aye, he’s a good lad,’ said Mr Harris. ‘He just gets bored quickly. It’s always been his problem. He finds it hard to settle to anything or anywhere for very long.’

‘I guess that’s why he’s good at so many things,’ said Maggie.

‘Yes, he is that,’ said Mr Harris. ‘He’s worked all over the place, but I don’t mind telling you that I’d love to see him settle down here on Crumcarey. He’s only really here to help with the ferry and the dive school boat… and I know as soon as that work’s done, he’ll disappear off somewhere else.’

Maggie felt an unexpected lump of dread lodge somewhere at the base of her throat.

‘He just likes to keep busy,’ said Mr Harris with a shrug. ‘It’s always been the same. The boy can’t sit still for two minutes together!’

Grabbing a damp cloth, Maggie began to sweep loose crumbs from the bar in an attempt to hide the wave of emotion. Hearing those words had hit harder than she’d anticipated. Of course, she knew that Luke wasn’t a permanent resident on Crumcarey… but he’d done such a lovely job of his barn, she’d dared to hope that perhaps this visit might be a longer one than usual.

‘Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll make sure you’re comfy at the cottage before he disappears,’ said Mr Harris.

Maggie nodded and forced a small smile, but that had been the last thing on her mind.

‘And if there’s more to do, I’m sure we might be able to persuade him to come back next summer!’ added Mr Harris brightly.

The words hit her like a lead weight in the centre of the chest. In fact, it was a miracle she was still standing.

Next summer?

That felt like an awfully long way away. She might have only met Luke a few days ago… but somehow, she couldn’t imagine life on the island with him around.

Suddenly, the winter loomed ahead of her – long, cold and lonely. The prospect wasn’t even remotely tempting.

‘Ah, now lass,’ said Mr Harris, his voice turning softer, laced with a gentle kindness as he watched her closely. ‘You mustn’t worry. Luke’s here for now – so… let’s make the most of him, shall we?’

Maggie smiled at her friend and was horrified to find that her lips were trembling with emotion. Mr Harris reached out, and this time he was the one to take her hand and give it a squeeze.

‘Can I buy you a coffee?’ she said, her voice thick. ‘And maybe a pastry?’

‘Why not, that would be grand,’ said Mr Harris, smiling at her. ‘Might as well be caffeinated enough to fly the truck home!’

‘Now then, now then,’ said Olive, reappearing from the back. ‘Here’s a diary for you Maggie, and a pack of dragons, a pack of unicorns, and I even found one pack of yellow duck stickers too!’

‘Thank you!’ said Maggie, placing Mr Harris’s third breakfast in front of him and then grabbing a pen, ready to start filling the little book with as many of the names and dates as she could remember. ‘Any chance you two will give me a hand – I think I’ve forgotten half of it already!’

‘Swimming group!’ said Olive, pointing at the next meeting date as Maggie flipped through the pages to the current month. ‘Use one of the ducks!’

‘Ducks?!’ spluttered Mr Harris. ‘You need sharks, girl!’

Maggie laughed and promptly did as she was told - drawing a tiny shark next to the note. Mr Harris nodded his approval as he tucked into his pastry.