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I could see why Walter Marshall Hotels wanted to snap this place up. It was in an ideal location, had beautiful interiors, and there were only minor repairs to be made, by the look of things. Sunflower Cottage would definitely be an asset to our already bulging portfolio, if we could get our hands on it. There was a certain magic to the place too, something I hadn’t seen anywhere else.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and found Noah standing on the other side, my suitcase in one hand and a newly clean Dixie nestled in the crook of his other arm. Her little face lit up as soon as she saw me and I stroked her soaking wet fur as best I could.
‘Hello you!’ I cooed. I risked a glance at her owner, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. ‘You know, I’m not usually—’
‘Here’s your suitcase,’ he grunted, abruptly cutting me off. ‘Where did you say your car was?’
‘It’s on the little country lane that leads into the village. I’ve tried to park it so it doesn’t block any other cars.’
He nodded. ‘OK, well, I’ll get it towed to the garage and take a look at it as soon as I can. We’re booked solid, but I’ll try and fit you in.’
I bristled at him acting like he was doing me a huge favour when he clearly didn’t want to. ‘Don’t inconvenience yourself for me! I’ll call another garage if that makes things easier for you.’
He flashed me something that I guessed was supposed to be a smile. ‘It’s no skin off my nose. The sooner your car’s fixed, the sooner you can leave.’
He retreated down to the lobby before I could answer, taking his ridiculously cute dog with him and leaving me fuming. I’d never met anyone so infuriating in my whole life. All I could hope was that he wasn’t a regular fixture at Sunflower Cottage; I might end up on a murder charge otherwise.
*
My second day in Luna Bay started much the same as my first: I had a run-in with Noah. No beer was spilled over anyone, though I was sorely tempted.
I went downstairs after an uneasy sleep to find him in the kitchen, helping Rose prepare breakfast for the other guests. He was even more dishevelled than usual, with stubble lining his chin and his hair sticking up in every possible direction. His checked shirt was buttoned at a random angle and I could see a stain on his dark-brown T-shirt. It was such a contrast to my own appearance; I was wearing my favourite grey trouser suit and my hair was scraped up into a sleek, high bun. Just because I was at the seaside didn’t mean I couldn’t look professional, after all.
‘Morning,’ I said, running a hand over my hair and sitting down at the table. The smell of cooking made me feel funny, but I tried not to show it. ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’
‘Hello, dear. Did you sleep well last night?’ Rose put some sausages and bacon onto a plate then turned to look at me.
‘Yeah, it was great!’ I knew I was lying, but it was necessary in this situation. I didn’t want to explain that, while the bed had been lovely, I’d been awake most of the night worrying about being in the same village as my long-lost biological father. To avoid anything accidentally slipping out, I turned to my phone and the stack of unread emails that had to be dealt with. Business was the solution to every life problem, after all. If I was working towards my goals, everything would be OK.
Or it would be if there were any Wi-Fi.
‘Is there a Wi-Fi hotspot anywhere round here?’ I asked, trying not to let my frustration seep into my tone. ‘I need to get work done while I’m here.’
Rose shook her head. ‘I’m afraid not, dear. The signal’s always been a bit patchy round these parts, so we just don’t bother with it in the B&B. You’ve got broadband at your place, haven’t you, Noah?’
Some colour drained away from his face. ‘Yeah, but she needs to be here, doesn’t she? She won’t want to schlep up to my cottage to use the internet.’
‘Actually, that sounds ideal,’ I replied. ‘If you don’t mind, that is? She can work anywhere, after all.’
He didn’t say anything and went back to tending the sizzling pans in front of him.
‘It’s too early to be working anyway,’ Rose said. ‘You haven’t even had breakfast yet; what do you fancy? Noah does a lovely full English.’
‘Do you have any kale or avocado? A green smoothie would be amazing.’
They both turned to look at me, blank expressions on their faces like I’d spoken in fluent Swahili.
‘Huh,’ said Noah, ‘I didn’t think anybody actually drank those! Looks like chemical waste, if you ask me.’
‘I didn’t.’ I kept my voice low, but judging by the look he shot me, not low enough.
‘Oh, I’m afraid I don’t have either of those things.’ Rose wrung her hands with worry. ‘I… is there anything else I can get you?’
I shook my head and got up from the table. ‘Nah, I don’t really do breakfast. Thanks, anyway. I’d better get going. I’ve got loads of work to do today.’
Rose looked utterly crestfallen and I felt a stab of remorse in my chest. ‘OK, if you’re sure. I’ll get some in for you for breakfast tomorrow. Noah, watch this pan while I go and see if we’ve got any maple syrup for that Canadian couple in room two.’
I smiled. ‘That’d be great, thanks!’
As I left, Noah’s voice piped up. ‘Next she’ll be asking for bloody quinoa salad on a bed of pearl barley or something.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with liking healthy food, you know. You are what you eat and all that jazz,’ I replied.
He left the pan of bacon he was tending to and came over to me. ‘So, you’re some unidentifiable substance we’ve never heard of and don’t want in our kitchen?’
Oh great, I thought, the verbal sparring was starting again. There was no way I was letting him win, though.
‘And you’re something that might be popular but still liable to cause heart attacks?’
‘I’ll miss this back-and-forth when you go back home,’ he shot back. ‘When is that exactly?’
‘Not soon enough for my liking!’
Our latest run-in was interrupted by Rose gleefully announcing she’d found the maple syrup and the Canadian couple bursting into the kitchen, full of the joys of summer.
‘Till next time,’ I said, throwing him a sly smile over my shoulder.
*
As my stomach gurgled and lurched thanks to no green smoothie, I found a shred of phone signal to phone Paul with an update on Sunflower Cottage. You had to watch with Paul. He had a reputation for being slippery and conveniently forgetting things. I also needed a distraction to stop me thinking about the fact my biological dad was just a few feet away, living his life, with no clue I was about to show up on his doorstep.
‘It’s practically in the bag,’ I said after my belly groaned again. ‘Owner’s really keen to sell; she just needs a bit more time to think it over. Also, she called the lovely Tara an incompetent fool. Great decision giving her that promotion!’
I could almost hear the cogs of Paul’s oily little mind turning as he tried to formulate a smooth and winning response. ‘Just think of when you’ve got business development executive after your name on your business card and running your own team. Tara might’ve had an… unfair advantage, shall we say, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you earned it.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Yeah that’s a real comfort right now; I’m two hundred miles away from home, there are no decent coffee shops or sushi bars for miles and I’m standing on a bloody chair to get mobile phone reception. Oh, and the town arsehole already hates me!’
‘You’ll win him round; you always do.’ Paul’s voice was silky and soothing. He’d used the same tone with countless disgruntled clients over the years and I could see why it worked. ‘And even if you don’t, who cares? It’s a tiny little village in the middle of nowhere that you’ll never have to visit again.’
I sighed as I tried to keep my balance on the chair. ‘You’re right. It’s only a month and then I’ll never have to see anyone here ever again. Doesn’t sound so bad when you put it like that.’
‘That’s the spirit! Just think of coming back to civilisation and that should get you through. Let me know when you’ve definitely got Sunflower Cottage in the bag. It’s a big one, Emily, and I know you can do it. If anyone can get her to sign on the dotted line, it’s you.’
*
I was jiggling the laptop around, trying to find even a wisp of a Wi-Fi connection, when Rose came in, proffering tea and scones.
‘I felt so awful I didn’t have the ingredients to make your smoothie earlier, so I thought you might like these.’
‘Oh thanks, that’s lovely!’ I put my laptop aside and took the cup and plate from her.
I expected her to leave, but she sat herself down on the edge of the bed. The frame groaned a little under her weight.
‘You seem like a busy young woman.’ She gestured to the laptop with an uncertain smile. ‘All these gadgets you have with you! I wouldn’t know where to begin with them.’
‘They’re all part of my job.’ I sipped my tea and took a bite of my scone. ‘Don’t know where I’d be without them!’
‘Noah’s always fiddling with that tablet computer of his… what’s it called, an iPad? I don’t bother with them; Sunflower Cottage doesn’t even have one of those website thingymabobs. I think sometimes people need to put the technology down and have a look at their surroundings. Like now, for instance: you’re in one of the most beautiful parts of Yorkshire and you’re stuck inside working! Still, I suppose this place is a million miles away from what you’re used to, isn’t it? Which part of Scotland are you from?’
I opened my mouth to respond, feeling a little awkward about answering a question about myself. The answer was Glasgow, but was it? I’d already found out my dad was a Yorkshireman called Derek; maybe my mum was really a Highland princess like Merida from Brave?
I shook my head to displace the thoughts. ‘I… I’m from Glasgow.’
Rose smiled. ‘I visited Glasgow once; it was years ago now. It was so busy and there was so much going on! It seemed like such a lively place. Is it still the same?’
‘It’s the best city in the world,’ I replied. ‘I can’t imagine living anywhere else.’
I picked up the laptop to see if I could pick up any more Wi-Fi. My hopes were dashed when I couldn’t. ‘Looks like I won’t be getting much work done today then!’
Rose chuckled. ‘People don’t come to Luna Bay to be busy; they come here so they won’t be busy. You should put that laptop of yours down for a little while and have a look round the village. It’s a beautiful place; you’ll love it here.’
I closed the laptop lid and sighed in defeat. ‘I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a million things to do. Ever since I started at Walter Marshall, it’s been non-stop; I haven’t had time to catch my breath! I wouldn’t have it any other way, though; I love being busy.’
Rose walked over to the door, but didn’t immediately leave. ‘You know, Luna Bay has a habit of casting its spell on you. Sometimes you end up finding something you didn’t even know you were looking for.’
With an enigmatic smile, she was gone.
*
After spending most of the morning swearing at my laptop, salvation came in the form of a phone call from Frankie. She asked if I’d met any gorgeous surfers yet and if so could I bring one back for her. She also begged me to come back because she claimed her soul wasn’t complete unless I was in the G postcode area.
‘Well, I’m sorry your soul’s incomplete right now, but I promise I’ll be back soon. With any luck I should have this wrapped up in about a week tops. The owner’s lovely; it’s just her nephew, or whoever he is, trying to put a spanner in the works.’
‘Is he hot?’ Frankie asked in true Frankie Moretti style. ‘Maybe he could put a spanner in my works…’
I rolled my eyes and did my best to stifle a chuckle. ‘Can you drag your mind out of the gutter for five minutes?! He’s…’
I trailed off as I realised I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. I brought up his face in my mind and tried to come to a conclusion.
‘He’s OK, I suppose. Doesn’t look like a foot, but he’s not my type. You’d like him, though: he’s mean, moody and got a massive attitude problem.’
Frankie giggled. ‘Now you’re talking! Bring him up the road with you; tie him up and throw him in the boot of your car if you have to! I’m making wedding plans already. Any more scandal, news or gossip before I go back to work?’
‘Oh, you know,’ I said in a mock-casual voice, ‘my long-lost dad’s just a few feet away from where I’m staying and my life feels like it’s slowly turning to shit. The usual.’
‘Are you going to see him soon?’ she asked. ‘What will you say to him? Hi, Dad. Sorry I haven’t visited for twenty-five years but I didn’t know you existed until a few days ago?’
A cold sweat washed over me as the prospect of coming face to face with him crossed my mind. ‘I’ve got no idea what I’m going to say to him… Oh God, Frankie, I really didn’t think this through, did I? I’m going to fuck this guy’s life up by turning up on his doorstep; you can’t just take that sort of thing back, can you? I should never have come here; I’m going to tell Paul I’m coming home and to hell with the promotion!’
As panic gripped me, I went to cut the call until Frankie’s no-nonsense voice stopped me in my tracks.
‘Emily Reed, don’t you dare do anything of the kind! If you come back to Glasgow without having seen your dad or closed the deal for Sunflower Cottage, then I’ll never speak to you again. You deserve this promotion; everyone knows that. I know Paul’s taking the piss with it, but he knows he should never have promoted Tara. So stay right where you are and land this deal, missy. Plus, you need to bring this mean and moody guy back for me.’
That was all the incentive I needed. Frankie had a way of making the impossible seem like a walk in the park.
*
Thanks to a combination of no Wi-Fi and my long-lost dad preying on my mind, I decided to venture out into Luna Bay for a while. I found myself sitting in the Purple Partridge, the pub I’d bumped into Noah outside of. A pretty little place that looked out onto the beach, it was the perfect hideaway to escape my problems in. I sat huddled in my little booth near the back, determined not to let the world in. Instead, it passed by around me as the pub’s various patrons made trips to the bar, gossiped in corners and shared memories with their friends. I found myself tapping my foot and drumming my fingers on the table, frustrated not to have something to keep my mind occupied.
How had things unravelled so quickly? It was bad enough that my dad wasn’t my dad, but now I was in the same village as the man who was! It was like something from daytime TV. This was far more than your traditional curveball; it felt like someone, somewhere, was having a great laugh at my expense. The words in the letter played in my head like a sickening loop I couldn’t control: it still hurts that Emily has to miss out on knowing her real father. I wanted so badly for it to be a bad dream; to wake up and realise that the life I loved so much was still intact. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was stuck with the nightmare currently unfolding in front of me.
‘Are you OK, love?’ a voice above me asked.
I looked up and saw a kind-looking, middle-aged lady standing in front of me. Her sandy-blonde curls and soft-brown eyes gave her the look of somebody’s favourite aunt and her smile was warm and friendly.
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I replied, wiping my eyes. ‘Just… just a touch of hay fever, that’s all.’
‘I’ve heard that one before. Here, take this.’ The woman sat down next to me and pulled out a tissue from her bag, handing it to me so I could dry my tears.
‘Thanks. I don’t usually cry like this; it’s just been a really weird day.’
She chuckled and shook her head. ‘I’ve had a fair few of those myself recently. One thing I’ve learnt, though; it all comes out in the wash. I’m Diane, by the way.’
Diane. Surely that couldn’t be Derek’s wife, the one Mum had mentioned and who had been peppered throughout his letters? Just as my imagination began to run away with me, cool logic took over and reminded me not to jump to conclusions. It was probably just a coincidence; Diane was quite a common name, after all, and it might not be her.
‘Nice to meet you, Diane, I’m Emily.’ I stuck out a hand and she shook it.
‘Lovely to meet you, Emily; you look like you could do with a cup of tea and a massive slice of cake. My café’s not far from here if you fancy popping in?’
That sealed it. Diane might be a common name, but I was willing to bet there weren’t two Dianes in Luna Bay who both owned cafes. I felt goosebumps creep over my skin, like I was in the presence of a ghost. Here I was, carrying this huge secret that would rock her world, and she had no idea.
‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ve really got to get on. Got lots to get done while I’m here. Maybe some other time, though?’
Diane nodded and looked a little sad as I got up to leave. ‘No problem, you’re welcome any time. It’s the Moonlight Café, just on the corner of the next street. You can’t miss it. There’s some free cake and tea with your name on it!’
I smiled and said goodbye to her before leaving the pub. The sun was shining brightly over my beautiful surroundings, but I didn’t have time to enjoy it. The only thing I wanted to do was regain my focus, recover from the temporary blip on my radar and close the sale of Sunflower Cottage. That was what I was here to do.
Chapter 7
A buzz of chatter greeted me when I got back to the guesthouse, as did the smell of baking. I followed it to the kitchen and found Noah and Rose sitting at the table as Dixie chased a green tennis ball around the room. The conversation came to an abrupt halt and they each turned to look at me. Dixie immediately rolled out the welcome wagon and brought me her ball, so I threw it down the lobby for her.
‘Hello, dear!’ Rose’s voice was as bright and sunny as the day outside. ‘Nice to see you getting out and about! There’s food going if you fancy any?’
I could see Noah staring in my direction, his facial expression unreadable. It was as though he was searching for some tiny imperfection on my face; his brow was crumpled and his eyes slightly narrowed. I squirmed; I didn’t like being under the spotlight.
‘Sure,’ I replied, taking a seat at the table. ‘I’d love some. Maybe we could talk business too?’
Noah took that as his cue to leave, calling to Dixie to come with him. He shot me a dark look before he left the room. Rose didn’t seem to mind and cut us some cake, sticking the slices on china plates and joining me back at the table. I got ready to put my business head on and banish that day’s bombshell from my mind. Business was what I knew, what I was comfortable with. It would help me forget.
Rose, however, had other ideas.
‘Don’t mind him,’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially. ‘He’s a lovely boy really, just forgets himself sometimes. As you’ll probably have gathered, he’s none too keen about me selling this place. Can’t say I blame him really; Sunflower Cottage has been like home for him since… Well, it means a lot to him, let’s just say.’
Her eyes quickly darted to her tea, as though she knew she’d almost said too much. ‘H… he was telling me your car will be up and running again soon; something to do with the battery or something…’
I stared at the door he’d just walked out of, expecting him to come storming back in at any moment. ‘Does he help you run this place?’
‘When he’s not busy at the garage, yes,’ said Rose. ‘He wants to be here full-time; would spend every waking minute here if he could! But I told him: I said I wanted him out there living his life instead of being stuck here with me. The silly sod gave up his job last year after I had a fall and moved down here! He had his own mechanics business in Leeds and he sold it to come and live in Luna Bay. Told me he’d only be staying a few weeks until I got back on my feet then casually announced he’d bought a cottage nearby! I nearly fainted with shock.’
Noah’s devotion to Rose and Sunflower Cottage came as something of a pleasant surprise and I found myself smiling.
‘Wow, so he just packed up his life and came down here? That’s brave,’ I remarked, trying not to let my surprise seep into my voice.
‘He’s a brave person.’ Rose chose not to elaborate and took a forkful of lemon drizzle cake. ‘Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?’
*
I spent the next hour eating my body weight in cake, drinking enough tea to fill the North Sea and explaining the features and benefits of Walter Marshall Hotels to Rose again. I laid her fears to rest and told her we wouldn’t be bulldozing Sunflower Cottage and replacing it with some anonymous glass-and-steel skyscraper, even showing her a PowerPoint presentation on my laptop.
‘This place has so much character,’ I’d said, gesturing around at the gorgeous country kitchen. ‘Why would we want to lose that?’
By the time I left to go back to my room, I felt more confident about closing the deal than ever. Rose had made some very encouraging noises during our discussion and, with any luck, I’d be back in Glasgow living my old life in no time at all.
Or would I?
Since I’d heard my mum’s revelation about Derek, I wasn’t sure if living my old life was still an option. I’d been living the life of Pamela and Simon Reed’s daughter, but I wasn’t that person anymore. Maybe my old life had to go like my old identity had.
A noise from under the bed made my thoughts skid to a halt. It sounded like there was something rolling along the floor. I cocked my head to the side, trying to make out what the noise was and who was making it. An excited woof gave me my answer: Dixie was obviously under the bed. I crouched down and saw her pawing at her tennis ball, trying to get it out from the space it was now stuck in.
‘Hello, you!’ I chuckled and crawled under the bed to help her. ‘Is your toy stuck? Here, I’ll get it for you.’
Dixie leapt around with excitement as I reached my hand in to free the ball. It was wedged between a couple of old-fashioned storage boxes.
‘I hope she’s not bothering you.’ Noah’s voice startled me and made me bump my head on the bedframe.
‘Ow! No, she’s fine, don’t worry. Her tennis ball got stuck and I was just getting it for her.’ I got to my feet and rubbed the sore spot on my head. ‘See, no harm done!’
I threw the ball onto the landing for her and she went chasing after it, leaving Noah and I standing in a very awkward silence.
‘Listen, I know I haven’t exactly been friendly to you since you got here and not just because you ran into me and spilled my beer. I just really don’t want Sunflower Cottage becoming part of some faceless hotel chain that’ll rip the heart and soul out of it. Rose has worked hard for this place and I don’t want to see it pulled from under her.’
I frowned and folded my arms. He wasn’t getting to speak to me that way. ‘You said it yourself, though; Rose wants to sell. Nobody’s pulling anything from under her! And you’re right; you haven’t been very friendly! In fact, you’ve been a sour-faced, obnoxious prat since I got here. What’s your problem, anyway? Don’t you want to see Rose happy? She told me she’s ready to hand over the running of this place to someone else. Don’t make me the bad guy just because you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.’
Noah scoffed loudly and shook his head. ‘A chip on my shoulder? You know nothing about this place and you know nothing about me either. Rose doesn’t need some corporate chain coming in and taking over everything; she has me and I know this place better than anyone. We don’t need you here! You know what? The sooner you leave us to get on with our lives, the better!’
He looked down at me, his eyes blazing with anger and his face set in a stony glare. I squared my shoulders and stood my ground; I’d dealt with hostile parties in these deals before and I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me. Plus, after the day I’d had and the discovery I’d made, I was in no mood for his shit. Footsteps on the stairs distracted us for a second.