Bea looked down at the handwritten letter that Julia had just handed to her and grinned. She hoped this was from her favourite sailor. While Julia took the money for a couple of excursions from a customer, Bea tore open the envelope to find a hand-painted card with a picture of The Little Blue Boathouse. It was beautiful; the colours were vibrant and the river looked lifelike. Inside the card was written:
To Fernsby,
Good luck today!
I’ll bring lunch!
Yours, Hemingway x
Bea loved the way Nolan had written their surnames. She knew it felt daft to think they were some sort of partnership but it just felt so natural to be in his company and he’d begun to creep into her thoughts more and more. With a smile on her face, she put the card back in the envelope before slipping it into her bag, then waited for Julia to point the tourists in the right direction for the river excursion.
As soon as they’d stepped outside, Julia blew out a breath. ‘With the weather like this it’s going to be a busy day. I’ve not stopped since I arrived.’
‘I can’t wait to get stuck in,’ replied Bea. ‘Where shall I put these?’ She held up her bag and cardigan.
‘I’ll show you to the staff room. Actually, the words “staff room” are a little too grand. Basically, it’s a cubby-hole with a chair, table and kettle. Come on.’
Bea followed Julia through the door with the ‘staff only’ sign hanging on it, which was situated behind the pay desk. Julia wasn’t exaggerating; it was a very small room, with cream wooden panelling, an old table and a couple of chairs. There was also a small sink along with a fridge and a microwave.
‘Mugs and glasses are in there. Washing up liquid and cloths over there. Milk is in the fridge, and Wilbur keeps custard creams in that biscuit tin. I know it’s not all mod cons but its workable for what we need.’
‘Absolutely,’ replied Bea, looking through the small, round window by the sink. ‘Look at that view.’
‘It is breathtaking, isn’t it? I’ve noticed there’s a few more boats arrived this morning. With the River Festival getting closer we’ll be busier than usual and, I have to say, I’m feeling a little guilty throwing you in at the deep end.’
‘If you’re throwing me in, I hope you have a spare life jacket,’ joked Bea, looking at The Hemingway through the window. There was no sign of Nolan on board but then she noticed a familiar rowing boat heading up the river. She watched him for a second before turning back to Julia. ‘I’m looking forward to every moment of it, don’t worry.’
‘A life saver is what you are. You can hang your belongings on that hook.’ Julia gestured to the long line of hooks on the wall. ‘And here’s a key to this room. There’s a lot of people milling around and you can never be too careful. Keep it locked at all times.’
‘Thanks,’ replied Bea, slipping it into her pocket.
‘And I have to say, that’s a very beautiful necklace you’re wearing, very unique,’ admired Julia, taking a closer look. ‘I noticed it the second you walked in. It looks old too.’
‘A present,’ replied Bea, beaming. ‘And I’m guessing it’s several decades old.’
‘I love seahorses. They’re a symbol of good luck and fortune and also meant to represent strength and power.’
Bea ran the necklace through her fingers. ‘I didn’t know that.’ She immediately thought of Morgan and Patsy. Maybe this represented the strength and power of their love for one another that summer.
Locking the staff room door behind them, Bea followed Julia to the counter. ‘Even though this place is going to be busy,’ Julia told her, ‘it’s quite straightforward and you’ll have the hang of it in no time. As you can see, wetsuits to hire are along that wall on the rails, and the ones to buy are on the opposite wall alongside the swimming costumes, goggles, fishing nets, et cetera. All the sale items have the new prices attached to the labels. I know the till looks like it’s been through the war, it’s that prehistoric, but it’s so easy to use.’
Julia took an item off the rail and showed Bea how to ring it through the till. Bea was used to more complicated technology, working on the late night checkout at the supermarket, and found this easy to use in comparison.
‘There’s more cash in the safe if you run out of change but these days most people pay by card. You put the receipts for items sold on this side of the till, including excursions, and at the end of the day I’ll take you through cashing up and balancing the books.’ Julia bent down and picked the cashing up book from under the pay counter. ‘We then put the cash in the safe and Flynn usually pops in and picks it up most evenings.’
‘What about the excursions and boat hire?’ asked Bea, wondering what to charge for each.
‘Very simple. All boats are hired for an hour or half a day. The prices are up there so you can see them and so can the customers. There’s a discount for family hire.’ Julia tapped the poster. ‘The excursion prices and times are here; they leave every hour on the hour and the river taxis run every twenty minutes over to The Lakehouse restaurant. Roman is in charge of the river taxis and no doubt he’ll pop in at some point to say hello. Any questions?’
Bea shook her head. ‘Not that I can think of.’ She looked up at the couple approaching the desk who wanted to hire a couple of kayaks for the next hour. Julia tapped a small book by the till, which logged the kayaks in and out, and Bea checked there were enough available. After taking the money and pointing them in the direction of the life jackets and oars, Bea had officially made her first sale.
‘That was fab! You have such a warm way with the customers,’ observed Julia. ‘And by the way, there’s just a little bit of housekeeping – make sure the shop is kept clean and tidy, and the same outside too.’
Bea nodded. She was already thoroughly enjoying herself. The whole place had a lovely relaxed atmosphere about it.
‘Oh, and before I forget, there are some beautiful paintings for sale just outside the door, which Flynn has agreed to with a young artist called Nolan Hemingway, as he’s around until the River Festival. All his paintings have the prices written on the back in pencil. Cash sales only and here’s his tin. Any money for his sales goes in there.’
At the sound of Nolan’s name, Bea felt her heart beat a little faster. Julia didn’t fail to notice the smile that had crept on to her face.
