‘I will.’
Feeling a little better, Bea hung up the call. Maybe it was the best thing that Nolan had gone. He was going to go at some point anyway and this meant that she wouldn’t get more attached to him than she already was. The only things she regretted were not apologising and missing the chance to say goodbye. She was surprised he hadn’t stayed to solve the mystery of Patsy but he must have had his reasons for deciding to give up on his search.
* * *
After pulling a brush through her hair and cleaning her teeth, she got changed and slipped her feet into her trainers before looking at her reflection in the mirror. The seahorse necklace kept catching the light of the sun through the window. She turned it over in her hand.
‘Strength and courage,’ she murmured. She knew the only thing she could do was pick herself up and keep moving forward. ‘Don’t dwell on Nolan, just enjoy the fact that it was nice while it lasted,’ she said to herself as she fastened the clasp of the necklace around her neck. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she thought back to the afternoon at Castaway Bay. She’d not felt so carefree in a long time. It was a day of happiness. The most beautiful things in life were memories, feelings in the moment and smiles and laughter, and that day had had all of those. She wanted more of those moments in her life. The thing that Nolan had taught her in so short a time was: if you’re not happy then make a change – and that’s exactly what she was doing.
Climbing down the ladder, she stepped into The Little Blue Boathouse and opened the hatch before unlocking the door. Julia breezed in with a smile on her face and placed a sausage sandwich in Bea’s hand. ‘Leftover from breakfast at the B&B. I thought you might like it.’
‘Just the ticket, thank you.’
‘Did you have a good night last night?’
For a moment, Bea wondered if Julia knew that she’d spent the evening with Nolan.
‘I know sometimes it’s hard to sleep in a new place and those gulls can be noisy,’ continued Julia.
‘Out like a light and up with the gulls,’ replied Bea, knowing that was a little white lie. Unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite, she sighed in appreciation. ‘This is good.’
‘There’s nothing better than waking up to the sound of the water rushing.’ Julia looked out towards the river. ‘It’s going to be busy today, but with the couple of days of rain we’re due for, our takings will be down, so try and encourage people to book trips towards the end of the week.’
‘Will do,’ Bea said, observing the tourists that were already walking down the river path towards the Boathouse. She wouldn’t mind being run off her feet today; it would help her not to dwell too much on Nolan.
‘I can’t stay today – lots of changeover guests at the B&B – so I just wanted to check if you’re okay to manage this place by yourself?’
‘Of course, and I have your number if anything crops up.’
‘I knew I could rely on you.’ Julia gave her a warm smile. ‘Make sure you shut up shop for an hour at lunchtime.’
‘Is Bonnie’s Teashop the best place to grab something to eat?’
‘Either there or The Old Bakehouse with the chocolate shop next door.’
‘That sounds like a Friday treat to me,’ replied Bea.
* * *
With Julia gone, Bea was in charge of the shop and she quite liked it. After serving the first influx of customers, who were now messing about on the river on paddleboards and in rowing boats, Bea was dragging the ‘open for business’ sign outside when she spotted Nolan’s paintings that he’d left behind. Wondering what to do with them, she decided to display them outside, just like the day before. It wasn’t as though she’d been told any different, and she had a tiny hope that he would return to collect his money. The terrible thought of never seeing him again was playing on her mind.
The morning passed quickly and it was soon lunchtime. After locking up The Little Blue Boathouse, Bea slung her bag over her shoulder and ambled towards Bonnie’s Teashop.
Everyone she walked past was friendly, happy to pass the time of day. Bea couldn’t believe the difference between the town she’d come from and village life. She was used to people not even making eye contact as they walked past. Here, people were standing around having actual conversations and she didn’t see one person with a mobile phone in their hand or to their ear. Soon she was passing the whitewashed terraces of Love Heart Lane. Heartcross Mountain towered directly in front of her and she took in the stunning view before swinging open the gate to the teashop and heading towards the door.
As soon as she stepped inside, an old-fashioned bell alerted Felicity to her arrival and she gave a welcoming smile.
‘Bea, how’s it going at The Little Blue Boathouse?’
‘Loving every minute of it. I can’t believe how busy the place is. I’ve even decided to stay on until the River Festival.’
‘That’s brilliant! And how are you in general?’
‘Honestly, I’m good.’ Bea was focusing on the positives. ‘And I’ll be even better with a slice of that Victoria sponge for my lunch, with one of those pork and apple baps oozing with stuffing. They look delicious.’
‘Selling like hot cakes,’ replied Felicity, reaching for a paper bag. ‘And did you go and have your fortune read?’
‘I did. There’s going to be danger, compromise is the key, a chance meeting is going to change my life and I’ll find my forever home.’
