Harry sighed and scrubbed a frustrated hand through his hair. He caught what he’d done and immediately headed over to the sink to wash his hands. ‘Sorry. I hate when I get in my head like this.’ Truth be told, Harry was glad his boss hadn’t been around much because he was still in two minds about the whole cookery school idea. Matt and his dad had been tied up with jobs booked before the holiday break and Liam was full steam ahead with the hotel conversion, so they’d been struggling for a date to view the shop. The delay had done nothing for Harry’s self-confidence and he’d been in something of a panic spiral about the whole thing. They’d managed to sort out a day they could all get together next week so he owed it to Russ to keep him in the loop.
He returned to the central work area and rested his forearms on the sleek silver surface. ‘I had an idea on New Year’s Eve and I really think I might be on to something, but it’s going to be a massive challenge and that’s caused a few of the old demons to raise their heads.’
‘We’d better forget about the menus then so you can tell me all about it.’
Russ was silent as Harry talked through his idea for the cookery school. His stomach was a mess of knots by the time he’d finished. It was one thing to shoot the breeze with his brothers and his cousin, it was quite another to try and explain it to this man whose professional opinion he respected above all others. ‘I still don’t know if it can come to anything. I haven’t got the first clue about the finances or even if the premises is suitable for converting.’ He could count the number of times he’d been inside the Nicholsons’ shop on the fingers of one hand. It had been geared up for the tourists more than anything else. He’d certainly never seen anything more than the shop floor.
‘And how do you plan on figuring those issues out?’ Russ wasn’t giving much away and it was hard to tell from his demeanour what he thought about Harry’s basic idea.
‘Umm, well, I’ve made an appointment to have a look around next week. Matt and Liam said they’ll walk around with me so we can take some measurements and talk over what we think would need doing. Rick is coming because I’ll need his help with planning and what-have-you…’ Harry trailed off. Ed had said he wanted to be included but they hadn’t spoken to each other since their argument on the beach. Perhaps inviting him would act as an olive branch.
‘Would you like me to come along, too?’
It would be great to have Russ’s input, but there was a little bit of Harry that worried that if he let his boss in too early, he’d take things over. He wouldn’t mean to, but Russ was aforce of nature and Harry had deferred to him throughout his career. While their relationship had progressed from boss and subordinate to something closer to colleagues these days, there was no doubt who called the shots, and if Harry was going to do this he wanted to succeed or fail on his own merits. ‘I’d love your feedback, but would you mind if I got my head around a few things first?’
Russ was silent for a long moment and Harry was beginning to worry he might have offended him when he finally spoke. ‘Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You do all the investigation work you need and if you think it’s a viable prospect then you can present it to me and I’ll see about whether I think it’s something worth investing in.’
Harry stepped back in surprise. ‘Oh, no, I wasn’t expecting you to invest, Russ, that’s not what this is about at all!’
‘But you’re going to need backers to get this off the ground, aren’t you?’
Harry nodded. ‘Well, yeah, I can’t fund it myself but I was going to try and get a bank loan.’
‘For which you’ll need to put together a proper pitch and a full business plan.’
‘Yeah, that’s the bit I’m not so sure about,’ Harry admitted.
Russ clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Well, if you want to abandon me to run your own business, lad, I’m afraid that’s the sort of crap you need to deal with. What you really need is a partner. Someone who’s good at all the admin stuff so that you can focus on the practical side of things. One of your brothers, maybe?’
Harry shook his head. ‘I know they’ll help me out putting things together but Liam and Rick have got their own projects and passions.’
‘Have a think about it then, because you’re going to need someone. You know I love you like you’re my own flesh andblood, lad, and this isn’t a criticism in any way, but we both know you don’t have a head for the business side of things. The secret to success is putting a great team around you.’ Russ grinned. ‘That’s why I wanted you to work for me in the first place, and now it looks like I’m going to have to find someone to replace you.’
‘Not for a while,’ Harry assured him. ‘Maybe not ever.’
‘None of that, now! I’m not having you embarrass me by being a failure, I’ve a reputation to think of.’
They both laughed and Russ pulled him into a bear hug. ‘I believe in you, lad. Find someone you can trust who’ll work alongside you and I know you’ll be more than halfway there.’
Harry pulled back and smiled at Russ. ‘Thanks for the pep talk and the great advice.’
Russ was right about Harry needing a partner, and luckily he knew just the person to ask.
19
As had been the case for the past two weeks since she’d moved in, there was no sign of Harry when Kat got up that morning. She’d washed her hair the night before so her shower was a quick splash and dash. She could grab something to eat at work so, as soon as she’d pulled on her Java Brava-branded polo shirt and fleece, Kat headed out. After the big storm on New Year’s Day the weather had been calm but cold. This morning was different, the sun hidden behind a blanket of clouds, and the smudge of dark grey on the horizon warned it’d be a miracle if they got to the end of the day without another downpour.
The lights were already on when she reached the coffee shop, which surprised Kat as she was on the rota to open up. They’d set the rota before Christmas and she and her father had been taking it in turns to supervise each shift. Things were quiet enough it didn’t need them both. As a result she’d not seen him to speak to since New Year’s Eve. Their only communication had been via notes they’d left each other on the office desk about stock to be ordered. Kat had known she couldn’t go on avoiding him forever, but she’d hoped for a few more days of peace. The strains of Radio 4 drifted from the open office door and shetook a deep breath and set her shoulders back as she walked in. ‘Morning, Dad. I thought I was opening today.’
His shoulders stiffened at the sound of her voice, but he didn’t turn to face her as he spoke. ‘I thought it was best we stopped avoiding each other, don’t you? Your mother’s still upset by the way you snuck out without even saying goodbye. Two weeks and not a word from you. You could at least have the good grace to send her a text so she knows you’re not dead in a ditch.’
Kat sighed and propped her shoulder against the door frame as she folded her arms across her chest. ‘Don’t be silly, Dad. I’ve left you enough notes over the past few days for you to know I’m perfectly fine. You both knew I was leaving that morning and I’ve had a lot of stuff I needed to do.’ She took another deep breath. ‘I guess I should let you know that I’m not staying with Issy any more, I’ve moved into the flat above the restaurant.’
Her father set his glasses down on the pile of paper in front of him and stared up at her. ‘Isn’t that where that reprobate Harry Penrose lives?’
And this was the other reason she’d been happy to avoid him. Her father had a massive chip on his shoulder when it came to the Penroses, so she’d known he’d react badly to her flat-sharing with one of them. It was a completely ridiculous and entirely one-sided feud, and not just because of his embarrassment over her mum trying to seduce Ryan. Though they’d been nothing but friendly since her family had arrived, her father still seemed to think they were treated as outsiders. The Penroses were one of the oldest and most established families in the village and he resented their influence. ‘Give it a rest, Dad. Harry’s a good guy.’
Her father’s snort of derision told her what he thought to that.
