‘You’ve raised Nemmie and been to uni, so you should be able to hold your own whatever you choose to do.’ She laughs. ‘And all of the single workers at Brides by the Sea end up in relationships sooner rather than later. Just saying.’
I laugh back. ‘There’s no danger I’ll ever be joining them.’ Through the open back door I catch sight of a guy with a briefcase, making his way along the lane, and my stomach contracts. ‘No panic, but the meeting may be incoming.’
Tia looks through the side window. ‘Jess is walking along the beach with Poppy and three good-looking guys in dark suits.’ She gives me another nudge. ‘Wouldn’t it be ironic if you ended up marrying a licensing solicitor?’
I hiss at her. ‘Not going to happen.’
‘Or the guy from the council?’
A few minutes later the man himself, whose badge says he’s called Cadan, arrives and does a double-take at how many people are here waiting for him.
After Jess has introduced everyone and we’ve all stepped up onto the verandah and filed in and out of the hut, she turns to him. ‘Why don’t you begin by outlining where we stand currently.’
Cadan looks a little bemused. ‘The application is running its course. We’ve had no negative responses from the public, and everything else appears to be in order.’
Jess’s eyes flash. ‘In which case, why are we all here?’
Cadan shuffles. ‘We rarely visit venues, but due to the unusual size and my own office being so close, I made an exception.’
Jess tilts her head. ‘And?’
He repositions his clipboard. ‘I can confirm it’s by far the smallest venue on our books. We feel the rarity value will benefit the town, so the councillors would like to make a concession with the charge.’
Poppy’s stares at him hard. ‘So this isn’t about a problem at all?’
Cadan shakes his head. ‘Far from it! We want to celebrate and support what you’re adding to St Aidan.’
I’m struggling to take this in. ‘So I don’t need my wingmen?’
Cadan glances at the crowd of suits behind me. ‘Not this time. Well done for your enterprise, and good luck with your venture. The registrars can’t wait to work here once the license comes through!’
The most good-looking of the guys in Jess’s group looks up from his file. ‘Can you give a firm indication when that will be?’
Cadan purses his lips. ‘We’re hopeful you’ll have it within the month.’
Which is better than anyone had dared to hope, but we’re not going to say that.
We all sidle down the steps and back onto the beach again. We’re about to erupt into whoops, when Cadan raises a finger. ‘You might want to pick up some cones from the council to reserve a registrar’s parking spot on the lane when the time comes.’
‘Thank you, I’ll do that.’ I’m nodding as we wave him off, dazed at how real it sounds, when an urgent yell from a figure along the sand wakes me up.
‘Watch out, Maevey!’ Shouting that, it has to be Lando. ‘Martha’s here!’
A moment later fifty kilograms of flying fur comes careering towards us. The next shout of, ‘She’s been in the sea!’ is completely unnecessary as she splatters us all with grit and salty spray. And the follow-up, ‘She got away, grab her!’ comes too late as she disappears off into the distance.
I watch her slew round in a tight half circle a hundred yards further on. Then she’s thundering back towards us again, and this time she’s heading straight for me. When she hits me head on at thirty miles an hour, I have no chance of staying on my feet, so I give in to the force, let my body move, and when I come to a halt, Martha’s nose is in my ear, and I’m wedged between the thighs of the hottest of the solicitors who is now sprawled beneath me across the beach hut steps.
‘I’m so sorry for knocking you over and squashing you!’
There’s a low laugh behind my back. ‘Not at all, that’s the best catch I’ve made all season. Pasco Pentreath, in case you’ve forgotten. Great to meet you close up.’
When I try to get up all I have to lever myself up on are some pin-stripe-covered knees, so I call out, ‘Can someone get hold of Martha before she runs off?’
As I look past her shoulder, Lando strides into view, his face like a storm cloud as he puts a firm hand on Martha’s collar. ‘If you’d told me you had a meeting, I’d have walked the other way.’
I sigh. ‘I’ll forward you a copy of my diary in future.’
‘I didn’t say that.’ He holds out his other hand to me. ‘Can I help you up?’
