Page 6 of Snowflakes Over Micklewick Bay

‘And I know vintage VW campervans are super cool,’ Florrie continued, ‘but I wouldn’t fancy having to sleep in one over the winter months. Makes me feel nithered just thinking about it. Brr!’ She gave an exaggerated shiver.

‘Yeah, me neither.’ From the way Florrie was talking it didn’t sound like Lachie was a resident of Micklewick Bay, which came as a relief to Hannah. Even so, the fact that he’d been seen in the town so much recently was enough to put her off ever coming back.

With Lachie and his campervan heading towards the bottom end of the square, Florrie turned back to Hannah. ‘Thanks again for the lift, it’s been good to see you. I’d have another try at tempting you in for a cup of tea, but looking at the weather and the fact you’ve got to drive over the moors, I think it’s best to leave it this time. Which reminds me, don’t forget to text when you get home. And if you’re ever back in town, please look me up; we could grab a cuppa and maybe even some cake then – have a catch-up. And, again, I’m so sorry about your Auntie Colleen.’ She smiled kindly, reaching over and giving Hannah’s arm a squeeze.

Hannah felt her grief rush to the surface at the mention of her aunt, Florrie’s words a reminder of the reason she was in Micklewick Bay. She somehow managed a smile. ‘Thank you, it’s been good to see you, too. And you’re right, I should head straight back.’ She kept it to herself that she couldn’t imagine ever returning to Micklewick Bay; she’d have no reason to, despite Florrie’s kindness. On top of everything else, the prospect of running into Darryl and Polly was enough to keep her away. And now there was Lachie.

Oblivious to Hannah’s thoughts, Florrie clasped the door handle. ‘Right, here goes, get yourself ready to make a hasty getaway, Gerty!’ With that, she jumped out of the car. The Labrador’s ears pricked with interest on hearing her name as an icy blast of air filled the vehicle, yanking the already low temperature even further down – Hannah would be in Lingthorpe, several miles away, before the heater eventually kicked in and stopped blowing cool air at her. Seconds later, the rear door was flung open and Florrie grabbed Gerty’s collar, calling another farewell before slamming the door shut on the cold.

Hannah lingered for a moment, wrestling with her emotions in a bid to get them under control before she tackled the journey home to Fern Cottage, her sorrow threatening to engulf her once more. It didn’t help that her hands were still numb with the cold and the steering wheel felt like holding on to a block of ice – her gloves hadn’t been on the passenger seat as she’d hoped they would be.

Biting back tears, she watched Florrie dash towards the bookshop, Gerty trotting beside her. The old-fashioned jangle of a bell rang out as Florrie pushed open the half-glazed door. She turned and gave a cheerful wave. Hannah gave a small wave back, forcing her mouth into a smile before Florrie closed the door behind her. She noted absently that the building had been given a fresh lick of paint since the last time she’d seen it. The drab brown colour had been replaced by a rich oxblood red, the Happy Hartes’ name sign standing out proudly in a gold cursive font. Her gaze wandered to the large windows of the double-fronted shop, landing on what appeared to be moving displays, lit up with twinkly fairy lights, stirring a vague memory of the bookshop’s window displays featuring on a local news channel. Disappointingly, thanks to the relentless hailstones, it was impossible to get a clear view of the details, though there was no escaping the fact that the shop looked achingly inviting. Hannah was struck by an unexpected pang of loneliness. Not for the first time did she find herself being envious of Florrie Appleton’s easy, happy life.

‘You can’t keep dwelling on that!’ Hannah remonstrated with herself. She blinked her tears away and flicked the indicator on, telling herself she had a tricky journey ahead of her, which was best done in what little daylight there was left. The last thing she needed on this freezing cold day was to find herself stranded on the moortop as the wintry February night crept in.

Before she could pull out into the road, a dark grey Range Rover parked up in front of her, its headlights shining brightly in the greyness of the square. Hannah watched as the driver got out, wondering if it was someone she knew from her time living in the town. Her heart stilled and a gasp escaped her lips. ‘Oh no!’ she said, sotto voce. Though the woman was bundled up well against the cold, she’d never forget that face, or that posture with the distinctive stoop to the shoulders. It was Mrs Peterken. She and her husband had been Hannah’s next-door neighbours when she lived in Micklewick Bay as a child. They had two children – a son and a daughter – both close in age to Hannah.

Hannah shrank into her seat, pulling her scarf over her chin as she turned to face the other way. ‘Oh God, I should never have come here,’ she muttered to herself. Her past was getting way too close for comfort.

She waited until Mrs Peterken had walked by, her heart hammering. Satisfied the coast was clear, she gave a quick check of her wing mirror and slipped out of her parking place. She wouldn’t be able to settle until she was well on the road out of town.

It wasn’t until she was heading along the road that skirted around nearby Lingthorpe that Hannah’s nerves had started to settle. It was inevitable that her thoughts found their way to Lachie and the moment she’d first clapped eyes on him last year. Embarrassment flooded through her, the memory making her cheeks flush. She let out a groan. What kind of impossible coincidence was it that she had to go and run in front of his campervan – and in Micklewick Bay, of all places? Ugh! Her grip tightened on the chilly steering wheel as she shook her head. It was beginning to feel like fate was playing a joke on her, and a very cruel one at that. Oh, how she wished it would stop.

FIVE

MAY THE PREVIOUS YEAR

‘There you go, lovey.’ Colleen handed Jason the lorry driver his usual order of a Double Delicious Bougie Burger with an extra slice of Monterey Jack cheese. It was neatly wrapped in greaseproof paper printed with the company’s logo. He’d been a regular of theirs since they’d first set up four years ago and always enthused about their products.

The mouth-watering aroma of the burgers and caramelised onions that accompanied them floated around the parking area. A convenient scattering of picnic tables were set out on the nearby grassy patch where many customers devoured their purchases, licking their fingers and ensuring not even the tiniest scrap of flavour was missed.

‘Thanks, Colleen, love. I’ve been thinking about this little beauty all week, kept me going, it has. And, by ’eck, it smells bloomin’ grand. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into it,’ he said, making Colleen chuckle as she slid a carton of French fries towards him.

‘Here’s your fries – you qualified for a free portion, which guarantees they’ll taste extra nice.’ She winked at him. ‘I’ve started you off with a new loyalty card and you’ll need a couple of these to stop you getting messy with all the relish that’s oozing out of that burger. Enjoy, flower,’ she said, handing him a couple of paper napkins along with the Bougie Burgers club card.

‘I don’t doubt I will.’ Jason threw her a grin as he reached for his can of Coke and headed off.

The loyalty card had been a recent idea they’d implemented at the burger van – every six burgers a customer purchased entitled them to a free carton of French fries. The idea had popped into Hannah’s head one evening when she was making a fresh batch of burgers and marvelling at how many regulars the business had built up – the time she spent prepping food for the following day was when she found her mind drifting to new ways to retain customers’ interest and keep them coming back. Switching up the varieties of coleslaw or adding new sides was another such idea, as was the grilled halloumi burger they offered as a vegetarian option. The loyalty card would be their way of saying thank you to their loyal customers as well as a strategy to ensure they returned. After all, The Bougie Burger Company’s prices weren’t the cheapest around, though she knew without doubt their burgers were the best, especially with her aunt’s relish giving them that extra burst of flavour.

With Jason served, her aunt was busily writing down the next order while Hannah was making the final touches to the juicy burger she was prepping for another regular. This one was for Dave, the sales rep from Driffield – no gherkin but heavy on the relish, as per his usual request. He made a point of including a stop at The Bougie Burger Company van even if it meant going out of his way.

Aunt and niece were dressed in their matching uniforms of crisp white shirts, rolled up to the elbows, and black, full-length aprons with the business’s logo splashed across them in gold lettering. The look was topped off with a matching black cap, which featured a smaller version of the Bougie Burger logo.

It had been obvious right from the start that Colleen was in her element serving customers. She chatted away in her friendly ebullient manner as she scribbled down orders, took payment and handed out the food and drinks. With her gregarious personality, she couldn’t have been more perfect for the role. In contrast, Hannah’s reserved nature, not helped by the social anxiety that had blighted her days since she’d left Micklewick Bay, meant she was more comfortable to hover inconspicuously in the background. There, she could focus her full attention on the burgers as she constructed them to her exacting standards. It offered her the perfect excuse to hide away, as well as telling her aunt she didn’t want to get under her feet. Together, the two women made an efficient team, and not just that, they enjoyed each other’s company. It meant the hours passed at lightning speed in the Bougie Burger van!

It hadn’t taken long from setting up in the early days for Hannah’s business venture to build a loyal clientele. Word had spread quickly, with customers raving about the quality of the food and leaving glowing reviews online. The Bougie Burger Company’s standout point of difference was not only the quality of the burgers but also the care put into serving them. Hannah had decided before she’d even set up her van that, though what they would be offering fell into the ‘fast food’ category, it was going to be prepared and delivered with as much love and attention as if they were serving up food in a stylish restaurant. She might be selling burgers from a van, but there was going to be nothing of the greasy spoon about it. She was going to take pride in every aspect while elevating her burgers to the next level. Make them memorable, make them ‘bougie’ – which was how her business had got its name – from the beef they used in said burgers, to the paper napkins they doled out for their customers to dab their mouths. Every aspect had to add to the experience, and it had to speak of quality.

In the early days when she was trying to think up a name, Hannah had started a list, scribbling down anything that had the slightest hint of potential. It still tickled her when her aunt had picked up the list from the coffee table and read aloud the latest name to join the suggestions.

‘The Boogie Burger Company? Ooh, I like the sound of making some shapes while we’re serving burgers.’ Hannah had doubled over with laughter as her aunt had done a jig, wiggling her bottom and waving her arms around to demonstrate.

‘It’s not “boogie”, Auntie Coll, it’s “bougie” with a soft “g”, like the “j” in how you’d say “bonjour” or “bourgeois” – in fact, I think bourgeois is where the word originally comes from. Bougie means something that’s a bit luxurious,’ she’d said.

‘Ah, so it’s a corruption, then?’ her aunt had replied.

‘You’re a corruption, Auntie Coll,’ Hannah fired back, making the two women collapse into a fit of the giggles.

‘Aye, I daresay you’re not wrong there, lovey.’