Lynsey James - The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club

As panic gripped me, I went to cut the call until Frankie’s no-nonsense voice stopped me in my tracks.

‘Emily Reed, don’t you dare do anything of the kind! If you come back to Glasgow without having seen your dad or closed the deal for Sunflower Cottage, then I’ll never speak to you again. You deserve this promotion; everyone knows that. I know Paul’s taking the piss with it, but he knows he should never have promoted Tara. So stay right where you are and land this deal, missy. Plus, you need to bring this mean and moody guy back for me.’

That was all the incentive I needed. Frankie had a way of making the impossible seem like a walk in the park.

*

Thanks to a combination of no Wi-Fi and my long-lost dad preying on my mind, I decided to venture out into Luna Bay for a while. I found myself sitting in the Purple Partridge, the pub I’d bumped into Noah outside of. A pretty little place that looked out onto the beach, it was the perfect hideaway to escape my problems in. I sat huddled in my little booth near the back, determined not to let the world in. Instead, it passed by around me as the pub’s various patrons made trips to the bar, gossiped in corners and shared memories with their friends. I found myself tapping my foot and drumming my fingers on the table, frustrated not to have something to keep my mind occupied.

How had things unravelled so quickly? It was bad enough that my dad wasn’t my dad, but now I was in the same village as the man who was! It was like something from daytime TV. This was far more than your traditional curveball; it felt like someone, somewhere, was having a great laugh at my expense. The words in the letter played in my head like a sickening loop I couldn’t control: it still hurts that Emily has to miss out on knowing her real father. I wanted so badly for it to be a bad dream; to wake up and realise that the life I loved so much was still intact. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was stuck with the nightmare currently unfolding in front of me.

‘Are you OK, love?’ a voice above me asked.

I looked up and saw a kind-looking, middle-aged lady standing in front of me. Her sandy-blonde curls and soft-brown eyes gave her the look of somebody’s favourite aunt and her smile was warm and friendly.

‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I replied, wiping my eyes. ‘Just… just a touch of hay fever, that’s all.’

‘I’ve heard that one before. Here, take this.’ The woman sat down next to me and pulled out a tissue from her bag, handing it to me so I could dry my tears.

‘Thanks. I don’t usually cry like this; it’s just been a really weird day.’

She chuckled and shook her head. ‘I’ve had a fair few of those myself recently. One thing I’ve learnt, though; it all comes out in the wash. I’m Diane, by the way.’

Diane. Surely that couldn’t be Derek’s wife, the one Mum had mentioned and who had been peppered throughout his letters? Just as my imagination began to run away with me, cool logic took over and reminded me not to jump to conclusions. It was probably just a coincidence; Diane was quite a common name, after all, and it might not be her.

‘Nice to meet you, Diane, I’m Emily.’ I stuck out a hand and she shook it.

‘Lovely to meet you, Emily; you look like you could do with a cup of tea and a massive slice of cake. My café’s not far from here if you fancy popping in?’

That sealed it. Diane might be a common name, but I was willing to bet there weren’t two Dianes in Luna Bay who both owned cafes. I felt goosebumps creep over my skin, like I was in the presence of a ghost. Here I was, carrying this huge secret that would rock her world, and she had no idea.

‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ve really got to get on. Got lots to get done while I’m here. Maybe some other time, though?’

Diane nodded and looked a little sad as I got up to leave. ‘No problem, you’re welcome any time. It’s the Moonlight Café, just on the corner of the next street. You can’t miss it. There’s some free cake and tea with your name on it!’

I smiled and said goodbye to her before leaving the pub. The sun was shining brightly over my beautiful surroundings, but I didn’t have time to enjoy it. The only thing I wanted to do was regain my focus, recover from the temporary blip on my radar and close the sale of Sunflower Cottage. That was what I was here to do.

Chapter 7

A buzz of chatter greeted me when I got back to the guesthouse, as did the smell of baking. I followed it to the kitchen and found Noah and Rose sitting at the table as Dixie chased a green tennis ball around the room. The conversation came to an abrupt halt and they each turned to look at me. Dixie immediately rolled out the welcome wagon and brought me her ball, so I threw it down the lobby for her.

‘Hello, dear!’ Rose’s voice was as bright and sunny as the day outside. ‘Nice to see you getting out and about! There’s food going if you fancy any?’

I could see Noah staring in my direction, his facial expression unreadable. It was as though he was searching for some tiny imperfection on my face; his brow was crumpled and his eyes slightly narrowed. I squirmed; I didn’t like being under the spotlight.

‘Sure,’ I replied, taking a seat at the table. ‘I’d love some. Maybe we could talk business too?’

Noah took that as his cue to leave, calling to Dixie to come with him. He shot me a dark look before he left the room. Rose didn’t seem to mind and cut us some cake, sticking the slices on china plates and joining me back at the table. I got ready to put my business head on and banish that day’s bombshell from my mind. Business was what I knew, what I was comfortable with. It would help me forget.

Rose, however, had other ideas.

‘Don’t mind him,’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially. ‘He’s a lovely boy really, just forgets himself sometimes. As you’ll probably have gathered, he’s none too keen about me selling this place. Can’t say I blame him really; Sunflower Cottage has been like home for him since… Well, it means a lot to him, let’s just say.’

Her eyes quickly darted to her tea, as though she knew she’d almost said too much. ‘H… he was telling me your car will be up and running again soon; something to do with the battery or something…’

I stared at the door he’d just walked out of, expecting him to come storming back in at any moment. ‘Does he help you run this place?’

‘When he’s not busy at the garage, yes,’ said Rose. ‘He wants to be here full-time; would spend every waking minute here if he could! But I told him: I said I wanted him out there living his life instead of being stuck here with me. The silly sod gave up his job last year after I had a fall and moved down here! He had his own mechanics business in Leeds and he sold it to come and live in Luna Bay. Told me he’d only be staying a few weeks until I got back on my feet then casually announced he’d bought a cottage nearby! I nearly fainted with shock.’

Noah’s devotion to Rose and Sunflower Cottage came as something of a pleasant surprise and I found myself smiling.

‘Wow, so he just packed up his life and came down here? That’s brave,’ I remarked, trying not to let my surprise seep into my voice.

‘He’s a brave person.’ Rose chose not to elaborate and took a forkful of lemon drizzle cake. ‘Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?’

*

I spent the next hour eating my body weight in cake, drinking enough tea to fill the North Sea and explaining the features and benefits of Walter Marshall Hotels to Rose again. I laid her fears to rest and told her we wouldn’t be bulldozing Sunflower Cottage and replacing it with some anonymous glass-and-steel skyscraper, even showing her a PowerPoint presentation on my laptop.