Lynsey James - The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club

‘Dearie me, darling, what happened to you?! Have you been in an accident?!’ She studied me with a worried expression, like I was a stray kitten she’d found at the side of the road.

‘You must be Rose,’ I said, extending a hand. ‘I’m Emily Reed, a business developer from Walter Marshall Hotels.’

Rose’s bright smile shrunk a little and she pursed her lips. ‘Ah yes, I’ve been expecting you. Let me help you with your bags. I’ll get you a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake then phone a garage about your car.’

Her voice was laced with sadness and, before I could say anything, she hoisted up my suitcase and began dragging it inside. Obviously I wasn’t the only one who was stronger than I looked. I followed her inside.

As soon as I stepped over the threshold, the full force of Sunflower House hit me. The building outside might’ve looked like it was ready for demolition, but the inside was a completely different story. The lobby was painted a pale lemon and the beechwood floors looked like they’d been newly sanded. Light spilled in from three round windows and a large wooden staircase stood proudly at the centre. The lounge lay just off the lobby and straight ahead was a quintessential country kitchen, where I could smell freshly baked bread. Little homely touches – photographs, paintings and the like – adorned the walls, while little shelves held ornaments and other assorted knick-knacks. This wasn’t just another faceless guesthouse; this was on a whole different level.

‘Wow,’ I breathed, ‘this is beautiful.’

‘Thank you, dear.’ Rose placed my luggage at the foot of the stairs then came over to join me, her white-blonde curls bobbing round her like a halo and her mouth set into a weak smile. ‘Anyway, where are my manners? I’d better introduce myself properly. Rose White, lovely to meet you.’

She stuck a hand out and I shook it. One look at her told me she not only knew exactly why I was here, but that she wasn’t going to put up a fight. There wasn’t anger or resistance in her eyes; there was only sadness, regret and a hint of relief.

‘You’re younger than I expected you to be,’ she said, piercing the silence between us.

‘Youngest business development manager in the firm,’ I said, not sure why I thought this was a good time to bring that up. I cleared my throat. ‘You’ve got a gorgeous B&B here.’

Rose cast a dreamy eye round the lobby. ‘This place is beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve run it for the last thirty-five years and loved every minute of it. It needs a bit of TLC here and there, but it’s my favourite place to be in the world. Now, let’s get you settled in.’

I gave a soft chuckle. ‘I wish all potential clients were as welcoming as you! Sometimes it’s their family’s idea to sell, rather than their own. When that happens, they make it clear I’m not wanted and that they don’t want to give up the business they’ve worked so hard to build.’

Rose shook her head as she retrieved a key from a hook behind the little reception desk. ‘Not me, flower; I think I’m ready to hand over the reins to someone else now. I’m getting too old to run this place by myself; I’ve been doing it for thirty-five years and I need a rest! Only problem is, when it comes to the crunch, I can’t seem to sign on the dotted line. Not to mention they sent an incompetent fool last time; she was soon given her marching orders! I think I just need a little more time to think about things before I give it up altogether. Now you’re here to explain all the benefits and give me all the information I need, that should be a bit easier. Anyway, I’ll get you your room key so you can freshen up, we’ll have some tea and cake, and then we’ll get your car sorted. There’s a fantastic local mechanic round here; he’ll be able to fix it easily, I’m sure.’

I felt my shoulders relax and even stopped thinking about the pain in my knee. Rose had a way of making someone feel calm and at home, no matter what trouble they’d been through. Just then, the back door opened and a familiar voice drifted into the lobby. It was the man who’d crashed into me outside the pub.

‘Hey, Rose, sorry I was a bit longer than I thought I’d be. Dixie ran away from the pub and decided to go for a run in the fields! Fancy a—’

His voice cut off when he saw me. He cut quite an amusing figure; his russet-brown hair was sticking up in odd directions, mud was streaked across his face and clothes and his little white dog was tucked under his arm, also caked in dirt.

‘Wow, this is a small world. Was this the appointment you had to get to, checking into a guesthouse?’ There was a note of amusement in his voice that didn’t quite reach his face, which still looked as surly as ever.

‘Have you two met?’ Rose asked, her nose wrinkled with confusion. She looked from me to the mud-caked man and back again, waiting for one of us to offer an explanation.

‘Kind of.’ He gave an awkward grunt as he tried to keep hold of the squirming dog, who was probably trying to escape the imminent bath time. ‘I asked her to help me look for Dixie, but apparently she was too busy.’

Another glare was tossed my way. What was this guy’s problem?

‘And he came barrelling out of the pub without looking where he was going and crashed into me. It was a… unique way to welcome me to the village, I’ll give you that.’ I gave him my sweetest smile. Needless to say, it wasn’t returned.

‘Well, charming as this has been, I need to go and give Dixie a bath.’

He moved towards the staircase but Rose stepped in front of him, her arms folded across her broad chest. ‘Noah William Hartley, I will not have you being so rude to people and forgetting your manners! Now, introduce yourself properly to our new guest.’

I saw a blush creep into Noah’s cheeks; from the looks of things, he was used to being chastised. He sighed loudly and flashed a quick smile in my direction.

‘Noah Hartley,’ he said, sticking a hand out. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

I was surprised to hear that it didn’t sound forced or sarcastic. He’d probably have got a clip round the ear from Rose if it had.

‘Emily Reed,’ I replied. ‘I’m from Walter Marshall Hotels.’

All at once, the atmosphere darkened and Noah quickly snatched his hand back before I could shake it. His brows knitted together and he glared at me.

‘So, you’re here to take Rose’s place away from her, are you? Well, you can get in your car and go back to wherever you came from because Sunflower Cottage isn’t for sale!’

Rose’s jaw dropped and she shot him a look that could probably have turned the average person to stone. For such a kindly woman, I guessed she could be fierce when the situation demanded it.

‘Her car actually broke down by the side of the road,’ she said, her icy voice jarring with the house’s warm and loving atmosphere. ‘So, if you’d like her to leave, I suggest you get it towed to the garage. Why don’t you get on with that after you’ve given Dixie a bath?’

Judging by the look on her face, Noah would have been a fool not to do as she said. Although she’d phrased it as a question, it was evident he didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter.

‘Oh, you’re the local mechanic then,’ I said, raising my eyebrows in surprise. ‘You don’t look like one!’

He rounded on me, his face still set in the same surly expression. ‘Oh yeah? What do I look like then?’

I badly wanted to reply ‘a torn-faced disaster’ but knew that wasn’t a wise idea. He’d probably cut my brake cables or something if I did.

Noah looked like he was about to say something else, but luckily Rose beat him to it. ‘Go on then, Noah, Dixie’s filthy!’