The Secret Seaside Escape: The most heart-warming, feel-good romance of 2020, from the Sunday Times bestseller!

by Heidi Swain

  ‘All right,’ I accepted, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the third wheel or that he would have much of a chance to say anything if Hope carried on talking at the same speed. She certainly didn’t need caffeine to get her fired up!

  ‘Great,’ said Sam.

  He clearly didn’t mind me sticking around, but I felt a little foolish. I had thought there had been this great spark between us, but I’d obviously read it all wrong. Sam definitely wouldn’t have made a move on me knowing that his other half was on her way back to Wynmouth. He just wasn’t the type to play the field. Was I so love-starved that I’d mistaken a simple friendly hug as a lead-in for something more? Thank goodness we had been interrupted. I could have ended up making a right fool of myself otherwise.

  ‘What on earth’s the matter with you two?’ Hope frowned, sounding disappointed. ‘Why are you talking about drinking coffee in here? Have you not seen the sunshine?’ she added, pointing at the window.

  ‘It is warm out,’ I agreed.

  ‘Exactly.’ Hope beamed. ‘Let’s forget the coffee and take a breakfast picnic down to the beach instead.’

  That sounded like a lovely idea to me. I had already been thinking that Sam didn’t leave the pub anywhere near often enough. Relieved that I hadn’t made a fool of myself with her boyfriend, I felt Hope and I had the potential to get along very well and, as I hadn’t acted on my misinterpreted feelings, slipping Sam back into the friendship box shouldn’t be any problem at all.

  ‘What do you think, Tess?’ Hope asked, turning her beautiful brown eyes back to me. ‘Does that sound like a plan to you?’

  ‘It sounds like a perfect plan,’ I heartily agreed.

  Sam groaned and shook his head.

  ‘I’m going to be utterly outnumbered now the two of you have got your heads together, aren’t I?’ he moaned.

  ‘Utterly!’ Hope and I chorused in perfect synchronicity before bursting out laughing.

  Chapter 9

  It was a relief to discover that my concerns about taking on the role of third wheel in the presence of the recently reunited couple were completely unwarranted. There were no embarrassing quick kisses or lingering looks but, none the more for that, there had been no mistaking the intimacy behind the hug I had seen and I resolved not to take up too much of their time so they could be alone together before Sam had to open the pub.

  ‘So,’ said Hope as she handed out the croissants and cereal bars that she had commandeered from Sam’s breakfast cupboard, ‘tell me some more about last night. I can’t believe you managed to book the Sea Dogs at such short notice.’

  Between us, Sam and I filled in the details and Hope nodded along, for once quietly listening without interrupting with what I had already guessed was her own trademark brand of enthusiasm. I didn’t think that she was rude when she butted in, she was just full of energy and eagerness. One of life’s natural half-full types. I envied that a little.

  ‘And I know I had my doubts about the evening turning a profit,’ Sam said to me. He had aired his views quite vociferously once we had worked out the projected costs. ‘But having cashed up, I’ve discovered I was wrong about that too.’

  At this point, Hope couldn’t help adding a few well-chosen words.

  ‘Will you listen to this!’ she giggled, clapping her hands together. ‘You might not realize it, Tess, but getting this man to admit to being wrong about anything is no mean feat. Bravo my friend,’ she winked mischievously at me, ‘bravo.’

  I couldn’t help but laugh along. What fun this girl was!

  ‘Yes,’ said Sam, ‘thank you, you two. As I said, the evening did turn a profit – not a huge one, as I decided to give Harry and Delilah a few quid, but it made a bit.’

  ‘So, it didn’t end up costing you, after all?’ I said, firing his blunt words back at him.

  ‘No,’ he smiled. ‘Well,’ he added, rubbing his leg, ‘nothing more than a bit of extra discomfort for having been on my feet for so long.’

  I had completely forgotten about his leg. I hadn’t factored in that he had spent more hours than usual standing up because I didn’t realize it would make a difference.

  ‘Foot,’ Hope automatically corrected.

  ‘What?’ Sam frowned, still massaging his thigh.

  ‘You were on your foot for so long,’ she said. ‘You haven’t got feet.’

  ‘Oh, very good,’ said Sam, with a snort of laughter.

  ‘So,’ said Hope, turning her attention back to me, ‘what’s next?’

  I reckoned the pair knew each other very well indeed to be able to talk like that.

  ‘Next?’ I frowned, tearing a croissant in half.

  ‘Yes,’ she nodded, ‘don’t tell me you haven’t thought of anything. I bet you couldn’t sleep last night for mulling over what form of entertainment to suggest next.’

  I had nodded off thinking about a certain performance, but not the sort she was suggesting.

  ‘Well,’ I said, trying not to blush, ‘I was wondering, what with it being the summer solstice soon, if it might be worth considering having some sort of celebration on the beach.’

  Sam hadn’t reckoned much to the idea of a jello-shot-fuelled beach-style party in the pub, but the celebration I had dreamt up for the solstice was a much quieter affair.

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Hope said keenly, ‘I like the sound of that.’

  Why was I not surprised? I think I could have suggested anything and she would have loved it.

  ‘I thought,’ I quickly carried on, in view of such a receptive audience, ‘that as there would be longer to get organized, that maybe it could be a slightly bigger event, an amalgamation between the pub and the café. Perhaps with something set up here, right in the middle, to bring the two businesses together.’

  ‘A traditional solstice beach party, with a Caribbean twist,’ said Sam, looking off into the distance.

  Now even he was getting into the swing of it.

  ‘We could have cocktails,’ Hope added. ‘With little umbrellas on sticks.’

  ‘And mocktails,’ Sam countered.

  ‘The curried crab your mum made last week was such a fascinating fusion, Hope,’ I said. ‘I bet she’s got lots of other clever combo recipes tucked up her sleeve, hasn’t she?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Hope agreed.

  ‘But what about the weather?’ frowned Sam. ‘That isn’t guaranteed, is it?’

  ‘Is anything in life guaranteed?’ Hope laughed. ‘We can’t let a little thing like the weather stop us, Sam.’

  ‘Worst-case scenario,’ I said, quickly thinking of a backup plan, ‘if it rains, we’ll have the first half of the party in the café and then walk to the pub via the beach, or start in the pub and walk to the café. There’ll be some way around it, but it’s the solstice we’re talking about, remember? The sun wouldn’t dare not to shine.’

  ‘But isn’t it traditional to watch the sunrise, not the sunset?’ Sam frowned again. ‘On the news they always show everyone at Stonehenge getting excited about the sunrise.’

  ‘Well,’ said Hope, ‘folk can still come to do that, but I think Tess’s right, a party in the evening as the sun is setting will be every bit as fun to celebrate, won’t it?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ I agreed.

  Truth be told, I didn’t actually know all that much about the solstice, aside from the fact that it happened in June and that, after the bank holiday weekend, it seemed like the most logical date to pick for the next event.

  ‘Right then,’ said Hope, ‘hands up who wants to have an evening summer solstice celebration on the beach?’

  We all raised our hands.

  ‘So, let’s get on with organizing it then,’ she announced.

  Sam was quick to temper her keenness to forge ahead.

  ‘Let me speak to the council on Monday,’ he said. ‘Just to make sure we won’t be falling foul of any rules or regs we don’t know about.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ Hope relented, sounding a little deflated. ‘I
suppose we should check.’

  We sat quietly for a few minutes, finishing our breakfast and soaking up the sun.

  ‘Right,’ I sighed, as I stood up and brushed the sand off my legs, ‘I’d better get going.’

  It was time to leave the lovebirds in peace and face my fears.

  ‘Got any plans?’ Sam asked, squinting up at me.

  ‘Just the one,’ I told him. ‘I need to make a quick phone call.’

  At least I hoped it would be quick.

  ‘I need to tell my boss why I won’t be showing up at work for the next few weeks.’

  ‘I had kind of assumed that you were self-employed,’ said Sam, ‘as you’ve decided to take so long off.’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘afraid not.’

  ‘So, what is it that you do, Tess?’ he asked.

  ‘Obvious, isn’t it?’ Hope cut in. ‘She’s the ultimate party planner. She’s most likely got A-listers across the globe clamouring for her attention. Am I right?’

  ‘Ha,’ I said, ‘not quite.’

  ‘Will your boss be pissed off that you aren’t going back?’ said Sam.

  ‘Yes,’ I breathed, ‘just a bit.’

  ‘In that case,’ said Hope, ‘you’d better come back to the pub later. You might need a pick-me-up.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I’m probably going to need something.’

  *

  The dreaded call went every bit as badly as expected, helped in no small part by the fact that I had to wait so long to make it after I had turned my phone on. I had almost reached the point of thinking that it was never going to stop pinging, buzzing and announcing messages, mails and notifications, when it finally stopped and the cottage fell silent again.

  I plugged in the charging cable and stared at the screen, wondering whether I should first read some of what had been sent in order to gauge the reaction I was likely to get, but then decided against it. There was precious little signal in the cottage as it was, so I wasn’t going to risk losing it by trawling through Dad’s many messages.

  With a heavy heart, I dialled the number of the house phone. Even if Joan answered, I was going to have to ask for Dad. My feelings towards him might have changed since I’d started reading Mum’s diary, but he was my boss as well as my father and therefore entitled to a first-hand explanation about my prolonged absence from work.

  ‘Tess,’ he said, sounding a little breathless when he answered after the second ring. ‘I was hoping you were going to call.’

  That was something, I supposed.

  ‘Are you back?’ he asked. ‘I’ll come around.’

  That put me on the back foot a bit. He never came to the apartment.

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘No, I’m not back.’

  ‘Still travelling, are you? Well, I need to bring you up to speed. You could call in here? That would be easier.’

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that,’ I said, biting down hard on my lip, ‘because I’m not coming back today.’

  ‘You’re coming back in the morning and going straight to the office? I suppose I could email you, but I’m not sure that’s . . .’

  ‘No,’ I interrupted, ‘no. I’m not coming back tomorrow either.’

  That seemed to knock the wind out of his sails. Bearing in mind the prestigious projects I’d got pencilled in, of which he was no doubt thinking, I wasn’t surprised.

  ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I know I was wrong to ignore you when you said you needed a break. Joan has made it more than clear that you were fully entitled, under the circumstances, to just take off. I get that, but I need you back, Tess.’

  Good old Joan. I wondered if she had known some of what Mum had gone through. Had she fronted up to Dad because she knew what sort of husband he had been? Had she witnessed some of Mum’s humiliation for herself?

  ‘You aren’t sick, are you?’ Dad practically demanded when I didn’t respond.

  ‘No,’ I told him, ‘I’m not sick.’

  ‘Then enough is enough. I know I’m your father, but I’m also your . . .’ He hesitated and I quickly jumped back in.

  ‘The thing is, I’m going to be away for a few more weeks—’

  ‘A few weeks!’

  ‘Yes,’ I said firmly. ‘I never should have tried to keep working after Mum died. That was a mistake and now it’s all come back to bite me. I need a proper rest to get my head straight.’

  I didn’t specify exactly how long for, or drop the tiniest hint about the diary. I dreaded to think what I still had to discover printed on those pages. It was definitely best all round if I kept him at arm’s length while I worked my way through it all.

  ‘I see,’ he said tightly when I offered no further explanation and I felt my stomach clench in response to his tone.

  It was a pain I hadn’t experienced since my arrival.

  ‘And you’re absolutely sure there’s nothing else you want to tell me, Tess?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m sure.’

  I wondered if he had guessed that I was having doubts about my job too. Perhaps he was coming to the conclusion that I hadn’t only left because I hadn’t faced up to losing Mum.

  ‘Are you at least going to tell me where you are?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘there’s no point and besides I’m moving somewhere else today.’

  I had taken the precaution of packing my passport so if he did go looking around the apartment, he wouldn’t find it and would hopefully assume I was abroad.

  ‘You do know that if you don’t come back today, I’m going to have to hand your entire portfolio over to Chris, don’t you, Tess?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘He’s really come into his own since you’ve been gone.’

  ‘I had a feeling he might. You should have promoted him months ago.’

  ‘Perhaps.’

  He sounded tired all of a sudden and resigned, but given what I’d recently discovered I couldn’t feel sorry about that.

  ‘Look,’ I said, ‘I have to go. I’ll ring in a few weeks, okay?’

  ‘This is all far from okay.’

  I didn’t say anything. There was no point.

  ‘If you decide to stay away beyond June, Tess, then we’re seriously going to have to think about your long-term future with the firm.’

  He was getting frustrated. No doubt annoyed that the Tyler work ethic in me wasn’t as firmly fixed as it was in him.

  ‘Are you going to fire me?’

  ‘No, of course not,’ he snapped. ‘But I do have to think about the business, the needs of our clients and the Tyler reputation.’

  The way he still prioritized the firm over family, even after my dramatic desertion, made my stomach pull even tighter.

  ‘You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to take some time off too,’ I said bitingly.

  ‘That’s as maybe,’ he snapped back, ‘but someone has to stick around to hold the fort.’

  ‘If you say so,’ I swallowed, determined not to get upset. ‘Bye, Dad.’

  There was a painful lump lodged in my throat as I turned the phone off again, tossed it back into the drawer, slammed it shut and grabbed the cottage keys. Hope had been right: I was in need of a pick-me-up.

  ‘So,’ Sam asked, ‘how did you get on?’

  ‘Was it as bad as you thought it would be?’ added Hope.

  ‘Worse,’ I huffed, wrinkling my nose. ‘Much worse.’

  The call thankfully hadn’t resulted in a blazing row, but it had got me stirred up and feeling unsettled nonetheless.

  Hope indicated the row of tempting optics behind her.

  ‘What can I get you?’ she asked.

  ‘Thanks,’ I said, ‘but I don’t think I’d better start on the hard stuff.’

  I was tempted but knew I wouldn’t feel any better for it.

  ‘Coffee then?’ she suggested.

  ‘Yes, please. A really strong one.’

  ‘You didn’t get fired, did you?’ Sam asked.

  ‘No,’ I told him, ‘not quite, but
if I stay too long, it might come to that. Not that I have any intention of leaving early.’

  At least if Dad did give me the boot that would be one less decision I would have to make. I shook my head and Sam leant over the bar and squeezed my hand. I risked a look at Hope, but she didn’t seem fazed by the gesture at all. My heart on the other hand, was behaving ludicrously.

  ‘Don’t worry, Tess,’ Hope smiled kindly, ‘whatever’s wrong, Wynmouth will soon set you right.’

  ‘Nothing’s wrong,’ I shrugged as Sam released my hand.

  Hope raised her eyebrows.

  ‘What?’ I asked.

  ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘If that’s the story you’re sticking to for now, then that’s fine by me. I’m sure you’ll share your woes in your own good time.’

  She was obviously every bit as perceptive as her mum.

  ‘I think I might go for a walk,’ I told the pair, once I had finished the extremely strong coffee and was feeling more like my old self, as well as a little jittery thanks to the extra shot (or three) that Hope must have added to my cup.

  ‘Mind if I tag along?’ she asked. ‘I really should be getting to the café.’

  ‘Not at all,’ I said, ‘I was planning to head that way.’

  The heat had really begun to build as we walked along the seawall and there were already lots of families enjoying the beach. We stopped and watched some children dashing in and out of the sea, squealing as the icy water reached their knees.

  ‘Everyone looks so happy to be here,’ I sighed.

  ‘Including me,’ said Hope. ‘As much as I enjoyed my travels, it’s wonderful to be home again.’

  Looking around, I could see why. Wynmouth might not have been exactly as I remembered it, but with the sea in front and the farmland, dotted with the odd wooded copse, stretching to the horizon behind, it was still a stunning little corner of Norfolk.

  ‘It does feel like home, doesn’t it?’ I said huskily, the words escaping without my meaning them to. ‘There’s still nowhere else quite like it.’

  I might have only spent my holidays here, but I had never felt the same level of comfortableness and connection anywhere else in the world. Nowhere seemed to fit me quite as well as Wynmouth.