by Lynsey James
‘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.
‘This place has so much character,’ I’d said, gesturing around at the gorgeous country kitchen. ‘Why would we want to lose that?’
By the time I left to go back to my room, I felt more confident about closing the deal than ever. Rose had made some very encouraging noises during our discussion and, with any luck, I’d be back in Glasgow living my old life in no time at all.
Or would I?
Since I’d heard my mum’s revelation about Derek, I wasn’t sure if living my old life was still an option. I’d been living the life of Pamela and Simon Reed’s daughter, but I wasn’t that person anymore. Maybe my old life had to go like my old identity had.
A noise from under the bed made my thoughts skid to a halt. It sounded like there was something rolling along the floor. I cocked my head to the side, trying to make out what the noise was and who was making it. An excited woof gave me my answer: Dixie was obviously under the bed. I crouched down and saw her pawing at her tennis ball, trying to get it out from the space it was now stuck in.
‘Hello, you!’ I chuckled and crawled under the bed to help her. ‘Is your toy stuck? Here, I’ll get it for you.’
Dixie leapt around with excitement as I reached my hand in to free the ball. It was wedged between a couple of old-fashioned storage boxes.
‘I hope she’s not bothering you.’ Noah’s voice startled me and made me bump my head on the bedframe.
‘Ow! No, she’s fine, don’t worry. Her tennis ball got stuck and I was just getting it for her.’ I got to my feet and rubbed the sore spot on my head. ‘See, no harm done!’
I threw the ball onto the landing for her and she went chasing after it, leaving Noah and I standing in a very awkward silence.
‘Listen, I know I haven’t exactly been friendly to you since you got here and not just because you ran into me and spilled my beer. I just really don’t want Sunflower Cottage becoming part of some faceless hotel chain that’ll rip the heart and soul out of it. Rose has worked hard for this place and I don’t want to see it pulled from under her.’
I frowned and folded my arms. He wasn’t getting to speak to me that way. ‘You said it yourself, though; Rose wants to sell. Nobody’s pulling anything from under her! And you’re right; you haven’t been very friendly! In fact, you’ve been a sour-faced, obnoxious prat since I got here. What’s your problem, anyway? Don’t you want to see Rose happy? She told me she’s ready to hand over the running of this place to someone else. Don’t make me the bad guy just because you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.’
Noah scoffed loudly and shook his head. ‘A chip on my shoulder? You know nothing about this place and you know nothing about me either. Rose doesn’t need some corporate chain coming in and taking over everything; she has me and I know this place better than anyone. We don’t need you here! You know what? The sooner you leave us to get on with our lives, the better!’
He looked down at me, his eyes blazing with anger and his face set in a stony glare. I squared my shoulders and stood my ground; I’d dealt with hostile parties in these deals before and I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me. Plus, after the day I’d had and the discovery I’d made, I was in no mood for his shit. Footsteps on the stairs distracted us for a second.
‘Only me!’ I heard Rose trill as her footsteps retreated down the hall.
‘Well, until the owner tells me I’m not wanted anymore, I’m staying whether you like it or not. Now, you can act like a child and stomp around in a sulk for the next month, or you can try and be a grown-up about it. Your choice.’
We stood mirroring each other’s body language, arms folded and scowls on our faces. Both of us were determined not to back down. Noah’s nostrils flared and I could feel my teeth begin to gnash. I’d never met such a pig-headed, ignorant man in my whole life.
Suddenly, the standoff between us was shattered by a terrified scream followed by an almighty bang. Startled by the noise, we both ran out of the room, with Dixie joining us on the landing in hot pursuit.
Nothing could’ve prepared us for the sight awaiting us. Rose was lying in a lifeless, crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs.
Chapter 8
The next hour was punctuated by flashing blue lights, sirens and medical jargon. As soon as Rose got to the hospital, she was whisked away to have her injuries assessed and treated. Noah and I sat in silence waiting for news, our feud temporarily on ice. His large frame was hunched forward and he made a little pyramid with his fingers to rest his chin on.
‘God, I hope she’s OK.’ His voice was gruff and thick, like he was trying to keep his emotions below the surface. ‘Why the hell aren’t they telling us anything?!’
I chewed my thumbnail as I tried to work out how best to comfort him. We’d only known each other for a couple of days and had spent most of that fighting, so I wasn’t in the best position to offer platitudes or advice. But I also didn’t want to do nothing. It wasn’t fair to leave him feeling terrible just because I wasn’t sure how to handle it.
I reached over and tentatively patted his back. To my surprise, he didn’t flinch or pull away. ‘I’m sure she’ll be all right; she came round for a bit in the ambulance, remember? Shall we try to find a doctor, see what’s going on?’
‘What if she’s not OK? I don’t know what I’ll do if—’
Noah gave himself a shake and scrubbed a hand over his face. All the colour had gone from his skin and he looked genuinely afraid, although he was doing his best to hide it. I felt incredibly sorry for him; Rose was obviously an important person in his life and he was now faced with the prospect of losing her. As much as we’d fought since I’d arrived in Luna Bay, it was awful to see him going through something so terrifying. I felt absolutely useless for not knowing how to offer anything in the way of comfort or support. Business was my strong point, not emotions. Closing deals came easily to me; helping someone through a difficult time was a lot trickier. I searched my brain for the right thing to do or say, but no answers came. I found myself missing Frankie’s wit and wisdom even more. It came in handy at times like this.
‘I’ll go and get us both a coffee and see if I can find someone who’ll help. Once you know what’s happening with Rose, you’ll be able to relax a bit more.’
He nodded, staring off into space like he was in a catatonic trance. I watched him for a second as I walked down the corridor in search of a doctor and a vending machine. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through: the fear, the guilt, the swarm of what ifs flying through his mind at lightning speed. Noah Hartley looked like a man on the edge. And, much as I didn’t want to admit it, I felt incredibly sorry for him.
*
By the time I brought two mugs of weak-looking coffee back, two people had joined Noah: a man and a woman. The man looked similar to him – same colour of hair and shape of lips – while the woman had curly brown hair and bright-green eyes. They were chatting in hushed tones and stopped when they saw me. That seemed to be happening a lot with the residents of Luna Bay I’d met so far.
‘This was all I could find; sorry, it’s a bit crap-looking.’ I thrust a cup in Noah’s direction and almost spilled it on his jeans. ‘I found a doctor. He said he’ll be here to fill us in on what’s going on with Rose soon.’
He looked at me for a second, his expression unreadable. ‘Thanks, Emily, I really appreciate
it.’ His face soured when he took a sip of the coffee. ‘Although this tastes like a tramp’s fart.’
The man and woman looked expectantly at me and I suddenly remembered I hadn’t introduced myself.
‘Where are my manners?! I’m Emily Reed. I’m staying at Sunflower Cottage for a while.’
I decided not to drop ‘I’m here to buy up Sunflower Cottage for a huge hotel chain’ into the conversation, especially not at such a fraught time.
‘Nice to meet you, I’m Noah’s cousin, Jake. This is Lucy, the missus.’
The curly-haired woman playfully slapped his arm. ‘I prefer the word girlfriend, actually! It’s nice to meet you, Emily.’
‘She’s the nice lady who’s here to take Rose’s business away from her,’ Noah chipped in.
The friendly air immediately soured and I screwed my eyes shut to avoid Jake and Lucy’s suspicious stares.
‘What Noah conveniently forgot to mention is that Rose actually wants to sell the place. All I’m here to do is buy it from her on behalf of the company I work for. So I’m not the big bad wolf like he says I am, just someone trying to do their job.’
I finished with a smile and put a hand on my hip, showing them I wasn’t to be messed with. Jake and Lucy looked at Noah, then at me, as though they weren’t sure what to make of the situation.
‘Rose can’t be selling up, can she?’ Lucy sadly twisted a lock of hair around her finger. ‘She’s run Sunflower Cottage for as long as I can remember.’
Jake slung an arm round her shoulders. ‘Maybe she fancies a break or something; she might want to spend time with her grandkids or go on a world cruise.’
‘That’s not Rose, though; she doesn’t have any grandkids. And she loves Sunflower Cottage! I can’t imagine it without her.’
‘I’ve offered to help her run it,’ said Noah. ‘I’d even take it over permanently and give up the garage if she wanted me to. But no. Apparently she’d rather sell to some huge chain who’ll rip the heart and soul out of it.’
Noah glared at me and I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. I was about to argue back and state my case when a doctor appeared before us. She had a smile on her face, which I took to be a good sign.
‘Are you with Rose White?’ she asked.
Noah nodded and stood up, trying to be brave but giving away how worried he really was. ‘How is she? Will she be OK?’
‘She suffered quite a nasty bump on the head when she fell and it’s given her concussion. The biggest concern we have, though, is her leg. She broke her tibia in two places and she needs surgery to pin the bone back together again.’
I looked up and saw Noah run a hand over his pale, worried face. Jake and Lucy rallied round him; they hugged him, patted his shoulder and told him everything would be OK. I kept my distance, but felt a sinking feeling in my heart for doing so. I knew I should go over and say something – anything – that might help, but also that it probably wouldn’t be well received. So instead I stayed an outsider, watching a scene that for some reason I wanted to be a part of.
‘A… and when will she be having this surgery? How long until she’ll be back on her feet? She’s got a guesthouse to run, you see,’ said Noah.
The doctor sighed and looked at us from behind her large, round glasses. ‘We’ve got her booked in at our earliest slot in three days’ time; there’s been a last-minute cancellation. Otherwise, she’d have been looking at a pretty lengthy wait. Recovery times vary from patient to patient and Rose isn’t as young as she used to be. Best-case scenario, we’ll get her up and moving on crutches within a week or two. She’ll need help running her guesthouse for quite a while, though. I take it she has staff to give her a hand?’
Noah looked over at me for a moment, and then snapped his gaze away when our eyes met. From where I stood, I heard him mumble something about there being plenty of help and thanked the doctor for her time. She mentioned that Rose was now able to have visitors, then walked off back to the ward.
He sat back down, tipped his head forward and laced his fingers at the nape of his neck. ‘Well, I wasn’t expecting that!’
‘At least she’s OK, though,’ I replied, trying to keep things positive. ‘It could’ve been a lot worse.’
Jake, Lucy and Noah all looked at me and I pursed my lips shut. If I needed any more proof that I wasn’t wanted here, that was it.
‘Emily’s right,’ said Lucy. ‘At least she wasn’t more seriously hurt. A broken leg isn’t so bad when you think of what could’ve happened.’
My heart did a little jump and I risked a smile. It was nice to hear that one person didn’t think I was the devil incarnate just for doing my job.
‘Listen, mate, I’ve got a supplier meeting to get to but we’ll be up to visit her later, OK?’ Jake said, slapping Noah on the back.
‘Thanks for coming, guys, I really appreciate it.’
They took it in turns to say goodbye to him and threw polite smiles to me before leaving. Noah heaved a huge sigh then turned to me.
‘You don’t have to be here, you know. I can manage on my own. Go back to Sunflower Cottage if you want.’
I bit my lip and looked at the floor. ‘Look, I know I’m not your favourite person in the world. You’ve made it clear you don’t like me and I don’t blame you. But being here on your own isn’t a good idea. What if things take a turn for the worse and you need someone to support you? Wouldn’t you rather have someone here instead of no one at all?’
His expression softened and he nodded. ‘I never thought I’d say this, but you’re right. Rose isn’t out of the woods yet and, if I’m honest, I’d appreciate the company. Nothing worse than being alone with your worst thoughts swirling round your head.’
We looked at each other and exchanged weak smiles. For the time being at least, it seemed our bickering was over.
*
Rose was dazed, confused and pretty grumpy. Not surprising, considering she’d taken a nasty tumble down a flight of wooden stairs.
‘You’d think, after everything I’ve been through, they could give me a decent cuppa!’ Her words were slightly slurred and her gaze went all over the place. ‘This tastes like horse piss!’
I covered my mouth to hide a giggle. She was probably the person least likely to swear, so to hear it coming out of her mouth was funny.
‘We’ll talk to the nurses and see what they can do,’ Noah said. ‘What happened, Rose? How did you fall down the stairs?’
He gently took her hand in his and I felt my breath catch in my throat. The bond between them was so tender and beautiful. It was clear to anyone how much they meant to each other. Noah’s voice, demeanour and gestures were completely different around her. He was spiky and sullen to me, but with Rose it was as though he allowed himself to open up a little more, like she was the one person he valued in the world above everyone else. Meanwhile, she looked at him like a mother would a son.
She shook her head and sighed. ‘I’d been putting towels in room two and I was rushing back down to make a start on the welcome basket for the new guests. I must’ve gone too quickly because I tripped and fell.’
Noah smiled and I saw him give her hand a squeeze. ‘What are we going to do with you, eh? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes!’
Rose let out a weak chuckle that made her cough. He immediately rushed to help her and propped up her pillows.
‘Can I get you some water?’ I asked.
She nodded and I went to the water cooler outside to fill a cup of water for her. As I made my way back, I noticed they were deep in conversation about something. I stopped a few feet away to listen.
‘You’ve got the garage to think about, Noah; you can’t just abandon that to run a guesthouse!’
He sighed and his gaze fell to the floor. ‘Rose, we don’t have a choice. You won’t be able to serve the breakfast or clean the rooms until you’re better again and, in the meantime, you’re going to need some help. I can take some time off at the garage. It’s no trouble;
I’m owed some holiday anyway and you know I’d love to help more at Sunflower Cottage.’
Rose opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind. ‘You’re right; there’s lots of things I won’t be able to do with a broken leg and I don’t want to let the guests down. The garage won’t give you enough time off to run the place until I’m better, though, and you can’t be in two places at once. We’ll have to think of who could come in to help you, even a few days a week.’
He shook his head. ‘Just leave everything to me and concentrate on getting yourself better. I’ll manage fine on my own; you’ve got nothing to worry about.’
She sighed and pursed her lips. ‘Noah, you’re a lovely boy wanting to take all this on for me, but between the garage and the guesthouse you’ll be run ragged. We’ll make some phone calls to see who can come in to give you a hand. If we can’t find anyone, we might have to consider cancelling some bookings.’
I cleared my throat and took a step forward, bringing an end to their conversation.
‘Sorry, I… I couldn’t help overhearing that you need an extra pair of hands to help run Sunflower Cottage.’ I felt myself blush a little as two pairs of eyes stared back at me, obviously wondering why I’d been eavesdropping on their private chat.
Noah cocked his head slightly to one side, as though he was trying to suss out my intentions. He sat back in his chair, arms folded and a suspicious look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but Rose beat him to it.
‘Yes, we’re going to find ourselves a little short-staffed until I’m back on my feet. Don’t suppose you could recommend anyone, could you?’
The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to properly think about them. I wasn’t usually one to speak without engaging my brain first, but the last few days had shown that pretty much anything was possible.
‘Actually, I can,’ I said. ‘Me.’
Noah made a noise that fell somewhere between a snort and a laugh. ‘You?! No offence, but do you know anything about running a guesthouse? You buy them up for the company you work for, but have you ever actually worked in one?’