by Lynsey James
Diane got up and brought over a large cardboard box. ‘Here, I want you to have these. If you want to know everything there is to know about Derek, it’s in these videos. Everything he was, as well as everything he wasn’t, is here. Give them a watch when you’re back in Scotland. Or, if by some miracle you decide to stay here, maybe we could watch them together. Oh, the stories I could tell you about that man!’
I looked down at them, eager to start watching them and unravel the man who’d been in my life for twenty-five years without my knowing it.
‘Thanks for these, Diane. I can’t wait to watch them. I don’t think I’ll be staying in Luna Bay, though; things are pretty unfixable from where I’m standing.’
She raised an eyebrow and looked knowingly at me. ‘Oh, I don’t think so. Emily, you’re a brilliant businesswoman; all you have to do is do what you do best. You know how to negotiate, right? Just tempt Paul with an even better offer that’ll make that two-million-pound deal look like pocket money. Show him how keeping Sunflower Cottage exactly as it is will be more beneficial in the long run.’
Ideas immediately began to brew in my head and, slowly but surely, a solution started to form.
‘You know what, Diane, you might be on to something there! I’ll need to hurry up, though; I don’t have much time before I have to go back to Glasgow. Thanks for everything; I’m really looking forward to watching these videos.’
I went downstairs and put the cardboard box in Cilla’s back seat. My idea for saving Sunflower Cottage had taken root and I was now sure of what I had to do. My first stop was the B&B itself; the plan couldn’t work without the place’s two biggest fans on board, after all!
‘What do you want?’ Noah asked when he opened the door. ‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one day?’
‘Look, I know you don’t believe I didn’t know about Walter Marshall’s plans to knock this place down. Quite frankly, I don’t care about that at the moment. I’ve got a plan to save this place and I need you and Rose to help.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m sure it’s a wonderful plan, Emily, but we can really do without you causing more chaos round here.’
He went to close the door, but I stuck my foot in it. ‘Listen, you want to save this place, don’t you? I’m not promising it’ll definitely work, but I want to try! You’ve got nothing to lose by hearing me out, have you?’
‘All right, all right, I’m listening. What did you have in mind?’
‘It goes a little something like this…’
Chapter 27
My plan to save Sunflower Cottage came together quicker than I could’ve imagined. All it needed was the residents of Luna Bay, a video camera and some editing skills. The idea was to film clips of people saying what Sunflower Cottage meant to them, which I’d present to Paul’s bosses along with the required facts and figures to make them see that ruining Sunflower Cottage was a bad idea.
‘Do you really think this’ll work?’ Noah asked as we set out for our first day of filming.
‘If we can show my boss’s bosses how much Sunflower Cottage means to everyone, there’s no way they’ll replace it with some ugly resort,’ I replied.
Noah nodded, but still looked a little sceptical. ‘OK, well, I suppose we’ll see, eh? Aren’t you supposed to be back in Scotland by now, by the way?’
I shrugged. ‘They screwed me over by not telling me about the development; they’ve got no room to complain about me being a day or so late.’
A fragile peace had been forged between us as we’d united in our common goal to save the B&B. Rose was still treating me with suspicion, but had agreed to letting me help out.
‘We’re up shit creek anyway,’ she’d said. ‘May as well paint the canoe black.’
The first stop in Operation Save Sunflower Cottage was the Purple Partridge. After all, who better to kick off our campaign than Luna Bay’s happiest couple?
‘What’s she doing here?’ Jake asked, shooting me a look of contempt. ‘I thought it was her fault Sunflower Cottage was getting knocked down.’
‘It is,’ said Noah, ‘but she’s got a pretty good idea to help save it. It might not work, but it’s worth a try, eh?’
‘What’s the video camera for?’ Lucy came out from behind the bar to watch me set it up on the tripod.
‘It’s part of my idea to save Sunflower Cottage. My company’s big on profits, but even they won’t be able to argue with a whole village saying how much they love the B&B. If we can convince them that Sunflower Cottage is too valued in the community to be knocked down, there’s no way that resort will be built.’
She raised her eyebrows, but there was no burst of enthusiasm. ‘Are you sure that’ll work? I can’t see a huge company listening to the likes of us. I mean, we’re only a small village, aren’t we?’
I fixed the last leg of the tripod into place. ‘Believe it or not, Walter Marshall Hotels has a heart. My boss might be a money-grabbing swine, but his bosses have their heads screwed on. This’ll work; just trust me. If it doesn’t, you can ban me from the Purple Partridge for life.’
‘Deal.’ Lucy shook my hand and went to get ready for her ‘big video debut’.
I went onto the little stage and grabbed the microphone.
‘Is this thing on? Testing, testing…’ A huge screech of feedback echoed round the room, making everyone wince. ‘H… hi, everyone. I hope you’re having a nice afternoon. My name’s Emily Reed and I’m a business development executive from Walter Marshall Hotels.’
‘Oh, so you’re the reason Sunflower Cottage is being knocked down?’ a voice from the back shouted.
‘Yeah, that would be me… But like you guys, I love Sunflower Cottage and I want to save it from what my company is planning to do to it. To do that, though, I need your help. If you wouldn’t mind taking a couple of minutes to let me know why you love the B&B, I’d really appreciate it.’
A murmur worked its way round the room and it generally sounded like everyone agreed with me.
‘Count me in,’ someone said.’
‘Anything for Sunflower Cottage,’ said another.
‘Great!’ I yelled a little too loudly into the microphone. ‘So who wants to go first?’
*
In an hour, Noah and I managed to collect over twenty video testimonials as to why Sunflower Cottage should be saved. My personal favourite was the man who’d met his wife when she’d worked in room service there. Twenty-eight years later, they were still happily married with three kids and a grandchild on the way.
‘These are fantastic,’ I choked out as I watched them back. ‘Did you see the one from the person who was one of Rose’s first ever employees?’
Noah nodded as he put a fresh bowl of food down for Dixie. ‘Yeah, they’re really good, aren’t they? Do you think your bosses will go for it, though? I keep thinking about what Lucy said about us just being a small village. She’s right, isn’t she?’
‘If I’d thought for a second this plan would fail, I wouldn’t have bothered with it. This show of community spirit is the sort of thing they love, trust me. They’ll see how much people round here love Sunflower Cottage, decide the bad PR isn’t worth the hassle and build their resort somewhere else.’
He threw himself down on the couch and landed a little too close to me. As our bodies touched, he backed away like I’d shocked him.
‘S… sorry…’
‘No worries.’ I swallowed hard and hoped my cheeks weren’t turning as crimson as I thought they were. ‘A… a few more testimonials and we’ll be good to go, I think. We should ask Diane; she’s a local business owner and long-time resident. I… in fact, I think I’ll go down and get her response now before she shuts up the café for the day.’
I shot up from the couch and grabbed the camera equipment, desperate to escape from the awkward situation before I said or did something to make it worse.
‘Do you want me to come with you?’ Noah asked.
I shook my head,
determined not to meet his gaze. I knew if I looked into his gorgeous eyes, I’d be right back at square one. I’d lost him and, as much as that hurt, I had to keep moving forward.
‘No, it’s fine. I’ll be able to do it myself.’
I made a hasty and very undignified exit, tripping over a loose tripod leg on my way out.
Ten out of ten, Emily.
*
Diane was serving a customer when I got to the Moonlight Café. The smell of chocolate fudge cake ensnared my senses and, for a minute, I considered abandoning my camera equipment to sit down and have a slice.
But this wasn’t a time for tea and cake. This was a time for taking action.
I joined the queue until I eventually reached Diane.
‘Hiya, love.’ She greeted me with a sunny smile. ‘How’s tricks? Did you manage to watch any of those videos yet?’
‘Not yet,’ I admitted, feeling guilty after promising to watch them. ‘I will, though. The reason I’m here is I wanted to ask you a favour. I’ve come up with a plan to save Sunflower Cottage and I was hoping you’d like to be involved in it. All you have to do is let me record you saying what the B&B means to you. What do you think?’
Her smile broadened. ‘I’d love to! Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll be across.’
True to her word, Diane arrived at my table a few minutes later. Her floral apron was covered in flour and she had a smear of chocolate fudge on her cheek.
‘God, look at me – I’m a mess!’ She rubbed at it until it came off and threw her apron on an available chair. ‘Right, what would you like me to say?’
I focused the camera on her, lined up my shot and sat down. ‘Just tell me what Sunflower Cottage means to you, that’s all.’
She took a deep breath to compose herself before beginning. ‘Well, the B&B is practically an historic landmark in this village. It’s been here ever since I can remember, owned by various people, though. Rose is the best owner by far; her heart and soul are in that place. It’s become a real hub for the community too, with the breakfast club. Although we’ve always felt welcome at the B&B, the breakfast club has given everyone an excuse to congregate there once a week for a delicious home-cooked meal. Everyone in Luna Bay has a memory connected to Sunflower Cottage and to rip that away would be to rip away a lifetime of memories and experiences.’
I grinned broadly and gave her a thumbs-up before getting up to turn off the camera. ‘Diane, that was absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much!’
She reached over and pulled me into a warm hug. ‘You know, Derek would be so bloody proud of you. He was always standing up for causes he believed in – usually some sort of injustice at the cricket club – and he loved taking action against things he believed were unfair.’
The compliment caught me off-guard and I wondered if I was about to burst into tears. Luckily, I managed to keep them at bay.
‘Thanks, Diane; I hope I’m able to make him proud.’
She took my hand in hers and squeezed it. ‘I think you already have.’
*
I spent the rest of the day glued to my laptop, editing the video clips together. I layered them together and sequenced them so they flowed naturally.
‘How’s tricks, Maestro?’ Noah’s voice from the doorway made me jump.
‘It’s actually coming together,’ I replied. ‘D’you fancy having a look?’
‘Go on then.’ He came over and sat down on the bed next to me. The heat from his body burned onto mine and I tried my best not to show how awkward it made me feel.
I pressed Play and the video started. One by one, the residents of Luna Bay told the camera why Sunflower Cottage meant so much to them. The reasons were varied and some of them had even included little anecdotes about times they’d spent there.
‘Wow.’ Noah’s voice was barely a whisper. ‘This looks really good. We might actually have a chance at saving the place with this.’
I blushed with pleasure. ‘It was nothing really; video editing’s quite easy when you know how to do it.’
He put the laptop down and looked at me. ‘It’s not nothing, Emily. What you’ve done for Sunflower Cottage, for Rose and me… That could never be called nothing. We were way too hard on you before; we should’ve known you didn’t know anything about what the company was planning. We were just angry, that’s all. I’m sorry.’
I nodded. ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t have believed me! It did kind of stretch credibility a bit, didn’t it? High-flying executive doesn’t know the company she works for is planning to knock down the B&B she’s been sent to buy! Doesn’t sound too good.’
‘I should’ve listened to you, though. I should’ve known you hadn’t come here with some sort of hidden agenda. So… you’ll definitely be leaving tomorrow then?’
I nodded. ‘Yup; I can’t wait to see Paul’s reaction when he finds out I’ve gone over his head with this! Promotion or no promotion, I hope the slimy little snake gets what’s coming to him.’
‘Look at you, turning into a little warrior! We could use people like you in Luna Bay, you know…’
He trailed off as he realised he’d brought up the contentious issue of my sticking around.
‘You know I’ve got a life back in Glasgow, Noah. I was always going back there when I was finished here and that hasn’t changed. I do love Luna Bay and Sunflower Cottage, but I can’t stay. I’m sorry.’
He nodded and drew away from me. ‘Yeah, I know that. I… I don’t blame you for saying no, to be honest. I’ve done nothing but blow hot and cold with you since you got here. One minute we’re getting on fine, the next we’re at each other’s throats. I love you, Emily. And that won’t change whether you’re here or in Glasgow. You’ve made me take a long, hard look at myself and I’ll admit I didn’t like what I saw. I was moody and insular and didn’t let anybody in; you made me change that. Mostly because you wouldn’t bloody leave me alone! You made me see that I don’t want to keep shutting people out. You’ve made a real difference to my life, even if you drove me nuts while you were doing it!’
‘Glad to know I haven’t been a total pain in the arse then!’ I laughed a little too loudly and went back to the task at hand. ‘I… I’d better get this done so I can send it on to the big bosses at Walter Marshall.’
With nothing else left to be said, he turned on his heel and went out of the room. As I watched him leave, four little words popped out of my mouth.
‘I love you too.’
Chapter 28
My real final day in Luna Bay was spent doing two things: saying goodbye to the friends I’d made and convincing myself I was doing the right thing returning to Glasgow. A voice at the back of my mind told me I was making a huge mistake, but I ignored it. I was going back to what I was safe in and comfortable with. Throwing away all of that to move to Luna Bay would be rash and selfish, not to mention completely unreasonable. Noah and I would probably flounder within a month, I told myself. Yet as I saw him around Sunflower Cottage playing with Dixie or chatting to Rose, I wondered how I was going to find the strength to leave him behind.
Lucy was extremely sad to hear I was leaving when I visited her at the Purple Partridge.
‘You’d better come and visit, you hear? Or I’ll be on the first bloody train to Glasgow to annoy you.’ She pulled me in for a tight hug. ‘And don’t forget you’re going to have a wedding to come to!’
I gave her an affectionate squeeze before releasing her. ‘Just you try and stop me from visiting! And I’ll be there front and centre at your wedding, big hat and all!’
Jake came out from behind the bar and gave me a farewell hug. ‘You do know you’re breaking my cousin’s heart, right? He really wants you to stay, Emily. In fact, we all do.’
I gave a vague nod as I recalled his speech from the previous night. It had been so impassioned, but I’d still said no. What kind of person did that make me?
‘I know,’ I said hoarsely. ‘But I have to go back; it’s the right thing to do.’
Next on my goodbye list was Diane, who also made me promise to visit regularly.
‘I was thinking – and you can say no to this if you like – but what about we visit Derek’s grave next time you’re here? You can have a chat with him or something. What do you think?’
My heart soared. ‘I’d love that, Diane! It’d be really lovely to spend some time with him, even if it’s not in person. I’ll be back really soon, I promise.’
Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled me in for a final hug. Sadness swelled inside me as the voice in the back of my mind grew louder. You’re making a huge mistake, it chanted. You’re happy here. Stay in Luna Bay.
*
Once I was packed, I prepared to send the video montage to Paul’s bosses, along with statistics, facts and figures that showed why keeping the existing Sunflower Cottage was a better idea. I even planned to offer to find a different site for the resort so the project could still go ahead. I had it all ready and was hovering over the Send button when an idea popped into my head.
‘Let’s see,’ I said to Dixie. ‘I think we’ve got one more trick up our sleeve before we send this. What do you reckon?’
She looked at me, wagging her tail and her tongue hanging out. I took it as a gesture of support. I got off the bed and bent down to stroke her, before picking up my phone to call Paul.
‘What now, Emily? Why the hell aren’t you back yet anyway?’
‘I just wanted to let you know that I’ve submitted a pretty strong case to your bosses for why Sunflower Cottage shouldn’t be demolished.’
A low, guttural roar came bursting through the phone. ‘What? Why the hell did you do that? Did you not hear me the last time? The deal is worth two million pounds! You’ve never cared about a place like this before. What’s different about that grotty little hovel?’
I gritted my teeth and balled my hands into fists. I was so angry I was sure steam was coming out of my ears like some cartoon character.