Christmas at Conwenna Cove

by Darcie Boleyn

  ‘And you do work from home,’ Louise added.

  ‘True, so I’d be there for her.’

  ‘But won’t she need rehabilitation and aftercare?’ Her father folded his paper and placed it on the table.

  ‘Possibly. But she’s just the sweetest thing and even though she was in great discomfort, she was still so gentle.’ Grace’s vision blurred. Thinking about Hope’s beautiful amber eyes and the sadness she’d seen there made her heart break. No creature should have to go through that. Ever.

  ‘Well, love, there are also other options.’ Her mother took her hand. ‘You could always move here.’

  Grace lowered her eyes. ‘Do you think it would be a good idea?’

  ‘Grace, are you considering it?’ Louise squeezed her hand.

  ‘I might be.’

  ‘Oh, my darling, it would be wonderful if you did. You will always have a home with us, you know that, don’t you? You and your dog… or your twenty dogs.’

  ‘Steady on there, Louise. Twenty dogs?’ Simon coughed.

  ‘You know what I mean.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum, and yes I do know that. However, I think if I do decide to come here permanently, I will need to get my own place.’

  Somewhere I can spend time alone with Oli…

  Where had that thought come from?

  ‘I understand that, love. But in the first instance, you can stay here. Until you find somewhere you like.’

  ‘Thank you. Right, I’m going to jump in the shower then go to see Hope. I want to check on her progress.’

  ‘Of course, love.’

  ‘And remember, I’m considering moving here but I might not actually move, so don’t get too excited.’

  ‘I won’t.’ Her mother winked. ‘Or about the possibility that there could be romance blossoming…’

  ‘Mum!’

  Grace shook her head then stomped up the stairs, pretending to be far more indignant than she really was.

  Chapter 14

  The surgery was busy when Grace walked in, rubbing her hands together to try to improve the circulation and warm up. She stood in the line in front of the reception desk, trying not to stare at the people around her.

  The smell of animals and wet coats hung heavily in the air. Outside, a cold drizzle was falling from the leaden sky and it clung to Grace’s coat and hat, making her shiver even though she was now indoors.

  ‘Toby, stop that!’

  Grace turned to find a small white terrier sniffing around her feet.

  ‘Oh, it’s okay, honestly,’ she smiled at the elderly woman in front of her.

  ‘You won’t be saying that if he… Oh, Toby! Now that’s naughty!’

  Grace looked down to see the dog cocking his leg and a stream of yellow urine covered her boot. She instinctively shook her leg, which caused the urine to splash over the man queuing behind her.

  ‘Watch what you’re doing,’ he growled.

  ‘Sorry.’ She grimaced.

  ‘Here…’ The woman handed her some tissues. ‘I’m so sorry. He only wees over people he likes.’

  ‘Great. That makes me feel much better.’

  ‘I hope they’re not your best ones.’

  ‘No, they’re an old pair and so far they’ve been waterproof, so fingers crossed.’

  Grace dabbed the tissues over her foot, hoping that the black leather boots really would stay waterproof. She didn’t fancy having a urine-soaked sock.

  When she got to the desk, she smiled at the receptionist.

  ‘Hi, I’m Grace.’

  ‘And I’m Pamela. What animal are you bringing in?’ The woman hovered her fingers above a keyboard and peered over her glasses at Grace.

  ‘Oh, I’m not bringing one in.’

  ‘So you’re here to collect one then?’

  ‘Uh, no. Actually I’m here to see Hope.’

  ‘But she’s not yours?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Hang on a minute…’ Pamela chewed a pencil she’d pulled from behind her ear. ‘You’re the woman Maxine told me about. Oooh! I shouldn’t have said that out loud.’

  ‘What? I mean, excuse me?’

  ‘Nothing!’ Pamela winked. ‘Right, dear, if you just go on through that door, then through the next one, you’ll find Hope. But you know where it is anyway, don’t you? The greyhound is, thankfully, a bit perkier this morning.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  When Grace entered the recovery room, the combined smell of antiseptic and disinfectant hit her like a wall. It was overpowering and laced with the strong doggy smell from reception. She paused for a moment to allow her nose to adjust.

  ‘Hello, Grace. How are you?’

  She met Maxine’s kind eyes.

  ‘Hi Maxine, I’m not bad at all thank you. And you?’

  ‘A bit tired but can’t grumble. I take it you’re here to see Hope?’

  ‘That’s right.’ Grace approached the crate where Hope lay on her side. ‘How is she?’

  ‘Well, we’ve stabilized her now and she’s responding well to the antibiotics. She also managed to eat a small breakfast, so the fact that she has an appetite is very positive.’

  ‘That’s great news. Do you think she’ll be all right now?’ Grace knelt by the crate and gazed at the dog. Hope was sleeping soundly, her pink tongue lolling from the side of her mouth.

  ‘I should think so, as long as those wounds heal and she puts on weight. As for mentally though… it depends. She’s been through a lot.’

  ‘I wonder what happened to her pups.’

  ‘Probably sold on for racing or being groomed to use as hunting dogs.’

  ‘It’s so awful isn’t it?’

  ‘Many things we see are, Grace. But there are also lots of wonderful things too. Like the fact that our resident cat is doing so well with her little ones.’

  Grace followed Maxine’s finger to a crate set higher up. She got to her feet and peered into it. ‘Oh, aren’t they adorable. Oli told us all about them over lunch yesterday, and Mum and Dad seemed keen to meet them when they’re ready for homing.’

  ‘And what about you? You seem to have taken a shine to this little girl?’

  Maxine had returned to Hope’s crate.

  ‘I would love to give her a home. I mean, I know I’d have to be checked out and all that to ensure suitability. But my main problem is that I live so far away… and in a flat.’

  ‘Well, that’s not always a problem as long as the dog will be exercised, but if she was going to be alone for long periods of time then it might be an issue.’

  ‘She wouldn’t be because I work from home. In fact, I can work anywhere because I write.’

  ‘That must be nice.’

  ‘Actually,’ Grace watched Maxine carefully for her reaction, ‘I’m thinking of possibly relocating.’

  ‘To Conwenna?’

  ‘Yes. It’s only an idea at the moment, but my parents would like it and I’ll miss them terribly if I don’t and…’ She bit her lip. ‘Well… it’s just something I’ve been mulling over.’

  Maxine’s smile widened. ‘Can’t say I blame you.’

  ‘My parents love it here and now I’ve been here for a while, I can see why. If they’re here, then it’s quite a distance from Cardiff and we’ve always been so close. I’ll really miss them. So, maybe, I’ll move.’

  ‘Nothing to keep you in Wales then?’

  Grace shook her head. ‘Nothing at all to be honest.’

  ‘Yet Conwenna Cove holds many attractions.’

  ‘It does.’

  ‘Just remember what we spoke about at the beach, Grace. Oli’s a good guy and those children are so precious. Be sure before you make any big decisions. I couldn’t bear to see him hurt.’

  ‘There’s nothing to worry about there. As I said before—’

  ‘Grace, that man has a spring in his step for the first time in years. And I’m fairly certain it’s because of you. So if you have feelings for him, go for it.’

  ‘Go for
what?’ Oli’s deep voice interrupted them.

  Grace froze and Maxine gasped.

  ‘Oh… uh… Maxine was just telling me to try the local…’

  ‘Ice cream.’

  ‘Yes. Ice cream.’

  ‘Sounded like quite a serious conversation to me. Rather serious indeed if it was about ice cream.’

  ‘Well, it is very cold to be eating ice cream, I suppose.’ Maxine handed him a chart, then went to the door. ‘Just popping to the loo.’

  When they were left alone, Oli moved closer. ‘She’s doing okay, Grace. I think she’ll make a full recovery. It’s early days obviously but she ate this morning, and she’s been to the toilet, so they’re good signs.’

  ‘Will she be able to trust people again?’

  ‘That’s the one thing we can’t predict. But every time I’ve examined her, she’s been… grateful. It’s the only way I can describe it. She even licked my hand this morning. You’d think she’d be terrified of me, as I suspect her owners were male, but although she’s a bit anxious at times, she seems to sense that I won’t hurt her.’

  He was right next to her now and Grace’s heart was pounding at his proximity. She tilted her head and met his blue-green gaze.

  ‘Of course you wouldn’t hurt her.’

  ‘It’s not in my nature to hurt anyone or anything.’

  He leaned closer.

  ‘Or mine.’

  He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. His lips were soft and warm and his breath tickled her skin.

  ‘So what do you think about Grace moving to Conwenna Cove then?’

  Oli and Grace jumped apart as Maxine entered the room.

  ‘What?’ Oli stared at Grace. ‘You’re moving here?’

  He ran a hand through his hair then rubbed his face.

  ‘I’m considering it.’

  ‘Oh… that’s…’ Oli opened and closed his mouth a few times.

  What was wrong? Grace hadn’t wanted him to find out like that but he seemed shocked. Didn’t he like the idea of her moving here permanently? Had he just wanted some fun then to wave goodbye?

  ‘Grace… that’s great.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She knelt back down by Hope’s crate and stroked her paw where it lay against the thin bars.

  ‘Right, uh… I have patients to see. We’ll speak later?’

  Grace nodded, but didn’t raise her eyes.

  Oli’s reaction had cut her to the core. Had it shown that he didn’t want her around long term? Well, that was fine. She hadn’t made any concrete plans anyway, so she’d just revert to her original plan and go home after she’d seen in the New Year.

  But if it was fine, why was her stomach now a boiling pot of acid? And why were there hot tears burning her eyes?

  * * *

  Oli checked the house from top to bottom again: Lights off. Plugs off. Windows closed. Children ready.

  ‘I’m excited, Daddy,’ Amy said, peering out from under her woolly hat.

  ‘And me!’ Tom hoped from one foot to the other.

  ‘Tom have you been to the toilet?’

  ‘Uh…’

  ‘I told you to go, didn’t I? Otherwise you’ll want to go as soon as we get to the cove. I know you.’ Oli shook his head. ‘Go on and be quick!’

  Tom nodded then pulled off his gloves and hurried to the downstairs toilet that led off the kitchen.

  ‘Do you need to go?’ Oli asked his daughter.

  ‘No, Daddy.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I already went.’

  ‘Great. Right I checked everything, so we’re good to go.’

  He patted his coat pockets.

  ‘Nope. I don’t have my mobile.’

  ‘It’s in the kitchen on the table.’

  ‘Thanks, Amy. What would I do without you?’

  He rushed through to the kitchen and located his mobile then automatically checked it as he picked it up. No messages and no missed calls. The cheerful veneer he’d assumed all day wavered. It was now Thursday, and he hadn’t seen or heard from Grace since Monday when she’d come to the surgery to see Hope. She’d been in again on Tuesday and Wednesday, but only when he wasn’t around.

  Oli had sent Grace three text messages asking if she was all right and in the third one, he’d invited her to Carols at the Cove this evening, but she hadn’t replied. He knew it could be because she was having problems with her mobile; the signal for some networks wasn’t always strong in Conwenna, or it could be that she’d not had time to reply. However, he doubted that it was either of those. In fact, he suspected that he’d upset her on Monday when Maxine had blurted out that Grace was thinking of moving to Conwenna Cove permanently.

  It was a good thing, a very good thing, especially if she did go ahead and adopt Hope. But for some reason, he’d been shocked when Maxine had told him and Grace had seen his reaction. Then he’d mumbled some excuse about having patients to see and hurried away. He’d acted like a gawky teenager afraid to talk about feelings and now he was cursing himself for it. His reaction had been inexcusable, yet he knew why it had happened. He’d analysed his own emotions enough over the past few years to know that he’d been struck by fear, the crippling paralysis of terror that overtook him when he worried about losing someone. Which was ironic really, because if Grace moved to Conwenna they actually had a chance of making a go of things between them, whereas, if she returned to Cardiff then a long distance relationship wouldn’t be ideal. Wouldn’t work at all logistically.

  In fact, it had made him afraid, because suddenly, what had been an enjoyable flirtation – although his feelings for Grace were undeniably growing stronger – could now become serious. And he didn’t know if he was ready for that, or if his children were ready for it.

  So he hadn’t gone to Grace’s parents’ cottage to try to find out if there was a problem with her phone signal, or to discover if she hated him now. He had shrunk back into himself and taken care of his children and done his job. It was what he’d done for two years, and he didn’t know if he had the energy to try to convince Grace that he wanted to be with her because he couldn’t be fully certain that he actually did. It was all so risky and he’d been hurt enough for one lifetime.

  He’d even considered not going down to the cove this evening for the traditional carols but Amy and Tom had been keen to go, telling him that all their friends would be there and that they’d be the odd ones out if they didn’t go. And he knew that Linda would have insisted they attend; she had loved Carols at the Cove, telling him that it was the proper start to the festivities, the way to know that Christmas had really arrived.

  ‘Ready, Daddy.’ Tom emerged from the toilet and held up his hands so Oli could put his gloves back on.

  ‘Come on then, let’s go.’

  They went out into the front garden and Oli locked the door, then he took Tom’s hand and they walked out past the surgery, where the lights were on in the back room, casting a glow through the side window, then out onto the main road and across to the steep path that led down to the beach. The sky was clear, the moon a semicircle above the sea, casting its ethereal glow over the black water below. The air was sharp, the ground frosty, crunching beneath their boots.

  ‘Amy, hold my hand.’

  ‘I don’t want to, I’m too old for that.’

  ‘No you’re not. Besides, the ground is slippery, so you need to be careful.’

  She shook her head and almost immediately skidded on a patch of ice. She flailed her arms around, and Oli reached out and grabbed her hand just in time to stop her falling on her bottom.

  ‘Thanks, Daddy.’

  ‘See, I told you to hold on.’

  She met his eyes and nodded.

  As they made their way down the path, they could see the beach below. The tide was out, and the sand seemed endless as it stretched out to meet the sea and to the rocks at either end of the beach. It was an open space, a secret cove, where anything seemed possible. A few dark shapes moved around and lanterns bobbed as the scene
was prepared for the evening’s celebrations.

  When Oli reached the bottom of the path, he helped the children down, then hopped onto the sand himself. He could see about thirty people milling around, their faces now illuminated by the moon and by the lanterns hanging from the canes planted in a semicircle in the sand. The local choir was there too, a combination of people from Conwenna Cove and nearby towns and villages.

  ‘Daddy, there’s Billy. Can I go and play with him?’ Tom asked.

  Oli followed Tom’s pointing finger.

  ‘Yes, but stay close and do not go anywhere near the water.’

  ‘Yes, Daddy.’

  ‘Amy, are any of your friends here?’

  She scanned the beach. ‘Yes, Tabitha and Frankie are sitting by the rocks.’

  ‘Well, go and see them if you want but remember the rules.’

  ‘I know, Daddy. No climbing and no swimming.’

  ‘Definitely not.’ She grinned then walked away.

  Oli went up to the trestle table that had been set up by Nate. A large stainless steel urn sat on the table and Oli knew that it would contain the café’s popular mulled wine, and that under the lid, segments of orange and lemon, as well as cinnamon sticks, would be floating in the warm spiced red wine.

  ‘Evening, Nate.’

  ‘Hi, Oli.’

  ‘Nice night for it.’

  ‘Perfect, right?’

  Nate’s beany was artfully positioned on the back of his head, in that fashionable slouchy way, and his blond hair stuck out from the front. His teeth glowed white in the moonlight and, as usual, he was smiling broadly, as if life was an easy journey that never fazed him at all.

  ‘Many locals coming?’ Oli asked, trying to seem nonchalant, but he felt like he’d just as well have a neon sign above his head saying, Grace, Come This Way!

  ‘I expect so. Kicks off in about ten minutes, so they’d better hurry up.’

  Oli nodded.

  ‘You want a mulled wine?’

  ‘I really do.’

  Nate handed him a plastic cup wrapped in a serviette and Oli’s mouth watered at the delicious aroma of cinnamon, cloves and berries.

  ‘I’ll pay for drinks for the children if that’s okay, then they can come pick them up when they’re thirsty.’