The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea

by Jennifer Joyce

  ‘Is he okay? What’s happening? Is he going to be all right?’ Willow pounced, both verbally and physically as she bounded towards Alfie.

  ‘He’s awake now,’ Alfie said, and both Mae and Willow breathed huge sighs of relief. ‘He’s had quite a few stitches, but I’ve X-rayed him and there don’t appear to be any broken bones. He is, however, feeling rather sorry for himself.’

  ‘If he looks miserable, that’s just his everyday face,’ Mae said, smiling weakly.

  ‘So he’s going to all right?’ Willow asked again.

  ‘I can’t promise anything,’ Alfie said. ‘But I think he’s a lucky kitty. I’m going to keep him in, at least overnight. Carrie’s just making him comfortable in his bed now. Tomorrow we’ll see if we can trace the owner. He isn’t chipped and he doesn’t have a collar, so we’re going to have to do an old-fashioned poster-on-lamppost job.’

  ‘What if you can’t trace his owner?’ Willow asked.

  ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,’ Alfie said. ‘Now, I don’t know about you two, but I could do with a stiff drink. Fisherman?’

  Normally, Mae would have declined, but these were not normal circumstances and she actually felt she could do with a drink to steady her nerves. She could leave her car outside and pick it up tomorrow before her shift at the pub.

  ‘Do you want to go and see him before we go?’ If Alfie was surprised by Mae’s acceptance of a drink with him, he didn’t show it. He led the two women to a wall of cages, where Chilly was curled up in one of them. He had bandages around his middle and one of his paws, and a little cone of shame.

  ‘He’s dosed up on painkillers,’ the veterinary nurse said as they peered in the cage at the cat. ‘So don’t be alarmed if he isn’t responsive.’

  ‘I’d like to pay for his treatment,’ Willow said as she placed a finger on the grate. ‘It’s my fault he’s in here.’

  ‘There’s no need,’ Alfie said. ‘He isn’t your responsibility.’

  Mae’s gaze dropped to the floor. Hadn’t she said something similar to Hannah earlier?

  ‘He isn’t your responsibility either.’ Willow lifted her chin. ‘And you weren’t the one who hit him with their van.’

  ‘I’m a vet.’ Alfie shrugged. ‘I’ll care for all animals, whether they have owners or not. If you’re feeling flush, there are some local animal charities I could recommend that would love a donation, though.’

  They said goodbye to Chilly and headed across to the Fisherman. Alfie invited the veterinary nurse and receptionist along, but the receptionist declined as she had to pick her children up from the childminder’s. Carrie, however, was free to join them.

  ‘Will he really be all right?’ Mae asked. They’d grabbed a table while Willow, who had insisted on buying a round of drinks, queued at the bar.

  ‘I’ll be keeping my eye on him, and I think he’s probably used up one of his nine lives, but I think he’ll get through it. He seems like a tough cookie.’

  Mae leaned against Alfie, suddenly exhausted by the evening. ‘Thank you. For looking after him. He means a lot to Hannah, even if he isn’t ours.’

  ‘It’s my pleasure,’ Alfie said. ‘I’ll look after him as though he was my own pet.’

  ‘Like you do with all the animals?’ Carrie piped up beside them. ‘I know I’ve only been working with you for a couple of days, but I’ve already noticed what a big softie you are.’

  ‘Ssh. Don’t tell everyone,’ Alfie said. ‘I have a macho image to uphold.’

  Carrie cocked an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

  Alfie shrugged. ‘Okay, maybe macho is too strong a word…’

  Carrie snorted. ‘You think?’ She grinned then, leaning in to nudge Alfie. ‘I’m kidding. You are very manly, especially in your scrubs.’

  Mae, who had been sitting shoulder to shoulder with Alfie, straightened in her seat. What was going on here? Was Carrie simply teasing Alfie – or was she flirting?

  ‘I bet you say that to all the boys,’ Alfie said and Carrie looked down at the table before peeking up at him through her lashes.

  ‘I really don’t.’

  Oh God. She was flirting and Mae was sitting in the middle of it like a gooseberry.

  ‘I’ll go and give Willow a hand with the drinks,’ she said, standing and backing away from the table. She joined Willow at the bar, one eye still on the table. She watched as Carrie placed a hand on Alfie’s arm, throwing her head back as she laughed at whatever joke he’d told. Mae mentally rolled her eyes at the display. Alfie could be amusing, but Carrie was laying it on a bit thick.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she asked, tearing her eyes away and placing a hand on Willow’s back.

  Willow shook her head. ‘Not really.’ She lifted a glass of brown liquid. ‘But this will help.’

  Mae looked across at the table where Carrie was listening intently to whatever Alfie was saying, leaning in close and pushing an impressive cleavage under his nose. She lifted her own glass, tipping the brandy into her mouth and grimacing as the alcohol burned her throat.

  It didn’t help at all.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Willow

  The first thought that entered Willow’s head when she woke on Saturday morning was Ethan and his imminent arrival. He was booked on a flight that morning and should arrive back in Clifton-on-Sea by lunchtime. Willow would leave the shop in Gary’s capable hands so she could pick Ethan up at the station and take him back to the bed and breakfast to drop off his things before they went out for lunch and a catch-up. Willow felt a giggle bubble up from her tummy. It would be like dating again, when the relationship was fresh and the anticipation of what lay ahead for them was unknown yet alluring, the stresses and strains yet to make an appearance.

  But the giggles ceased when she remembered the previous evening. The van, hitting Chilly, the blood, the stillness. Alfie was hopeful he’d pull through, but what if he didn’t? She pulled her knees in towards her body, pressing her face into the duvet. What had she done? Instead of the butterflies of a few moments ago, she now felt a shiver of dread in her stomach, the tang of bile in her throat. She lurched from the bed, stumbling to the bathroom where she fell to her knees in front of the toilet bowl, dry heaving until her throat felt raw. She pulled herself up onto her feet, her legs shaking beneath her, and stumbled to the sink, where she splashed her face with cold water and rinsed her mouth. Looking up into the mirror, she was aghast at the face staring back at her. Her eyes were dull and ringed with grey, her skin the colour of raw dough, and her cheeks had lost their rosy glow.

  I guess this is what a cat killer looks like, she thought as she drew her eyes away from her reflection. She returned to her room to grab her washbag. She tried not to gag as she gave her mouth a thorough brush, attempting to rid herself of the reminder of her session at the toilet bowl. She dressed in a navy-blue belted sundress, which she wouldn’t usually wear for work as it was impractical when she was getting messy in the workroom; but she wanted to look nice when she saw Ethan, and her usual short dungarees and ancient T-shirt just wouldn’t cut it. The dress fell just above the knee and swished as she walked, making her feel girlish as she headed into the kitchen. The pastries, cereal and fruit were set out on the breakfast bar, but Willow couldn’t face food as her stomach was still feeling delicate.

  ‘Morning,’ Mae said when she saw Willow. She was sitting at the table, attempting to coax Hannah into eating a bowl of cereal. ‘You look nice.’

  Willow lifted her mouth into what she hoped was a smile. She’d piled on the make-up, which was obviously having the desired effect. ‘Ethan’s coming home today, so I thought I’d make the effort.’ She glanced over at Hannah, then back to Mae. ‘Do you think I could have a word? In the living room?’

  ‘Of course.’ Mae turned to her daughter. ‘Eat that and then you can watch telly for ten minutes before we leave for Nanny’s.’ She pushed back her chair and followed Willow through to the living roo
m, where Willow closed the door behind them.

  ‘I didn’t want to mention the accident in front of Hannah,’ she said, her voice low. ‘But I was wondering if you’d heard from Alfie.’

  Mae shook her head. ‘Not yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.’ She reached out and gave Willow’s arm a comforting squeeze. ‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, though.’

  Willow nodded. ‘I hope so.’ She placed a hand on her stomach as it churned again, and prepared to sprint if the need arose. Luckily, it settled down and she headed outside, hesitating for a moment before climbing into the van. She briefly considered walking to the shop, preferring the fresh air to being cooped up, but she’d need the van soon as she was due to pick up the nursery furniture from Yasmina’s house mid morning.

  At the shop, she made a cup of coffee and took it through to the workroom where she switched on her computer and printed out the labels and invoices for orders that had come through overnight. She packed the items and put them aside to take over to the post office later. Sitting down at the counter, she took a tentative sip of her coffee. It tasted awful, but then she had started her morning with her head down the toilet bowl, so it wasn’t a surprise. She tipped the coffee down the sink and returned to the shop to get on with her morning duties. She was in the middle of dusting the window display when her phone started to ring. She picked it up, her stomach performing a non-nauseating flip when she saw her husband’s name on the display.

  ‘Hey, you.’ She picked up the duster with her free hand and continued with the job. ‘Are you at the airport?’

  ‘I am,’ Ethan said. ‘But I won’t be boarding any time soon. The flight’s been delayed.’

  Willow stopped dusting and stood up straight. ‘For how long?’

  ‘A few hours, at least. The time changed three times while we were on our way to the airport. At the minute, we’re looking at two o’clock.’

  ‘Two o’clock?’ Willow tried to keep the whine from her voice, but failed. There would be no lunch date, it seemed.

  ‘Sorry,’ Ethan said. ‘I’ll let you know when I know for sure, okay?’

  ‘Okay.’ Willow forced a smile, hoping it would be conveyed in her voice. ‘I can’t wait to see you.’

  ‘Me either. I’ve missed you.’

  The door opened and Gary stepped inside, raising a hand in an awkward wave. Willow waved back with her duster. ‘I’ve missed you too. Maybe we can go out for dinner instead of lunch?’ Willow wasn’t particularly looking forward to the food – she was still feeling queasy – but she was disappointed about the lunch date.

  ‘Do you know what I’d love?’ Ethan said. ‘Fish and chips on the beach.’

  Willow smiled, genuinely this time. ‘Just like our wedding day.’

  ‘Except it’ll be just the two of us this time.’

  Willow’s smile grew wider. ‘Sounds perfect. That’s what we’ll do.’

  ‘Great. Can’t wait,’ Ethan said. ‘I’ll let you get back to work and I’ll call you with the details later. Love you.’

  ‘Love you too.’ Willow pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t giggle when she noticed Gary looking uneasy in the corner, his cheeks turning pink as he tried to look busy. She’d already embarrassed him the day before by bursting into tears (they were happy tears, but tears all the same, and Gary hadn’t been at all sure how to deal with them). She hung up and gave Gary the post-office task. She’d never seen him looking so grateful as he bustled out of the shop with a bag full of parcels.

  With Gary’s help, she loaded the nursery furniture. Yasmina was in no fit state to be lugging furniture, but she did a good job of guiding the pair onto the van so they didn’t have to recreate any of the Chuckle Brothers’ ‘to me, to you’-style fumbling. She said goodbye to the outdated furniture, saying she couldn’t wait until it returned looking fresh and modern.

  ‘I’ll do my very best,’ Willow promised before she and Gary made their way back to the shop. They placed plastic sheeting down on the floor before unloading the pieces into the workroom. The first job would be to strip the varnish from the wood, so Willow removed all the drawers and unscrewed the doorknobs in preparation. She wouldn’t be using the mismatched doorknobs and had instead chosen some simple round knobs to keep the pieces cohesive, but she put the old knobs aside as they would more than likely come in useful for another project in the future.

  With the furniture prepped, she grabbed the varnish stripper and a paintbrush, but when she opened the tub, she almost heaved over the plastic sheet protecting the flooring.

  That job, she decided, would have to wait until her stomach wasn’t feeling quite so weak.

  ‘I’m going to leave the nursery furniture until Monday,’ she said as she joined Gary out in the shop. ‘New week, new project.’ She sat down on her stool at the counter, pushing away the coffee Gary had made while she was in the workroom. She couldn’t face another attempt at coffee yet.

  ‘Gary,’ she said as she pulled her diary out of her drawer and marked off the nursery furniture pick-up. ‘Are you still feeling unwell?’

  Gary shook his head as he scratched the back of his neck. ‘Nope. Completely better. Why?’

  ‘Just checking,’ Willow said with a shrug. She picked up her phone and gave Liam a ring to check on the progress at the house. It felt good to be proactive with the development again after a few days of the house sitting idle.

  ‘We’re cracking on with the roof,’ Liam said, and the sound of activity clearly going on in the background confirmed this. ‘It’s a simple enough job as it looks in pretty good nick. We just need to replace the felt and a few tiles. We’ll check the guttering while the scaffolding’s up, which shouldn’t take long, and we’ll be able to get started on the foundation repairs on Monday.’

  New week, new project.

  ‘That’s great,’ Willow said. ‘Ethan won’t be back until this evening, so we’ll pop by on Monday for a proper catch-up. I might even bring over a new packet of Jammie Dodgers if you’re lucky.’

  ‘The jam and custard ones are my favourite,’ Liam said.

  ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ Willow looked up as the shop door opened. It was Mae. She tried to assess whether she’d arrived bearing good or bad news by her facial expression alone, but couldn’t say with confidence either way. ‘I have to go now, but give me a call if you need anything.’ She said goodbye and hung up before leaping from her stool and pouncing on Mae, firing off a million questions in quick succession.

  ‘It’s good news,’ Mae said, though the beaming smile now on her face said it all. ‘Alfie said Chilly woke up in a pretty good mood considering what he’s been through – though how he could tell with that face is a mystery.’ She laughed, but Willow didn’t join in. She was in no mood for a joke – not until she knew for sure that Chilly was going to pull through relatively unscathed.

  ‘So he’s going to okay?’ she asked and Mae nodded.

  ‘I went to see him myself when I picked my car up from the surgery. He’s on pain medication, but he seems happy enough, despite the face, and he’s eaten, which Alfie says is a good sign.’

  ‘He’s going to be okay,’ Willow said, shortly before she turned, ran to the loo, and promptly threw up.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Mae

  ‘Come and sit down. We’ll get you a glass of water.’ Mae guided Willow to the stool behind the counter once she emerged from the loo. She pushed down gently on Willow’s shoulders until she sank onto the seat. She had to admit, she was surprised by the reaction to the news of Chilly’s recovery. Last night, after the distress of the evening’s events, it hadn’t been such a shock when Willow had been overcome, but now, after delivering the good news, Mae was concerned.

  Willow’s assistant brought a glass of water over, which he pressed into Willow’s quivering hands.

  ‘Here you go,’ Mae said, rubbing Willow’s back. ‘Small sips.’

  Willow took a couple of sip
s before placing the glass down on the counter and rubbing at her eyes. It didn’t matter about her carefully applied make-up – it was already ruined.

  ‘Sorry about that. I think I’ve caught Gary’s bug.’

  Mae turned to the assistant, who was scratching at the back of his neck while glancing around the shop. Glancing everywhere but at the two women.

  ‘I thought I recognised you,’ Mae said, nodding her head. ‘You’re Gary King. From the Fisherman.’ Mae crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. ‘You broke Frank’s clock.’

  ‘That wasn’t me,’ Gary said, the neck-scratching intensifying.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Willow asked, looking from Mae to Gary. ‘What clock?’

  ‘The clock behind the bar at the Fisherman.’ Mae pointed at Gary. ‘This one broke it while tanked up. I don’t think it’s a bug Gary’s had.’ Mae raised her eyebrows at Gary, waiting for a confession. It didn’t come. Gary simply dropped his gaze to his shoes, as though pleading with them to rescue him from the sticky situation. ‘I think Gary here has been suffering from a hangover, judging by the amount he’s been putting away at the pub.’

  ‘Gary?’ Willow’s eyes slid slowly from Mae to her assistant. He was still staring down at his shoes. Still waiting to be rescued. ‘Is it true?’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Gary told his shoes. ‘But I never actually said I had a bug.’

  ‘You never said you were hungover either.’ Willow’s tone was filled with disappointment rather than anger. Gary looked up, briefly, before giving his shoes his full attention again.

  ‘I’m sorry, Willow. It won’t happen again.’

  ‘I hope not.’ Willow took another sip of water and placed a hand on her stomach.

  ‘I need to go and start my shift at the pub,’ Mae said, resting a hand on Willow’s back. ‘Are you going to be okay? Perhaps you should go home and rest.’