‘Is she okay?’ Hugo asked.
‘I’m sure she is,’ Ethan said. ‘But I’ll go up and check anyway.’ He grabbed the glass of water sitting in front of Willow’s vacated place at the table and headed upstairs.
Mae returned to the table with a pot of tea. ‘Would you like me to make you some sandwiches for the journey?’ She placed the pot next to the toast rack and crossed the kitchen to grab some cups from the cupboard.
‘Thanks, but I’ll be fine,’ Melody said.
‘Are you sure?’ Mae placed the cups on the table and sat down in her seat. ‘It’d be no trouble at all.’
‘Does that offer extend to all of us?’ Hugo asked with a cheeky grin.
‘You’re already getting a free breakfast,’ Mae said with a mock-stern look. ‘Don’t push it.’
‘At least with me gone, you won’t have to put up with this idiot,’ Melody said. She grinned at Hugo before biting into her toast.
Hugo folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. ‘You’ll miss me. You all will.’
‘I’m sure we will.’ Melody tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. ‘But what was your name again?’
After breakfast, the bon voyage party gathered in the hallway. Melody said goodbye to Mae and Hannah, thanking them for their hospitality and, despite Mae protestations, insisting on paying the board for the extra days she’d stayed in Clifton-on-Sea.
‘But it was our fault you ended up stuck here,’ Mae said.
‘I didn’t feel stuck at all, in the end.’ In fact, the past few days had been Melody’s favourites of her entire mission over the past month.
‘You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?’ Mae said when it became clear she couldn’t persuade Melody. ‘Let us know how the photography festival goes?’
‘I will.’ Melody reached out and hugged Mae and Hannah in turn before turning to Willow.
‘It’s been lovely to meet you. I hope the house refurb goes smoothly from now on.’
Willow glanced at her husband, a smile creeping across her lips. ‘We do too.’
‘It was lovely meet you too,’ Melody told Ethan. ‘Even if it was only briefly.’ She bent down to pick up her rucksack and her laptop bag. ‘I guess this is it. Take care everybody.’
‘Remember what I said about keeping in touch,’ Mae said as she walked with Melody to the front door. ‘And good luck with the festival.’
Melody stepped outside, Hugo close behind her. They made their way along the path, the warmth of the sun already beating down on them. Even though she’d been in the town for less than a week, Melody was going to miss Clifton-on-Sea. She’d been in a bit of a bubble since arriving, meeting Hugo and trying to face up to a life without Ollie, but now it was time to emerge from the safety of an anonymous town and confront reality, no matter how impossible a task it seemed.
She paused after stepping through the gate, turning and taking aim with her camera, capturing the bed and breakfast that had provided a base over the past few days. Things had changed since she’d stepped inside – Melody had changed – and as scary as the future seemed, she was glad she’d ended up there.
‘Ready?’ Hugo asked gently as she switched off the camera.
Melody nodded. ‘I’m ready.’
Hugo’s car was parked a little up the road. They loaded Melody’s rucksack and laptop bag into the boot before climbing inside and making the short journey to the station. Melody’s eyes darted left and right as she attempted to capture every last detail of the town before she left. All too soon, the long, single-storey brick building of the station appeared before them, its green doors thrown wide as people wandered in and out, some wheeling suitcases behind them, others with nothing more than a handbag or briefcase.
‘You don’t have to come to the platform with me,’ Melody said once the car was parked and she had her rucksack slung on her back and her laptop bag looped over one shoulder.
‘I’d like to,’ Hugo said. ‘If that’s okay?’
Melody smiled, glad they’d get to spend a few more minutes together. ‘Of course. That’d be nice.’
‘Good.’ Hugo took the laptop bag from Melody and flung it onto his shoulder. ‘Let’s go then.’
They passed through the cool station, grabbing takeaway drinks from the little tearoom before heading out to the single platform. It was crammed, but a train, heading to Preston, pulled into the station and gobbled up the majority of the waiting passengers.
‘You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?’ Hugo asked once the train pulled away. Rather than looking at Melody as he asked the question, he was staring ahead, across the tracks at the cluster of trees beyond the metal fence.
‘I have your number.’ Melody reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, giving it a little jiggle before she returned it. ‘And I want to know how you get on with the ice-cream parlour. I think I deserve some freebies after the shifts I put in at the van.’
‘So you’ll come back?’
Melody blew on her tea. ‘I’ll go anywhere for free ice cream.’
‘Plus, you’ll never be able to stay away from this.’ Hugo indicated himself and Melody pretended to gag.
‘Get over yourself. I’m after your frozen treats, not your body.’
‘Are you sure about that?’
Melody could hear the distant rumble of an approaching train, but she couldn’t seem to shift her body to look for it.
‘I’m sure,’ she said, but it came out feeble and not at all convincing.
‘Hmm…’ Hugo narrowed his eyes. ‘You don’t sound sure at all.’
Melody shrugged and took a sip of tea. It was far too hot and burned her tongue, though she managed not to wince. ‘Believe me, I am.’
Hugo leaned in towards Melody. ‘I don’t believe it at all.’ He’d lowered his voice and it was swallowed by the thunder of the oncoming train. Melody finally dragged her gaze to the track.
‘This is my train,’ she said, and again her voice whimpered out feebly. The doors opened and passengers spilled out onto the platform, moving quickly towards the station, nudging past Melody and Hugo and squashing them together.
‘Look at you, pressing yourself up to me,’ Hugo said. ‘I knew you were into me.’
‘Keep dreaming, pal,’ Melody said, but it wasn’t full of her usual conviction. Where was the girl from the cliffs? The girl who’d had little time for the so-called charms of the local dog-walker?
She cast her eyes towards the train. The departing passengers had all drifted away and the new passengers were taking their place onboard.
‘I’d better go now.’ She felt her stomach tangle itself into knots as she turned to Hugo. She could admit it to herself now she was about to leave, now it was safe: she thought Hugo was utterly gorgeous, inside and out. She didn’t know if she would ever see him again, but she knew she hoped she would.
‘Take care, Melody.’ Hugo unhooked her laptop bag and handed it over. She flung it onto her shoulder and turned towards the train, but a hand pulled her back. She didn’t have time to think, to talk herself out of it. Hugo was kissing her, and she found she was rather glad and her only regret was that they hadn’t done this sooner, that they hadn’t spent their whole time together like this. If she’d really thought about it, the guilt would have crept in. It would have placed her hands on Hugo’s chest and gently pushed him away, would have shaken her head and said she couldn’t do this. But in that moment, there was no guilt. There was just Melody, Hugo and a train that was in danger of leaving without her.
Epilogue
October
She’d spent weeks studying her photos, agonising over the decision about which three she would exhibit – and ultimately enter into the competitions – at the photo festival. But Melody was happy with her choice as she stood before them now, proud these three photos were the results of her hard work. The first showcased the Ferris wheel on the pier at Clifton-on-Sea, its lights sh
ining bright against the inky blues and purples as night began to fall, the top of the carousel just visible in the bottom-right-hand corner. The second photo she’d chosen was one of the last she’d taken on the beach: the giant, seashell-decorated sandcastle with the foamy waves captured in the background. And the final image was a close-up of one of Hugo and James’s ice creams. The ice cream was the focus, but in the background you could see a couple of donkeys plodding along the beach, with the pier and its funfair rides beyond. It was Melody’s favourite photo as it encapsulated every childhood seaside holiday she’d ever had and provided a summary of her entire trip that summer.
‘Ollie would be so proud of you, you know.’
Melody closed her eyes briefly before turning to Ollie’s mum. Lisa, along with Melody’s parents and younger brother, had joined her at the festival’s final exhibition evening, where the winners of the competitions would be presented with their prizes.
‘Do you think so?’
Lisa placed a hand on Melody’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘I know so.’ She leaned in to kiss Melody on the cheek before moving to the side to make way for a fresh wave of supporters.
‘You’re late,’ Melody said, adopting a mock-stern voice, her hands on her hips and her eyebrows knitted.
‘I’m sorry. The train was delayed. Can you forgive me?’
Melody tilted her head to one side as she observed Hugo. He’d dressed up for the occasion and he certainly scrubbed up well in his black tailored suit and crisp white shirt. Looking like that, she’d forgive him anything.
‘You’re forgiven.’ She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him briefly on the lips. It wasn’t the kind of kiss she really wanted, but they were in public, with her parents just yards away. They’d met Hugo a couple of times already and liked him, but they didn’t need to see quite how happy Melody was to see him. She released him and stepped towards her other guests, who were already sipping champagne, apart from Willow, who was sporting a tiny baby bump underneath her dress.
‘Thank you for coming.’ Melody hugged Willow, Mae and their partners in turn.
‘We wouldn’t have missed it,’ Mae said. ‘Your photos are beautiful.’
‘Thank you.’ Melody couldn’t help the beam from taking up the lower portion of her face. ‘I’ve somehow managed to sell some prints already – and not just to Mum and Dad.’
Although the ice-cream photo was her personal favourite, the public seemed more enamoured with the Ferris wheel composition.
‘Do you realise all your photos are from Clifton-on-Sea?’ Mae said. She tapped a finger on her chin. ‘I wonder why that might be.’
‘Could it be she fell in love with the place?’ Willow teased.
‘Or she fell in love in the place.’ Mae winked, giggling at Melody’s panicked, wide-eyed look. Luckily, Hugo had wandered over to her parents and was busy chatting away and hadn’t heard.
‘Aww, stop it,’ Willow said, though she was giggling too. ‘You’re making her blush.’
Melody fought hard to compose her features. ‘I didn’t fall in love in Clifton-on-Sea.’ At least, not during her first visit. She’d visited numerous times over the past couple of months – and Hugo had made the trip to stay with her too – and saying goodbye had become increasingly difficult.
‘Somebody else did, though,’ Willow said, nudging Mae. ‘You can’t keep these two apart.’ She nodded at Mae and Alfie. Although Alfie was slightly angled away from Mae as he chatted with Ethan, he had his arm around Mae’s waist. ‘You should have seen them on the train, snogging like a couple of teenagers.’
Mae’s mouth dropped open. ‘We were not!’
Melody grinned. ‘Now who’s blushing?’
Mae took a sip of champagne and gave a shrug. ‘What can I say? I have a gorgeous boyfriend and I can’t keep my hands off him. I’m making up for lost time.’
‘Ooh…’ Willow grabbed Melody’s arm. ‘Did you hear that? She used the word boyfriend. Last time I asked, she said they were “getting to know each other”, which I took to mean they were having lots of sex but weren’t an actual item.’
Mae tutted. ‘I meant we were taking things slowly.’
‘Sorry.’ Willow patted her bump. ‘It’s my hormones: everything’s about sex at the moment. Gary told me he’d brought the wood in the other day, and I assumed he was propositioning me. Turns out he’d brought the scrap pieces of wood in from the van and stored them in the workroom. Talk about awkward. We haven’t looked each other in the eye since.’
Melody placed a hand over her mouth to muffle a giggle. ‘Poor Gary.’
‘Poor me,’ Willow said. ‘I’m turning into a sex pest.’
‘How’s the pregnancy going otherwise?’ Melody asked. The last time she’d seen Willow, she was still constantly on the verge of throwing up.
‘Really well. I haven’t been sick for six days, which is a relief. It’s an odd combination, feeling super-turned-on and vomitty at the same time.’
Melody pulled a face. ‘That doesn’t sound pleasant at all.’
Willow shook her head. ‘It really isn’t.’
‘It’ll all be worth it, though,’ Mae said and Willow’s features softened.
‘Absolutely. I can’t wait until we bring our gorgeous new baby home. Speaking of which, the house is finally finished and we’re having a housewarming party next weekend. You’re both invited – with your boyfriends, of course.’ She nudged Mae again, who rolled her eyes. ‘Speaking of which…’
A champagne flute appeared in front of Melody, shortly followed by a peck on the cheek.
‘I thought you might need a refill,’ Hugo said. ‘The presentation is about to start.’
‘Thank you.’ Melody took the glass in one hand and Hugo’s hand in the other. With their little group, they made their way to the gathering in front of the podium, where the organiser of the event was standing.
‘Teasing aside,’ she said to Mae as they waited for the presentation to begin. ‘How’s it going with Alfie?’
Mae’s lips spread into a smile as she sneaked a glance at her boyfriend. ‘It’s amazing. He’s amazing, and so good with Hannah. She adores him, especially as he lets her look after the animals at the surgery. She wants to be a vet when she’s older and work with him full-time.’
‘And how’s it going with Chilly?’
Mae rolled her eyes. ‘The little bugger hid under the bed in the attic guest room. Scared the life out of the occupant when he jumped up onto the pillow in the middle of the night.’ Mae shook her head as Melody laughed at the image. ‘Remind me again why I adopted him?’
‘Because he was desperate for a new home? Because you’re a kind and caring woman? Because you thought it might help you get into Alfie’s pants?’
Mae sniggered. ‘I didn’t need any help with that. Willow isn’t the only one with sex constantly on their mind.’
‘You don’t seem too put out about that,’ Melody said.
‘Are you kidding?’ Mae gave a little shiver. ‘It’s amazing. I can’t believe I went so long without. Besides…’ She leaned in towards Melody and lowered her voice. ‘It saves on the batteries.’
Melody pushed a hand over her mouth to muffle a giggle.
‘What’s so funny?’ Hugo asked.
Melody cleared her throat and put her serious face back on. ‘Nothing.’
Hugo narrowed his eyes, but didn’t probe any further. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. ‘I totally forgot in all the excitement of your exhibition, but look what we picked up today.’
Melody gasped and took the keys, resting them on the palm of her hand. ‘It’s yours?’
‘Yup.’ Hugo pulled his shoulders back and lifted his chin. ‘You are now looking at the co-owner of Alessandra’s, Clifton-on-Sea’s soon-to-be-opened ice-cream parlour in the park.’
After lots of discussions and number-crunching, Hugo and James had decided to go ah
ead with the purchase of the former café, naming the new ice-cream parlour after the grandmother who’d inspired their careers.
‘I’m so proud of you.’ Melody reached up on tiptoe to kiss Hugo, forgetting for a moment where they were. A gentle cough behind her broke the moment.
‘It’s starting,’ Melody’s mum said. She gave Melody’s shoulders a little squeeze. ‘Good luck, love.’
The presentation began with a rather long-winded speech from the organisers of the event before they moved on to the prizes. First up was the professionally judged award, with the top three photos from the festival winning cash prizes. Melody felt Hugo’s grip on her hand tighten as the third-prize winner was announced. It tightened further as the second was announced, and became bone-crushing as the organiser prepared to announce the overall winner.
None of the prizes was awarded to Melody.
‘Never mind, love,’ Melody’s mum said.
‘You’re an amazing photographer,’ Hugo said. ‘Don’t ever forget that.’
‘What a load of bullshit,’ Mae muttered, and received glares from some of the other guests.
‘And now we’re going to announce the people’s choice award,’ the organiser announced as the winners returned to their places, cheques in hand. ‘For the past few days, members of the public have viewed the exhibition and been given the opportunity to vote for their favourite photos. There’s just one overall winner for the people’s choice award, with a prize of one thousand pounds.’
The bone-crushing hand squeeze returned.
‘Competition was stiff this year,’ the organiser said. ‘And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the exhibitors again. It has been a truly magnificent event and the talent here is tremendous.’
‘Just bloody get on with it,’ Mae muttered, earning herself a few more glares.
‘But without further ado, the winner of the people’s choice award is…’ The organiser left a dramatic pause while he opened the envelope. ‘“Ferris Wheel at Nightfall” by Melody Rosewood.’
The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea Page 29