Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay: The perfect laugh out loud escapist romantic comedy for summer! (Swallowtail Bay, Book 1)

by Katie Ginger

  ‘Shall we have a coffee in the bar?’ the manager asked. ‘And take a look at the calendar? I’m sure we can find you a suitable date.’ Kiera nodded and her dark blonde curls bounced in agreement. Torn somewhere between resignation and dread, Miles shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged after them. He hadn’t expected them to be making any firm decisions yet. He’d joked that Kiera could take care of everything and he’d just turn up, but he hadn’t actually meant it. He wanted to be involved and make joint decisions.

  Soon they were sat in one of the lounges, which had an old boys’ club feel to it. A long wooden bar ran the length of the room and the seating was a mixture of leather and velvet. The clever lighting of large glass balls and old elegant chandeliers gave the place a modern twist without being at odds with the period features. Some of the furniture was similar to what Miles had hoped to sell himself in the shop, but he refused to think about that anymore. It was time to force his life forwards, rather than looking back. The manager delivered a coffee for Miles and another glass of champagne for Kiera before disappearing off to get the calendar and the wedding pack, or as he liked to describe it, the best-day-of-your-life guide. As soon as he had gone, Kiera took Miles’s hand.

  ‘Oh, darling, isn’t it just brilliant? It has everything we need and it is so elegant.’ She sat back and stared around her. ‘Beautiful isn’t the word. Even the best hotels in London couldn’t compare to this.’

  ‘I’m glad you like it,’ he replied, calmly. ‘But we do need to think about the cost. I know you don’t want to and I don’t want to be miserable, but we have to be realistic.’

  ‘Oh, don’t be a spoilsport,’ she said, frowning. ‘Daddy will stump up a load. He’s ecstatic we’ve set the date. He’s been waiting for ages. If we ask him now he’ll be too happy to say no.’

  ‘That’s not quite what I meant.’ Miles frowned. He had always worked hard for everything he had and the thought of relying on Kiera’s father was abhorrent to him. A contribution towards the wedding was a tradition he was willing to accept, or them buying Kiera’s wedding dress he could understand, but he had no expectation of more and hoped Kiera didn’t either. ‘I meant that—’

  ‘I’m teasing, Miles.’ Kiera leaned forwards across the coffee table and stroked his knee. ‘I’m not an idiot, but I really want this. I think this place is perfect and I can’t imagine I’ll find anywhere I like as much.’

  The manager returned with his iPad and sat down next to Kiera. ‘So, as you can see, The Ballroom is already fully booked for March and April, but I’ve got some space in May.’ He showed Kiera the screen.

  ‘Oh, but I really would like an April wedding though I’m flexible on the exact date. Is there nothing you can do to help me?’ Her eyes scanned his name badge. ‘Kevin?’

  ‘I understand, Miss Delany, but—’

  ‘Please, call me Kiera.’

  The manager cocked his head, all sympathy. ‘The thing is I want you to have the day you deserve. If we look at May you can see there are a few more available dates.’

  Kiera turned to Miles, inviting him into the conversation, but he couldn’t see what else could be done. ‘There’s not much we can do if it’s already booked,’ he replied.

  Her eyes sharpened on him then went back down to the screen. ‘Why is this day in a different colour to the others?’

  ‘This one?’ The manager pointed to the screen. ‘This is a provisional booking.’

  ‘And have the people got back to you yet?’ Miles could see instantly where Kiera was going with this and a chill ran down his spine. He had no idea where this side of Kiera was coming from. The manager shuffled uncomfortably in his chair, clearly feeling backed into a corner.

  ‘Well, no, but they still have a few days left before I can release the date.’

  ‘I have an idea,’ said Kiera, taking a sip of her champagne. ‘Why don’t I give you my credit card now to secure the booking, and you can give them a quick call and tell them that you’ve had to release the date as they haven’t got back to you.’

  A redness began to creep up his neck, turning his skin a ruddy colour. ‘I really can’t do that without giving them some notice, Miss … Kiera.’

  ‘Okay, well you could give them to the end of the day, couldn’t you?’ she replied, taking her credit card from her wallet and casually waving it back and forth. Miles felt like he was watching a different woman. Kiera had never acted like this before as far as he could remember. Something in his brain told him that since they’d got together he’d been away a lot but he pushed the thought away.

  ‘Well, I suppose I could. Let me see when the provisional booking was made.’ He turned the iPad away from Kiera and tapped the screen. ‘Ahh, yes, the booking was made some time ago. Let me give them a call now.’

  ‘Wonderful,’ Kiera replied, grinning.

  ‘Hang on,’ interrupted Miles, who had watched with mounting alarm. They hadn’t asked any pertinent questions yet. ‘First off, can you confirm how much this will all be? And how much is the deposit?’

  ‘Well, with maximum seating, a three-course meal, welcome drinks, table wine based on maximum seating, evening buffet – which is divine by the way – and the honeymoon suite we’re looking at approximately …’ He shifted away as he typed on his iPad. ‘I’d say about a hundred thousand pounds. And the deposit is twenty per cent.’

  Miles swallowed in an attempt to stop himself shouting. ‘A hun—’

  ‘That’s fine,’ Kiera replied, giving Miles a warning look. ‘My father is happy to pay. I thought you were going to say more, actually.’

  Hearing that number had made him a bit hot and sweaty and Miles ran his fingers over his forehead, tracing the deep frown lines that were appearing as he aged. He hoped he’d get a good bonus this year – a really good bonus. No matter what Kiera said there was no way Miles would let her father pay and he took out his wallet to offer his own card. At the same time his phone beeped as a new email popped up from his boss asking him about the new clients he should have been researching. Damn it. He’d better send a quick reply now. He had no idea that weddings were so expensive. It was going to cost him a fortune. First though, he had to wrestle that mysteriously refilled glass of champagne from Kiera’s hand before she spent any more money.

  Chapter 9

  Stella flipped the door sign to closed. It had been a good, busy Friday and the till was full of cash. She had just started counting it up when there was a knock at the door. A man in a black leather jacket with a mop of curly reddish hair and designer stubble gave her a cheeky grin. He flashed his eyes as she walked back towards the door and opened it a little. ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘Hi, I’m Jay, the website guy. You left a message on my phone.’

  ‘Oh, right. Yes. Hi.’ Stella opened the door wider and motioned for him to come in. He strode into the shop, looking appreciatively around him. A tight dark blue T-shirt covered a chiselled torso and his black jeans gave a hint of football player thigh. When Stella had imagined a techy computer guy she’d envisaged an overweight, beardy person with scrunched-up eyes unused to seeing daylight – either that or some nerdy, bespectacled, spotty youth. Judgemental, perhaps, but she couldn’t help it. To be faced with this square-jawed hunk of man made her stomach squirm and her palms go clammy. As he held out his hand for her to shake, Stella was painfully aware that hers were damp. She tried to rub them on her backside without him noticing. ‘Nice to meet you.’

  His grin was worryingly disarming. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t call first, but as I was down this end of town I thought I’d pop by. How are you finding things?’

  ‘I love it here. If I’m honest it’s even better than I expected. Everyone’s been so friendly and kind. I feel at home already.’

  ‘Well, that’s great to hear.’ Frank wandered over and sniffed Jay’s trainers. ‘Who’s this little guy?’

  Stella was always grateful for Frank and never more so than moments like this. He was a good way of filling in ga
ps in conversation. ‘This is Frank and he’s a sucker for a fuss. He gets quite jealous if I’m getting all the attention.’ When Jay smiled, Stella was sure she’d never seen anything like it before. His eyes were a light greyish-blue, almost iridescent. Her heart started to spin in her chest as he went back to fussing Frank behind the ears. Was there anything more attractive than a drop-dead gorgeous man with a dog? Possibly only a drop-dead gorgeous man with a baby and she wasn’t in the market for one of those just yet. ‘Did you want a tea or coffee or something?’

  ‘Well, I was thinking …’ He put his hands in his pockets and hunched slightly forward, rocking onto his toes then back onto his heels. ‘I thought maybe I could take you for a drink and we can chat about your website over dinner? Kiera mentioned you being new to the area. I thought maybe I could show you around a little?’

  Stella wanted to scream yes, but Frank reminded her that he needed a walk by rolling over with his paws in the air, waiting for his tummy to be tickled. He’d finally grown used to the postman through some treat-led bribery but he didn’t always take to men. That he was behaving like this around Jay reassured Stella he was a nice guy. ‘I’d really love to, but I’m afraid I need to take Frank out first. He’s been cooped up in here all day.’ She wasn’t normally so forward but seeing his gorgeous eyes fall at the corners she said, ‘Could we make it later?’

  ‘I’ve got a better idea,’ Jay replied with that dazzling smile again. ‘Why don’t we walk along to the Wild Goose and have a drink there? They let dogs in and I know that Don, the landlord, will love Frank. He’s got a soft spot for King Charles spaniels.’

  Stella tried to control the almighty grin spreading over her face. ‘That would be great. I’ll just put the takings in the safe and be with you in a tick.’

  Jay wandered around the shop while Stella hurriedly stowed her money away and fetched her jacket and Frank’s lead. When she walked into the living room to find it she grabbed her make-up bag and checked her appearance. Apart from desperately needing a haircut, she looked okay and the greys weren’t showing through too badly. She applied a quick swipe of powder and another coat of mascara before grabbing her lip balm. There was no time to get changed so her plain T-shirt and jeans would have to do. At least she wouldn’t look like she was trying too hard to impress him. Anyway, it’s not like this was a date, which was good because she didn’t know what to do on dates. She hadn’t been on one in about fifteen years. Oh no, now she’d thought about the word date she felt completely terrified and jittery from the adrenalin running through her veins. Stella took a deep breath and went back into the shop to meet Jay.

  Outside, the cool air helped to calm Stella’s nerves and the conversation flowed more easily as they walked along the side of the shop and up towards the seafront. She kept the conversation about work where she felt more sure-footed. Anything personal and her heart started to beat rapidly and she stuttered.

  ‘So how are you settling in?’ Jay asked.

  ‘Good. I love the shop and I think I’ve got my head around how the holiday lets are going to work. I just need to do a little bit of decorating and then I can start taking bookings for the larger flat. The single bedroom is almost ready to go. It just needs a good scrub and some new furnishings.’

  ‘Sounds like you’ve got it all sorted out.’

  The road grew smaller as they entered one of the tiny alleyways nestled between the fisherman’s cottages. From the corner of her eye she saw him glance over.

  ‘I think I do,’ she replied trying to sound confident but as the road narrowed the gap between them became smaller and she was almost touching his leather-jacketed arm.

  The wind grew stronger as they rounded to the seafront and stepped off the promenade onto the pebble beach, heading towards the shore. Jay pushed a hand through his hair and the curls twisted around his fingers, flying back the moment he released them. Frank, who would usually have stayed next to Stella or the sea, kept walking over and sniffing him. Stella searched for something to say to stop herself from imagining her hands in his hair. ‘So have you always lived in Swallowtail Bay?’

  ‘Yeah, born and bred here. I’ve moved away for jobs over the years but always end up coming back. Where did you move down from?’

  ‘Oxford,’ Stella replied with a pang, but as she looked out at the sea – a little rough today from the strong breeze – and watched the waves crash down disappearing to foam, the pain lessened. She dropped her eyes and studied the myriad colours of the pebbles, checking for shells.

  ‘Wow. I worked there for a while after uni. It’s a beautiful city.’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘Sounds like you miss it,’ Jay said, as he glanced at her again.

  Stella felt herself blush. ‘I miss the place but—’

  ‘But not what you had there?’

  He’d hit the nail on the head. ‘Exactly.’

  Overhead, seagulls chased for food, and as the waves lost their ferocity on the shore they nudged the pebbles back and forth. Her eyes found a beautiful red stone and she stopped to pick it up. As she straightened, she saw Miles walking towards them. He gave her a polite smile but his face stiffened when he saw Jay. With a curt nod, he greeted them both. ‘Stella. Jay.’

  ‘Miles,’ Jay replied cheerfully. ‘How are you, mate?’

  ‘Fine. Thank you.’ And with that he marched off towards his house.

  Stella wasn’t sure what had happened between them but his face definitely changed when he saw Jay. Miles wasn’t exactly an effusive man, but his stern expression had become even harsher as he’d cast his eyes on him. Perhaps he was as snooty with Jay as he was with her.

  Jay broke the silence that had descended after their encounter with Miles. ‘I don’t get that man,’ he said, still relaxed and cheerful. Stella raised her eyebrows enquiringly. ‘He’s just such a miserable git. I have no idea why he has to go through life being such a grump. I mean when you live somewhere like this …’ He gestured around him at the beauty of Swallowtail Bay. ‘How can you be so miserable all the time? He still thinks he’s too good for us all if you ask me.’

  ‘Have you known him long?’ It seemed she was right: Miles was snooty with everyone, not just her.

  ‘Since we were kids. We went to different schools but we played for the same football team. He wasn’t very good but I admired that he gave it his best shot.’ It was such a nice thing to say that Stella smiled. ‘But he always acted like he was better than the rest of us.’

  She could well believe that. From their very first meeting he’d thought he was better at running a business than her, or would be, if he had half a chance. He’d just have to get over it and accept the shop was hers.

  They carried on in an easy silence for a few minutes then Jay led them towards the Wild Goose pub that had just come into sight. Potted olive trees stood either side of a door complete with an old-fashioned bell pull, and the front was lined with old Tudor beams. Swallowtail Bay was proving to be as amazing as Stella had hoped it would be. It was full of buildings from every era and of every type you could imagine.

  Like a gentleman, Jay opened the door for her and stood aside while she led Frank through. The barman smiled at them both. ‘All right, mate. What can I get ya?’

  The pub was tiny and Stella felt awkward standing there with Frank taking up most of the room until the customers at the other tables began turning around and cooing at him, which he loved.

  ‘What would you like, Stella?’ Jay asked. ‘We can share a bottle of wine if you like?’

  ‘That would be great. I don’t mind red or white.’

  ‘Shall we go for white as it’s a lovely evening?’ Stella nodded, and tightened Frank’s lead so he’d sit down. ‘A bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, please, Don.’

  The barman turned to Stella. ‘There’s a water bowl out in the garden if he needs a drink but he’s welcome in here too. I like dogs. King Charles in particular. Beautiful.’

  ‘Jay said you did. Do you have any of y
our own?’

  ‘Nah. Not anymore. It’s hard to find the time to walk them with running the pub. We’re open as much as possible, for breakfast right through till eleven at night.’ The barman took a wine cooler and filled it with ice before taking a bottle from the fridge and supplying two wine glasses. ‘There’s not really enough time to walk them.’

  ‘I can imagine,’ Stella replied. ‘You must work hard.’

  ‘I do, but I love it. Wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve bought old Herbert’s shop, haven’t you?’

  Frank stood and sniffed a passing stranger’s leg and Stella gently tightened his lead again so he’d sit back down. ‘Yes, I have.’

  ‘Good. It’s nice to see it being kept as a shop and not turned into another café. If you ask me we’ve got enough of those at the moment.’ Don leaned on the counter, his great big hands the size of shovels splayed out. ‘You can’t walk two shops down the high street before you come to one and then two shops down from that there’ll be another. And they all serve weird coffee with milk that isn’t actually milk. Stuff that comes from nuts or some such thing. Very odd.’

  Stella giggled. ‘It can be.’

  ‘Thanks, mate,’ said Jay, taking the wine cooler and the two glasses from the counter. When he turned to Stella he rolled his eyes and motioned towards the back of the pub. ‘The garden’s this way.’ She moved aside to let him through and followed enjoying the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ Frank always received. Finally they were sat at a picnic table in the back of the pub. It was only a small courtyard garden, but the potted plants dotted here and there were beginning to flower, and it was quite a suntrap.

  As they chatted, Stella began to wish she was on a date with Jay rather than it being a business meeting. He was charming and friendly, not to mention mind-blowingly handsome. Nerves wriggled in her stomach, once more reminding her to stick to business. Frank sniffed around the pot plants as Jay poured the wine.

  ‘Did you meet Herbert before he left?’ Jay asked.

  She nodded. ‘Yes, I did. He was a really nice guy. I’m happy that he’s enjoying his retirement. I’ve only had the shop a couple of weeks but it’s hard work. I can imagine after a lifetime I’ll want to retire to Málaga as well.’