The Little Guesthouse of New Beginnings: A gorgeously feel-good and heart-warming romance to escape with

by Donna Ashcroft

  ‘Not anymore – I got a call from a friend late last night. She’s in Paris so I’ll be leaving this evening.’ Seth glanced towards the kitchen with a sad smile. ‘It’s a shame. I was hoping to persuade Mads to join me when I left.’

  ‘She’s planning on staying.’ Connor could hear the jealousy in his own voice.

  Seth glanced towards the kitchen again. ‘If you’ve known Madison for as long as she says, you’ll know how many times she’s said the same. I’ve an inkling this place won’t keep her long. Nothing else ever has. I’d spare yourself some pain…’

  Connor was saved from answering by Madison bringing in their teas and a plate of biscuits. As she put them on the counter, Connor avoided her eyes, taking another mental step backwards from the feelings she was bringing out in him.

  Twenty-Eight

  ‘It’s looking good down here.’

  Connor looked up – startled by the unfamiliar voice – as he finished laying the last blue tile, completing the small patch he’d begun in the kitchen hours after Madison and Seth had left. There were now only the walls to paint, ready for the Grand Opening – but wow, there were a lot of them. The man Connor recognised as a guest of The Hideaway stood in the doorway, staring at him. He wore a dark grey suit and held a clipboard against his right thigh.

  ‘Can I help?’ Connor rose to his feet and dusted his hands lightly across his jeans.

  ‘I’ve been waiting to speak with you. My girlfriend and the other guests are out walking and I’ve been wanting to see how the work on the cafe is progressing without an audience. I’m seriously considering putting in an offer on The Hideaway. I had a few conversations with the Skylars before they left for their cruise. Dee said now might be a good time for you to answer some questions. I’m David O’Sullivan. I own Lake Lodge. We haven’t formally met, but you helped us off the beach last Friday – and I hear you’ve done some work for my site manager as well.’

  Connor glanced behind David into the cafe. Jesse had popped out to walk Jaws ten minutes earlier and the room was empty and silent.

  ‘You’ve been staying here?’ Connor murmured. ‘Isn’t that a little… odd?’

  ‘Leaving today.’ David nodded. ‘I like to scope out the places I’m thinking of buying in advance. It’s good business. I thought I’d stay a week to see how the place runs, its strengths and weaknesses. It was my girlfriend’s birthday, so I killed two birds with one stone. Sophia favours cosy and homey rather than sophisticated.’ David shrugged. ‘None of us is perfect.’ He looked around the kitchen with a frown. ‘I’ll get in a surveyor, obviously, but I wanted to pick your brains. How are the buildings structurally?’

  ‘The place is sound.’ Connor folded his arms, feeling like a traitor. What was Dee thinking, sending the man down here?

  ‘So it’s just about the revamp. I can see everywhere needs a lick of paint.’ David looked thoughtful. ‘And the cafe is looking better already. When do you think you’ll finish?’

  ‘We’re still agreeing timings,’ Connor replied, feeling uncomfortable. It was bad enough keeping the fact that The Hideaway was up for sale from Madison, without giving inside information to a prospective buyer. He busied himself clearing up some of the stray pieces of tile he’d discarded. ‘I really don’t know at the moment. It’s not in my hands.’

  David frowned. ‘I’m hoping it won’t be opening soon. I can see The Hideaway is picking up business. A couple of Lake Lodge’s customers have even talked about booking in. The yoga retreats and walks were a good idea. With a cafe opening, it’s bound to get busier. I don’t want the Skylars changing their minds about selling up, or raising the price.’ He chuckled, clearly oblivious to the fact that Connor was mentally giving him the evil eye. ‘This place will be a great complement to Lake Lodge. Owning both means I’ll dominate the hotel business on the island.’ David walked to the counter and ran an eye across the wood. ‘Beautiful workmanship. I’ve got to hand it to you, you know your stuff. The main building is a bit of a state though – I’m wondering how much work will need to be done. I’ve got a few ideas, some walls we could lose, and the kitchen could be modernised.’

  ‘Not much needs doing. It’s only cosmetic. I’ve been hired to redecorate, so you won’t need to worry about that.’ Connor frowned and picked up the tile cutter, throwing it into the corner with some of his other tools. The man didn’t even sound as though he liked it here. ‘If it were me I’d leave the rest alone – The Hideaway has its own charm. It would be a mistake to pull the guts out of it.’

  David nodded slowly, looking unconvinced. ‘Perhaps shabbiness is part of its character. The place is comfortable, I will say that. I haven’t slept so well in years. And the food is incredible.’ He grinned. ‘I may just poach Dee and transfer her to Lake Lodge to redesign my menus.’

  ‘That’ll be a little like ripping the soul out of the place, won’t it?’ Connor cleared his throat, feeling irritated and even guiltier for having this conversation.

  ‘There’ll be plenty of character left when I’ve finished with it. I won’t make too many changes, at least not at first.’

  ‘What about the rest of the staff?’ Connor asked, turning to look David in the eye, although the man avoided him by ducking behind the counter to take a look around.

  ‘The girl Amy’s okay, and the cleaners do a passable job. I’ll need to bring in a new yoga teacher, someone to run the walks who really knows the area. With the right kind of advertising, competitive rates…’ He turned back to Connor so he could wink. ‘I’ve been lowering the prices at Lake Lodge recently to keep the guests flocking to us – if I do the same here, we’ll be fully booked in no time. Aside from a couple of small B&Bs, which I’m already undercutting, there’s barely any other competition on the island.’

  Connor started, surprised by David’s admission. No wonder The Hideaway had been losing so many guests. It seemed underhand, but Connor knew his dad would have seen it as good business. ‘Why change Madison? She’s doing a great job teaching yoga and the walks are popular.’

  ‘I like my own people. I know Madison’s amiable and easy on the eye, but I’ve been asking around and the word is she’s prone to leaving on a whim. I need my staff to be reliable. I’ll give everyone plenty of notice, and there are always housekeeping positions over at Lake Lodge – we’re used to a fast staff turnover there. No one has to worry about losing their job. We’ll find alternatives. It’s all part of my negotiations with the Skylars.’ David took a long look around the room. ‘Someone will be in touch soon about you doing more for us at Lake Lodge. I’ve got a few big projects on the horizon – they’ll add up to a lot of business.’

  Connor let out a deep breath, rubbing his thumbs across his temples because he could feel a headache starting again. He really should say no, should say he couldn’t help. But at the back of his mind he could hear his father’s voice nagging him not to be an idiot. Telling him how much that kind of contract was worth – perhaps enough to get the business solvent? So Connor dug reluctantly into his pocket for a card. ‘Get someone to call me for a quote.’ The words caught in his throat but he shook them off. This was business. Madison would understand. But even as he handed the card over, he knew in the back of his mind she wouldn’t.

  For all he knew though, Madison could be heading off on the ferry to join Seth before she ever found out.

  Twenty-Nine

  Connor stood on the shoreline. The sea was rough this morning, and the spot where they’d laid his father was foamy and white, reminding him of a rabid dog.

  He watched the waves roll in and out, thinking about his conversations with Madison and David the morning before, and kicked a stone, watching it bounce three times on the water’s surface before it disappeared. Jaws ran next to the waves, barking until Connor kicked another for him to chase.

  ‘Here again?’ Finn’s voice came from behind, startling him.

  ‘I could say the same thing.’ Connor didn’t turn, but knew Finn was coming closer
from the crunch of his feet on the sand. ‘Is walking on the beach a new habit of yours, or are you following me?’

  ‘Couldn’t sleep.’ Finn sighed without elaborating. ‘And you’re much more entertaining than the TV. Is your dead father talking to you again?’

  Connor closed his eyes. ‘I’m contemplating life,’ he answered, feeling guilt like a lead weight on his chest. He began to walk slowly, following the edge of the sea up the beach, hearing Finn follow.

  ‘Any answers? Asking for a friend.’ Finn’s tone was light, but Connor heard an edge beneath it.

  ‘It’s a lot simpler if you don’t let people get close to you.’ Rain began to fall lightly in the air and Connor pulled up the hood of the old coat he’d put on earlier – Madison still had his favourite – feeling the droplets slide down his fingers. Behind him Finn cursed and stopped for a moment, probably to pull up the hood of his own coat.

  ‘That’s your father talking,’ Finn said eventually, catching up so they were side by side. ‘Although in some ways I agree. Is this something to do with Madison?’

  ‘Yes… no,’ Connor started. ‘I’m really not looking for company.’ He stopped for a moment to glare at the water. The waves were high, deep blue and angry. Where the sea met the horizon, the sky looked cloudy and dark, a mix of cotton-wool layers in greys and blacks. He barely paid attention normally, too intent on pounding the sand so he could get back to work.

  Why was he here today, feeling conflicted, when by all accounts Madison was probably already packing for her next trip, ready to follow Seth to who knew where, regardless of what she’d said? ‘Do you think we’re destined to become our parents?’ Connor asked, wondering if he’d actually said the words he’d been thinking out loud. But after hearing about his mother from Laura – how losing her had closed his father off from people – he had to wonder if he’d joined the same path. The rain drummed onto his coat, spraying droplets over his face.

  ‘Well, I’m not a milkman and I hate jazz, so in my case no. If you’re thinking of your father, Connor, I have to say – what do you think?’ Finn picked up a stone and tried to skim it across the waves but missed. He picked up another and tried again.

  ‘Some say I work too hard.’ Connor swallowed, his eyes fixed on the horizon. When Jaws laid a fresh pebble at his feet, Finn was the one to pick it up and throw it. ‘Others that I’m cold. Or I put work before everything that matters.’ He thought of his conversation with David, of the meeting he had at Lake Lodge later, of how he’d fallen out with Georgie by trying to force her to stay at university so she could join the family business – and winced. ‘Perhaps they’re right.’

  ‘Some might say you’re trying to live up to an expectation, or to prove a ghost wrong. I’d say maybe it’s not just your father driving you. You were always focused – even at school you were voted least likely to be found smoking behind the bike sheds.’

  ‘While you spent most of your childhood there?’ Connor asked.

  ‘Ah, the simplicity of a misspent youth.’ Finn laughed. ‘I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being driven. We need people like you to get things done. It’s just, work shouldn’t be everything.’ He paused and threw another stone – this time it bounced three times and he cheered. ‘Have you ever thought it might be time to let your hair down? There’s a quiz in my pub next Saturday, perhaps you should take some time out? Play hooky from your schedule – come and join us.’

  ‘I tried letting my hair down.’ Connor thought of Madison in the pool at Lake Lodge, their time in the yoga studio before Seth arrived to make a mockery of it. ‘A pint of bitter and a few questions on sport aren’t going to fix this,’ he snapped.

  ‘Fix what – what’s really bothering you? Spit it out.’

  ‘I didn’t ask for an ear.’ Connor’s temper flared again. ‘And I’m not looking for a friend.’

  ‘You’ve never looked for anyone – maybe that’s your problem?’ Finn picked up another stone and hurled it hard as the rain turned more severe. Soon Connor’s clothes would be soaked through, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. ‘And perhaps you’re getting a friend anyway. God knows you need one. Think of it as accepting a good deed, or an opportunity to unburden yourself, knowing my lips will stay sealed. It’s the promise of a barman – silence is engraved across my soul.’

  ‘Bullshit.’ Connor laughed, feeling the tightness in his chest lighten. ‘I will say I’m angry. I’ve spent a lot of years trying to live up to expectations, feeling like a failure anyway. Now I’m wondering why. But at the same time I’m still treading the same path – driving the people I care for away – because I don’t know how to do anything else.’

  ‘Putting yourself out there is painful, Connor – you’re only human, don’t kick yourself for it.’ Jaws laid a rock at Finn’s feet this time, surprising Connor. Even his dog seemed to be swapping sides. ‘And if this is to do with Madison, don’t give up on her – or yourself – yet.’

  ‘It’s easier being alone,’ Connor admitted. ‘Perhaps my father had that one right. At least you don’t disappoint anyone, and they can’t disappoint you.’

  ‘It’s a lonely road you’re on,’ Finn said, coming to stand beside Connor and looking at the darkness on the horizon again. ‘I know because I’m on it too. But I can’t help but wonder if you should rethink the direction you’re going in. Sometimes we walk away from the things we need most, because we’re too afraid of what having them might mean.’

  ‘What do you mean? Do you think I’m scared?’ Connor asked, surprised.

  Finn looked at Connor sadly. ‘I think you’d be a fool not to be. My question is, are you brave enough to try letting someone in?’

  Thirty

  The air’s warmer, Madison thought, pulling Connor’s dark leather coat off her shoulders and carrying it over her arm. After she’d said goodbye to Seth at the ferry the evening before, she’d spent an hour in The Hideaway sunroom, reading a book. It had felt comfortable and familiar, but she couldn’t get Connor out of her head, or the feeling that he was still annoyed with her. Which was the reason she’d decided to head for his house after her yoga session this morning, on the pretext of giving his jacket back.

  ‘He’s not here,’ Jesse shouted from underneath the bonnet of a green sports car. Madison couldn’t see his head, but she could tell it was Jesse from the style of loose jeans he always wore. ‘I know it’s you, Madison,’ he added. ‘I can tell from the sound of your feet.’

  ‘My feet have a sound?’ Intrigued, Madison walked away from Connor’s house, towards the car, which was parked in the gravel driveway. It looked shiny, and very expensive – not that she knew much about those things.

  Jesse stood suddenly, banging his head on the bonnet. ‘Ow.’ He rubbed his forehead and turned around to face Madison. He looked tired, and a trail of grease decorated his nose.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Madison moved closer so she could check Jesse’s head. ‘Doesn’t look like anything’s broken.’

  ‘Aside from my heart.’ Jesse frowned. ‘Sorry. I heard about Amy dating Finn. Someone spotted them out in his car the other night and texted me the good news. I can’t believe she’s moved on so quickly.’

  ‘I think she’s trying to take her mind off you. It’s not serious – this is Finn we’re talking about.’ Madison looked back at the house. ‘Where’s Connor?’ Her heart skipped as she said his name.

  ‘He’s gone to a meeting at Lake Lodge – headed off early with Jaws after his run, looking grim. I’m taking a few hours this morning and we’ll catch up with the painting later. I worked late last night – the car’s been making strange noises and…’ Jesse paused, looking at the pile of tools on the driveway. ‘It’s funny. I used to spend hours under this bonnet, but I’ve not looked at the engine since I split with Amy. And somehow it doesn’t feel the same even now. So I’m asking myself, why did I waste so much time looking at this –’ he nodded at the car – ‘when I had a living, breathing woman at home?’


  ‘Familiarity? Habit?’ Madison suggested, pleased that Jesse might finally be seeing the light. ‘It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important when you’ve got it under your nose. Sometimes we do the same thing over and over just because we’re used to it, or we’re convinced it’s right. It takes something to change before we realise what we’re doing is wrong.’ She paused. Maybe that was what was happening to her?

  Jesse nodded. ‘Perhaps. Look –’ he gazed at the car – ‘do you want to join me on a drive? I feel like we haven’t caught up since you got home and I need to check if the engine sounds better.’ He slammed the hood shut, secured a slim, brown leather belt that stretched around the bonnet, then wiped his fingers on a rag from the pile on the floor. The car looked even more beautiful now, with its shiny silver grille at the front and big round headlights that looked like eyes.

  ‘Why not. I don’t need to take out our walkers until this afternoon.’ Madison glanced towards the house again.

  ‘Connor won’t be back for hours and Georgie went into town earlier. You can leave the coat with me,’ Jesse offered, reading her mind.

  ‘I’d rather give it to Connor myself, thanks. Holding it hostage is probably the only way I’m going to get him to talk to me.’ So I can explain again about Seth. Jesse looked like he was going to ask why, but Madison waved the question away and opened the passenger door, climbing inside as Jesse jumped in too. He fired up the engine and they headed out of the driveway, onto the road that would take them past The Hideaway. The car had a stunning interior, with a shiny walnut dash covered in bright white and red dials.

  Jesse put his foot down, and the engine purred. ‘Sounds better, but I’ll take a quick whizz into town to check. Amy used to come for drives with me when I first got the car, but for some reason she stopped.’