For most of that morning, between serving customers, keeping tabs on the wait times for food and ensuring the dining room was clean and tidy, Sadie flitted in and out of the kitchen where April worked to keep an eye on her. Each time she was fully expecting to find a vacant, slack-jawed stare while smoke billowed from a waffle iron, or salt was poured onto peachy pancakes, or coffee was mixed into a milkshake, but none of these things happened. April was brisk and bright, and by midday Sadie felt able to breathe a relieved (if still a little cautious) sigh.
She was also thrilled when Natalie and Georgia made time to pop in and say hello during their lunch breaks – Natalie mostly to wave around the letter that advised her the decree nisi for her divorce had been filed and now all she had to do was wait for the shortly-to-follow decree absolute and she’d be free. She was so excited that not only did she show it to Sadie, but she also went through to the kitchen to tell April about it.
‘People used to marry for life,’ Gammy said in response, giving a dismissive shrug and wiping a hand down her apron before bustling off to prepare Natalie’s order. But, just as Sadie came in to see what was happening, Natalie grabbed a shocked April and gave her a big hug.
‘But you know me better than that, don’t you?’ Natalie asked, smiling a little sadly as she let April go again.
‘I remember you being born. It was so cold that day the bay froze over.’
‘So you know that I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want to get divorced. I would never have married if I didn’t think it was for life. Maybe the first time I was silly but this time…’ She shook her head. Natalie gave the impression that she didn’t care, that she treated her failed marriages like some kind of game, but Sadie – and to some extent April – knew her better than that. ‘I was unlucky. I suppose you could say I was unwise. Does that mean I have to pay for that mistake for the rest of my life? That’s what all those couples did; the ones who used to marry for life. They got it wrong and then they were stuck in misery. And for what? Because it was proper? Because that was what people did? Because the neighbours would gossip if they dared to do anything about it?’
April sniffed. ‘I guess not.’
Natalie held her at arm’s length and appraised her. ‘Does this mean I’m not your favourite anymore?’
‘You know you’ve always been my favourite, darlin’,’ April said, a smile blooming now. ‘You’re like family – you and Georgia; you know that. It’s why it makes me sad to see things go wrong for you.’
Natalie kissed her on the cheek. ‘Well I’m glad not to be in the bad books now. I don’t think I could bear it.’
April laughed and wagged a finger as Natalie started back to the dining room, Sadie following. ‘I didn’t say that…’
Natalie and Sadie both started to laugh too as they went back to the table where Georgia was checking her phone.
‘She seems like her old self again,’ Natalie said.
‘I thought that too.’ Georgia looked up from her phone. ‘Not at all what we’d expected.’
‘Yeah…’ Sadie replied carefully. ‘I wonder if I jumped the gun a bit. I suppose it was bound to be weird being back here at first, but she seems a lot better today.’ She smiled. ‘I don’t mind telling you I was starting to think I’d made a terrible mistake, but today I’m hopeful this might work out after all.’
Natalie got settled on a chair and took off her jacket. ‘So you don’t regret quitting your course now?’
‘Oh, I regretted that as soon as I’d done it. You know me and my history of terrible decisions. I thought straight away I’d made another one, but whether I did or didn’t, it’s too late to undo it now.’
‘It’s never too late,’ Georgia said.
‘I’m proof of that,’ Natalie agreed.
‘Yeah.’ Sadie nodded. ‘Ewan said something similar last night when he dropped us off at home. He said I could always reapply for the course, but I’m not so sure.’
‘I imagine you could,’ Georgia said.
‘Maybe, but even thinking that now is kind of already setting myself up for failure here – if you catch my drift. I shouldn’t be making plans as if this isn’t going to work out, I should be concentrating on making this work out.’
‘It doesn’t hurt to have a plan B,’ Natalie said.
Sadie grimaced. ‘No offence, but I don’t want my life to be full of endless false starts and plan Bs.’
‘Well, as you qualified that statement with the words “no offence” I think it has a meaning that will offend me,’ Natalie said briskly.
‘I didn’t mean it to sound like that,’ Sadie said. ‘I just mean that… well, I feel I’m getting too old to keep on starting again because I’ve messed yet something else up. I need what I start now to work out or I’ll run out of time for any more new starts.’
Natalie rested her elbows on the table and looked up at Sadie. ‘Still offended. Some of us don’t have any choice but to start again, whether we like it or not, and some of us aren’t the cause of them. Some of us are on the receiving end of the messes.’
‘I know, and what I said wasn’t meant as a reflection on you. But you deal with it differently too. You bounce back and you’re strong enough to start again. I don’t think I am, not in the same way. And you’ve got a successful career, at least. You haven’t messed that up. I haven’t even got that… I’m nowhere right now.’
‘You’re happy,’ Georgia said. ‘You have the happiest life of anyone I know.’
‘I’m not saying I’m not happy,’ Sadie replied patiently. ‘I realise I probably sound a bit ungrateful, and I know I’m lucky to live in a place like this with my brilliant family and brilliant friends but…’ She sighed. ‘Is it selfish to say I want more?’
‘We all want more,’ Georgia said, turning her gaze to the windows where a cornflower sky topped the sage of the waves. ‘It’s in our DNA; we can’t help it – I read it somewhere. Some philosopher said it.’
‘I don’t know who said it,’ Natalie replied, turning to Sadie, ‘but even if it’s true that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be thankful for what we’ve got.’
Sadie shrugged. ‘That’s just it. When I really take stock I don’t feel that I do have a lot that actually means anything. I’m sorry if that sounds selfish and entitled, but there it is. I can’t help what I feel and you are two of the few people I’d dare be honest enough to say that to. I have a nice home and family, but I don’t have any purpose. I’m just floating around. Can you see what I mean?’
‘Yes,’ Natalie said, her tone softening again. ‘And maybe this place will be your purpose if you just give it enough time to work.’
‘Aristotle!’
Natalie and Sadie spun as one to look at Georgia.
Natalie grinned. ‘Remembered it, did you?’
‘No.’ Georgia held up her phone to show them the screen. ‘But Mr Google did!’
Sadie smiled. ‘Well, things seem better already for knowing that.’
But then her attention was diverted by a woman who was approaching the unmanned counter. She glanced back at her friends. ‘Better go; work to do. Catch up with you later.’
‘That’s OK,’ Georgia said, angling her head towards the kitchen doors. ‘Our food is here.’
Sadie looked to see April marching over with two plates piled high with waffles, fruit and cream, one topped with chocolate curls for Georgia and one with sprinkles for Natalie. Sadie smiled. From here their orders looked bang on what they’d asked for. Yes, it did look as if they might be on the right track now after all.
* * *
Sadie was humming softly to herself as she turned the key to lock the front door of the waffle house for the night. Her grandmother was cleaning tables and outside the sky was still bright and the air warm. Plenty of people were continuing to mill around too – walking the pier or sitting on the scrolled iron benches looking out to sea, or on rides or heading into the amusement arcade, and the beach was still dotted with famili
es and parties of friends messing around on the sand.
‘Gammy…’ Sadie began slowly, ‘didn’t you ever think about staying open a bit later in the summer months?’
April looked up, sleeves rolled to her elbows. For a lady of her age, her forearms were strong and toned and the skin smooth, but then, she’d spent her whole life working, hardly still for a moment. Perhaps it wasn’t a surprise that she was in such good shape when you thought about it that way, and April herself usually said so whenever Sadie gave her a compliment. She’d laugh and point out that it was down to nothing more than hard work and good genes, but Sadie often looked and admired her Gammy – as she did for so many other things – and hoped that those good genes would one day find their way to her.
‘Never really saw the point. People don’t want sweet things in the evening.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘They just don’t.’
‘But restaurants offer a sweet menu—’
‘For after your dinner… which is the most important bit. Nobody goes in there just asking for the sweet menu, do they?’
‘Well, what about these dessert places that are springing up everywhere? They’ve got at least half a dozen in Bournemouth and Weymouth…’
‘We’re not Bournemouth or Weymouth,’ April said briskly. ‘Sea Salt Bay is nowhere near as big as one of those towns, and we just don’t get the trade that those places do.’
‘But they stay open into the evening,’ Sadie insisted. ‘We’re only a small town but we’d only have one place like that open. I think the trade would come.’
April wrung out the cloth she was using into a bucket. ‘Your grandpa always said we worked a long enough week as it was without working into the night and I happen to agree. Besides, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m an old lady now and it’s a bit too late to start working all the hours the dear Lord has sent us.’
‘But you’ve got me now.’
‘Two of us is still just the same as it was before.’
‘I can work longer… I’m younger.’
‘I can’t.’
‘I could do it alone if it wasn’t too busy.’
April shook her head. ‘You couldn’t – it’s just not practical. And even if you could, would you really want to spend your whole life in here?’
Sadie didn’t want to spend her whole life in the waffle house, of course, but she was beginning to think that since she’d committed herself, she might as well make a success of it. A good place to start might be to gently overhaul the way they did things. The way they did things now was the way her grandparents had always done them, and what worked when they’d first opened all those years ago – the days when shops didn’t open on Sundays and pubs really were empty by 11 p.m. – didn’t necessarily suit today’s society. People now wanted things when they wanted things, and they expected their bars and restaurants and shops to be open for business for a lot more of the day. If the waffle house opened longer Sadie was sure they’d get enough custom to make it worth their while.
She was aware, also, that it might be too much to ask of April to put in longer hours, but Sadie was certain she could find a way to make it work for them. Her family had all said they were too busy to help, but part of that had been about making a point to Sadie because they hadn’t wanted her to do this. But if they all saw how serious she was about making it work, how she could build the waffle house into a far more successful venture than her grandma or grandpa could ever have imagined, then perhaps they’d be more supportive and willing to lend themselves out for the odd hour here and there.
‘What about trialling a few evenings to see how it goes?’ Sadie asked. ‘If it took off and we thought it would make enough money we could hire help—’
‘No, darlin’. You have a life outside this place. How are you gonna meet a man if you’re always working in here?’
Annoyingly, and without her permission, Declan popped into Sadie’s head. And as fast as she shook away the thought, it was followed by a vision of Luke. One a man she had to force herself to forget and one she’d like to know better, even though the circumstances of her meeting with the latter were about as unromantic as it got. But Sadie couldn’t let herself dwell on any of that; the waffle house had to be her first and top priority. Maybe the romance in her life would come when she least expected it, and maybe that was the best way to let it happen, but she sure as hell couldn’t expect any business to run that way.
She folded her arms. ‘I have plenty of time to meet a man and I don’t need one to make me happy.’
April shook her head again and dipped her cloth back into her bucket.
‘That’s your final word?’ Sadie asked, not angry or annoyed, but a little frustrated that she couldn’t make her grandma see the potential in the waffle house she could.
April looked up. ‘The day you own this place, Sadie… then you can decide the final word on whatever you like. Until then it’s my business and I have the final word on everything.’
Sadie planted her hands on her hips and stared at her grandmother. She’d wanted the old April Schwartz back and – boy – had she got her now. Strong, but also stubborn. Sadie had given up a lot to be here – couldn’t her grandma see that? She’d given up far too much and yet her grandmother was dismissing her like a child. Was that how April saw her still – like a little girl? Didn’t she think Sadie was capable of making sound decisions? And couldn’t she see how knowing her grandma saw her that way might hurt Sadie?
‘So I don’t get a say in anything even though I’m running the place with you?’
‘You’re helping us,’ April said. ‘We probably won’t need you tomorrow.’
Sadie’s eyes widened. ‘Who won’t?’
‘He ought to be back tomorrow.’
‘Who will?’
April rubbed at a stubborn spot on the table. ‘If I know your grandpa he won’t want to be away for too long.’
Sadie felt sick. She wobbled to a seat and dropped into it as she stared at her grandma. Just when she thought things were looking up, that they were on the path to happiness, the ground had collapsed from beneath her again. Was it always going to be like this now?
‘Gammy,’ she said slowly, her heart beating in her ears, ‘where do you think Gampy is?’
April laughed lightly, her attention still on the crusted bit of sugar clinging stubbornly to the table. ‘Oh, Sadie… don’t tease your old grandma. You know just where he is as well as I do.’
‘Gammy, I—’
There was a knock at the door. Sadie opened the blinds, ready to tell whoever it was that they’d closed for the day, only to see Declan standing outside. Quickly, she unlocked the door.
‘Dec!’ she cried with more emotion than he could have reasonably expected because he looked shocked by the greeting.
‘Sadie…?’
‘Come in,’ Sadie added, ushering him inside before closing and locking the door again. Declan watched as she did so, perhaps wondering whether he was going to have to fight his way out if he needed to leave.
‘I wanted to drop in yesterday to see how things were going but you’d locked up before I got here. And then I planned to come a bit earlier today to catch you but I got a bit held up at work…’ He looked carefully at Sadie and dropped his voice. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘Oh, hello, Declan!’ April called cheerfully. ‘Come to take Sadie out?’
Declan shot a confused glance at Sadie.
‘I’m afraid the kitchen’s closed right now,’ she added.
‘That’s OK,’ Declan said carefully. ‘Another time maybe?’
‘That’d be just fine,’ April said fondly. She dropped the cloth into the bucket of water and straightened up, rubbing at her back before reaching for the handle. Declan rushed over.
‘Here… let me get that for you. Is it going to the kitchen?’
‘Oh, yes, thank you, darlin’! That’s so sweet of you.’ April turned to Sadie with a gleam in her eye. ‘M
y favourite,’ she mouthed as he took the water away, and Sadie was more confused and scared than ever. How was it that Gammy could recall with perfect clarity a conversation they’d had the day before – one that she’d only appeared to be vaguely engaged with – but not the fact that Gampy was dead?
Declan rubbed his hands down his trousers as he came back in. ‘Anything else I can help with? My muscles are at your disposal.’
Sadie didn’t know whether to cry or run to kiss him. He always knew just the right thing to do in any situation, and he was doing it again now. It must have been obvious to him that something wasn’t right here, but he wasn’t making a big deal about it, instead doing his best to put April at ease and show Sadie that he was on her side. Not for the first time, along with gratitude that she had such a friend, Sadie was also assailed by regrets that she’d ever let a man like him go.
‘And they are fine muscles,’ April said, laughing. ‘If you’d like you can stack the chairs on top of the tables so I can sweep the floor.’
‘I can sweep the floor,’ Sadie said. ‘Why don’t you go and tidy the fridge – you know better than me what needs to be thrown out.’
‘Sure, darlin’; I can do that.’
April went into the kitchen. As soon as she’d gone, Declan turned to Sadie and the carefree expression he’d worn for her disappeared, replaced by one of urgent questions.
‘I know that face,’ he said. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing,’ Sadie said, wondering why she was even bothering to cover anything up. Declan had already seen for himself that things weren’t right and she knew him better than to think he’d let it drop. But it wasn’t right to involve him in her problems. Once upon a time maybe it would have been OK, but they weren’t together now, and the burdens he needed to share weren’t hers, they were Melissa’s. It wasn’t fair of Sadie to pile more on him. ‘Why should there be anything wrong? I’m tired and it’s been busy here – more than I’m used to. And sometimes I feel as if it’s too much but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.’
‘And that’s it?’ he asked, his tone edged with obvious scepticism.
The Waffle House on the Pier: A gorgeous feel-good romantic comedy Page 13
