The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club

by Lynsey James

  ‘Call it a farewell party,’ said Lucy, wrapping an arm round my shoulders. ‘I’m going to bloody miss you, you know!’

  ‘Feeling’s mutual.’ I wiggled round on my bar stool to get comfortable. ‘I don’t suppose you know if Noah’s coming, do you?’

  She nodded. ‘Yeah, I think he said he was. Don’t worry; you don’t have to speak to him after what happened yesterday. Just come and enjoy yourself before you go home tomorrow.’

  ‘OK,’ I agreed. ‘You’re on!’

  *

  I went back to Sunflower Cottage to get ready for the barbecue. Rose was sitting in the kitchen, her leg sticking outwards and her face contorted in pain.

  ‘Are you OK?’ I asked. ‘Have you taken your painkillers today?’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m fine. It’s just playing up a bit today,’ she replied.

  I stuck the kettle on and brewed her a cup of tea. ‘If you like, I can skip the barbecue at the Purple Partridge and stay here with you.’

  ‘Oh no, I’ll be fine! You can’t miss your final chance to see Jake and Lucy; you’d never forgive yourself.’

  I shrugged in defeat. ‘If you’re sure.’

  ‘Noah’s going as well, isn’t he?’ Rose’s voice was a little too inquisitive for my liking. Her question sounded very much like a leading one.

  ‘That’s what Lucy told me.’ I eyed her with suspicion and she did her best butter-wouldn’t-melt expression.

  ‘In that case, why don’t you wear that lovely dress you bought the other week? The one with, what was it, butterflies or flowers?’

  ‘Butterflies,’ I replied. ‘And you do know nothing’s going to happen between us, don’t you? He’s made that perfectly clear.’

  ‘Never say never.’ She winked at me and gave what she thought was a mysterious look that actually made her look constipated. ‘Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you; I signed the papers to sell Sunflower Cottage to Walter Marshall Hotels.’

  She hauled herself up from the living room couch and struggled through to the kitchen, returning moments later with the signed contract.

  Holding it in my hands felt surreal for a moment; I even had to check to see if she’d actually signed it.

  ‘Wow,’ I breathed. ‘You’re really going through with it.’

  She nodded and I noticed tears well up in her eyes. ‘I am. You did as I asked and helped Noah run it, so I’m signing it over as promised. It’ll be good to make a fresh start; I’ve given thirty years of my life to this place and now it’s time to do something new.’

  ‘What do you think you’ll do?’

  She shrugged. ‘Oh, I don’t know; maybe I’ll give sky-diving a try or go swimming with sharks! Whatever it is, it’ll be something that keeps me busy. After all this time, I’m not sure I know how to be anything else.’

  A rogue sob escaped her and I pulled her into a comforting hug. ‘You’re leaving Sunflower Cottage in the best hands, I promise. Time for you to have a new adventure.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right. I’m not sure what my new adventure’s going to be yet, but it’s quite exciting knowing I’ve got options. This time next year, I could be on a Caribbean cruise or climbing Everest!’ She wiped some tears from her eyes and managed a smile. ‘Anyway, off with you! You’ve got a barbecue to get ready for. I’ll be fine here by myself.’

  I did as I was told and headed off upstairs to change into The Dress. I closed my room door behind me and picked up my phone to dial Paul’s number.

  ‘What?’ He sounded even more stressed than usual when he finally picked up.

  ‘Hello to you too! I’ve got some good news for you; Sunflower Cottage is ours.’

  There was a long pause before he said anything. I began to think he’d fainted or had a stroke or something.

  ‘Paul?’

  ‘YESSSSSS! I knew you could do it, Emily! Now get your arse back up the road to bonnie Scotland; there’s a promotion here with your name on it.’

  I hung up the call, waiting for the sense of elation to come. I’d done it. I’d secured Sunflower Cottage and the promotion I’d always wanted. I should’ve felt on top of the world.

  But I didn’t. Instead, I felt my heart sink and my insides twist with regret.

  *

  I managed to get to the pub’s barbecue reasonably on time. This was despite my hairdryer choosing to stop working and The Dress going walkabout. I finally found it in a guest’s room, wedged in among a pile of towels. I also had to run to the post office to mail the signed contracts back to Glasgow. I made it just before the last post was collected and dropped them in with a finality I wasn’t sure I was happy with.

  As I stepped onto the Purple Partridge’s outside deck, I immediately began scanning the gathered mass to see if I could see Noah. There was so much left unsaid between us and tonight was probably going to be my last chance to say any of it…

  ‘He’s not here yet,’ said a voice behind me. I instantly recognised it as Jake’s.

  ‘Who?’ I tried my best to sound nonchalant. ‘I wasn’t looking for anyone.’

  ‘Yeah, right! He said he’ll be here, but he’ll probably be running late. Us Hartleys have never been good timekeepers.’

  I could see fear and excitement dance in Jake’s eyes. They darted round the crowd, probably looking for Lucy, as his fingers drummed against his thighs.

  ‘Someone looks excited about something!’ I said with a chuckle.

  He took a final look round and leaned in close to me. ‘Keep this to yourself, but I’m about to propose to Lucy!’

  My mouth dropped open. ‘Oh my God! Jake, that’s amazing!’

  I was pretty impressed by my ‘surprised’ performance. I’d obviously missed my calling in life; I should’ve gone for a career on the stage.

  He let out a throaty, gravelly laugh and sipped his pint of beer. ‘Yeah, she’s got no idea about it either. I’ve had the ring hidden in my sock drawer for a few weeks now. Can’t wait to see her face! Just hope something doesn’t go horribly wrong.’

  No sooner had those words left his mouth than Diane walked out onto the deck. As soon as she saw me, she averted her gaze and went to join a group of people huddled near the railings.

  ‘Still not flavour of the month with our favourite local café owner then?’ asked Jake.

  ‘Looks that way.’ I grimaced and felt a chilling shiver chase down my spine as Diane cast me a frosty glare. ‘I want to go up and talk to her, but Christ knows what I’d say.’

  Jake grinned. ‘How about something like “so I’m your late husband’s secret daughter, so what? Let’s let bygones be bygones and crack open a bottle of wine!” That sounds reasonable, right?’

  I gave him a playful tap on the arm. ‘Just point me in the direction of the food, you, and get ready for your big moment!’

  He gestured over to where the barbecue was in full swing. The smell of hamburgers and hot dogs wafted in my direction and I couldn’t resist going over to try some.

  I was making my way over to a free seat, a delicious-looking hot dog in my hand, when the man I’d been waiting to see walked outside. Noah looked drop-dead delicious in a slightly rumpled checked shirt with a white T-shirt underneath it and a pair of faded jeans. A pair of sunglasses dangled from the neck of his T-shirt and the sunlight made the copper tones in his russet-brown hair shine brighter than ever.

  In short, he looked absolutely gorgeous.

  His eyes met mine and, for a brief moment, it looked like he was going to come over to see me. He took a couple of steps in my direction, changed his mind and headed straight for the food instead. I didn’t blame him; the smell coming from the barbecue was enough to distract anyone from their true intentions.

  That meant a little engineered ‘chance’ meeting was called for. Taking a bite of my unbelievably tasty hot dog for good luck, I braced myself and walked up to him.

  ‘Hi, Noah.’

  He turned round just as I was taking another bite of my hot dog and I ended up squirtin
g tomato ketchup all over his white T-shirt.

  ‘Oh my God!’ I squeaked. ‘I’m so sorry!’

  ‘No worries.’ He grabbed a cluster of napkins and wiped it away, creating a lurid orange stain. ‘The T-shirt was too white anyway! All set for heading back to Glasgow tomorrow?’

  I nodded. ‘Yup, I’m all packed and ready to go now. H… how are you?’

  He gave a vague nod and looked out to the sea that lay just a few feet away from us.

  ‘I’ve met up with my mum again. She was really apologetic after that incident in the pub. Apparently, it was a one-off because she’d had a really bad week. She’s back on the wagon now and she hasn’t had a drink since. So that’s something. Is your mum still around?’

  I shook my head and let out a sigh of relief. ‘No, she’s gone back to Glasgow now. I’m glad she came because we got to sort things out between us, but it was getting pretty claustrophobic with her being at Sunflower Cottage!’

  The familiar tension between us made a pretty unwelcome return. The air became heavy with the weight of things we both wanted to say. We looked at each other, holding our hot dogs aloft and wondering what the hell to say to one another. Noah opened his mouth and I took a sharp breath inwards, preparing myself for what he might say. Instead, he took a hearty bite of his hot dog.

  ‘Mmm, this is amazing!’ His words were slightly muffled as he spoke round a mouthful of food.

  Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite as sorry for squirting his shirt with ketchup. I slapped on a happy smile and did my best to look carefree and relaxed. In reality, I ended up as something resembling a demented squirrel.

  Noah raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Yup, everything’s dandy over here!’ I wasn’t quite sure why I sounded like I should be onstage at a holiday camp, but went with it anyway. ‘Couldn’t be better, actually!’

  I felt like I had to keep talking in order to keep what I really wanted to say at bay. The trouble was, all I could come out with was incessant babble.

  ‘You’re looking forward to going home by the sounds of things! Rose told me she signed over Sunflower Cottage to your company.’

  I hated hearing a note of sadness in his voice. He was smiling, but I could tell Rose’s decision to sell had devastated him.

  ‘Yup, we’ll be taking it over really soon, I think. We might make some minor cosmetic improvements, but by and large I reckon we’ll leave it how it is. It’s already up and running and the bookings are pretty healthy, so we don’t want to disrupt that.’

  ‘That’s brilliant,’ said Noah. ‘It really is. I’m glad Rose is getting a new start; if anyone deserves it, it’s her eh?’

  ‘Noah, can we—’

  Jake’s booming voice through a microphone cut me off. I guessed the big moment had arrived.

  ‘Can I have everyone’s attention for a minute, please? Don’t worry, I won’t keep you from the food and booze for too long. I just wanted to say thank you to you all for coming today, even if you did just come to fill your boots and have a few pints! There’s a special person I want to thank today; without her love and support, I don’t know where I’d be. So please give a round of applause to my beautiful, amazing girlfriend Lucy Harper!’

  The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and Lucy emerged from inside the pub to join Jake on the stage. She looked absolutely radiant in a royal-blue sundress as she gave a warm, friendly smile to the crowd.

  ‘Jake, what’s going on?’ She tried to keep her voice low, but I could still hear her from where I was standing.

  ‘You mean the world to me, Lucy Harper. That day I found you sitting at the bar with your head in your hands, it changed my life forever and I’m so glad it did. You’re kind, beautiful, smart, funny; you’re everything I could ever want. And if you let me, I’ll spend every day trying to make you as happy as you make me.’

  He put the microphone back on the stand and got down on one knee, pulling a small blue velvet box out of his pocket. Lucy clapped her hands to her mouth and let out a little squeal of delight.

  ‘Oh my God! Jake, are you…?’

  ‘Lucy Harper, will you marry me?’

  ‘YES! Yes, I will!’

  He slipped the ring onto her finger then got up and pulled her into his arms. The crowd whooped and cheered as the happy couple took comical theatrical bows.

  Noah and I immediately rushed over to congratulate them. He slapped Jake on the back and did a strange manly bear hug, while I hugged Lucy and inspected her ring.

  ‘It’s so beautiful,’ I breathed. ‘You’re so bloody lucky!’

  ‘I know – I absolutely love it!’ She did a few happy jumps then turned to her new fiancé.

  ‘I can’t believe you never found it,’ he said. ‘It’s been hidden in the sock drawer for God knows how long!’

  Lucy and I exchanged knowing smiles, silently agreeing to keep the secret between us.

  She put her arms round his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Noah and I exchanged brief glances and took it as our cue to leave the happy couple to it. We went over to a spare picnic table that offered some shade from the summer sun.

  ‘Look at them,’ I said, pointing in their direction. ‘They look so happy, don’t they?’

  Noah followed my gaze to where Jake and Lucy were kissing and holding each other tightly. It was as though the world around them didn’t exist, and it was just them in the moment and nobody else.

  ‘Don’t they just?’ I detected a hint of sadness in his tone. ‘I’m made up for him, I really am. It’s great to see him settled with someone who’s so right for him. His ex, Rachel, never was.’

  ‘That’ll be us one day.’

  I slapped a hand over my mouth as soon as the words were out. What the fuck were you thinking, I asked myself, do you want to scare him off altogether?

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He didn’t sound or look too freaked out; maybe I’d got away with it.

  ‘I mean, that’ll be us one day. We’ll find people to settle down with and be as happy as Lucy and Jake are.’

  ‘Oh.’

  I looked at him, staring off into the distance while he sipped his beer. ‘You sound disappointed.’

  He shrugged. ‘Me, disappointed? Nah, not at all.’

  I chewed my bottom lip as I mulled over whether to ask the question burning in my mind. If there was one thing I’d learnt since coming to Luna Bay, it was that you had to grab chances when they came up. I’d seized my chances to get closer with Noah and, although things hadn’t worked out, I didn’t have any regrets.

  Well, maybe just one…

  ‘Fancy coming back to Sunflower Cottage for a wee while? We could have a drink and sit out on the terrace.’

  ‘So basically what we’re doing here?’ Noah shot back with a grin. ‘But back at the B&B?’

  ‘Basically. Are you up for it?’

  He opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated. ‘I don’t know, Emily. Do you think me, you, alcohol and the sunset is a good idea? Things could happen that we’ll both end up regretting.’

  I leaned over to him until my face was just inches from his. ‘I think I can just about manage to resist your unique charms, if that’s what you’re worried about.’

  He inched closer to me and, for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he stopped just short of my lips. I felt a rush of anticipation as his breath tickled my face.

  ‘It’s not you I’m worried about,’ he whispered.

  Goosebumps rose on my skin. Every inch of me ached for Noah; I wanted to feel his lips on mine, his skin touch my skin and our bodies connect for one last glorious time.

  *

  And that was exactly what happened.

  We barely made it back to Sunflower Cottage before we were ripping each other’s clothes off and stealing hungry kisses from one another. Noah was a surprisingly good multitasker; he was able to plant kisses along my coll
arbone and slip my dress off at the same time. Once I’d torn his T-shirt off and carelessly flung it in some random direction, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me upstairs to my room.

  There are some moments you just know have been designed by fate or whatever external force controls our destinies. As Noah slid inside me, sending ripples of pleasure coursing through my entire body, I felt sure this moment was one of them. I lost myself in the gentle rhythm of his hips, his breathy moans and the taste of his kiss. I’d never believed there was such a thing as a perfect moment, but as my body melted into Noah’s, I knew they did exist.

  I didn’t hear my mobile phone ringing. I didn’t hear the little beep telling me I had a voicemail from someone very important. And I had no idea that, just a few hours later, everything would change.

  Chapter 25

  There’s an old saying that goes something like this: all good things must come to an end. I’d never held much belief in it; nothing good in my life had come to an end, after all. My career was going from strength to strength, I still had all my own teeth and I had my family and friends around me. OK, so my handful of short-lived relationships had all crashed and burned in their own ways. That didn’t mean that all good things had to come to an end, did it? Just that my relationships obviously hadn’t come under the category of ‘good things’.

  With that in mind, it was pretty fair to say I didn’t expect the events of the following morning to unfold like they did.

  Things started out pretty normally. I rolled over, forgetting Noah’s sleeping form was next to me and crashing into him. He grunted, kissed me and we proceeded to make the sweetest love as blades of sunlight sliced through the curtains. For the first time, I knew what it meant to have the world stop just for me and the one I loved. There was something very special about knowing everyone else around us was asleep while we connected in the most beautiful way possible.

  ‘Today’s the day, isn’t it?’ he said with a sad sigh, drawing circles on my tummy with his finger. ‘You’re heading back to Scotland.’

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ I replied, lacing our fingers together. ‘Last night was perfect, Noah, it really was.’