Autumn Antics: Escape to the seaside with the perfect autumn read! (The Boardwalk by the Sea Book 2)

by Georgina Troy

  She peered through the glass of the café door. As it was quiet, she decided that Sacha wouldn’t mind her taking Teddy inside. She opened the door and waved at her friend.

  “How lovely to see you,” Sacha said, bending down to stroke Teddy “I’ve got something for you, little man. Let me go and get it for you.”

  She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with some chopped up chicken, which she put on the floor in front of the little dog, and they watched while he wolfed it down.

  “I hope Mrs Jones doesn’t mind him being fed,” Bella said. “I don’t want to annoy her the first time I take him out for a walk. It wouldn’t be the best thing to do, would it?”

  “She won’t mind,” Sacha said. “In fact, whenever she comes in here with Jools I give him a little bowl of chicken. He expects it now.”

  Bella laughed. “I can’t say I blame him.” Something caught her eye. It was Megan, walking around on the boardwalk, looking for her. “I better go. I promised Megan I’d take her for a walk on the beach. I thought it would be more fun with Teddy.”

  She gave Sacha a brief hug, and checking that Teddy had finished his chicken, patted him on the head. “Come on, Teddy, let’s go.”

  She left the café and waved at Megan, who looked much more relaxed than the last time she’d seen her. “Lovely to see you,” she said. “Shall we go straight down?”

  Megan nodded and followed Bella and Teddy down the granite steps onto the soft sand where Bella unclipped the dog’s lead. She took his tennis ball out of her pocket and threw it for him to chase. He raced off after the ball, going so fast that he missed it. Turning around, he retraced his steps and grabbed it, bringing it back to be thrown once again.

  “What a cute little dog,” Megan said.

  Bella noted that she didn’t actually touch the dog, and smiled to herself. “He is. How have you been?” asked Bella.

  “Fine, thanks.” Megan pointed in Teddy’s direction and smiled. “I think we need to throw his ball for him again.”

  Bella reached it first, picked it up and threw it away from the rocks. Next it was Megan’s turn. She picked up the ball and threw it back the other way.

  “We have to be careful,” Bella said, thinking of Mrs Jones. She had no intention of having to break the news to the old lady that her dog was stuck up the cliffs. “The owner is most insistent that we don’t throw the ball onto the rocks because apparently, Teddy has no sense when it comes to chasing after it. She said he’s already been stuck up there twice and once I gather, he hurt himself.”

  Megan picked up the ball and hurled it. For someone so slight, Megan threw with a huge amount of strength. “Oh, no!” she shouted, covering her mouth with her hand.

  Bella looked over to see what was wrong, horrified to see the ball had bounced halfway up the rock face. “Quick! Grab Teddy.”

  He’d scooted out of Megan’s hands before she could get hold of him, and was running after his ball.

  “Teddy!” Bella screamed, but the little dog completely ignored her and ran flat-out towards the rocks.

  “Surely he’s not going to run up there,” said Megan, looking dismayed. “Aw hell, I think he is.”

  “We’re going to have to get him,” Bella said, chasing after him, trying not to panic. “Otherwise he’s going to get stuck. I’m terrified of heights.”

  “You’re not the only one,” Megan said, running alongside. “I can’t even climb up to the second rung of a ladder.”

  “Then we’re going to have to grab him before he goes too high.” Bella sprinted as fast as she could, lurching towards the dog, missing him as he sprang forward, as nimble as a mountain goat, up the jagged rock face. She and Megan watched in frozen horror as it seemed to dawn on him, when he was about two thirds of the way up, that he was stuck and couldn’t get down. Neither could he reach his ball. He turned around and looked in their direction, as if willing them to do something.

  Megan and Bella exchanged glances. Bella could see that Megan wasn’t in any rush to climb up the rocks, and neither was she.

  “It’s okay, Teddy!” she shouted, trying to keep her tone as calm as possible. “Good boy! We’re coming to get you!”

  “Well I’m not,” Megan argued, her old self returning.

  “Er, I think you are,” Bella said. “You’re the one who threw the ball over there.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.”

  The little dog started whimpering.

  “He probably remembers the last time he got stuck up there, when he got hurt,” Megan said, panic entering her voice.

  “Which is why we have to get him down as soon as we can, before he does something silly.” Bella surveyed the beach. “Shame we’re the only ones here,” she said, half to herself. “I’m going to have to begin climbing.” She took a deep breath and, focused on what she was doing, stepped onto the first rock.

  “Just don’t look down,” Megan advised.

  “I wasn’t planning to.”

  Bella climbed higher and higher, stopping every so often to take deep calming breaths. She swallowed, trying to stave off the panic that was threatening to overcome her. She’d almost reached the little dog when he seemed to become more fretful and started to climb higher.

  “Don’t move, Teddy. Stay still, there’s a good boy,” Bella said, in the calmest voice she could manage. Why had she even thought this would be a good idea?

  “You all right up there?” Megan shouted.

  “No, I’m not,” Bella replied through gritted teeth. She reached up towards Teddy, but her fingers wouldn’t quite reach him. She tried once again, but it was no use. “He’s too far away!” she called, aware that she was running out of options.

  “Hang on then, I’m coming!”

  Bella glanced down, instantly wishing she hadn’t as a wave of nausea swept over her. She could see Megan gingerly making her way up the cliff face. What if Megan couldn’t reach him either? Bella took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, concentrating on soothing Teddy.

  Megan reached her, slightly out of puff. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said, her voice trembling with fear. “I don’t think I can get down now.”

  Neither did Bella, but they were stuck here now and if they didn’t do something soon the dog was going to panic. She was terrified he would jump. The thought gave her vertigo and she clung to a rock as tightly as her hands would let her. “We still haven’t reached Teddy yet, and we can’t think about going down without him.”

  “We can’t go down at all at the moment. We have to be brave and just do this,” Megan insisted. “You try to move higher while I stay here.”

  “What’s that supposed to achieve?”

  “I could grab Teddy if he tries to run down.”

  “Good luck with that,” she said realizing that Teddy was as frozen with fear as they were.

  She needed to work out how to get them all safely down to the beach, and concentrated on placing one foot above the other in the little nooks and crannies of the rock face. “He’s on a bigger ledge than I expected,” she called back to Megan, as she drew closer to Teddy. She took a deep breath and stretching her free arm up, managed to touch him. If she could just get hold of him now, and somehow stay next to him, maybe they could call for help from there? With an effort, she hoisted herself up and was able to lean across the grassy ledge to where he was standing. “You’re all right,” she said, stroking his trembling body.

  “Well done!” Megan shouted. “Hang on to him, won’t you?”

  She wasn’t going to let go of Teddy, or the ledge. In fact, she wasn’t sure what to do next. “Phone Jools,” Bella said as calmly as she could. “I’ll give you her number.”

  “Ahh, I didn’t actually bring my phone.”

  Hiding her disappointment, Bella wondered whether she could climb to the top and on to the headland, Bella looked up, immediately becoming dizzy. She heard panting behind her and tentatively glanced over her shoulder to see Megan approaching. Bella was
n’t sure now that insisting Megan should help was a good idea. The girl had guts, and she liked her even more for trying, but two of them stuck with Teddy wasn’t going to get them off the cliff.

  “Why is no one on the beach apart from us?” Megan yelled.

  Bella indicated a steel-grey weather front moving over the channel towards them. “That’s probably why.”

  “Great,” Megan grumbled, slipping a few inches, sending small pieces of rock tumbling to the beach below.

  “Careful,” Bella said, grabbing her arm and holding her until she found her footing again. “I don’t want to have to rescue you, too.”

  Megan reached her and clung on. “I’ve already broken a few nails. And,” she said, raising her designer eyebrows at Bella, “by the look on your face, I doubt you’ll be rescuing anyone, including Teddy.” Her left foot slipped again, and she whimpered. “Have you any idea how we’re supposed to get him down? I’m tired, and that stormy weather will probably wash us off this rock.”

  Bella didn’t relish the prospect of staying here much longer. She took a deep breath, wishing she’d never offered to take Teddy out for a walk.

  “Is that a fishing boat coming in to shore, do you think?” Megan asked, her fingertips white from clinging on to Bella.

  Bella focused on the distant boat. “It looks like it,” she said, hopefully. “It’s painted red and white, isn’t it?”

  Megan squinted out to sea. “Hang on. Yes, it is. Why? Is that good?”

  “Hopefully. I think it’s Tony’s fishing boat. Jack was going out with him.” She could feel the relief, calming her slightly. “I have an idea.” She carefully pushed her right hand into her jacket pocket, reaching for her mobile. She took it out and found Jack’s number. It rang for what seemed like hours, but was probably only seconds, until he answered.

  “Bella, hi!” he said shouting above the boat’s engine noise. She sensed from his tone that he was still a little awkward after their close encounter a few days earlier.

  “Oh Jack, I’m so glad you’ve answered,” she said, not caring that he would hear how frightened she was.

  “Bella? Where are you? Has something happened? Is it Betty?” He wasn’t giving her time to reply.

  “No, Jack… please, just listen. Megan and I are stuck up the cliff at the beach.”

  There was a pause. “What are you doing up there?” he said. “You’re terrified of heights.”

  She told him about taking Teddy for a walk and him chasing the ball. “And now all three of us are stuck and don’t know how to get down. The tide has come in too,” she said, as the realization dawned on her, that even if they did get down in one piece, they still had to get the dog to dry land.

  “Hey, it’s going to be fine,” Jack soothed. “The first thing to do is not panic.”

  “And the second?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” She could hear him speaking with Tony. “We’re going to bring the boat in as close as we can. If you can get lower down with Teddy then do, but if not, just wait for me. Okay? Don’t try anything heroic.”

  She was past trying anything at all. “Yes, please hurry,” she said, trying not to cry with relief. She cleared her throat after he ended the call. “Jack is on that fishing boat and he’s going to try and rescue us.”

  Megan sighed heavily. “I knew he was a hero the moment I set eyes on him,” she said, relaxing her grip slightly.

  Bella cuddled Teddy as best she could with her free arm. “He’s shivering, poor little guy.”

  “Should we try and cover him with something?”

  “Good idea.” She carefully unravelled her scarf and wound it awkwardly around the little dog. “It might make him feel better,” she said, wishing there was something she could do to help her and Megan. Her teeth were chattering, and her jaw was becoming sore from trying to stop them. “We just have to stay as calm as we can until Jack gets here,” she added, as much to reassure herself as Megan.

  “I hope he gets here soon because I’m bloody freezing,” Megan moaned. “I wish I’d never thrown that bloody ball.”

  “Stop blaming yourself. These things happen,” Bella said, even though it had been Megan’s fault. After all, she specifically told her not to throw the ball at the rocks. “Anyway, knowing Jack he won’t take long to get here. He’s very clever at anything outdoorsy.” She hoped she was right. He’d never had to rescue her from a cliff ledge before

  “I was wondering,” Megan said. “Should I try and climb to the top, do you think?”

  Bella looked up without thinking. Again, her world turned on its axis. “That was a bad idea,” she groaned. “I have no idea if you can find a way up there, but I can’t see one.”

  Megan looked pensive, scanning the rock face back and forth. “Maybe we’re looking at this wrong way,” she said. “Instead of going up, we should go to the right or the left. Take our time getting to the top.”

  Bella gave it some thought. She had a point. Neither of them could hang on much longer. She looked around, but couldn’t see any way that they could go. “Jack did say to wait, and I think that’s our safest bet.”

  “We got up, though,” Megan argued. “Why the hell can’t we get back down?”

  “Fine,” Bella said. “I’m going to try again.” She took one step, and the rock gave way beneath her feet. Stones cascaded down, narrowly missing Bella with a couple hitting Megan, who shrieked, startling Teddy. Bella clung to him, making soothing noises as the rocks streamed noisily below. “Okay that’s it, I’m not going anywhere. I’m waiting for Jack.”

  A man’s voice bellowed from below. They looked down tentatively to see Alessandro, waving up at them. Cupping his hands either side of his mouth, he called, “Bella, you are okay? You wish for me to climb up to you?”

  “It’s not just us,” Bella called back. “We’ve got a dog and we don't know how to get him down.”

  “I get help,” Alessandro called. “You wait, I come back soon.”

  Before Bella tell him about Jack, he turned and ran off.

  “For pity’s sake,” Megan moaned. “Who does he think is going to come and help us? The coastguard, I suppose, or the fire brigade. Oh hell, imagine the photos.”

  “It’ll be fine. I’m sure Jack will be here before anyone else,” Bella said hopefully, scanning the sea to try and gauge how close he was.

  Megan suddenly giggled. “You do know you’re going to laugh about this one day?”

  Bella wasn’t sure about that. She couldn’t imagine ever laughing about something that had terrified her quite so much. But to keep the peace, and keep Megan’s mind off the fact that they were holding on tightly to a rock face, she nodded. “Yes, you’re probably right,” she said. “But I think it’s going to be a long while.”

  They waited, trying to remain calm, telling each other jokes to pass the time, watching as the boat came closer. Eventually, Bella spotted Jack, waving at them, and then she could hear his voice. She waved back, relief washing through her. Thank God he’d been close enough to take her call.

  “I phoned Alessandro!” Jack shouted. “He’s getting my surfboard from the cottage and is bringing it down here.”

  “What the hell is he doing that for?” Megan asked, frowning

  “Shush,” Bella said, quietly. “I don’t care how he does this, I just want to get down. So listen to what he has to say.” She turned her attention to Jack. “Just tell us what you want us to do when you’re ready.”

  Alessandro ran into view, carrying Jack’s bright orange surfboard. Bella and Megan watched while he pushed it out towards the boat and held it as Jack jumped into the water.

  She heard Jack tell him to keep the surfboard close to the bottom of the cliff, and saw Alessandro hand him what looked like a rucksack. Bella wasn’t sure why he’d been carrying it, but maybe there was something inside it that would be useful. The girls waited silently while Jack made quick work of climbing the rock face.

  “I think he’s done this sort of thing
before,” Megan said, smiling for the first time since their escapade had begun.

  “You could be right,”

  “Hi, girls,” Jack said, looking very comfortable as he joined them. Reaching Teddy, he checked him briefly. “You poor little thing,” he said, giving the dog a one-armed cuddle. Teddy seemed ecstatic to see him, his whole body wagged with delight. Bella knew how he felt. “I can see you’re all freezing,” he said bringing the rucksack around to his front. “I’m going to put Teddy into this rucksack and zip it up slightly to hold his body inside.” He slowly lifted the dog, and with a bit of effort slipped him inside. “Can you help me get my arms through the straps?” he asked Bella, carefully pulling the bag around, talking calmly to Teddy.

  “Of course.” She was happy to agree to anything that would get them down.

  “That’s it,” he said, quietly, once the rucksack was secure. “Hey, little guy,” he said, when Teddy started panting. “You’re going to be fine. We’ll have you home in no time.” He smiled at Bella. “You okay for a bit?”

  “I suppose so.” She gave him a tearful smile. “I’m just glad Teddy’s okay. She wondered how she was going to break the news of Teddy’s adventure to Mrs Jones. She probably wouldn't be allowed to take him out for another walk, and wouldn’t blame Mrs Jones for being furious, considering she’d done the very thing she had expressly asked Bella not to do.

  “I’ll be back as quick as I can,” he said.

  Bella and Megan watched his easy descent. He was soon at the bottom, where Alessandro was waiting on the surfboard. Sitting astride it, they paddled to the beach, and Alessandro got off and lifted Teddy from the rucksack.

  “Look,” Bella said, watching the dog run up the beach towards the bookshop. “He’s taking him back to Mrs Jones. Isn’t he clever?”

  “Isn’t it sickening when they make it all look so easy?” Megan said. “Maybe we should try and get down by ourselves.”

  Bella had been considering doing the same thing. She was used to being capable, and didn’t fancy waiting for Jack to rescue her, as if she was some sort of nursey-story princess.