by Rebecca Pugh
‘There’s not much to say really,’ Marco replied with a modest smile. ‘I was just your normal kid. Life was pretty average until I moved to Sunset Bay.’ He took a sip of coffee. ‘I took a holiday in Sunset Bay in my late-twenties, decided to stay and then Dolly took me on at the diner. I’d worked a few catering jobs beforehand back in Blackpool where I grew up, but there was something about Dolly’s Diner that clicked with me. And Sunset Bay seemed right. It was the perfect escape.’
Laurie caught the word ‘escape’ and turned her head to study his profile. They were alike in more ways than one. ‘What were you escaping from?’ she asked quietly, curiously. Marco grimaced so she backtracked immediately. ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,’ she said lightly, not wanting to pressure him into telling her. ‘I’m just being nosey.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ Marco said as he took another sip of coffee. ‘I got into trouble when I was younger. A lot of trouble. I was a cocky teenager and thought I ruled the world. Ended up getting in with the wrong crowd and did some terrible things. Stealing, drinking, not to mention the gambling, drugs, too. In the end, I realised I had to get away before that life took over me completely. I was worrying Mum to death; she said she couldn’t cope and that’s when I knew I’d taken it all too far. I’d turn up at stupid o’clock in the morning, completely out of it. I didn’t know what I was doing half the time. I scared Mum and I scared myself. So, I fled.’ Marco shrugged. ‘Moving to Sunset Bay was the best thing I ever did. Mum came, too, but she died a short while after. Heart attack. I still feel guilty about her death. I mean, all of that stress I caused her must have played a part in it surely?’ After draining the last of his coffee, Marco scrunched the cup up in his hand and chucked it into the bin beside them. ‘I was an idiot back then. It’s all different now, though.’
Laurie smiled. ‘So, what about your romantic history?’ She wiggled her eyebrows up and down playfully. Despite wanting to appear playful, she was actually very keen to know.
‘Had a few relationships in the past, nothing special, though.’ His eyes landed on her face and he watched her intently. ‘Listen, Laurie. I understand that after everything that happened with Neil, you’re probably not wanting a relationship right now. I understand that, I really do, but I just want you to know that I don’t mind waiting. When you do feel ready, though, why don’t we give it a go and see what happens?’
Laurie turned to face the sea, became fascinated by the gentle swaying of the waves. ‘It’s not just Neil,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s everything. Breaking away from London, from work, it’s made me realise how chained down I was to that life. I feel free, and honestly? This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time. My whole life has been dictated by other people, my career … It feels good to be away from that. And after I found Neil with … Well, you know. I just …’ She shook her head, the thought of it all immediately bursting the bubble of happiness she’d been floating in moments before. ‘I don’t think I should jump straight back into anything serious. Please don’t think that I don’t like you, too, because I really do, but I just need some time. I can’t be held down again. I know you wouldn’t do that – you’re different to Neil in a million ways – but I’m …’ She swallowed. ‘I’m scared, I guess. Of it happening all over again.’
‘I understand.’ Marco’s gaze slid down to the floor. ‘Don’t worry, I wouldn’t ever push you on this.’
‘Thank you. For understanding.’ Laurie allowed herself to be pulled into his side, his arm warm and protective as he held her tightly.
‘Right, how about we check out the rest of this place?’ said Marco brightly. ‘I know a great fish and chip shop where we can grab lunch if you’re hungry?’ He nodded back towards the town, which had grown busier.
Laurie smiled. ‘That sounds perfect. Let’s go.’
They walked back across the platform and further into town. Once they’d found the fish and chip shop, they strolled side by side down the street with an open bag of chips. When the air began to grow chillier, Marco led Laurie back to the car and they set off back to Sunset Bay. As he remained focused on the road, Laurie settled back in the seat and allowed her eyes to slowly close. She felt tired after such a wonderful day, but didn’t want to fall asleep and waste any of her time spent with Marco. He was such a great man, and she’d really enjoyed their day out together. He’d been nothing but a gentleman, and then, when the topic of relationships had cropped up, he hadn’t attempted to push her on it at all. Trying her best not to attract his attention, she peered across at him and felt herself relax even further into the seat.
But she’d meant what she’d said. Since arriving in Sunset Bay, she’d somehow managed to unchain herself from the shackles of her London life, and all of the pressures and stress that came along with it. She felt fantastically free, freer than she’d felt for a long time, and it wasn’t surprising to find that she wasn’t hurrying to return to it. Alongside Mia, and Cal, and last but by no means least, Marco, she’d wrapped herself up within the way of life in Sunset Bay. In a strange sort of way, Dolly’s Diner had brought her back to life and she was so thankful. For the first time, Laurie felt she was in control of her own life and it was a feeling she treasured.
But, of course, the time to return to London would soon be approaching, along with Christmas and the New Year. She couldn’t stay hidden in her seaside paradise for ever, and it wasn’t long until her six-month sabbatical would be up. A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach but she pushed it away fiercely, refusing to ponder on it for too long for fear of ruining her time away from it. Then another thought struck her hard. Once her time was up, she’d have to leave all of it behind, wouldn’t she? She’d go back to her monotonous job, and leave Mia and Dolly’s Diner and Sunset Bay far behind. Would she feel like it had all been a dream once she was back to normalcy? Laurie’s gut twisted. She shifted in the seat uncomfortably. And what about Marco? She’d be leaving him behind, too. She’d found a good friend in him and wasn’t sure she fancied a life without his presence now that reality had decided to come crashing back in. She’d go home to London while her new friends and freedom would stay here, and life would go back to the way it had been before she’d jumped in her car and raced off.
‘Are you okay?’
Laurie’s eyes snapped open at Marco’s question. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.’ She forced a smile his way.
‘Sure?’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Your forehead was creased, you were frowning pretty hard. Anything you want to talk about?’
‘No, honestly. Everything’s okay. Thank you for today, Marco. It really has been lovely.’
‘You’re very welcome, Miss Chapman. It’s been a pleasure being your chaperone.’
They arrived back in Sunset Bay and Marco stopped the car outside of the B&B.
‘So, that’s you home safe and sound. Do you want me to walk you to the door?’
‘Marco!’ Laurie laughed out loud. ‘I’m a thirty-year-old woman, I’m sure I can make it safely to the door. But thank you for the offer, you’re so kind.’ She unclicked her seat belt and climbed out of the car. She turned back before she closed the door. ‘See you soon?’
‘Just try and stop me,’ he replied, his voice warm. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, then he unclicked his own seatbelt, climbed across the seat she’d just been sitting in and looked up at her. ‘Come here.’
Laurie did as she was told and was met by the feel of his lips on hers. She allowed the kiss to linger, to last a while longer than necessary, then pulled back with a smile. ‘Goodnight, Marco. Thanks again for today, it’s been brilliant.’
She made her way towards the B&B and grinned like a fool at herself. She turned back and waved towards the car, which was still there. He was probably making sure that, between the car and the door, she wasn’t attacked or mugged. As she stepped inside, she heard the car start up and it disappeared down the road. She stared after it longingly, before closing
the door and taking herself up to bed.
***
The preparations for the Christmas market were in full swing. As Laurie made her way to the diner with a spring in her step, wrapped up snug against the December chill, she heard the hubbub of people setting up their stalls before she’d even rounded the corner. The days were whooshing by, towards her inevitable return to London, sadly, but she wouldn’t let that ruin the here and now. There was too much fun to be had, too much to be excited about, and she had promised herself that she would throw herself into the festivities rather than be glum about what lay ahead.
The market was held in the centre of town where the most space was available for the stall-holders, brass band and giant Christmas tree. She glanced at the tree as she passed it by, naked at this point, but towering high, with a small wooden fence set up around the base, probably to keep curious children away. She imagined it would look magical once it was tangled and draped in glittering lights. She couldn’t wait to see those lights switched on, alongside Mia, Marco and Cal.
Excited chatter filled the air as the locals stopped by to get a good look at the preparations. The brass band wouldn’t be arriving until later that afternoon, but Laurie already knew that, with the music floating in the air, it was going to be a wonderful evening. A bubble of warmth burst and filled her chest. She was going to be experiencing it this year alongside Mia. It couldn’t get better than that, could it? She realised she was running a little late and hurried along to the diner.
When she arrived, all of the staff were inside. She was glad to see Mia behind the counter, jigging along to the music from the jukebox.
‘Morning, Laurie!’ Mia sang in greeting as Laurie stepped inside and lifted her bag over her head. Mia rushed towards her and gave her a tight hug.
‘I’ve just passed by the market,’ she enthused once Mia had finally let go of her and stopped crushing her ribs. ‘It looks great already, the tree is huge!’
‘They’ve had to bring in a new one this year. The last tree was looking a little the worse for wear so they had to replace it. If you think it looks good now, just wait until everything’s all set up and ready to go. I’m telling you, Laurie, you’ve never seen anything like it. It’s enough to make you believe in Santa Claus all over again.’
‘What?’ Laurie spun back round to face her with a stricken expression. ‘You mean, Santa Claus isn’t real?’
Mia giggled and pushed her away playfully. ‘Hate to burst your bubble, Laurie, but he hasn’t been real for years.’
‘You’ve just destroyed my love of Christmas. Thanks a bunch. Speaking of which, are you still thinking about cooking a Christmas dinner? I’d like to but the B&B will be overrun with kids. I’ll come to the cottage and help, though, if you need me to?’
‘Would you? Ah, Laurie, it’ll be great having you with me this year. You can even sleep over on Christmas Eve if you fancy it?’ She giggled. ‘Remember all the Christmases when we were younger? I used to sneak into your bedroom and we’d stay awake all night because we were too excited to sleep. Those days were so much fun, I wish we could do them all again.’
Laurie sighed. ‘Me too. I’d do everything differently if I was given the chance. I would have spent more summers down here with you and Grandma Dolly, for starters, rather than staring at the four walls of my bedroom. At the time, I just wanted to make everyone happy, but now, looking back, I realise how bad it was to do that. Our lives are our own. They belong to us. Not anybody else.’
‘If I’d have known how badly you wanted to come with me, I would have smuggled you into my suitcase or something.’ Mia threw an arm round her. ‘Anyway, try not to spend too much time looking back on it all. It’s happened now, and there’s nothing we can do about it, is there? We’re back together and at least we didn’t leave it until too late, right? Just imagine, we could have ended up staying apart and never speaking until we were late into our seventies or eighties. Maybe even for ever. Who knows? I’m just glad to have you back now. Don’t be sad, and whatever Mum decides to say or do on Boxing Day, just remember that it’s your life, and your decisions and choices are your own. There’s nothing Mum can do now, no matter what she says to you, so just forget about it until we have no choice but to face it. We have Christmas to look forward to, so just focus on that and don’t worry. It’ll take away the joy of the here and now, and that would be tragic seeing as the here and now is so bloody fantastic!’
Laurie knew that she wasn’t just referring to them finally being together again, but to their blossoming relationships, too. ‘When did you get so wise?’ asked Laurie as she ruffled Mia’s hair. She laughed when Mia batted her hands away. It seemed Mia had wisdom by the bucketload and didn’t mind handing it out, even if she was the younger of the two of them. ‘You’re right,’ Laurie agreed. ‘We’ve got tons to look forward to and I’m not going to let my worries ruin it.’
‘Glad to hear it. Right …’ Mia clapped her hands together. ‘Let’s get going, shall we? These pancakes and mugs of coffee won’t serve themselves!’
Chapter Nineteen
That evening, Mia tugged on a pair of snug, cotton gloves and wound a thick scarf around her neck before leaving the warm and toasty confines of Honeysuckle Cottage. The weather had taken a bitter turn, made even worse by the icy chill that swept in from off the sea. The nights were darker than ever, but it only added to the magic of it all.
Her plan for the evening was to walk up to the B&B to meet with Laurie, then they’d head towards the centre of town to join in with the fun. Sunset Bay had been a hive of activity throughout the day, and the market would stick around until the evening before Christmas Eve.
She zipped up her coat and stepped outside, shivering as the cold tried to get at her beneath the numerous layers of clothing. Despite not having had any snowfall just yet, the ground was slippery and sparkling with frost. She walked like a penguin as she stepped carefully up the pavement.
The B&B was only a short walk away but felt longer than usual with the slowness in Mia’s pace. She was desperate to get there to whisk Laurie away to the excitement but she didn’t want to risk falling over, so she took it nice and steady while wriggling her fingers about to keep them as warm as possible. As she continued up the road, she watched her breath appear in visible clouds of air and then disappear just as quickly. As much as she hated being this cold, she truly hoped for snow this year. Having Laurie with her was going to make this Christmas one to remember as they hadn’t shared in the special occasion for so long. But with snowflakes tumbling down outside and turning Sunset Bay white? That would be the icing on the cake, quite literally, because it would look exactly like that. A sweet and sugary dusting as it settled throughout the town and made everything sparkle.
Finally, she reached the B&B. She grinned and waved when she spotted Laurie stepping outside and inching her way down the path towards her. ‘It’s bloody cold!’ she whined, a stream of breath leaving her mouth as she spoke. ‘Too cold!’
‘What did you expect?’ Mia laughed. She couldn’t help it. Laurie looked hilarious as her legs wobbled beneath her. ‘You look like a new-born calf walking for the first time.’
‘That’s because I know that if I put a single step out of place I’m going down on my arse, no doubt about it.’ Laurie was dressed in dark jeans, a thick navy-blue jacket and had a pair of what looked like snow boots on her feet. They didn’t seem to have much grip on them. Laurie sighed with relief when she finally reached the gate and held onto it. ‘I should have brought better shoes.’
‘They’re fine,’ Mia laughed. ‘Now come on, let’s get going!’ She linked her arm with Laurie’s and tugged her gently through the gate and they set off in the direction of the music.
‘Is that the band?’ Laurie asked as they neared the centre of town, brushing past folk on the pavements. Children skipped along merrily beside their parents.
‘Sure is,’ Mia replied with an enthusiastic nod. ‘They sound wonderful, don’t they? Oh,
Laurie, I really can’t wait to for you to see the lights get turned on.’
Laurie smiled as she squeezed Mia’s arm. ‘Me, neither. Are Cal and Marco going to be there?’
‘Yep, Cal said he’ll come and find us later on. He wants to give me and you a bit of time to ourselves first; he’s lovely like that. Thinks of everything, bless him.’
‘And how are things between you and the lovely Cal? Going well?’
Mia’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink, although that could have been from the cold. ‘Really well, I hope. I mean, I don’t want to jinx it but I think Cal could be … you know, the one.’
Laurie grinned. ‘The one?’
‘That’s right. He’s special, Laurie. When we’re together, I just forget about everyone and everything else and he brings out a side of me even I’d forgotten about. I’ve been focusing on the diner for so long, it’s like I constantly had my work head on, even when I wasn’t at work. But now I just feel … different somehow. Does that sound odd?’
‘Not at all. In all honesty, I feel the very same way about Marco. Since meeting him, I feel like I’ve found myself again. At the time I didn’t realise it, but when I was with Neil, I just followed along, mainly because I didn’t really believe I’d managed to land someone like that. I got so caught up with the lifestyle he offered me, I changed. For the worse, I think. Since coming here, and seeing you, and meeting Marco, I’ve found myself again and I feel free and, dare I say it, young.’ She giggled childishly. ‘It sounds silly, doesn’t it? But that’s the truth. It’s amazing how people can do that, bring out the real you. Don’t you think?’
‘I do,’ Mia replied with a nod. ‘It’s magic.’
The market, when they arrived in the middle of the excitement, was absolutely bustling with locals and out-of-towners alike. The brass band were playing and the atmosphere was one full to the brim of Christmas cheer and companionship. Couples strolled along arm in arm, families tried to calm down their overexcitable broods and there were even a few people standing watching the band with their arms wrapped around each other, squeezing tightly. The lights were yet to be turned on but the anticipation in the air was palpable. It was, after all, what everyone had been waiting for, and Mia couldn’t wait to see Laurie’s face once they were brought to life. She’d seen it happening for years now, but never had she tired of the sight of the lights bobbing merrily and twinkling in the darkness. Once they were switched on, it felt as if Christmas had been given permission to arrive.
