by Hannah Ellis
“Sorry,” John said. “I can take him off you.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “If I’ve got the baby, Dotty might stop trying to push knitting needles on me.”
“Sounds dangerous,” John said.
Dotty returned and handed John a coffee. “I’m a patient teacher,” she said. “Knitting might seem old-fashioned and boring, but it’s a useful skill to have.”
“I think I’ll just watch for now,” Elizabeth said.
Dotty had just taken a seat and armed herself with her latest project – mittens for little Thomas – when a low voice rumbled from the back of the house. “It’s only us!”
“Come on in, Bill,” Dotty called back.
A beautiful chocolate Labrador arrived first. From the fuss everyone made of him, Elizabeth gathered he was called Perry. He had a good sniff around before settling down by Dotty’s feet.
“Bill, this is Lizzie,” Dotty said when a well-built older gentleman in a brown checked shirt wandered into the room.
“From Seaside Cottage,” he said, shaking her hand firmly. “I’ve heard about you. Welcome to Hope Cove!”
“Thank you,” she said as he settled himself next to her on the couch.
The room was getting crowded but the atmosphere was jovial, and Elizabeth was glad she’d been persuaded to join. It was comforting to meet some of the locals. They were a such a friendly bunch and Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel more positive about the move.
She spent a pleasant couple of hours in Dotty’s front room before insisting she needed to get some work done.
“I’ve got some pie for you,” Dotty said as Elizabeth reached the front door. She disappeared for a moment and then returned with a plate covered in tin foil. “Chicken and mushroom. You’re not one of those vegetarians, are you?”
“No, I’m not,” Elizabeth said, amusement in her voice. “You shouldn’t have, but thank you very much.”
“There was too much for me, so you’re doing me a favour. It’s no fun cooking for one.”
It was the most enjoyable Thursday Elizabeth had had in a while. She spent the afternoon in the little home office she’d set up in a corner of the living room. The fire roared behind her while she edited a children’s book set in space. Time flew by, and she was surprised when she saw it was already dark outside. She’d intended to get out for a walk but decided she would have to put it off until the morning. Instead she put on her pyjamas and devoured Dotty’s chicken pie in front of the TV.
On Friday, she set off for a morning walk. The sunrises that she’d loved so much in the summer were unremarkable in winter, but she always loved the view over the water, nonetheless. She stood for a moment, breathing in the salty air. Then, unexpectedly, she thought of Max. She imagined him standing on the beach, turning to smile at her. Her heart pounded and she was irritated with herself for ruining her mood with schoolgirl thoughts. Memories of him still popped into her head without warning.
She was startled when Perry, the Labrador, arrived by her side and sniffed her hand. Jolted from her daydream, she stroked the top of his head. Bill wasn’t far behind and greeted her warmly. He invited her to walk with them, and then introduced her to every dog they passed. The names of owners often escaped him, he confided, but he never forgot the name of any dog he met.
“You should get a dog,” he said when they arrived back at Seaside Cottage. “You’re obviously a dog person, and this is a great place to have a dog.”
“I’d like to,” she said. “I’m just not sure how to start the process. I need to do some research…”
There was a twinkle in Bill’s eye as he offered to help out.
By the end of the following week, there was another new resident at Seaside Cottage: Tilly the springer spaniel.
Chapter 44
Elizabeth had never had a pet before and she was amazed at the difference it made to her life. What surprised her most was how much she talked to Tilly. The cottage had always been so quiet, but now there was constant chatter as she conducted a never-ending monologue for Tilly. The well-trained dog was bombarded with an assortment of conversations from mundane shopping lists to the problems with the latest book Elizabeth was editing. Of course she ended up telling Tilly all about Max too, and how she’d ended up living at Hope Cove. It was therapeutic to talk it all through, even if Tilly had nothing to say on the matter!
In her first months in Hope Cove, Elizabeth’s parents came to visit a couple of times and they seemed to fall in love with the place almost as much as she had.
It was the middle of February before Josie came to visit. Elizabeth was dying to see her. She’d well and truly settled into village life by then. Things had definitely turned a corner since she’d met some of the locals.
“It took forever to get here,” Josie complained, lugging her bag inside. “You wouldn’t believe the traffic. I hope you’ve got wine? And what on earth are you wearing? You look like you’ve just stepped out of a hiking catalogue.”
Elizabeth looked down. She’d been out for a walk with Tilly. Her jeans were splattered with mud, and her fleece wasn’t something she’d ever have worn in her old life. She’d been shopping and had invested in good sensible clothing suitable for her twice daily walks with Tilly. She enjoyed dressing for the weather rather than worrying about what other people thought.
“And this is Tilly,” Elizabeth said, pulling the excited dog away from Josie. She was generally a calm and obedient dog, and had settled into life at Seaside Cottage far more easily than Elizabeth had.
“She’s gorgeous,” Josie said. “I can’t believe you got a dog. It’s crazy.”
“I think getting a dog is probably the least crazy thing I’ve done in the last six months!” Elizabeth said as she led the way into the cosy living room.
“This place is beautiful,” Josie said enthusiastically. “Now I can see why you wanted to move to the middle of nowhere. It’s lovely.”
“It’s okay now,” Elizabeth said. “I’m getting settled. It was difficult at first.”
“I should have visited earlier,” Josie said. “I was busy filming.”
“I know. And I want to hear all about it. Make yourself comfy and I’ll get us a wine.”
An hour later, they were huddled by the fire in their pyjamas, having made good progress on a bottle of Chardonnay.
“So you think you’re going to stick at this job?” Elizabeth asked after Josie had regaled her with stories about working on a TV set. So far they’d only filmed the pilot, but Josie was still convinced it would be a hit TV show and she’d be working on it for years to come.
“It’s my ideal job,” Josie said. “I love it. Now stop asking about me. Tell me about you. I want to know what life is like here. Have you found yourself a hot man yet?”
“No!” Elizabeth said. “I’m off men.”
“Aren’t you lonely?”
“No.” She glared at Josie. “When did you last have a man in your life? Are you lonely?”
“No, but I have a hectic social life!” She reached down to stroke Tilly. “Anyway, maybe there is a man in my life.”
“You’re seeing someone?”
Josie beamed. “Yes, kind of. I met him at work.”
“Is he famous?”
“No. He’s just an extra … but you have to tell me what’s going on with you before I tell you any more!”
Elizabeth realised she wasn’t getting anything more out of Josie until she filled her in properly, so she relented and told her all about the village: the people she’d met, the community spirit, the coffee mornings. Verity had returned from her trip too, and Elizabeth often visited her in the café. She was always fun to chat to.
Josie was highly amused when she heard how Elizabeth had been roped into baking cakes for a sale at the community centre.
“Oh my God. Did you poison anyone?” Josie asked.
Elizabeth laughed. “No. I followed a recipe and they came out fine. I might do more baking.”
“What’s happened to you?” Josie asked. “I can’t believe you’re hanging out with a bunch of old people, and knitting and baking!”
“They’re not all old,” Elizabeth protested. “And I only managed to knit a scarf. It’s probably the only thing I’ll ever knit.”
“What about work?” Josie asked.
“What about it? It keeps me occupied, and I’m starting to get a few paid jobs. I’m enjoying it and it keeps me fed and clothed. There’s my office,” she said, nodding at the desk in the corner.
Josie leaned back on the couch, beaming from ear to ear.
“What?” Elizabeth asked.
“It’s so unlike you. Not so long ago work was your life, and now it’s just an afterthought. You’ve really changed, haven’t you?”
“I have,” Elizabeth agreed. And it was all for the better.
“I wish you’d find a man,” Josie said. “It’s like the last piece of the puzzle is missing. You made all these changes in your life for Max and then—”
“Not for him,” Elizabeth corrected her. “Because of him. None of it was for him.”
“So you think you met him just to help you figure out what you really want in life? There was never going to be a happy-ever-after?”
Elizabeth shook her head. Josie could be so airy-fairy and romantic. “I don’t think there is a reason for everything. I met Max. It was fun—”
“Then you changed every single thing about your life,” Josie said, smirking.
Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile. “Yes! And I will live happily ever after. Now tell me about your love life.”
Josie spent the next hour telling Elizabeth all about Jack, the brown-haired, blue-eyed extra who worked alongside her. Apparently she’d fallen head over heels for him. Elizabeth ignored the jealousy that niggled at her. It was surely the wine that made her mind wander to Max. She’d become skilled at pushing thoughts of him from her mind, but when she finally went to bed that evening, she let herself remember. Tears rolled down her face before she finally fell asleep.
The weekend with Josie went far too fast. It was so lovely seeing her and having a proper catch-up. On Saturday they went for a long walk then had dinner at the restaurant at the golf club. On Sunday, Josie insisted on fish and chips before she left. Elizabeth had started being strict about how often she allowed herself the delicious treat, but couldn’t say no when Josie was visiting.
“I want you to come and visit me soon,” Josie said when she was gearing up to leave. “We can have a proper night out. And I want you to meet Jack.”
Elizabeth assured her she wanted to meet him too, and promised she’d visit soon. It would probably do her good to have a break from village life, she realised. For a while, she’d been avoiding going back to visit Josie, worried that she wouldn’t want to leave again. Now she was settled, and had Tilly, she felt much more secure.
Chapter 45
It was a month later when Elizabeth finally went to visit Josie for the weekend. It would be a welcome change to have a weekend back in Oxford, she thought. She could go shopping and have a night out with Josie.
Tilly was the only problem. Josie’s place wasn’t pet friendly. Elizabeth knew there was no shortage of kennels in the area, but she didn’t want to take her beloved dog to stay at any old kennels. Only the best would do for Tilly – and Elizabeth knew exactly where that was: Oakbrook Farm, with Max’s aunts. Once she’d thought of it, she couldn’t get the idea out of her head.
She knew they were open for business again. Her last visit had left her with a bad feeling and she’d tried calling again, back when she was living with Josie. She’d ended up having a brief chat with Annette, pretending she was a dog owner enquiring about availability. She gleaned from the conversation that everyone was in good health again, and was relieved to hear it. She ended the call by saying she’d be in touch again to confirm – but of course that didn’t happen.
It was strange to think of returning to Oakbrook. Any romantic ideas about finding Max were long gone, but the thought of talking to someone who knew him, and asking how he was, was a powerful draw. It was pathetic – she was well aware of that. But maybe if she heard how ecstatically happy he was, she could finally put him out of her mind.
But what if she found out he was miserable? That his marriage had been a huge mistake and he was already separated and filing for divorce?
She shook her head at her ridiculous train of thought. Of course she wasn’t going to the kennels just so she could ask questions about Max. She would take Tilly there, because she knew Tilly would be well looked after.
She’d booked online and then called a few days before to confirm. Annette’s voice was familiar, and Elizabeth felt awkward that she didn’t explain who she was. She wasn’t sure how to explain, though, and Annette might not even remember her even if she did mention her previous visit with Max.
The Friday that she loaded her weekend bag – and Tilly – into the car, the weather was glorious. Thank goodness spring is around the corner, she thought. Winter at Seaside Cottage had been bleak and testing, but having just about come through the other side, Elizabeth felt that things were looking up. If she could survive winter at Hope Cove, she could survive anything.
As she navigated the winding roads to Oakbrook, she chatted away to Tilly. She was looking forward to spending the weekend with Josie, and she would get to meet her new boyfriend, Jack, who Josie still couldn’t stop talking about.
The gates of Oakbrook were open. Elizabeth drove slowly up the driveway. Once again, she was hit by bittersweet memories but was determined not to dwell on them. It was only after she’d stepped out of the car and let Tilly out that she registered the familiar car in front of the house.
Oh no. No, no, no. It was Max’s car. She was sure of it. Panic hit her like a blow to the chest, sucking the air from her lungs. Should she leave? What would she say to him? What if his wife was with him? Could she cope with that? She took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Was she really about to see him again? After all this time?
Beside her, Tilly barked.
The front door opened silently. She thought her heart couldn’t take the stress.
He was so familiar – exactly as she remembered him.
The automatic smile that appeared as he opened the door faltered slightly and then disappeared. After a moment he bent down to Tilly, stroking her head and neck.
“This is a surprise,” he said, keeping his attention firmly on Tilly.
Elizabeth reached to stroke Tilly’s back. “It is,” she said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“I’ve been helping out a bit,” he said. “Wendy’s not been well so I’m trying to do as much as I can.”
“That’s nice,” Elizabeth said, barely able to concentrate on his words. It was so good to see him again. Focusing, she shook her head and frowned. “I mean, sorry to hear about Wendy…”
He didn’t say anything for a moment.
She stroked Tilly again, needing something to focus on. Would he ever stop staring at her?
“I’m sorry,” she said, shifting her weight. “If this is too weird, I can just take Tilly away again.”
His stare became even more intense and she felt uncomfortable. “Why would it be weird?”
“It wouldn’t,” she said quickly. “I just thought … I mean … I don’t want things to be awkward but you’re right, of course it’s not weird.” She couldn’t seem to stop rambling and he didn’t seem in any hurry to jump in and stop her. She laughed nervously. “The thing last summer … we probably both just had cold feet about our weddings. It was just a silly holiday romance. We shouldn’t feel awkward.”
Wow! She was such a babbling idiot.
There was a short silence before Max spoke. “I heard you bought Seaside Cottage,” he said. “I wondered if I might bump into you at some point.”
She winced. So he knew. How could she explain to him? So muc
h had happened since she last saw him. He must have been shocked to find she’d bought the house. “It’s been a crazy six months,” she said lightly. He seemed to be waiting for an explanation. “Maybe I should have been in touch, told you about the house…”
“Why would you?” he said gruffly. “It’s none of my business.”
“No. But––” She paused, trying to figure out why he sounded so irritated. “Are you annoyed with me for buying the house?”
He shook his head uncertainly. “Yes. I’m annoyed. Why on earth would you buy the house? I don’t get it.”
“It was a bit of a whim, to be honest. But I love it. I don’t know why you’re so upset about it. If you wanted it so badly, you could’ve bought it yourself.”
“I didn’t want to buy it,” he said angrily. “That’s not the point.”
“What is the point, then?”
“You don’t get it, do you? I was ready to leave my fiancée for you and you walked away as if I meant nothing to you.”
His words irritated her. She might have walked away, but he’d moved on pretty quickly himself. It could only have been a matter of weeks before he got married.
“So you’re upset because I hurt your ego?” she snapped.
“No!” he shouted. “It was nothing to do with my ego.”
She couldn’t seem to keep her emotions under control and shouted back at him. “Of course I wasn’t going to agree to run off into the sunset with you when I’d only known you a week! It was a ridiculous thing to ask of me. And why are you still upset about it? Surely it’s irrelevant now?”
There was a moment when she wanted him to tell her that it wasn’t irrelevant. That his marriage was a mess and he’d made a huge mistake. That he wanted to be with her.
He rubbed his neck and seemed to calm down. “I guess so.”
“I shouldn’t have come here,” she said. “I’m just going to take Tilly back with me.”
She’d opened the car door and called Tilly over to her when Max finally spoke.
“She’s all booked in,” he said. “And it’s not my place to turn customers away.”
