The Pet Shop at Pennycombe Bay

by Sheila Norton

  ‘Prudence! I do not sound like that! I’m just excited about seeing him at the party, that’s all.’

  If I sounded a bit smug in my new loved-up state, it was because I had no idea what was still to come – the shock that awaited me the next day.

  That Saturday morning, I had a run of customers at the shop. Everyone in Pennycombe Bay seemed to be stocking up on pet food, dog biscuits, cat litter and so on, as if they were expecting to be snowed in for months. I certainly hoped that wasn’t the case – we were into February now and I was looking forward to slightly milder weather arriving, with darkness coming a bit later in the day. My phone warbled while I was serving, and looking quickly at the screen and seeing Jim’s name, I waited until a quieter spell to call him back.

  ‘Sorry, I was busy—’ I began.

  ‘No problem; that’s why I didn’t call you on the shop phone. I knew you wouldn’t be able to ignore that.’ He paused. ‘Jess, I’ve got something to tell you – some news. I’ve waited until it’s absolutely definite, but I didn’t want you to hear it first from … anyone else.’

  ‘That sounds a bit ominous,’ I said. ‘Are you all right? And Vera – she hasn’t had another fall?’

  ‘No, no, we’re both fine. It’s about the shop.’

  ‘OK.’ I waited, my heart beginning to thump. I wondered if he was going to tell me he didn’t need me any more. That he’d hired another manager. Or that he’d changed his mind about Liz. It would be horrible to have to let her down, now, about the job. I was so busy panicking about this possibility that I was totally unprepared for what came next.

  ‘I’ve sold it, Jess,’ he said. ‘I’ve sold the business. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it ever since I retired, but everything’s fallen into place now, so—’

  ‘Oh!’ I certainly hadn’t seen that coming. ‘Right. Well, that’s a surprise.’

  ‘It wasn’t what I intended originally, but Vera and I started talking about the future, and well, we’re both getting on in years as you know, and we decided we’d like to have a couple of really good holidays together before we get too old and decrepit to enjoy them. We’ve booked a cruise for later this year: a long one, taking in the Caribbean and all sorts. I’ve always fancied something like that, and well … now Vera and I are finally together—’

  ‘It’ll be wonderful for you. I’m pleased you’re going to do that. But why does that mean selling the business?’

  ‘Oh!’ He laughed. ‘I needed the money, to be honest. But also, I just decided I’d had enough. I don’t really want the worry of it any more. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it was in good hands, with you. But I know the new owner will keep you on. And Liz. We’ve already discussed that. So you don’t have to worry on that score.’

  ‘OK,’ I said slowly, but I couldn’t help it, I was worried. Who was going to be my new boss? Would I get on with them, and would they be happy to give me the free hand that Jim had given me? ‘So – when does the new owner take over? Will I get to meet them?’

  ‘You already have,’ he said cheerfully. ‘And I gather you’re getting along quite well together. It’s Tom Sanders.’

  CHAPTER 34

  ‘Tom?’ I felt as if something had landed on my head from a great height, knocking me half senseless. I actually staggered on the spot. ‘But … he’s bought the café next door!’

  ‘Yes. And he now owns Paws4Thought too. He’s got great plans. Just wait till he tells you—’

  ‘Thank you for letting me know,’ I interrupted Jim, my voice shaking. ‘Sorry. I’ll have to go.’

  I ended the call abruptly, dropping the phone and staring into space. He’s got great plans? I thought, anger beginning to replace the shock. Great plans he hasn’t even thought to mention to me? Great plans that I probably won’t like, that might even – despite Jim’s assurances – mean I could be out of work again? I was tempted to march into the café and demand to know why he’d kept this from me, and what great plans he was hatching. But I didn’t. Instead I tore myself apart, going over and over it in my head, unable to believe that the man I’d thought so lovely, so kind and open and honest, had played such a dirty trick on me. Because it was obvious now that rather than liking me personally, as I’d stupidly let myself imagine, he’d just been cosying up to me, getting his new manager on his side before he instigated his great plans that would probably take away every bit of pleasure I had in running the shop. I’d been made a fool of – yet again!

  By the time I closed for lunch, I still hadn’t seen him. I walked Prudence fast, my anger propelling me forward, and had to stop myself and turn around before the walk became too long for her healing paw. She kept looking up at me with puzzlement in her eyes.

  Slow down, can’t you! What’s got into you?

  ‘I can’t talk about it, Pru,’ I said fiercely. ‘I’m too upset.’

  It was probably the first time, ever, that I hadn’t been able to confide in Prudence. She plodded beside me the rest of the way home, our pretend conversation silenced by my stunned brain.

  During the afternoon, Tom popped in twice, hovering by the shelves, looking at me anxiously; but both times, I was busy with customers. The second time, he made some frantic signals at me that I ignored, and he ended up calling across the shop that he’d see me that evening.

  I wasn’t even sure I still wanted to go to the party, but I’d promised Kevin and Dan I’d be there. Besides, Ruth and Ollie were coming, and were waiting for me to get ready and walk down to the beach café with them.

  ‘You’re quiet,’ Ruth commented, giving me a smile. ‘Bad day at the shop?’

  ‘Yes.’ I could hardly bring myself to talk, my mood was so black. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Ah, you’ll feel better when the party gets going,’ she sympathised. ‘Look how they’ve decorated the café!’ she added as we turned down to the seafront at Stony Cove.

  There were fairy lights everywhere: over the roof of the café, around the doors and windows, along the verandah railings, and lanterns were hanging over all the tables, inside and out. It was a mild evening for the time of year but pitch dark of course, and it all looked so pretty, the twinkling coloured lights reflecting off the calm blackness of the sea. Normally I’d have loved it, and would have been keen to share the excitement with everyone, but that night it was as much as I could do to force a smile.

  ‘Hello!’ Kevin was bouncing around inside, hugging everyone as we walked in. ‘Come on in and grab a drink. Mulled wine? I know it’s a Christmas drink but we were otherwise engaged at Christmas – well, married actually, rather than just engaged,’ he gave an excited giggle at his own joke. ‘So we’re having a kind of belated Christmas with you.’

  ‘We’ve been married more than a month already,’ Dan joined in, putting an arm around his husband. ‘And not a single cross word between us yet!’

  ‘No, but we more than made up for it before we were married!’ Kevin reminded him with a nudge and a grin. ‘You naughty boy with your secret plans, making me run away to London with my poor little Missy!’

  ‘Our little Missy,’ Dan reminded him, nodding at the dog, who, with a new purple and gold spotty bow on her head, was trotting around, mingling with the guests and being fussed over.

  ‘All right, all right, for goodness’ sake, the custody battle’s over now,’ Kevin laughed. ‘Did I tell you, Jess, I had a document drawn up by a solicitor while I was in London, saying that if Dan and I did split up permanently, I was keeping Missy because I chose her?’

  ‘We chose her together!’ Dan protested.

  ‘But I chose her name,’ Kevin insisted. ‘Anyway, I’ve torn the document up now.’ He winked at me and added in a whisper, ‘The solicitor’s still got a copy though!’

  Leaving them to their teasing, and carrying my glass of mulled wine, I made my way through the crowd, stopping for a while to catch up with Edie, who’d been messaging me on WhatsApp all through the previous evening to discuss the party: who was likely to be there, what I
thought she ought to wear, how exciting it would be to dance on the beach at midnight and did I know whether the tide would be out.

  ‘Fantastic news about Vera moving in with Jim!’ she squealed in my ear now, as we tried to make ourselves heard above the music. ‘I used to tell her, when I was calling on her, that she ought to grab that man and not let him get away! He always had a twinkle in his eye whenever he came round to see her.’

  ‘I know. He’s always had a soft spot for her,’ I said.

  Edie looked at me, her head on one side. ‘Are you OK? You seem a bit down.’

  ‘I’m fine. Sorry. It’s lovely to see you. Let me just say hello to a few people, Ede, then maybe we can sit down together and have a proper catch up.’ I felt like I might break the habit of a lifetime and get thoroughly drunk. Anything to help me forget about how cross and upset I was.

  I did the rounds of the café, saying hello to people I knew from around the town or who I met while walking Prudence; parents and teachers I recognised now from volunteering at the school; customers from the shop, most of whose names I knew, together with the names of their pets. It seemed everyone in Pennycombe Bay now knew who I was. Prudence’s owner; Ruth’s cousin; the Pets As Therapy girl; the manager of Paws4Thought – but for how much longer?

  By the time I’d finished circulating, Edie was deep in conversation with someone else. I got another glass of mulled wine and was standing on the verandah, gazing out at the sea, when I felt him tap me on the shoulder. I knew it was him without even looking round. I tensed, but kept my eyes on the sea.

  ‘Jess,’ he said quietly. ‘You’ve been ignoring me.’

  ‘I don’t know how else to deal with it,’ I replied tersely.

  ‘Jim’s told you the news.’

  ‘Yes!’ I rounded on him now, furious, all my pent-up feelings bubbling to the surface, my old intolerance of unfairness springing to the fore again. How could it be fair for him to treat me like this – to lead me on with his smiles and his tender little kisses on the cheek, his promise of lunch on the house, and all the unspoken, un-acted on, other promises that had been buzzing in the air between us – when all the time, he’d been plotting to take over as my boss and ruin everything for me? ‘Yes, Jim’s told me. It might have been nice to hear it from you.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Jess.’ His face seemed to crumple in front of me. ‘Jim felt it should come from him; and I agreed. He’s been your boss all this time, it was only right—’

  ‘And was it only right to keep smarming up to me, acting like … like my friend, when all the time you had these great plans that Jim tells me you’ve got – plans to take over my shop and do whatever you like with it? I had plans, Tom! Jim had put me in charge, he was letting me make whatever changes I liked. I was making a career of it, doing something I enjoyed, on my own, for once in my life, but now you’re going to steam in and … and … ruin it all!’

  Conscious now of sounding like nothing more than a spoilt child who wasn’t getting her own way, I banged my glass down on the verandah rail and walked away, down the steps onto the beach, tears stinging my cheeks as the salt wind off the sea suddenly hit me square in the face, blowing my hair across my eyes. Of course, it wasn’t just the disappointment about the shop that was upsetting me, but I could hardly tell him the truth: that it was him I was so bitterly disappointed in, that once again I seemed, after all, to have been a poor judge of men, to have been taken in by a cruel deception without a word having even been spoken of our feelings for each other. What a fool he must have thought me, as he hugged me close and planted those breathy kisses on me. A little innocent, so easily bent to his will. He must have thought I was so easy to win around, he’d soon have me agreeing to whatever great plans he had in mind for my shop.

  ‘Jess!’ His voice now, from behind me, carrying on the sharp sea breeze, made me scurry further along the beach, but I could hear his footsteps on the shingle. He was quickly gaining on me. ‘Wait! What did I say? What have I done wrong? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you straight away. I wanted to, I was bursting to tell you, but I couldn’t until the deal was finalised and—’

  ‘So was it your plan, right from the start, to buy up the pet shop?’ I demanded, swinging back to face him again.

  ‘Yes.’ He stood still, staring at me, a puzzled expression on his face. ‘Of course it was. Rhianna and her husband were buying me out of the business in Dunniford, so I was looking for something bigger here in Pennycombe Bay. I liked the position of Patel’s shop, and then the agent called me to say there was potential to buy the shop next door too. So I jumped at it. Two premises next to each other: it was perfect. I’m so excited about it – and there’s obviously no suggestion whatsoever that you won’t continue to be the manager—’

  ‘Of your café? I don’t think so, thanks very much.’

  ‘What? No, of course not the café. Of the pet shop, just as you are now. And Jim’s told me about your friend Liz, of course – obviously you’ll need an assistant. In fact later on, we might be able to share her.’

  ‘In your dreams!’ I said bitterly. Then I blinked and looked up at him again. ‘So you are going to leave the pet shop alone? Keep it as a shop?’

  ‘Yes, didn’t I say that?’ He gave me an uncertain little smile. ‘It’s not my intention to make the whole place into a café. But I am going to apply for planning permission to knock the two premises into one.’

  ‘I knew it!’ I muttered, but he ignored me and carried on, still smiling:

  ‘What do you think of Pop-Inn for a Paws4Thought? Too much of a mouthful? Maybe just Pop-Inn for Paws? I thought we could mull some ideas over between us.’

  ‘Ideas?’ I stared back at him. In the moonlight, his eyes seemed to be shining at me. The coloured fairy lights sparkled and danced on the waves behind him and the breeze lifted the top of his hair slightly, ruffling it as if by a human hand. I’d imagined doing just that, myself, so many times recently. Had I really been such an idiot? ‘Ideas for a name? A combined name – how is that supposed to work?’

  ‘Jim’s told me how you’ve always longed to have some chairs and tables in the shop,’ he said, earnestly now, his voice edged with enthusiasm. ‘If we take the wall down – not yet, obviously, we’ll have to build up the café side of the business a bit first, and wait for the planning permission – we’ll have loads of space. At one end, by the kitchen, I’d keep the café counter. Then the chairs and tables could spread out, into the shop side. Customers would bring their pets in, like they would in a country pub, have their tea and sandwiches and meet their friends for a chat. You’ll still sell the pet supplies on the other side, but you can also use the whole place as a base for your charity work – Jim talked to me about that, too – how you’ve encouraged other people around here to join. He thinks you should apply to be an area coordinator. You could hold meetings on the premises, Jess. You could even sell giftware: Pennycombe Bay souvenirs for the summer, Christmas presents for the winter – all with an animal slant. Stuffed toy dogs, china cats, you know the kind of thing: we’d have the space for it; some could even be displayed in the café part …’ He paused and looked at me with concern. I’d fallen silent, staring at him, as it finally dawned on me that I’d been wrong about him, after all. ‘Are you OK?, he asked softly. ‘What have I said now?’

  ‘Nothing.’ I sniffed and wiped my eyes. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘That’s OK. It’s probably the wind making your eyes water.’ He reached over and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.

  ‘I mean, I’m sorry for thinking the worst of you. I just assumed you’d trample over all my ideas; that I’d lose the pet shop completely and just be employed to pour cups of tea and make sandwiches for you.’

  ‘Never. I’d have turned down the deal rather than treat you like that. I’ve got the utmost respect for you, Jess – Jim’s told me how well you’ve taken over managing the business on your own, as well as praising you up for all your ideas. I’m not taking over to act like your
boss and tell you what to do. Far from it. I want us to work together, to pool our resources and ideas and make something really special together.’ He hesitated, studying my face. ‘If you’re up for it, that is.’

  ‘I’ve never been more up for anything in my life!’ I said, my excitement making me yell the words into the wind. ‘Listening to you just now, describing your vision for the place – it’s, well, it’s like hearing my own dreams being played back to me!’ Everything had changed within the space of a few minutes. This man wasn’t messing with me, he wasn’t trampling on my dream, he was offering to share it with me and make it a reality. A pet-friendly café and shop! A meeting place, here in Pennycombe Bay, for everyone who loved animals, to sit over a coffee or a light lunch and chat to their friends, and buy what they needed at the same time. ‘I’m so sorry I got the wrong end of the stick, Tom. I thought—’

  Fortunately, in a way, we were interrupted before I could blurt out my misconceptions about him. Kevin and Dan had come out to join us on the beach, arms linked, laughing and smiling together.

  ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you, Jess,’ Kevin said as soon as he caught sight of me. ‘Are you still up for joining the events committee? We really need some new blood. We’re starting to plan the Spring Fayre now.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ The thought of the spring ahead gave me a fresh burst of excitement. I had so much to look forward to now! ‘I’ll be there.’ I turned to Tom with a smile. ‘And eventually, we might even have a better place to hold our meetings.’

  The possibilities for the new café/shop were endless, I thought to myself enthusiastically. Pennycombe Bay people could really be drawn together through it. We’d needed somewhere like it for years! Tom was grinning back at me as if he was reading my mind.

  ‘Turn the music up!’ Dan called to someone inside the café. ‘We’re going to lead the dancing out here, like the newly married couple we are.’

  And to the tones of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’, they began to twirl around together on the pebbles, tripping slightly from time to time on the odd rock, as the rest of the crowd filtered out of the café to form a circle around them on the beach, singing along with the lyrics.