‘What’s that?’
‘I want our Nick to find what we have. I think I might have to throw some more coins into the wishing well.’
‘Trust you to be making a wish for someone else instead of one for you.’
‘I have everything I could ever want or need right now. I don’t need to make any wishes for me.’
‘I love you, Callie,’ he said.
‘I love you too.’
‘Deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky, and longer than time,’ he added.
Holding him even closer, I glanced across towards Ruby and Teddy again. Yes, their love really had been deeper than the ocean, higher than the sky, and longer than time. And I knew ours was going to be too.
Acknowledgments
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Making Wishes at Bay View and that you loved the pair of characters I’ve enjoyed creating the most. No, I don’t mean Callie and Rhys (although I do love them, of course). I mean Ruby and Iris. I absolutely adore those two! I’d love to meet them in real-life.
Making Wishes at Bay View was never planned as part of the Welcome to Whitsborough Bay series but it was one of those happy moments where a seed of an idea grew into a tree. I’d secured a three-book publishing deal for the series and, a few months before the original first book was released, my publisher at the time suggested writing a short story relating to a character in the trilogy to give away for free as an indication of my writing. At the start of what is now the second book in the series, New Beginnings at Seaside Blooms, Callie’s brother, Nick, collects the flowers for her wedding and I thought that a story about how Callie met her husband Rhys might be a lovely starting point. I’m not very good at keeping my ideas small, though, and a short story soon grew into a novella called Raving About Rhys.
My publisher ceased trading so I re-released Raving About Rhys as an independent author. Three years later, I was still thinking about Ruby and wondering what might have led to her having her baby adopted. Before long, I had another novel on my hands which I released as Callie’s Christmas Wish.
I was thrilled to secure a publishing deal with Boldwood that would include new books but also some of my back catalogue. They were keen to take the original trilogy, but we agreed that it made sense to make this a four-book series, combining Raving About Rhys and Callie’s Christmas Wish into one story. The fundamental story remains the same but Maria’s behaviour is a little different in this revised version and there have been several nips and tucks along the way to create the story you’ve read. I have to say a huge thank you to my wonderful editor, Nia, for her valuable guidance, Dushi and Sue for spotting typos, repetition and inconsistencies, and the team at Boldwood Books for shaping the final version.
As always, my biggest thanks need to go to my husband, Mark, and our daughter, Ashleigh, for putting up with the limited time they get with me as I try (often unsuccessfully) to balance the day job with studies, writing and family life. They never complain when I drift off into a world with my imaginary friends, although hubby is guilty of laughing at me when I’m writing. I have a habit of acting out facial expressions and muttering dialogue which amuses him considerably. How rude!
Huge hugs of appreciation go to a team of beta readers – friends and family – who helped me smooth out the edges on the original versions. They bring different talents to this role, whether that be spotting typos, plot holes, slow moments, repetition, or challenging whether a situation is realistic. So a huge thanks to Joyce Williams (my lovely mum), Liz Berry, Susan Hockley, Jo Bartlett and Sharon Booth. Jo and Sharon are extremely talented authors whose work I highly recommend, so do check them out on Amazon.
An extra big thanks goes to Susan for being a beta reader on the original version of Callie’s Christmas Wish because she had a particularly challenging year when I wrote it. Sadly, Susan lost her mum, Beatrice Lythgoe, in April 2018, aged 81. Susan’s been a great friend since our school days so her mum features strongly in my childhood memories. When I started writing, Beatrice championed my work, reading and enjoying all my books. She was always keen to know when the next book would come out, which was so lovely of her. Beatrice had a career in nursing and midwifery before starting a family. As her family grew up, she became involved in local politics and, when we were at college, she was appointed as Mayor of Langbaurgh. How impressive is that? An inspiring woman, I see some of Beatrice’s strength and spirit in Ruby. It therefore feels appropriate to dedicate this book to Beatrice. Rest in peace.
Thanks, as always, go to my virtual writing family – The Write Romantics – and huge thanks to my writing rock, Sharon Booth, for always being there through the highs and lows, providing advice, guidance, and friendship.
Finally, my thanks go to you, my readers. If you’ve enjoyed any of my books, it would be amazing if you could tell others by leaving a review on Amazon. Reviews make a massive difference to an author. You’ll see some really long ones on Amazon, but you don’t need to write an essay. A positive rating and a short sentence are equally welcome and hugely appreciated.
On a final note, I’ve mentioned a Perry Como song in the story. I wasn’t personally familiar with the song or the piece of music but I found it after searching online for a tune popular in the 1950s that could feature in a musical box. I came across the Chopin piece and the Perry Como song as a result, and both fitted the story perfectly. I had hoped to include the lyrics at the start of the book for anyone who, like me, isn’t familiar with the song. I applied for the rights to do this, waited months to hear back, was sent around the houses, and then drew a blank. I’ve had to release this without the lyrics, which is a shame, but they are readily available online if anyone is curious. I did try, though!
Big hugs
Jessica xx
More from Jessica Redland
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‘Oh wow! Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous.’ I picked up my bridal bouquet and held it against me.
‘I’m not sure it goes with the dressing gown,’ Nick said, laughing. ‘I really think you could have made more of an effort for your wedding day.’
‘Ha ha. You’re hilarious.’ I placed the bouquet gently back in the box and checked out the posies and button-holes.
‘Where’s mine?’ demanded Megan, rushing up to the table.
‘It’s this one, sweetheart,’ I said, pointing to one of the two children’s posies. ‘And this one is for Sofia.’
‘Where’s mummy’s?’
‘We talked about this,’ Izzy said, sitting down at Mum’s dining table and pulling Megan onto her knee. ‘I’m not a bridesmaid.’
‘Why not?’
Izzy gave me an apologetic look. ‘Because the bride gets to pick the bridesmaids and they’re usually the bride’s closest friends and sometimes family members.’
‘But aren’t you and Callie friends?’
‘Yes we are, sweetheart,’ I said, helping Izzy out, ‘but we’re not the bestest friends in the whole wide world, are we? Sofia’s mummy, Maria, is my best friend so she’s one of my bridesmaids, and Jess is mummy’s best friend.’
‘Which is why I’m going to be bridesmaid for Auntie Jess when she gets married next year,’ Izzy added.
‘Oh.’ Megan looked at the box of flowers again. ‘All mine?’
‘No. They’re for my other bridesmaids, your Auntie Debbie, and my friend Amelia.’ I decided it was too complicated trying to explain how Teddy’s granddaughter, Amelia, was related to Megan. Third cousi
ns? Fourth? Something like that.
‘Come on,’ Izzy said to Megan. ‘Let’s leave Callie and Nick in peace.’ She gave Nick a seductive look as she left. I knew it! I’d told Rhys that I reckoned she had the hots for my brother.
‘Looks like you have an admirer,’ I said to Nick after Izzy closed the dining room door.
‘Who?’
‘Izzy. Didn’t you see the way she looked at you just now? Must be the morning suit.’
Nick shrugged. ‘I never noticed.’
I narrowed my eyes at him. ‘Then why can’t you stop grinning?’
‘It’s my baby sister’s wedding day. Aren’t I allowed to grin?’
I shook my head. ‘It’s not that. Something’s happened? Oh my God! You’ve met someone!’
Nick’s eyes shone as he nodded slowly. ‘I’ve just met the woman I’m going to marry.’
‘Just met? As in literally just met?’
‘While I was picking up your flowers.’
‘You’re winding me up, right?’
He laughed. ‘No. I’m deadly serious. Watch this space.’
And with that, he left the room, chuckling to himself. I shook my head. That was so unlike Nick. He never made bold statements like that. Was I about to get the wish I’d made at Ruby and Teddy’s wedding last year? Oh my goodness, I hoped so.
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Has Nick found the woman he’s going to marry or is it going to be a case of unrequited love? You can find out in New Beginnings at Seaside Blooms, available to order now:
hyperurl.co/newbeginningsatsb
About the Author
Jessica Redland is the author of nine novels which are all set around the fictional location of Whitsborough Bay. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough she writes uplifting women’s fiction which has garnered many devoted fans.
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Visit Jessica’s website: https://www.jessicaredland.com/
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Also by Jessica Redland
Standalone Novels
The Secret To Happiness
Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café
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Welcome To Whitsborough Bay Series
Making Wishes At Bay View
New Beginnings at Seaside Blooms
Finding Hope at Lighthouse Cove
Coming Home To Seashell Cottage
About Boldwood Books
Boldwood Books is a fiction publishing company seeking out the best stories from around the world.
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First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Boldwood Books Ltd.
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Copyright © Jessica Redland, 2020
Cover Design by Charlotte Abrams-Simpson
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The moral right of Jessica Redland to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Paperback ISBN 978-1-83889-195-4
Ebook ISBN 978-1-83889-196-1
Kindle ISBN 978-1-83889-197-8
Audio CD ISBN 978-1-83889-249-4
MP3 CD ISBN 978-1-83889-683-6
Digital audio download ISBN 978-1-83889-194-7
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