Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

always super logical about anything business related and although he’d not started from the same place as she had, he had started a business from the ground up and it had given him invaluable experience and an appreciation of how small business worked and how each tiny decision was vitally important to everything - to cash flow, to branding, to reputation and marketing.

About to get out her phone and text him, she decided she would wait until she got to Alaska. He would be really pleased as he knew how important the Orangery’s success was to her but not only that, since the burn he’d voiced his concerns that she had taken on too much, whether it was affecting their trying for a baby and he had been questioning whether she was doing the right thing. The project being successful would definitely mean that it was.

***

Sallie looked out of the window as the plane bumped down and slid onto the tarmac, a blanket of grey clouds welcoming her to her first glimpse of America.  She’d wanted to visit for ages, but time, money and life had always got in the way. In her wildest dreams she’d never thought that her first trip to the USA would be via the first-class cabin of a very large plane.

She folded up her cashmere scarf and put it in her bag as phones pinged all around and hers went off with a message from Ben

I’ve been tracking you on the internet - welcome to the United States. 

Thanks. I’m so excited! What a way to travel.

Glad you enjoyed it. Better than a bumpy old ride in a seaplane right?

Haha, you know what? I thought that. A few more luxuries up here lol.

I’ll have to do my commercial license next. 

I could get used to travelling in style like this.

It’s not bad ha.

OK, just disembarking here and then waiting for the next one and then I’ll see you soon!!! Can’t wait to see Alaska.

I can’t wait for you to be here beautiful - you’re going to love it. You’ve got the joys of customs to go through now though, thank God you can go through the express lane.

Thanks OK, I’ll video you from the lounge before I get on...

Picking up her bag, and taking her cabin case out of the overhead locker she waited for the doors to open and filed out behind the men in the business suits.

‘Thank you Ms Broadchurch, have a safe onward journey. Thank you for flying with us,’ the elegant woman in red at the door of the plane said to her as she stepped off.

Sallie nodded, smiled and said thank you back. They even remembered your name as you got off at this end of the plane.

***

Sallie filed fairly quickly through border control, through the shopping area and made her way to the lounge to wait for the next leg of the flight with AirAlaska.

She walked over to the bar, helped herself to sparkling water and went and found a free sofa and opened up her laptop. Only hours to go until the competition started and counting. Everything was set up and scheduled - the posts, Lucian’s Where the Heck is Pretty Beach? podcast was edited and ready to be broadcast and all the red-tape and conditions had been applied for and double-checked.

Sallie opened up the app and checked her emails - there was one from Lucian to say everything was set, there were no problems and all they had to do now was wait for the applications to come in. By the time she landed in Alaska the podcast episode would have aired, the guidelines for entry would have been published, and the wheels would have started turning in their highly thought-out publicity campaign and Lucian’s spreadsheet would be put to full use.

Her phone pinged from Nina.

Are you alive and in the land of the USA?

Yep, all good. You’ll never guess what happened when I got to the airport?

Oh no, now what?

I wasn’t in Business Class.

Ahhhh, so you went all the way long haul in the back of the plane?

No, the opposite. First! Ben didn’t tell me. OMG. FAB.

Wow Sals.

I know. Hello!

I need to find myself a millionaire pilot you know, haha.

Well I keep trying to fix you up with someone but you get bored.

True.

Sorry I forgot to ask how is your mum?

Not so good - the dementia is so bad now she didn’t even recognise me, and going downhill fast. The nurses are wonderful though.

So sad, you poor thing.

Ahh, well. Nothing I can do about it. Right got to go, it’s late here and I’m off to bed. Safe journey to Alaska. Send me some pics.

Chapter 30

Sallie walked out of the gate at the airport and there he was, Ben standing leaning over the barrier waiting for her to emerge - her lovely, handsome Ben, rugged up in his navy-blue wool reefer coat, beanie pulled down over his head, a thick scarf, jeans and boots.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the cheek, ‘I’ve missed you beautiful.’

‘I’ve missed you so much.’ She squeezed him hard, feeling his strong thick muscles under her hands and ran them down over his back underneath his coat.

Ben stood back and looked at her, taking her in, up and down.

‘For someone who has just come off most of the day on a plane, you look fabulous.’

‘Ben, it was hardly arduous - I feel like I’ve been waited on hand and foot since I stepped off the train from Pretty Beach and I haven’t stopped being fed and offered copious amounts of alcohol,’ she said laughing as he took her case.

‘Well, you look amazing and you’re going to fall in love with the cabin, it’s lovely.’

‘If it’s as good as the pictures, I’m not going to want to go home.’

‘Oh, it’s so much better than the photos.’ Ben replied.

‘You’re