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

and up at the trees outside. ‘A bit different to Pretty Beach though... shall we start the Alaskan branch of Pretty Beach Enterprises or is it Seaplanes? Hmm, that has a nice ring to it,’ she laughed.

Ben gave a low laugh and put his hand on hers. ‘I think it may just be a teensy bit remote for us, beautiful.’

‘So, what’s on the agenda then? Apart from lots of fabulous food - I want all the pancakes, Ben, all the fries, and all the coffee.’

‘Hmm, you mean apart from baby-making - after all, that’s the main reason you’re here, isn’t it?’ Ben replied.

Sallie laughed and rolled her eyes.

‘We're going to the best diner in Alaska according to the crew for breakfast tomorrow morning - there will definitely be pancakes, and then I’ve a little surprise tomorrow afternoon.’

Chapter 32

Sallie smiled at Ben as she finished drying her hair in the bathroom mirror of the tiny cabin thinking about Tillie and Nina and the naming ceremony - she was really looking forward to dressing up and enjoying the day. As she was thinking about what to wear and wondering how it would go, a message came in from Lucian.

Darling, you won’t believe it but I think we might have found the couple already - early days I know but they seem perfect. I’ve emailed you the details. No rush or anything. Don’t want to ruin your break but I think they are just what we are looking for. If you get a chance, have a read and let me know what you think.

Sallie messaged back a thumbs up sign, opened up the email app and scrolled down through notifications from various places, plus a few messages about bookings for the Boat House, until she got to an email from Where the Heck is Pretty Beach?

She opened it up and started to read. The application had come from a couple from the Yorkshire Dales who had been planning their wedding for years, but the bride had received a devastating cancer diagnosis and had spent the last few years in treatment for it. They’d had various places booked for the wedding but those times and dates had come and gone for a few reasons; one being that the bride wanted her own hair to grow and the other that the drugs had caused her face and limbs to bloat. She’d wanted to wait until those had improved and wait for the time when she felt like she had enough energy to walk down the aisle on her dad’s arm in the best state that she could. Just as that time had come around, her hair had grown and she’d felt better and she’d had the all clear, her dad had suddenly collapsed and passed away from a heart attack throwing the plans into disarray and the wedding to yet again be postponed.

Katie, the young woman, was a nurse at the local hospital, and the groom was training to be a vet. They’d met through a mutual uni friend and had weathered all sorts of storms. Sallie clicked on the attachment of the picture of the bride. Short white blonde hair framed a beautiful face with deep brown eyes and honey-coloured skin. There were no signs of the harrowing years behind her other than the short haircut and maybe a hint of sadness about the eyes.

The groom had added that Katie had always wanted to get married in the colder months of the year, loved the ocean and had pictures of the exact dress and head dress she wanted pinned to the side of the fridge.

Sallie had to admit that this couple looked perfect - they were in England so it would mean the logistics of it all would be easy enough, they were ready to be married so it was not as if she would run once she’d seen the surprise and they even had a dress to go on.

She messaged Lucian back.

Looking good. Seems too good to be true though that we’ve found the right couple so quickly.

I thought the same - but I guess we were never going to know at what point the winner would come in.

True. OK. Let’s sit on it for a bit and then we’ll decide.

Sallie could feel him nodding his head in agreement across the miles - it was so nice working with him and quite uncanny that they were so much on the same wavelength.

Chapter 33

Sallie leant forward into the footwell, took her scarf and hat out of her bag and put them on ready for the cold as they approached the dockyard for their boat trip. Huge barn-sized fresh fish shops lined the sides of the yard, tiny garlands of blue and red flags were strung between the stores and rows of hanging fresh fish swayed in the wind.

The large white boat stood at the dock ready for them as a few other passengers traipsed up the gangplank wrapped up in raincoats and scarves and the skipper stood at the top checking his charts.

The trip promised an amazing fresh fish lunch, fjords, glaciers and natural areas full of wildlife. Ben had it on local knowledge that it was the best trip in the area and they’d just managed to book onto it as the season came to an end. When Sallie had seen the cosy menu, the afternoon tea and the fact that the cabin was fully heated she'd been really looking forward to it.

They pulled around to a space in the car park and locked up the car. Ben took her hand and they strolled along in the cold air looking at the multitudes of blackboards and posters announcing the catch of the day and what was the freshest fish.

Winter sunshine streamed through a few random clouds as they climbed aboard the boat and looked down into deep, dark blue water.

‘Bit different to the water in Pretty Beach - this is so blue and backed by white mountains, snow and