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

nobody up there looking after us that’s all I can say.’ Pete crossed his huge, long legs over and rubbed his forehead, sighing, ‘Rightio Sallie, I’ll be off, I’ve lots to sort out at the cottages. Just message me if you need anything.’

‘All good, Pete, thanks for everything.’ Sallie said.

‘When’s Ben back?’ Pete asked, heaving himself up off the sofa.

‘Just working it out now - the consultancy finishes soon and he was going to stay on, but with all this he’s going to just come straight home now.’

‘Yeah, I suppose that would be better - it’s not easy looking after a little one, even with Lilly around. I’d forgotten how tiring it can be. Even after a couple of hours, it’s all go.’

‘Tell me about it! Everything takes so much time - I’ve streamlined all my work and I’m still chasing my tail.’

Pete nodded, said goodbye and let himself out of Nina’s cottage.

***

A few hours later, Tillie had eaten her lunch like a dream, sat under her mobile and Sallie had popped her in her little baby swing and put it on the sway setting. She’d managed to do two loads of baby washing, sprayed and disinfected the kitchen and sorted out the fridge.

As Sallie plumped all the base cushions and fluffed up the cushions on the sofa, she looked out the doors at the end of the room and up at the sky. The sleet had gradually stopped and far off in the distance, over near the lighthouse tiny fragments of blue sky were desperately making an effort to appear. Every now and then the odd ray of sunshine filtered down onto the terrace outside and glints of ice in the puddles shone in the light. She checked the time and then turned to the bouncy chair where Ottilie seemed engrossed in a pink unicorn above her head.

‘Right Miss Tillie, I think we might venture out. Get some fresh air. What do you think?’ She looked at Tillie and wiggled her tiny little foot in its pale pink sock. Tillie looked back at her and smiled.

‘I’ll take that as a yes then.’ Sallie laughed to herself and continued chatting away to Tillie as she got her snowsuit on and popped her into the pram, got her own boots, coat, beanie and scarf and put her bag over the handle of the pram. She checked Pete had put the rain cover on as he left and looked in her bag to make sure she had an umbrella just in case the rain came down again - it was a short walk but she wasn’t taking any chances of getting caught in another downpour.

She bumped the pram out of the front door, walked down the road and as she was turning the corner into the road to the Orangery, Juliette drove past, indicated to pull in, reversed into a space outside her cottage and got out of the car. Sallie saw her from a distance open the boot and start unloading parcels from the back, carrying them into the little cottage.

‘Hey, how are you?’ Sallie said as she approached.

‘Hi, I’m fine, busy. How’re you getting on? How’s Nina today?’ Juliette asked.

‘No change really. I’m taking this little darling to the Orangery. I’m really on a deadline now.’

‘Oh, you and me both - so many babies at the moment in Pretty Beach, then I’ve got extra shifts and my little sideline business.’

‘What’s all that there then?’ Sallie pointed to the boxes in the back of Juliette’s car.

‘It’s a load of stock for the shop,’ Juliette said leaning into the boot and pulling the cardboard boxes towards the front.

‘Ahh, I completely forgot you told me about your shop, I seem to be so forgetful since I took on the Orangery - I guess you’re getting really busy now then at this time of year, are you?’

‘Yeah, well it was a few months ago we spoke about it. It’s always been a bit of a hobby and then in the last few years it’s really taken off, and, well, now that I need every penny I can pull together I really go for it at this time of year... obviously.’

‘Sorry, yeah you must be manic. What’s it called again?’ Sallie asked, opening her phone to type the name of Juliette’s online shop into her phone.

‘Not sure if I mentioned the name before. It’s called A Christmas Sparkle and it’s not so much a regular shop, more that I deal really, in vintage Christmas decor.’

‘How fabulous - not a bad little sideline to have. Love how you added your name in there too,’ Sallie said as she typed the name of the shop into her phone.

‘Yes, it is. Hard work though - I started it about fifteen years ago when I was at home on maternity leave. I’ve collected Christmas decor for years and it went from there. Then when, well you know that story, I decided to put in as much spare time as I could, which wasn’t much, and now, well if you include Australia and other Southern Hemisphere places who do Christmas in July and then the hardcore collectors it brings in quite the nice little income. Initially the plan was to go part-time with the midwifery for just a few shifts a week and concentrate on this - but, you know, the divorce put paid to that idea.’ She rolled her eyes.

‘Wow that all sounds brilliant - how interesting. Vintage decor is the look I’m going for in the Orangery too,’ Sallie said looking at the vast amount of boxes piled in the back of Juliette’s car.

‘You’ll have to come in and have a root around in my stuff then - I’ve got a lock-up over on the industrial estate down at Seafolly, packed to the rafters it is. I can barely get in there to pick out my stock these days.’

‘I might take you up on that actually - we’re just off to the Orangery now to do a little