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

Amelia got up from her chair and started rummaging around in a drawer under the printer.

‘Hang on a minute I’ve got a voucher for cake somewhere here - I’ve been on a diet for the last few months and hid these away so I wouldn’t be tempted, but they’re nearly out of date.’ She peered right at the back of the drawer, pulled out a plastic wallet and took out a little blue ticket from inside.

‘There you go’ Amelia said, pressing the ticket into Sallie's hand.

‘Thanks, are you sure? Wow, that’s so kind of you.’

‘Of course! Get yourself down there - when you come out of the lifts, turn right instead of heading out towards the foyer, cross diagonally over and the cafe is right in the corner beside the florist. It looks a little bit grim compared to the newly renovated foyer, a bit plastic, but it’s lovely. You’ll be lucky to get a seat at this time of day though.’

‘Perfect, thanks Amelia.’ Sallie said, then said goodbye and walked out of the unit and towards the lifts.

Sallie headed down to the foyer, met up with Holly and then they followed Amelia’s directions to the cafe. It had white plastic chairs, gaudy red signage above the doors and not a whole lot of inspiration to make them go in. They looked into the glass cabinets at the cakes and quickly changed their minds and walked inside.

‘What can I get you?’ A woman with a round face and bright red hair asked.

‘Two pieces of the carrot cake please and two take-away coffees.’

Sallie took the coffees and the brown bag with the cake and as they went to walk out of the cafe she looked up at a man in a hospital uniform peering in at the cakes. It was the guy from Maisy’s cafe she had bumped into a few weeks before who Juliette had said had moved into the cottage right down the other end of Seapocket Lane.

‘Oh, hi again,’ Sallie said as they crossed his path and went to walk out to the foyer.

‘Hey, you're a friend of Juliette’s, aren’t you?’ The man replied.

‘Yep, Sallie, we met in the cafe in Pretty Beach, you'd just moved in. And this is Holly who owns the bakery. Holly this is Luke.’

‘Ahh yes, sorry, bit forgetful, I’ve had a busy few hours today. You were in the cafe with the gorgeous Juliette, that’s right.’

‘How are you getting on in the new house and more importantly how are you finding the strange beings of Pretty Beach?’ Sallie said with a friendly smile and Holly laughed.

‘So far, so good. The house is, how shall we say, a bit sterile, but I’m not complaining. On the locals, I’m a bit taken aback at how friendly everyone is, and the pubs are great and well I’m finding the sea air very different to being in town’

‘I know, it’s amazing, I’ve only been here a little while too. There’s something about the Pretty Beach air you can’t quite put your finger on.’

‘That’s exactly it, I feel different and good different so I’m taking it as a very nice side-effect of moving to a new place.’

‘Well, nice to bump into you again.’ Sallie said, going to walk out.

‘Yep, see you.’ Luke said, moving forward to line up at the till.

Sallie and Holly walked towards the foyer with their coffees and cake and commented that Luke was indeed a very nice new addition to Pretty Beach and especially for the ‘gorgeous Juliette.’

Holly rubbed her hands together in glee.

Chapter 51

Sallie walked along with her umbrella in one hand, pushing the rain-covered pram in the other. Tillie’s heavy change bag filled with all her paraphernalia hung over the handle and Sallie’s bag was underneath in the tray. Splashing along through the puddles in her green boots, cold icy air went down the gap in her coat.

She walked past White Cottage Flowers and stopped to update Felicity, who was parking her car, on Nina’s situation and popped into the Spar for some tea bags for the Orangery - the photographer and his assistants were arriving at two and she was sure, in the freezing cold, drizzly weather they would be wanting a lot of tea.

She carried on along past Juliette’s cottage, smiling at the beautiful wreath on the front door, manoeuvring the pram along the pavement and down to the double gates of the Orangery. As she was struggling with the bolt on the bottom of the gate Suntanned Pete arrived.

‘Oh good, I’m glad you’re early - she’s just dropped off for her nap,’ Sallie said, yanking back the bolt on the gate.

‘Have you had any further news this morning?’ Pete asked.

‘Not really. I spoke to the nurse on reception for an update and she said no change.’

Pete sighed, ‘Rightio - are you going to visit tonight?’

‘I don't know - not sure if it’s even really worth it and with all this today and the weather it’s going to be hard to make it there, but I’ll try. I was in there last night.’

‘Well, I think I will then. Once this little doll is back with you, I’ll have plenty of time to drive over there.’

‘Okay, well that would be great for me. I mean, I know she doesn't really know if we are there or not but I feel like a visit every day is important - if you know what I mean.’

‘Yep, I think the same,’ Pete agreed, taking the pram from Sallie.

‘Yes, okay. So, I’ll be back after the shoot to pick Ottilie up.’

‘You know what, I’ll drop her off if you like; I need to pop into the Spar later so I can do that at the same time.’

‘Great, thanks Pete, see you later at Nina’s then,’ Sallie replied.

‘Will do, by the way, it’s looking amazing,’ Pete said pointing his thumb over at the Orangery.

‘Thanks, just a shame it’s not snowed today - fingers crossed