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

the apple into Tillie’s mouth. Tillie seemed to love the apple puree and Sallie loved watching Ben with her - he was a natural and the little space in her heart, the dark space that she’d thought would never ever feel better, turned a tiny smidgeon brighter.

‘How are you feeling, beautiful?’ He asked as Sallie sneezed again.

‘Still feel awful. The pain in my sinuses is unbelievable - nothing is touching it either. Not even any point in taking more paracetamol if it does nothing.’

‘Wonder where you picked it up from?’ Ben replied.

‘No idea, the plane was ages ago now - I wondered if it was just going in and out of the hospital and on the bus.’

‘Maybe,’ he replied as Tillie blew a raspberry splattering him, the high chair and the floor with apple puree.

‘Now I can’t even go to the hospital and visit - not until this is very much gone.’ Sallie said, blowing her nose on a tissue again.

‘Any further news this morning?’

‘Nothing, just a text to say that there is no change but she is stable.’

Ben sighed and continued to spoon the apple into Tillie’s mouth.

‘Hopefully, we’ll get some good news soon, this one needs her mummy back.’ he said.

‘We’re sitting here waiting on all the news, aren’t we? Have you heard from Shane about the house?’

‘Nothing - he said the owners are away in Ireland for the week at a farmhouse and the reception may be patchy so it might be something to do with that.’

‘I don’t suppose they were expecting him to actually have anyone interested quite as quickly. I mean it’s not exactly a straightforward buy anyway,’ Sallie said as Ben continued feeding Tillie the apple.

‘True,’ Ben replied and Sallie didn’t know if she was imagining it or not, but a weird look seemed to cross Ben’s face.

‘I just get the feeling though that this is all very touch and go Ben - you know what I mean? I don’t want to get my heart set on it when it’s not even really on the market and they were just putting the feelers out.’

‘Hmm - is that why you’re looking at the photos again? Because you don’t want to get your heart set on it?’ He said, pointing to Sallie’s laptop, which was open on the sofa at the photos she’d taken on their second visit to the house.

She laughed, scrolling through. ‘I can’t stop gazing at them and imagining what I would do with it all.’

‘I know, every time I look at you you’re looking at the ones you took or on the maps app and zooming in on the place or down the lane.’

‘I just never, ever, in a million years thought I would be in a position to be viewing a Victorian four-storey property a few streets back from the sea.’ She shook her head in wonder at it all.

‘Well you are, and hopefully we’ll get it,’ Ben replied.

Sallie pulled the laptop over and continued, ‘I mean just look at that staircase, the hallway floor alone is worth moving for! And the shutters on the windows... and the outside Summer House.’

She carried on scrolling right - the beautiful balcony on the top floor looking way out to sea, the hidden courtyard garden at the back, the fireplaces in every room, the chimney pots and the old conservatory which had seen better days but was crying out for someone to open it up again and fill it with love.

‘Ben, I could happily live in that house until I am a very old lady with white hair and a lot of cats.’

Ben smiled as he wiped apple from Ottilie’s mouth - he hadn’t told her yet, but he had actually heard from Shane and he was determined that Strawberry Hill House was going to be theirs.

Chapter 55

Sallie finished getting ready while Ben occupied Tillie - the plan was for Sallie to walk Tillie around to Pete’s who was going to look after her until Lilly got home from uni. It was a long round of working around everyone’s commitments and Sallie had a very important bride to sort out.

She tucked her black cashmere crew neck jumper into the front of black wide-legged wool trousers, tied a grey scarf around her neck and spritzed herself with perfume.

Tillie grizzled as she strapped her into the pram, clearly over the disruption to her routine and very much ready for her morning nap. Sallie opened the door, struggled to get the pram out and bumping it over the driveway seemed to irritate Tillie even more. She started to full on wail as Sallie pushed the pram over the stream, waved to Ben working on a plane next door and carried on along the laneway.

She walked briskly in the freezing cold wind up to Nina’s cottage, wiggling the pram to try to get Ottilie to drop off to sleep - it wasn’t working.

‘Oh dear, she’s not sounding too happy,’ Pete said as Sallie arrived, and Sallie handed over the change bag and pram.

‘Not at all - think she’s over it all Pete, all getting very real now, isn’t it?’

‘Don’t blame her, poor little sausage. I think I'll walk down to the beach with her then, see if she’ll drop off there. Are you all ready for the big day?’

‘Yep, nothing more we can do now. The wedding party has safely arrived and the bride now knows everything. I’m on my way over there now to meet her to take her to the hairdressers and meet Jessica about the makeup.’

‘I thought you were looking dressed up - good luck with it all. I’ll text you if there’s anything.’

‘Thanks Pete, yep I better get going, see you later.’

***

Sallie approached Pretty Beach Sandy Hotel, noticing the huge black front door decked out with a large, red and green wreath with a tartan bow. She walked into the reception and Lucian came bounding up to her.

‘Darling! Here they are. Over here!’ He pointed to Sam who they’d video called a good few