The Secret Seaside Escape - Heidi Swain Page 0,106

the overwhelming amount of information my head was stuffed with. Should I cut and run, go back and face my father? Should I announce to everyone what Joe had in store for their lovely landscape or should I keep quiet and let the Upton family move on and free themselves from the fear of the unpredictable farming cycle? Should I ask Sam why he had been my first kiss? Should I confess my disloyalty to Hope and ask why she and her beloved weren’t talking? Or, should I pretend that I knew nothing about any of it, and just carry on enjoying my holiday?

I was still no closer to coming to a decision when I wandered down to the café on Tuesday. The weather was warm, but I couldn’t see the sun because it was blocked by a thick blanket of cloud and I couldn’t help thinking that it felt like the perfect metaphor for my life.

‘Tess,’ beamed Sophie when I walked in. ‘Where have you been hiding yourself? It feels like ages since I last saw you!’

‘I’ve been around and about,’ I told her, wishing I could lift my mood high enough to match hers.

Sophie had a mother’s knack for spotting melancholy a mile off and I didn’t want her delving too deeply into my current muddled mindset.

‘Well,’ she said, ‘grab a seat and I’ll bring you something delicious to eat.’

‘I’m not really hungry,’ I told her. ‘I only came—’

‘To borrow my laptop?’ she interrupted, raising her eyebrows.

I nodded, feeling a little guilty.

‘That’s all right,’ she said, bustling back behind the counter, ‘you can surf and snack at the same time, can’t you?’

‘Yes,’ I said, sliding into the last empty booth, ‘that I can do.’

It didn’t take many minutes to find and order a phone and I opted for express delivery, wishing I had thought to do it weeks ago and thinking that at least I had made one decision. If I was investing in a mobile, even just a cheap one, then I wasn’t planning to leave Wynmouth any time soon, was I?

‘Find what you wanted?’ Sophie asked, taking the seat opposite mine when there was finally a lull in customers.

‘Yes,’ I said, sliding her laptop back across the table, ‘thanks, Sophie. I didn’t expect you to be this busy today, what with the downturn in the weather.’

‘Actually,’ she said, looking out of the window to see what the sky was up to, ‘I think that’s what has encouraged folk in. This mixed summer weather we’ve experienced so far has been perfect for the café.’

‘I bet Sam would say the same about the pub,’ I said, thinking of his former mention of the lunchtime rush, ‘that’s been busy too.’

‘But not too busy,’ Sophie smiled. ‘Word on the village high street is that Wynmouth has finally found the right balance. Everyone’s telling me they’re busier, but not overrun. Somehow we’ve managed to enjoy increased footfall without becoming completely overwhelmed.’

‘Uh huh,’ I nodded, my stomach churning as I thought how that balance could so easily be upset by the influx of Sunny Shores visitors.

‘We all seem to be turning a healthy profit,’ Sophie said happily, ‘but not losing the tranquillity, and thanks to the beach clean and the party there’s an emerging sense of community pride and spirit that the place has been lacking in recent years. It’s all perfect in every possible way.’

‘That’s great,’ I swallowed. ‘Really great.’

‘Are you all right, Tess? Sophie asked. ‘You look a little pale.’

‘Too many churros,’ I told her. ‘You know I can’t resist.’

‘And too much sauce!’ she laughed, peering into the empty pot. ‘Here’s Hope,’ she added, waving at her daughter who was about to come in. ‘I’ll get you both some lemonade. That’ll cut through the sweetness.’

Sophie took her laptop back to the kitchen and Hope, after hugging her warmly, slid into the seat she had just vacated.

‘I’d all but given up on you,’ she told me. ‘I’ve just been to the cottage to find you, and the beach. Where have you been hiding yourself?’

‘I haven’t been hiding.’

She waited while Sophie deposited our lemonade before picking up the questioning pace.

‘So,’ she said, her dark eyes shining, ‘what happened at the farm? Did you make any inroads into finding out what’s bothering Joe?’

I was beginning to wish, given that the pair were still in touch, that she’d made more of an effort to find out for herself rather than rope me in but, given her friendly tone, she obviously still hadn’t found out