sausages, bacon and chicken to my rapidly filling bag. ‘You think an evening of entertainment in the pub’s a good idea too?’
‘Absolutely,’ agreed the woman who served me. ‘People around here have been crying out for something. We all support the pub of course. It’s a great place to meet, but it would be even better if there was a reason to go there other than to have a drink or play Scrabble.’
I mulled over what everyone had told me as I walked back to the cottage, greedily picking at the cockles as I went. When I had broached the subject with the grocery store staff even a couple of the customers had joined in and they were all enthusiastic.
It was a shame that Sam hadn’t picked up on what the locals wanted or asked for some help before making a joke out of asking me. I was certain any number of the friendly locals I had encountered would have been more than happy to lend a hand and he could have had things up and running far sooner. There was certainly enough interest to make it worth his while and this weekend, if push came to shove, I could even get behind the bar myself. I might not have pulled a pint since my days working in the union bar at university but I was certain the knack would come back soon enough.
By the time I had unpacked my shopping and had a coffee, along with another handful of cockles, the sun was shining strongly overhead and I decided to walk down to the café to see Sophie, taking my list with me. The pull of the rockpools and a trip down memory lane to the beach huts was still a draw, but with an extra four weeks now at my disposal, I was free to take my time.
I was out of the door and along the path before I realized I hadn’t even thought about switching on my phone. Perhaps things were looking up, in that department at least.
‘Good morning, Tess!’ Sophie called when she spotted me.
She was setting up the brightly striped parasols over the picnic tables and I could see a big tub containing a stack of buckets and nets for sale just outside the door. She hadn’t put those out on my first visit, probably because of the weather. They would be exactly what I needed when I decided it was the right time to explore the rockpools again.
‘Morning,’ I waved back, shielding my eyes from the brightness of the sun. ‘It’s going to be a great day.’
‘And hopefully a busy one,’ Sophie nodded, pointing to the beach where some families were already setting up, hammering their windbreaks in place and spreading out colourful towels to lay on.
They were clearly keen to nab what they thought were the prime spots, but truth be told, the beach on either side of the village was so beautiful, every spot was a good one. There were fewer rockpools on this side, but given what the guy with the binoculars told me the day before, there was more bird life here. It was win-win wherever you went in Wynmouth.
Sophie waited for me to reach her and we walked into the café together.
‘I spoke to my daughter last night,’ she told me. ‘She says she’d love to meet the woman who has finally convinced her mother to get online.’
I laughed.
‘You didn’t take that much persuading,’ I reminded her.
‘Well, don’t tell her that if you get the chance,’ said Sophie. ‘She already thinks you’re some kind of wonderful, so I would go with that if I were you.’
I rather liked the sound of Sophie’s daughter.
‘I hope I will get to meet her,’ I said. ‘Is she likely to put in appearance anytime soon?’
‘Oh yes,’ Sophie nodded. ‘Although she hasn’t told me exactly when she’s coming home.’
‘She lives in Wynmouth too?’
‘That’s right. She’s off on her travels at the moment, trying to fathom out ideas for her own business. She’s just flown back from Jamaica.’
‘Oh wow,’ I said, remembering the beautiful images of the Caribbean I had looked at while trying to find my alternative holiday spot before Sam mailed to tell me I could book the cottage. ‘Has she been on holiday?’
‘She’s been visiting family,’ Sophie explained. ‘Getting to know her cousins and now she’s with Blossom, the aunt I mentioned with the curried crab recipe. She owns a bakery in Norwich so my girl isn’t too far away now. I’m