Page 14 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

Cathy gave her a sad smile. ‘I just miss Todd, that’s all. Things just aren’t the same any more.’

Tilly squeezed her hand and gave Amber a watery smile.

‘I don’t know,’ carried on Cathy, ‘the shop seems to have become sadder since we lost Todd. Poor Josh is stuck here with me when he should be living and travelling like his brother.’

‘Maybe he likes it here,’ said Amber.

But Cathy shook her head. ‘He just seems sad and frustrated most of the time.’ She gave herself a little shake and then fixed a smile on her face. ‘Now, are you sure you’ll be all right up there in the flat on your own? I’m going to walk mum home. I won’t be long and Josh will be back soon.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ said Amber.

‘I’m sure you’re desperate for your bed,’ said Cathy.

Amber wished them goodnight as Cathy unlocked the back door of the shop and switched on the lights so she could find her way up the stairs.

Amber quickly washed her face before going into the small guest bedroom. She had never been so grateful to see a bed in her life. Regardless of the fact that Cathy had given her a pair of Christmas pyjamas, at least she could be tucked up in the warmth and lying flat on her back, unlike the previous night where she had tried and failed to find a comfortable sleeping position on the plane.

Within seconds of her head hitting the pillow, she was asleep, her dreams full of stars and narrow stone bridges over the river.

6

Amber woke to find sunlight streaming through a gap in the curtains in her bedroom and onto her face. She was amazed to hear birdsong until she slowly realised that she was definitely not in New York any more and was actually in the flat above Cranbridge Stores.

The room she had rented in a shared flat had not been peaceful. In New York, she had endured flatmates that shouted at each other at all times of the day and night, busy streets outside full of traffic, horns and sirens. It had been a constant urban white noise. But not in Cranbridge.

She rolled over in her bed to take a peep around the curtains. Her bedroom overlooked Riverside Lane and she could see the river sparkling under the morning sunlight. Already the seasonal transition from late summer into autumn was well under way. The trees that flanked the river were covered with golden leaves, some of which were drifting down to the ground in a gentle breeze.

It was a lovely day to be outside and yet she saw only one person in the distance walking their dog. She peered left and then right on both sides of the river, but there was nobody else in sight. It was so quiet, she thought. She was so used to being jostled on the packed streets of New York and London, but not here.

Another person came into view, walking hurriedly along the other side of the river. So the village wasn’t completely devoid of people. Just customers who didn’t want to come into the shop.

She lay back in bed, looking around the tiny room. Apparently it had been Grandma Tilly’s room up until recently. Despite the flowery wallpaper, it was a small but quite sweet room, with only a single bed, a narrow wardrobe and a chest of drawers. A pile of Cathy’s clothes were folded and lay on top of the drawers.

Amber frowned, remembering her lost luggage and grabbed her phone to check for any updates. She was amazed to see that it had gone past eight o’clock in the morning. She had managed to sleep solidly for ten hours. She hadn’t slept so well since she had moved to New York. The noise in the city that never sleeps had unsettled her and so she hadn’t been able to do so much either.

A bit embarrassed about her lie-in, she leapt out of bed. At least she had been able to wash and dry her clothes from the previous day, so they were clean. If her suitcases didn’t arrive that day, she’d have to head out later to buy some new underwear and other supplies. She couldn’t keep borrowing Cathy’s clothes.

She left her bedroom and went to the bathroom across the hallway. On the way, she glanced inside what appeared to be Josh’s bedroom which was next to the spare bedroom. The door was already open and there was no sound from within. Presumably he was already downstairs at work.

She wondered about Josh. He looked like a broken man at one point during the previous evening when he thought no one was watching him. The shock of losing his dad had obviously taken its toll. From what she’d heard, he had been a successful businessman until a few years ago, so his life had obviously changed dramatically, and, perhaps, not for the better either.

She headed down the stairs and immediately came across Cathy and Josh in the crowded storeroom.

‘Good morning,’ said Cathy, smiling. ‘You must have slept well.’

‘Good morning,’ replied Amber. ‘I did, but you should have woken me up earlier.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Cathy. ‘You obviously needed the rest.’

‘It’s not like you’ve missed any customers,’ said Josh, gesturing into the empty shop with a sad smile.

Cathy sighed loudly, glaring briefly at her son before saying, ‘Amber isn’t here to work. She’s on holiday. Now, let’s get you some breakfast.’

Amber followed Cathy back up the stairs and into the tiny kitchen.

Cathy made Amber sit at the table whilst she rushed around the room preparing some toast and coffee. She appeared almost frenzied, thought Amber, unloading the dishwasher and cleaning the work surfaces.

‘Won’t you have a coffee with me?’ asked Amber, as Cathy placed a plate of toast and a steaming mug of coffee on the table. ‘And I can tidy up after myself. Please don’t worry.’