Page 4 of Ask Another Day

‘I promise. Now can we get the hell off this beach. It’s freezing!’

As they walked back up to The Book Nook, Holly’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She stopped to check it.

Luke:

Are you finished with my girlfriend yet?

Holly showed Rose the screen with a roll of her eyes.

‘Please don’t go into any salacious details, but things look like they are going well with my brother?’ Holly used her shoulder to playfully nudge Rose as they carried on back up the hill to the bookshop.

Rose smiled in a way Holly had forgotten how to. That dreamy kind of smile when you’re falling in love.

‘I took him to visit my mum today.’

‘Your mum? Did you take him to a séance or something?’ Holly asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Rose, like Holly and Luke, had lost both her parents.

Rose laughed. ‘You and Luke may look nothing alike, but there are definitely signs you’re related.’

‘Did Luke take you to a séance then? I really wouldn’t have said that was his kind of scene…’

Rose took pity on Holly’s continued confusion and explained, ‘When I told him we were visiting my mum, he thought I meant her ghost in Flamborough Lighthouse. I took him to her memorial bench,’ she explained with a gentle laugh.

‘Ah. That makes much more sense.’ Holly nodded.

‘Susie had the bench installed for her near the lighthouse. She had a memorial plaque added, with one of my mum’s favourite quotes.’ Rose stopped walking and reached out to take Holly’s hand. ‘She’d have loved him. Luke,’ Rose clarified.

Holly smiled. ‘I’ll never admit it to his face, but he is pretty special. I’m glad you found him.’

Instead of continuing their walk, Rose pulled Holly into a tight hug. ‘I’m glad I found both of you.’ She let her go, and made to carry on up the slope, but paused. Her face was now lit with a wave of excitement that flitted across her face.

‘And Owen could be the answer to me completing my challenge to find you a boyfriend before Natalie turns four.’

Holly scoffed, ‘I love your optimism, Rose, but something tells me Owen is not interested in a happily ever after with me.’

‘Someone has made you think so little of yourself, Holly, and if I ever meet them, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.’

Holly laughed off Rose’s declaration, but something about her words squirrelled their way in. She’d missed having someone in her corner.

Chapter 2

You Can Count on This

Later that evening with Rose suitably warmed up and placated with a free dinner in the pub, Holly reflected on Rose’s assertion that dating Owen could be a good thing for her. She hadn’t had a proper relationship since Natalie’s dad, and although that had been a fun experience, if she’d known then it would be the last for a while, she would have definitely savoured it. She would probably have tried to remember his name too, so she could have found him and told him about Natalie. Her only one night stand in her 33 years on this earth, on a holiday in Budapest, and she managed to have it alter her life in more ways than she could ever have imagined - not that she’d have it any other way though.

A chill brought her back to the here and now as the pub door opened and Tony and Lucy walked in. Lucy’s return had been the talk of the Bay during the recent beer festival. Last year, she’d moved to Bristol for work and had left Tony heartbroken. He’d thrown himself into making a success of the coffee shop across the street, but he hadn’t been the same without her. Judging by the strained look on their faces though, things weren’t slotting back into place as easily as he’d hoped now she was back. Once they’d ordered their drinks, they sat themselves by the window. They both immediately dropped into a deep conversation.

‘Mummy…’ Natalie’s tired voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

‘Yes, darling?’ she called back, pushing away from the bar to go to her daughter.

‘I can’t sleep,’ she moaned, as she twisted her loose blonde curls.

‘Want me to read you another story?’ she offered. She didn’t mind tonight either. Some nights, she’d inwardly groan when Natalie would demand another story. But tonight she didn’t feel the usual conflict of juggling her responsibilities in the pub and her daughter’s somewhat demanding bedtime routine. The pub was quiet tonight, and she also knew Rose or Luke were happy standing in for her behind the bar.

‘No,’ was Natalie’s simple reply and then with a pout a model would be proud of, she pointed towards the kitchen.

‘Oh no you don’t–’ Holly started to say, but Natalie was already moving towards the door that led to Seb’s sanctuary. ‘Natalie Sandra Loxley, don’t you dare–’