Epilogue

P lacing her hand in his, Debbie looked across at Richie as they waited on the cobbles outside her nan's cottage for everyone else.

‘Sorry, won't be a moment.' Bertie appeared at the front door, his unruly hair a little more unruly than usual and a frown creasing his forehead. ‘Ava's lost her mobile and can't possibly come for a picnic on the beach without it.'

‘No worries.' Debbie held up her hand as he disappeared back inside.

‘We should probably go and help look.' Richie turned towards her, taking both her hands in his.

She shrugged. ‘They'll find it. There're not that many places to lose a phone in the small cottage.'

‘True.' He chuckled. ‘Hey, Debbie?'

‘Yes?' She looked at him and frowned. A bead of sweat clung to his forehead despite the cool temperature. He was nervous. ‘Is everything okay?'

He nodded slowly. ‘Yes, yes. Everything's fine, I've just been thinking now that we both have permanent jobs, you at the recruitment agency in Trestow and me at the new building development...' his voice trailed off.

Circling her thumbs on the back of his hands, she looked at him. What was he trying to say? ‘Are you sure everything's okay? Between us, I mean, you're not...'

Glancing down, he let out a slow breath and shook his head. ‘I'm not trying to tell you things are over. Far from it. You know how I feel about you, how much I love you, don't you?'

‘Yes, but then...' She searched his eyes as he looked at her again.

‘Will you move in with me?' As soon as he'd blurted the words out, his whole body relaxed.

‘Of course.' Debbie laughed. ‘I'd love to.'

‘Phew!' After wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, his lips touching hers as he brought his hand to the nape of her neck.

‘Urgh! You two are gross.' Ava's voice filled the lane.

Pulling away, Debbie looked across as Ava walked down the path towards them, her mobile gripped firmly in her hand and a look of sheer disgust covering her face.

‘What were they doing?' Trixie followed Ava slowly towards the garden gate and looked cautiously from Debbie and Richie to her elder sister.

‘You don't want to know.' Ava turned back to the cottage. ‘Mum, Dad, Nan, are you coming?'

‘Yes, yes, we won't be a moment. Why don't you four walk on ahead of us while we finish getting the picnic things together?' Bertie poked his head out of the door, looking a lot more relaxed than he had a few moments earlier.

‘Okay. You can catch us up at Mrs Piper's house.' Debbie called back before taking Richie's hand and leading the way to the end of the lane and towards Mrs Piper's.

Skipping on ahead, Trixie paused outside the garden of gnomes and pointed. ‘Can we count the gnomes? Just for a minute? Please?'

‘That's why Auntie Debbie said we'd meet Mum, Dad and Nan here.' Despite rolling her eyes, Ava joined her younger sister at the garden wall and began helping her count the colourful gnomes.

‘Aw, just imagine we'll be dealing with all this one day ourselves.' Debbie laughed and held her arm out, encompassing the girls.

Standing behind her, Richie hugged her around the waist and whispered in her ear, ‘Is that your way of telling me you want children?'

Laughing, Debbie turned her head to look at him. ‘Maybe. Do you?'

‘Absolutely. Bring it on.' He grinned and kissed her cheek just as Ava turned and graced them with another look of disgust. Letting his arms fall to his sides, he stepped forward next to Debbie again. ‘Looks like that's us told. No public displays of affection when teenagers are around.'

‘Noted.' Debbie grinned as she linked arms with him. These past few months had been the best of her life. She and Richie's relationship had gone from strength to strength and living in the bay? Well, she couldn't imagine anywhere more perfect.

‘Help! Stop that dog!' A woman shouted from further up the hill.

Turning, Debbie watched as a large Labrador bounded its way towards them, a red lead trailing on the floor behind him and a woman racing towards it, the small suitcase she was dragging behind her bouncing over the dips in the path.

Jumping into action, Richie grabbed the dog's lead and watched as the dog slowed to a stop before laying on the path and flopping its head to its paws. ‘I think someone's had enough of running.'

After hurrying the rest of the way towards them, the woman stopped and bent over, catching her breath. ‘Thank goodness. I know I have. Thank you.'

‘No worries. Here you go.' Richie held the lead out towards her.

Taking the lead, the woman blew a strand of hair from her rosy cheeks. ‘He's not even mine. I just saw him running loose and wanted to stop him before he got knocked down or something.''

Debbie glanced around them, looking for the owner. The street was empty. ‘Oh, that's strange. I wonder who he belongs to.'

‘Oh, he's so cute. Can I pet him?' With the gnomes long forgotten, Trixie knelt down on the path next to the dog and began scratching him behind his ear.

‘He seems friendly enough.' The woman smiled as Ava joined Trixie and the dog rolled over ready for his tummy to be tickled.

‘You did well to chase him, pulling your suitcase along with you.' Debbie nodded towards the suitcase. ‘Are you staying in the bay?'

‘I am, yes. I'm volunteering down at a little bakery here.' The woman turned and looked up and down the hill. ‘Although after chasing this one around I'm not actually sure I know in which direction I'm going anymore.'

‘Is that The Cornish Bay Bakery you're volunteering at?' When Debbie had popped in earlier to buy some bits for their picnic, Elsie had mentioned a new volunteer was arriving soon.

‘That's right. Please tell me I'm not miles away, I think I'm all walked out!' The woman laughed.

‘Haha, no, it's just down the road. We're going that way, so can show you if you like? I'm Debbie and this is Richie.' Debbie then turned towards the girls. ‘And these two are Trixie and Ava.'

‘Lovely to meet you all. I'm Robyn.' The woman held her hand up in a wave. ‘And that'd be great if you don't mind showing me.'

‘Of course not.' Debbie grinned. ‘And we can ask Elsie if she knows who the dog belongs to. She's knows everyone in the bay so hopefully she will.'