Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

T aking a sip of her morning coffee, Bea replaced the mug on the table in the bookshop and turned back towards the laptop. After adding another few books to the order form, she leaned back in her chair and looked around – everything was still, quiet, perfect. This was her favourite time of the day, especially in the warmer months, when the sunlight would shine through the blinds covering the large shop window. But even now, even with the sky still dark outside, she loved it. She felt cocooned in her sanctuary.

A thud from upstairs reminded her she wasn't alone, and she turned back to the laptop. After her walk with Scott yesterday evening, she'd stayed downstairs until the last possible moment before creeping upstairs and jumping straight into bed. She'd felt bad avoiding the flat and not spending this time with Lindsey and the kids but after today, Adam would be gone and she could spend all evening with them.

She added another book to the order form before the door to the flat creaked open and Rob came rushing through, briefcase in one hand and his suit jacket over his arm. ‘Morning.'

‘Hey, Bea. Thanks so much for putting up with us.' He checked his watch. ‘Sorry, I'm going to have to run or I'm going to miss my train.'

‘No worries. See you after work.'

‘Yep. See you.' At the door, he fiddled with the lock before placing his briefcase down and trying again.

‘I'll get it.' Jumping up, Bea joined him at the door, gave the lock a wriggle and pushed the door open, letting the fresh morning air filter in. ‘It's a bit temperamental, that's all.'

‘Thanks. Catch you later.' Picking up his briefcase again, Rob hurried outside.

Bea paused, the door half open, and looked across the green as a movement caught her eye. It was Scott, carrying his A-frame advertising board outside. She smiled as he positioned it, standing back and checking it was in the right place before disappearing back inside. Filling her lungs with the chilly air, she closed the door. What was she thinking? He had just been being friendly yesterday. Anyone would have offered to join her on a walk to save her from an evening with her ex. Anyone. She certainly would have. She'd have offered to keep any of her friends' company if she'd known they'd been planning on walking the streets just to keep out of their home.

Yes, of course she would have. Still, that look he'd given her outside the restaurant. And the way he'd touched her arm. And how she'd felt when he had.

Shaking her head, she locked the door again. It was all in her imagination. He was just being friendly. Besides, nothing could happen. They both had shops in Nettleford. If they were to get together and then to break up, what then? It was awkward enough seeing Adam at Rob and Lindsey's all the time – and on her sofa – she couldn't imagine looking out of her bookshop window every day right across to his electrical repair shop over the green, or being forced to spend every Wednesday evening stuck in the town hall suffering through one of Gregory's meetings with her ex sitting right next to, in front of, or behind her.

No, it just wouldn't work. Besides, he didn't feel the same way. She was just his mentor. That was the only reason he'd spent the evening with her. He was probably worried that if he wasn't nice to her, she'd feedback something awful about him to Gregory.

Not that she would. And not that there was anything awful about him to begin with...

‘Auntie Bea! Help me!' Peony's high-pitched voice broke through Bea's thoughts as she came hurtling through the door from the flat towards her, her clothes a mixture of a red jumper with the nursery logo embroidered in yellow thread and her pink and green striped pyjama bottoms.

‘Peony, what's the matter?' Placing her hands on Peony's shoulders, Bea looked across to the door as Isaac came barging into the bookshop, his jumper dangling from one arm. Running across to Peony, Isaac grabbed her hands, pulling her away. ‘Quick! Hide.'

Bea watched as the two children ran towards the carousel displaying travel guides in the corner as they giggled. What were they up to?

The door to the flat opened once more, this time revealing Lindsey, who although was in a better state of dress than her two children, was also clearly halfway through getting ready as her hair was only half brushed, one of the two plaits she wore at night still in place. ‘Did they come down here?'

‘Shhh, don't tell her, Auntie Bea.' Peony spoke between giggles.

‘Don't talk, she'll hear you.' Isaac, his voice full of frustration, whispered to his sister just as loudly.

‘Does that answer your question?' Bea laughed.

‘Yes, it does rather.' Lindsey collapsed into one of the chairs at the table and sighed. ‘Is it bedtime yet?'

‘Afraid not. But I have coffee.' Standing up, Bea walked towards the small kitchen area behind the counter.

‘Thank you. I knew there was a plus side in getting our house flooded. You make the best coffee.' Lindsey called over her shoulder.

‘Haha, it's the same instant that you use.' Flicking the kettle on, Bea slipped back through the curtain and leaned across the counter, watching Isaac and Peony sitting curled up in small balls behind the carousel, perfectly unaware that both Lindsey and Bea could see them. Shaking her head, she grinned. They were so full of life and character, it was impossible not to catch some of that innocent happiness.

‘Rob's arranged to meet a plumber at ours after work today. I told him I could pop over there during the day, but he's had to take the car to the train station. He didn't fancy the extra walk.' Joining Bea at the counter, Lindsey sank onto the stool.

‘I could have closed the shop for a few minutes and ran you over.' Retreating back behind the curtain, Bea poured the water.

‘I know, but he didn't want to put you out any more than we already have. Besides, I think the plumber he's found is fitting us in between jobs, so he was probably busy during the day, anyway.'

‘Okay.' Passing her sister a mug, Bea took a sip of her own drink.

‘Where did you get to last night? I was expecting you to come back earlier.'

‘Oh, I just went for a wander around the village and bumped into the new shopkeeper I'm mentoring and we got speaking.' Bea shrugged nonchalantly, hoping the heat rising from under the collar of her jumper wasn't yet visible.

‘Ah, I remember you telling me about all those stupid questions and hoops you had to jump through when you first opened this place. So now some other poor person is on the receiving end of your leader's crazy ideas and you're bearing the brunt of mentoring them?' Lindsey shook her head.

‘Haha, Gregory doesn't run the town. He just likes to think he does, and life is easier if we let him keep that illusion. Besides, I don't really mind. It's been nice getting to know Scott.' Her eyes were automatically drawn to the window, and she kicked herself for not opening the blinds earlier.

‘Scott?' Lindsey raised her eyebrows, a look of knowing spreading across her face. ‘It's like that, is it?'

‘What? No! Nothing like that at all.' After placing her coffee down, Bea curled her fingers around the word ‘that'. Were her feelings towards Scott that obvious? ‘Why do you automatically think I have feelings for someone if I happen to mention a bloke's name?'

‘Hey, I'm sorry. I guess I just misread the look in your eyes, that's all.' Lindsey grinned.

‘I have no look in my eyes.' Bea frowned. If it was that noticeable to Lindsey, then was it to everyone else? What if Scott had twigged? She held her palms over her cheeks, the cool of her hands lowering the temperature of her face.

‘I'm sorry. I'm only teasing.' Lindsey laughed. ‘Is he cute though?'

Scrunching up her nose, Bea nodded.

‘I knew it!' Lindsey pointed to Bea. ‘You do like him!'

‘No, I don't. I…' Bea watched as the carousel toppled, landing with an almighty crash against the floor, travel guides being flung across the room with the force.

‘Peony! Isaac!' Placing her mug down with a thud unaware of the coffee cascading across the counter from the mug, Lindsey jumped up and ran towards her children.

‘It wasn't us!' Screeching at full volume, Isaac raced across the room and jumped onto the beanbag in the children's corner as his sister followed after him.

Looking back over her shoulder as she ran, Peony collided with the small table holding a display of rom-coms and fell in a heap on the floor as books fell around her. Tipping her head back, she screamed.

‘Oh, Peony.' Kneeling down beside her daughter, Lindsey swept her up in her arms and rubbed her head, a large red bump appearing where she'd ran headfirst into the display table.

‘Is she okay?' Grabbing a tea towel, Bea ran it under the cold tap before hurrying across to them. ‘Here, use this as a cold compress.'

‘Thanks.' Taking the tea towel, Lindsey held it against Peony's forehead as she squirmed away from it. ‘Just for a minute, sweetheart. It'll help with the bruising.'

‘No, no. I don't want it.'

‘Come on, for one minute.' Lindsey tried again as her daughter wriggled in her arms before placing the tea towel on the floor and hugging her instead.

The bell above the door tinkled and Bea looked over, her heart sinking as Gregory stood in the doorway surveying the mess and destruction. After a few moments, a low guttural groan escaped his lips. ‘Oooh.'

‘Gregory, morning.' Standing up, Bea walked across to him, hoping the smile on her face would go some way to reassuring him all was under control.

‘What do we have here, then?'

‘Oh, nothing. Just a minor mishap.' Bea waved her arms, dismissing his concerns at the same time as trying to stand between him and the fallen carousel of travel guides.

‘Morning, Lindsey.' Gregory looked across at Lindsey and Peony, his glare impenetrable.

‘Good morning, Gregory. How is everything over at the grocery store?' Raising her voice over Peony's cries, Lindsey stood up and shifted her daughter to her hip.

‘Tidy, thank you.' Gregory looked pointedly over towards Isaac, who was now sitting crossed legged on the beanbag with a book in his hand, seemingly having forgotten the chaos he, in part, had caused. Turning back to Bea, Gregory lowered his voice. ‘And will you be opening up today?'

‘Yes, of course.' Bea answered indignantly. As if a few fallen books would stop her opening!

‘And…? How long do you have your visitors for?' Gregory indicated Lindsey and the children.

Bea took a deep breath. He'd known they were staying. He'd been in the bookshop when Lindsey, Rob and the children had arrived yesterday. He knew what had happened. And besides, what business of his was it? Really? She opened her mouth ready to speak, ‘I…'

‘We're staying with Auntie Bea.' With the book still in his hands, Isaac joined Bea by the door and smiled innocently. ‘Our house is under water.'

‘Your house is under water? So, you're staying?' Gregory spluttered. ‘For a long time?'

‘Yes. A long, long time.' Isaac nodded.

‘Just for a couple of days.' Lindsey spoke quietly.

Dropping the book at his feet, Isaac stood on his tiptoes and held his arms over his head. ‘Yes, it got deeper and deeper and deeper.'

‘Not quite that deep. The leak will be fixed in no time and the house cleaned up soon after.' Lindsey joined them, Peony's screams now quiet whimpers as she hid her face in her mum's cardigan.

‘I see.' Pushing his chest out, Gregory looked at Bea. ‘I trust this… situation won't interfere with your customers' enjoyment of the bookshop.'

‘Absolutely not. I'll have everything cleared up in no time.' Bea tried to keep her voice steady, confident. However many times she reminded herself that this was her bookshop, and he didn't actually have jurisdiction over it, she still couldn't help feeling nervous around him.

‘Good, good.' Gregory looked down at Isaac. ‘Have a good day at school, young man.'

‘I will!' Isaac grinned back.

‘Right. Goodbye.' Turning, Gregory left, closing the door carefully behind him.

‘Oh, I'm so sorry, Bea.' Lindsey kissed the top of Peony's head.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Bea locked the door this time. They didn't need any more unwanted visitors. ‘Don't worry. It's just rubbish timing him coming round.'

‘Can we go to school now? When I'm late, I have to walk through reception and Mrs Higgins, who takes me to class, smells funny.'

Laughing, Bea shook her head as Lindsey joined in.

‘Yes, yes. You two go and finish getting ready whilst I help Auntie Bea tidy up your mess.' Lindsey tried to lower Peony to the floor, who was having none of it, and gripped her mum around the neck.

‘It's okay. I'll tidy this. You go up with them.' Bea rubbed Peony on the back.

‘Are you sure?' Looking around, Lindsey grimaced. ‘It's a complete mess, no wonder Gregory looked so horrified.'

Shaking her head, Bea laughed. ‘Gregory would look just as horrified if one bookmark had been out of place, so don't worry about him. Go on, this looks worse than it is.'

‘Okay, thanks, sis.'

Bea watched as her sister, niece and nephew disappeared upstairs before turning her attention to the shop. Where was she supposed to begin?