The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea

The house Mae had grown up in – and which Eloise still occupied – was only a few minutes’ drive from the seafront, but it had always felt like a big adventure whenever Mae had visited her grandparents as a child. It felt different at Granny and Grandpa’s, as though the town was more alive down by the seafront, and it was certainly more fun with the beach, pier and arcade within easy reach. She’d loved the house as a little girl, with its three floors of rooms to explore and the large garden at the back with a rope swing and slide. It hadn’t been a bed and breakfast back then – it had simply been Granny and Grandpa’s house, almost a second home for Mae growing up. It had been a happy place, away from the drama of her parents’ often turbulent relationship, and she hoped she’d created an equally happy home for her daughter.

‘Can I watch telly?’ Hannah asked as soon as they arrived home, sliding her new sandals off her feet without unbuckling them and kicking them onto the hallway floor.

‘Don’t you think you should put these away first?’ Mae scooped the sandals up from the floor and handed them to her daughter. ‘Before our guest arrives and breaks her neck before she’s even unpacked?’

‘Who’s coming to stay today?’ Hannah asked as she and Mae climbed the stairs. Mae was about to tell her about Willow when the doorbell rang, the sudden and piercing sound making her jump.

‘Make sure you put those in the bottom of the wardrobe,’ she said, pointing at the sandals before scurrying back down the stairs again. She opened the door, expecting to see Willow on the doorstep, but it was a young woman, blonde rather than brunette like Willow, wearing cut-off denim shorts and a blue-and-white-striped T-shirt. She had a hefty-looking rucksack slung over her shoulders, the strap of a laptop-style bag crossing her chest, and a camera looped around her neck. How she was still standing under the weight of it all was a mystery to Mae.

‘I don’t suppose you have a room free?’ she asked. She bit her lip as she waited for an answer, her eyebrows inching slowly up her weary-looking face.

‘You’re in luck,’ Mae said, opening the door wider and stepping aside. ‘I’ve had a cancellation this afternoon and the room’s still free. Come in and I’ll get you booked in.’

‘Really?’ She smiled now, her lips stretching wide across her face. She had such a pretty face, with rosy, defined cheeks and blue eyes that sparkled now she was no longer grimacing. ‘Thank you so much. I’ve been wandering around for ages. I couldn’t find a room anywhere! I thought I was going to have to move on, which is a shame as this seems like such a lovely town. I’m sorry, I’m babbling.’

Mae laughed as she led the way into the living room. ‘Don’t worry about it, and I’m glad you’ve found somewhere to stay. I’m Mae Wright, by the way.’

‘Melody Rosewood.’ The woman held her hand out and Mae shook it. ‘This is a gorgeous house. I’ve stayed in some pretty grotty places over the past couple of weeks, but this is not one of them.’

‘Thanks.’ Mae looked around her living room, which, she had to admit, she loved. There was the original fireplace in the centre of the room, with bookcases built into the alcoves either side, and although she’d painted the whole room a warm cream shade, she’d brightened the space with splashes of colour, from the teal sofa and its lime-green and fuchsia scatter cushions, to the yellow tub chairs either side of the bay window and the vases and trinkets dispersed around the room. It was an inviting, comfortable space for Mae and she hoped her guests felt the same.

‘Take a seat.’ Mae indicated the sofa, which, she now noticed, had a light film of short, dark hairs in one corner. That bloody cat! ‘I won’t be a minute.’

As much as the cat hairs bugged Mae, their removal would have to wait a moment as whipping the cushion away would only draw more attention to them. Instead, while Melody settled herself, Mae dashed into the family room to grab her laptop. The family room had once been her grandparents’ dining room, but when Mae opened the bed and breakfast, she’d wanted a space for herself and Hannah, a place separate from the guests, for them to relax in without having to share with strangers. As the kitchen was large enough to dine in, this seemed like the perfect solution. This room was smaller than the living room (and seemed smaller still as Mae’s desk was squeezed into an alcove), but she’d made it a cosy space for them both. An old but sigh-inducing sofa took up the bulk of the space, with hand-knitted patchwork blankets draped over the back for chilly nights curled up in front of the telly.

‘Here we go,’ Mae said as she returned to the living room with her laptop. Thankfully, Melody had chosen the side of the sofa that hadn’t been abused by the feline intruder, and Mae sat there now, cringing inwardly about the state her dress was going to be in when she stood up. ‘I’ll just take a few details and tell you a little bit about our bed and breakfast, and then I’ll give you a quick tour and show you to your room.’ Mae opened her laptop, which she’d already turned on at her desk, and clicked on her bookings file, deleting the Robertsons’ data so she could add Melody’s details instead. ‘We’re a small bed and breakfast – there are just two rooms available – and I live here with my four-year-old daughter, Hannah. She’s upstairs, but I’m sure she’ll make her presence known soon.’ Luckily, Melody laughed and didn’t run for the hills (or cliffs) at the prospect of cohabiting with a small child. ‘Breakfast is available from seven, and there’ll be a selection of fresh pastries, cereal, toast and fruit to help yourself to. There’s a kettle in your room, but feel free to make tea or coffee in the kitchen too. I’ll take you through in a moment and show you where everything is.’

Mae continued with the bed and breakfast details, making sure to include vital information such as the price per night, before taking down Melody’s details and booking her in.

‘How many nights were you planning on staying in Clifton-on-Sea?’ she asked. ‘The room is available for the next two weeks.’

‘I’ll only need a couple of nights,’ Melody said. ‘I’m sort of flitting from one town to the next.’

‘Oh? Sounds interesting.’

‘It’s for a photography project.’ Melody held up the camera dangling from the strap around her neck. ‘I’m visiting as many coastal towns in the north as I can and capturing moments of the great British seaside.’

‘That sounds wonderful. I’d love to see your photos so far.’

Melody’s gaze dropped to her camera, her hair falling in front of her pink-tinged cheeks as she fiddled with the buttons. ‘Um, maybe. I’m not sure if they’re any good. I’m not a professional photographer or anything.’

‘I’m sure they’re amazing.’ Mae smiled at Melody before closing the laptop and shifting it onto the coffee table. ‘Shall I give you the brief but grand tour?’

Mae led Melody through the house, starting with the kitchen, which Mae adored. The room was large, with a light and airy feel due to the high ceilings and French doors that led to the garden at the back of the house. A long breakfast bar separated the kitchen and dining area, with four tall stools lined up along it.

‘The breakfast things will be set out here,’ Mae said, indicating the breakfast bar. ‘But, like I said, feel free to make yourself a drink in here whenever you want. Make yourself at home, in here and the living room. There’s just one room that’s private down here.’ Mae led the way out of the kitchen and indicated the family room. ‘There’s a bathroom upstairs, but your room is up in the attic and has its own shower room. Come up and have a look.’

Mae led the way up the stairs, pointing out the main bathroom before continuing up to the attic room. The room was gorgeous and cosy, with dove-grey walls and soft-blue furnishings. She’d managed to fit a double bed in the middle of the room, with built-in storage on one side and an en-suite shower room on the other. There was a dormer window at the back, with a sofa pushed along the wall, invitingly dressed with fluffy scatter cushions in shades of blue, pink and grey.

‘I’ll leave you to get settled in,’ Mae said after the tour. ‘Give me a shout if you need anything.’

Climbing down the attic stairs, Mae checked on Hannah, who had forgotten about the telly and was busy playing with her Shopkins figures in her bedroom. Mae had just returned to the kitchen and was about to put the kettle on when the doorbell rang and the bed and breakfast tour started all over again.

Chapter Nine

Melody

Melody hadn’t been kidding when she told the landlady of the bed and breakfast she’d stayed in some grotty places over the last couple of weeks; there had been gloomy rooms, questionable stains on sheets, clogged plugholes and drains, and a general air of ickiness. But the Seafront Bed and Breakfast was truly beautiful. The rooms looked like lifestyle-magazine spreads come to life, but they had a homely, lived-in feel too. She’d been a bit apprehensive to begin with, stepping into such a luxurious home when she was feeling dishevelled – and, let’s be honest, a bit sweaty – after her train journey and trek through town in the heat. But then she’d spotted the cat hairs on the sofa and felt more at ease. Any home owner who allowed their cat to laze on their posh sofa couldn’t be too precious, so she’d been able to relax and sink into the sofa herself.

Melody’s room was just as beautiful as the rest of the property. The room was tastefully – and thoughtfully – kitted out and the welcoming basket of goodies she found on the bed was a nice touch, as was the private shower room, which Melody made use of as soon as she’d unpacked her rucksack. She felt much better as she emerged from her room in a clean pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Heading downstairs, she found the landlady sitting in the kitchen with another woman. Both were perched at the breakfast bar with cups of tea and coffee in front of them.

‘Melody, come and meet Willow,’ Mae said, twisting on her stool to face her. ‘She’s just arrived too.’

‘Hello.’ Melody stepped towards the pair, holding out a hand for the new arrival to shake. But, completely ignoring the proffered hand, the woman hopped off her stool and threw her arms around Melody for a quick hug.

‘It’s lovely to meet you! Where are you from? How long are staying?’ Willow hopped back up onto her stool and patted the empty seat next to her. ‘Come and sit with us and tell us everything.’

Melody hesitated. She’d been planning on heading out into town again, perhaps heading up the cliffs to take some photos of the town from up there. There were so many towns to visit, so many views and moments to capture, that she didn’t really have time to sit and chat. She’d be returning home – and to her day job – in less than a week, so she had to squeeze every precious moment out of the next few days.

‘I’ll pop the kettle back on,’ Mae said, sliding off her stool. ‘Tea? Coffee?’

The cliffs could wait a few more minutes, Melody decided as she climbed up onto the stool. She was suddenly gasping for a cup of tea now the offer had been made. She hadn’t had a cup since early that morning, before she’d checked out of the last bed and breakfast and hopped onto the train to Clifton-on-Sea.

‘Tea would be great, thanks. Milk, no sugar.’

‘Did you find everything you needed in your room?’ Mae asked as she flicked the kettle on.

‘Yes, thanks. The room’s great – much better than all the others I’ve stayed in.’

A cautious smile teased the corners of Mae’s pillar-box-red lips. ‘Really?’

‘Absolutely. You wouldn’t believe some of the dumps I’ve stayed in. This place is amazing.’

‘It really is,’ Willow agreed. ‘And I’m not just saying that because I’ve been living in a work site.’ She explained about the work-in-progress state of her new house and the disastrous turn of events that day. ‘I hope my house is half as nice as this place once we’ve finished.’

‘I’ve seen some of your creations,’ Mae said, placing a cup of tea in front of Melody and joining the ladies at the breakfast bar. ‘Your house is going to beautiful.’

‘Creations?’ Melody asked.

‘I upcycle,’ Willow explained. ‘I take old, unloved objects and breathe new life into them.’

‘She made a boat into a bed,’ Mae said. ‘It was incredible!’

‘Incredibly heavy,’ Willow said. ‘Thanks for your help at the shop earlier, by the way. I don’t know how Malcolm’s going to manage once he gets it home.’ Willow drained her cup of coffee. ‘Speaking of the shop, I really should be getting back. It’s been closed all day and I’ve got a delivery later.’

‘I think I passed your shop earlier,’ Melody said as Willow hopped off her stool. ‘Up by the station?’

‘That’s it,’ Willow said with a nod. ‘I usually have an assistant, but he’s not well so I had to close when the builder phoned with the impending doom news.’

‘I’ll try and pop in before I move on,’ Melody said. ‘Buy a souvenir or two, though perhaps not a boat bed. It might be a bit of a squeeze on the train.’

‘I’m not sure it’d fit in the overhead compartment,’ Willow agreed as she looped her handbag over her shoulder. She checked the time on the kitchen clock and pulled a face. ‘Really sorry. Must dash, but we’ll have a proper chat later.’

Melody nodded as she picked up her cup of tea, though she didn’t commit verbally. She didn’t want to appear rude, but she really was pushed for time and had a lot of work to do. She drank her tea quickly and then she, too, was on her way, her camera around her neck at the ready. The sun wasn’t quite as intense now the afternoon was pushing on, but it was still hot as she made her way towards the cliffs. She found the path easily and followed it to the top, gulping down water due to the heat and steepness, until she reached the top.

The clifftop was covered in a carpet of grass, thistles and wild flowers, with a path worn through to the cliff’s edge. As predicted, the view from was amazing as she looked down onto the beach and the sea, with its frothy waves lolling towards the sand. The stretch of sand wasn’t as busy now, but there were still plenty of families making the most of the good weather. She couldn’t see the donkeys from earlier, but took a few shots of the beach, capturing the pier in the distance, before turning her attention to the town, snapping the rooftops, clusters of trees and cobbled streets. Once she felt she’d caught the essence of Clifton-on-Sea on a sunny late afternoon, she wandered to a bench set a safe distance from the cliff’s edge and flicked through the photos, deleting any obvious duds before moving on to the next. There were some pretty decent shots already, but Melody knew she’d have to return to the clifftop to see the view at nighttime or before dawn. A shot at sunrise would be incredible and might be just the moment she was hoping to catch.

She’d scrolled back through her photos of Fleetwood a few days earlier, scrutinising the shots as best she could on the small screen of her camera, when a dog’s bark made her look up. The clifftop had been deserted since her arrival but it seemed she now had company.

The bark came again before a small body bounded into view, the small golden ball of fluff hurtling towards her. It barked when it saw her – twice, in quick succession – and picked up speed until it stopped suddenly, plonking itself at her feet and giving a quieter woof of greeting.

‘Hello again.’ Melody reached down to stroke the dog on the head, giggling as he twisted his head so he could lick her hand. She recognised the dog from outside the fish and chip shop earlier, though he’d swapped his red tartan bandana for a bright yellow one. ‘Aren’t you a friendly chap?’

‘He loves the ladies, the old charmer,’ a voice said and, when Melody looked up, she groaned inwardly. It was the bloke from the ice-cream van. The bloke she’d spoken to briefly outside the fish and chip shop. The one who’d caught her talking to a dog. His dog, it transpired, judging by the lead dangling from his fingers. His dirty blond hair had been tied back earlier, but now the longish curls were free and dancing around in the breeze.

‘Don’t fall for it, though. He looks all adorable and sweet now, but wait until you find him with your favourite, expensive trainers in his gob.’ He gave the dog a reproachful look before sitting down on the opposite end of the bench to Melody. ‘Taking photos again? How do you want me?’ He flicked one long leg up onto the bench and leaned back, pouting at her and, though she tried hard not to, Melody heard a giggle escape.

‘You’re not quite what I’m looking for,’ she said.

‘No?’ He righted himself and leaned down to scratch the dog’s ear. ‘What are you looking for?’

‘Just this.’ She swept a hand out to indicate the view. ‘The town. The seaside. The Britishness, I guess.’

‘Got anything good?’ he asked, nodding towards the camera, and she shrugged. ‘Can I see?’

Melody switched the camera off and pulled it closer towards her body. ‘I’d rather you didn’t.’

He gave a lazy, one-shouldered shrug and leaned back against the bench. ‘Fair enough.’

‘It’s just…’ She frowned, wondering why she was explaining herself to this stranger who was managing to get on her nerves despite doing very little to justify it. ‘I don’t really show my photos to people.’

‘Blimey, what kind of photos do you have on there?’ He grinned at her, still lounging against the back of the bench. ‘Now I’m even more intrigued.’

‘Get stuffed.’

‘Hey, I was only kidding,’ he said as Melody rose from the bench. ‘Don’t go. I’ll shut up, I promise. I won’t say another word.’ He mimed zipping his lips and Melody was annoyed further as she felt her lips pull up into a hint of a smile.

‘Sorry, I’m not usually this touchy. It’s just…’ Melody lowered herself back onto the bench, her fingers fiddling with the camera as she tried to find the right words to excuse her grouchiness. ‘My photos are sort of private. Not in that way. I just find it difficult to show people. It’s daft, I know, and I’m working on it, but…’ She shrugged. ‘It isn’t easy.’

She dragged her gaze from her camera to look at her bench companion, but while he was watching her intently, he was true to his word and didn’t open his mouth.

‘Your dog’s very cute,’ she said, blatantly changing the subject. She reached down to stroke him again and he sneaked another doggy kiss onto her hand. ‘What’s his name?’ She scratched behind his ear, but looked up when she received no reply. Her companion raised an eyebrow at her and pointed at his closed mouth.

Crossing her arms, Melody sighed. ‘Are you telling me your lips are still zipped?’ He nodded and Melody rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. You can unzip them now.’

Giving a closed-mouth smile, he reached for the corner of his mouth with a pinched-together thumb and index finger, but instead of sliding the fingers across his mouth, he gave a couple of short tugs before widening his eyes at Melody. He gave a few more tugs before he gave up and threw his hands up into the air.

‘The zip’s stuck, isn’t it?’ Melody asked, suppressing a sigh. He nodded before pointing first at Melody’s hand and then at his mouth. ‘You want me to help?’ He nodded again and so, giving another eye-roll, Melody reached towards the guy’s mouth, feeling like the biggest fool as she made a pincer movement with her finger and thumb. Grabbing her hand, he helped ‘tug’ the zip back across his mouth.

‘Thank you,’ he gasped, slumping against the bench.

‘You’re an idiot,’ Melody said, but she was smiling.

‘You’re not the first to make that observation,’ he said with a grin. ‘Luckily, I’m also thick-skinned.’ He reached down to give the dog some fuss. ‘His name’s Scoop Dog, in case you’re still wondering.’

The giggle erupted without warning and Melody pushed a hand to her mouth to muffle it. ‘Scoop Dog?’

‘Scoop to his friends. He seems to like you, so Scoop it is.’

‘Scoop as in ice-cream scoop?’ Melody asked.

‘We’ve found ourselves a clever one here, boy,’ he told the dog, giving his head a good scratch.

‘Hey.’ Melody folded her arms across her chest. ‘I could always zip you back up, you know.’

‘Sorry.’ He picked the dog up and sat him on his lap, giving his head another scratch. ‘Let’s start again. Meet Scoop, the bravest dog in Clifton-on-Sea, perhaps even the world.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Scoop.’ Melody gave the dog a stroke and received a lick in return. ‘What makes him so brave, other than being seen out in public with a madman?’

‘I’ll ignore that last comment,’ Scoop’s owner said. ‘And launch straight into the story of how Hugo – that’s me – met Scoop Dog.’

Scoop, Melody learned, was a rescue dog who’d been found cowering in a bush, bloody and collarless, five months ago. He’d been savaged so badly by another dog – perhaps more than one – the vet wasn’t sure the poor fella would make it. But after lots and lots of TLC – plus surgery and numerous stitches – Scoop had surprised the vet by making a full recovery.

‘He has a bit of scarring,’ Hugo said, lifting Scoop to show his underside. ‘And his fur is only just starting to grow back on his neck.’ He popped the dog back down and lifted the yellow bandana to show the patchy fur underneath. ‘But other than that, he’s on top physical form.’

‘So how did you come to own him?’ Melody asked.

‘The vet’s a mate of mine from the pub,’ Hugo said. ‘Scoop wasn’t tagged and nobody came forward to claim him, so once he was ready to be rehoused, I asked to meet the little guy and that’s how we became buddies.’

‘You are brave,’ Melody told the dog, stroking his golden fur. ‘And lucky to have found a good bloke to look after you.’

‘I thought I was an idiot,’ Hugo said.

Melody shrugged. ‘Against all the odds, you seem to have redeemed yourself.’

Chapter Ten

Willow

Willow had been eighteen when she met Ethan in a bar close to the university where they were both studying. She was in her first year, Ethan in his second, and they’d hit it off immediately, though just as friends. Willow had a boyfriend back home and Ethan was seeing a girl on his course, but even when she split up with Alex, the boyfriend from back home, it was Ethan’s housemate she started seeing, beginning a not-very-serious five-month relationship. Through the relationship and subsequent break-up, Willow and Ethan remained good friends, and the friendship lasted until they went their separate ways after university. It was four or five years later that they met up again after one of the guys from their group of uni mates set up a reunion on Facebook. Willow hadn’t really thought about Ethan all that much, to be honest, but as soon as she saw him again in the arranged bar, she knew they were meant to be together.

It was supposed to be simple from that moment on. Both single this time round, they started dating, fell in love and got married. But fairy tales were for children’s books, and real life didn’t have a guaranteed happy ending. Willow was painfully aware of this fact as she looked up at her poor, scaffold-clad house, its fate unknown. They’d had such high hopes when they’d bought the house, when they’d moved their essential possessions into the little room at the back, the one requiring the least work that would become their living and sleeping quarters during the renovation. The little room Willow couldn’t wait to decorate and fill with furniture she’d lovingly upcycled.

But now?

Maybe we shouldn’t have bought this house. We should have thought about it more. Thought about us, our future.

Willow didn’t know what was in their future now. She’d been so sure, naive perhaps, but she’d assumed their wedding day was the start of the life they both wanted, this house the setting, the anchor, a place to fill with beautiful memories.

At the moment, we don’t even know what’s in the future for us.

Pushing Ethan’s words from her mind, Willow pulled away from the house, moving away from the dream home that was turning into a nightmare, and drove towards the harbour, where the new owners of the Monopoly table lived.