Page 14 of Autumn at the Cornish Garden Café

‘I do, my little bookworm, I do.’ She winked at him. They shared a love for reading fiction. While he was growing up, they’d kept it secret from his father because Bruce only approved of non-fiction and educational books. ‘But this Rosa … she’s not your…’

His mum always did this, left pauses rather than asking full questions, and it made him shake his head. ‘No. There’s nothing between us.’

‘Oh.’ She raised her brows, then gave a small shrug. ‘Never mind, darling. How’s work?’ She was proud of him for becoming a teacher even if his father wasn’t. She had encouraged him to apply for the teacher training course when he’d told her how he felt about working in finance. She thought teaching was an admirable profession and said she was sure he would make a massive difference to the children he taught. Her faith in him and her encouragement had meant the world.

Henry told her about how well he’d settled in and how happy he was at the school and she smiled and nodded and asked questions about his colleagues and then things like if he was eating properly and getting enough rest.

‘Well you look wonderful, Henry. The sea air is clearly doing you the world of good.’

‘Thanks, Mum. How’s Megan?’

Megan was his younger sister and the golden child of the family — at least in his father’s eyes. She was a medical student, ambitious, and she’d shown a distinct lack of understanding of Henry’s chosen career path. She often patronised him when they spoke so he limited phone calls to once a month with her, sometimes relying on a text instead to stay in touch, especially if she was on shifts. He felt bad about it from time to time, but justified it by telling himself she needed to rest and they could catch up later in the month. Megan had shown no interest in romance, and Henry wondered if seeing what he’d been through had affected her outlook in that respect. He loved Megan and thought she was incredible for choosing a medical career, but they were very different and so they’d often clashed over the years.

‘Right then, Henry,’ his mum said. ‘I’d better get ready as I want to get dinner prepared before I go, so it’s ready to pop in the oven when I get home.’

He bit back asking why his father couldn’t do that and instead said, ‘Have a great afternoon, Mum. Love you.’

‘Love you too. Don’t forget to stay in touch, now.’

‘Never!’ He blew her a kiss, then ended the call.

He put his phone away and gazed out at the view, watching the rhythmic push and pull of the sea and a pair of large, black cormorants gliding low over the waves. Down on the sand, a child, and a dog ran side by side chasing a ball and beyond that, a boat entered the harbour, its engine humming.

The village was bathed in morning sunshine now, and the amber and rust of the leaves on the trees was beautiful, the colours seeming brighter than ever before. It was as if he’d spent years wearing murky contact lenses, and day by day, his vision was clearing. The space from London and from his former life were helping him to move on, and it was in moments like this that he realised just how much he’d needed the change.

From now on, things could only get better…

8

ROSA

‘Ooh! That muffin looks delicious!’ Sita eyed the apple streusel muffin Rosa had ordered, along with a hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and whipped cream.

‘Do you want a bite? Or I could get you one?’ Rosa said.

‘I probably shouldn’t. I’ve already eaten a veggie sausage bap and a spiced pear croissant.’ Sita giggled.

‘Well, if you fancy one, you should have one. Or, just have a bite of mine.’

Sita shook her head. ‘I’ll resist for now, but next time I come here I’ll have one.’

Rosa took a bite of the muffin and moaned. ‘It’s so good.’

Sita stood up and grabbed her purse from her bag. ‘Sod it! I’m not resisting if they’re that good. Want anything else?’

‘I’m fine, thanks.’

Sita went to the counter of The Garden Café and Rosa sat back and took a sip of her hot chocolate. The café was one of her favourite places to eat in the village. She liked their seasonal menu and suspected it would be tremendously busy during the summer months when the village was flooded with tourists.

She had come to meet Sita for breakfast, but she was pleased to see Henry too. He’d looked so handsome this morning, and she’d been struck again by her visceral reaction to him, her heart racing with something she couldn’t quite name. After swearing off men because of what had happened to her, she was pleasantly surprised by how attracted she was to Henry. She’d thought that after what she’d been through, she would never want to so much as look at another man, but with Henry it was different. There was just something about him she was drawn to: there was kindness in his eyes and his smile seemed so genuine. She couldn’t help but like him.

‘There!’ Sita sat down and placed a plate on the table. ‘If I hadn’t ordered one of these muffins, I’d have thought about it all day, so it’s better to satisfy the craving, I think.’

‘Oh, I agree.’ Rosa laughed. ‘Enjoy!’

‘Talking of enjoying…’ Sita bit her muffin and closed her eyes. ‘Deary me, that’s delicious.’ She chewed for a moment, holding up her hand to let Rosa know that she’d continue her point just as soon as she could. ‘Talking of enjoying … I saw how Henry Clay looked at you and he was definitely enjoying the view.’

‘What?’ Rosa laughed and shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’

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