Page 27 of Autumn at the Cornish Garden Café

‘I’ll walk back with you.’ Vinnie stood up and rolled up the blanket, then stuffed it into his rucksack. ‘I am beat.’

‘Are you sure? I’ll be all right on my own.’ Christopher pushed himself up out of the chair and wrapped Bobby’s lead around his hand.

‘I’m sure.’ Vinnie nodded. ‘I won’t sleep if I don’t know you got home safe.’

Christopher chuckled. ‘All right then. But I may insist you come in for a nightcap.’

‘Oh go on then, twist my arm.’ Vinnie laughed.

They said their farewells, then Vinnie and Christopher walked up the beach together with Bobby trotting between them. They were clearly chatting away as they walked, and it made Rosa smile.

‘Are you tired?’ she asked Henry.

‘A little. But I think I have another hour left in me.’

He leant on his knees and the glow of the flames highlighted his handsome face, played across his skin like a golden caress. Rosa gazed at him, not minding if he noticed now, emboldened by the darkness and the cider, by the time spent together and by Christopher’s confession. Time really did wait for no one, and it was important to grab happiness when you could.

‘So … The Book Nook,’ he said. ‘Tell me about it.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

‘Well … It’s a little slice of heaven. With the ambient lighting, reading chairs, coffee machine and all the beautiful books, it’s a haven for book lovers. It’s cosy and comforting, some could say it’s even womb-like. What inspired you to create a retreat like that?’

Rosa sat back and stared at the fire. She hadn’t even thought about the shop like that and now Henry had spelt it out for her; she realised that was exactly what she had done. Owning her own bookshop was a lifelong dream, naturally, but she hadn’t pictured it feeling womb-like. And yet, it was. She could see that now. She had created a safe space for people, providing everything a booklover could need and want. It wasn’t just a shop; it was a retreat, and Henry had seen that straight away. The Book Nook was warm, quiet and cocooning; a soothing place where people could relax, learn and grow.

‘I guess I just wanted a safe space for me and for others. Growing up, I had my aunt who I adored, but I missed my parents. I missed what I could have had with them.’

‘What happened?’

‘My father was just … not on the scene. He emigrated when I was young and my mother was killed in an accident at work.’

‘I’m sorry.’

She met his eyes. ‘She knew the risks.’

‘What did she do?’ He placed his hands on his knees and gazed at her intently.

‘She was a stunt performer.’

‘Wow!’

‘I know, right?’ Rosa smiled. ‘Not a regular mum job.’

‘So she passed away doing a stunt?’

Rosa nodded. ‘She was only twenty-three, and I was six. She was young having me. My aunt was looking after me while Mum was away working and I still remember the day of the phone call. Mum was in Texas on a movie set when she jumped from a moving vehicle as part of a stunt for a car chase scene. She uhhh … it went wrong, and she was badly injured and died soon after. The injuries she sustained were fatal, and that was that.’ She sighed and hugged herself as she said the words. Even though it had been a long time ago, she still found it hard to tell people about it. Her mother had been beautiful, brave, wild, and somewhat reckless. ‘Mum was exciting and energetic and the opposite of my sensible aunt. She lived fast and loved danger, and her job was everything to her. I was … an afterthought, an inconvenience that could have stopped her doing the job she loved, but luckily for her, my aunt stepped up and cared for me.’

‘I’m sorry that you had to go through that and that you lost your mum.’

‘Thanks. I was lucky, though. Aunt Jocelyn was wonderful, and I had a great life with her. There were times when I’d wish my mum was there, but as an adult I can see that I really wouldn’t have been better off living with my mum. She simply wasn’t mother material.’ She shrugged. ‘Jocelyn, however, was. And as for my dad … What are you going to do? You can’t make someone love you and some people shouldn’t have children. End of…’

‘That’s true.’ Henry nodded. ‘It’s not for everyone.’

‘What about you? I know you have a mum as I was there at the café when she phoned, but what about other family?’

Henry sat up straight and pushed a hand through his hair. ‘I have both parents alive. I grew up with them and my younger sister in Reading. My childhood was pretty uneventful, really. Dad always had a clear vision of what he wanted for me and he drummed into me that a strong work ethic, self-discipline and ambition were key to success. As a teen, I rebelled a bit, but nothing major. I kind of always knew I’d do what I could to make the old man happy. And so I went into finance in London and worked as an investment banker.’

‘And how did that go?’

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