Page 88 of The Winter of Second Chances
Gemma started her training the following Monday and took to the work with ease. Annie wouldn’t be letting her loose on the coffee machine anytime soon but that would come in time. In the meantime, Annie was hoping the extra help would mean she could deal with the ordering and baking for the next day during work hours, as opposed to after closing.
‘So, you haven’t spoken to John since?’ Gemma asked.
It was Tuesday afternoon and it had been raining heavily since eleven o’clock. Customers had been arriving in fits and starts. Annie was smoothing shortbread dough into a round fluted tin, while Gemma cleared the decks after the last onslaught of bedraggled patrons.
‘Not in person, no.’
Annie and John had been messaging back and forth, sometimes about the cafe, once about the patched hole in the ceiling that still needed painting, twice about which vegetables would win in a fight, almost as though they were friends.
‘And he’s coming to stay in Willow Bay?’
‘That’s what he said.’
‘I wonder what that means,’ said Gemma, sweeping cake crumbs with a dustpan and brush.
‘He said he wanted to come down here to think and he’s staying in Raye and Aiden’s spare room for a bit. He’s been crashing at Paul’s place but I don’t think he can stand sleeping on Paul’s sofa for any length of time.’
‘Sounds like he’s planning on staying for a while. Do you think he’s seriously considering your offer?’
Annie had told Gemma about her offer to buy Saltwater Nook. She needed to thrash it out with someone and she knew she could trust Gemma to keep quiet. She didn’t want the whole village to know her plans, especially if they came to nothing.
‘I guess so,’ said Annie. ‘I think I took him by surprise. He’d got his head into the redevelopment mindset.’
‘I don’t think he really wants Mari to sell. That’s why he’s been so grumpy about it. If he had the money, he’d probably keep it, maybe even live in it himself one day.’
‘Why hasn’t he got any money?’ asked Annie. ‘I thought architects were rolling in it.’
‘Oh, I don’t think so. I think that only applies to people who design new towns and things like that. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not poor by any stretch of the imagination. But he paid to put Celeste through university so she didn’t come out with debts and, of course, before that – though I only know because he confided in Maeve – I believe he was very generous with Celeste’s maintenance.’
‘Really?’ Annie was trying to sound nonchalant.
‘Too generous, Maeve said. But you know whatshe’slike, she’d think any more than three square meals a day and a new dress once a year is tantamount to spoiling. Celeste once told me that he paid for her and her mum to have a holiday abroad each year.’
‘You’ve met Celeste?’
‘Of course I have.’
‘What’s she like?’
‘Oh, she’s lovely; clever like her father, quiteedgyin her dress sense. I’ve never met her mum, so I don’t know what she’s like, but Celeste has the same colouring as John. She’s got a lot of piercings. Esme was rather taken with the idea.’ Gemma’s lips thinned into a straight line.
‘I think you’ve got a few years yet before you need to worry about excessive piercings,’ laughed Annie.
‘Maeve offered to do Esme’s ears with her sheep tagger.’ Gemma rolled her eyes. ‘Esme thinks it’s a marvellous idea.’
The more Annie learned about John, the more intriguing she found him. There was a deep sense of honour buried within those rugged good looks. She was curious to meet Celeste – she sounded wonderful; sassy and passionate, like her father. Annie could imagine them locking horns, two strong-willed personalities. What must it be like to be beloved by John Granger? Annie couldn’t deny that she’d like to find out.
Gemma had left to pick up the kids and Annie turned the sign round toclosedon the door. The rain clouds had finally wrung themselves dry and were scudding across the sky as if eager to reach their next destination before nightfall. She had just finished stacking the clean cups and saucers onto the top of the coffee machine when a knock on the window made her jump. It was John. Annie found herself looking forward to his visits with increasing eagerness and an equal level of disappointment on the days when he didn’t come.
‘Are you trying to give me a heart attack?’ she called through the window.
John grinned and held up a clear plastic bag full of marshmallows.
‘What are those for?’ she shouted. ‘Have you finally gone mad?’
‘Come on!’ he called through the glass and motioned to the beach.
‘I can’t, I’ve got to clean up here.’
