Page 46 of Love in the Air at The Cornish Bakery

‘Yes?’

‘Why don’t you stay in the bay? Just for a bit, see if you like it? You’ve told me you only have your brother and his family and that they don’t live near you. You could stay and we could get to know each other. Rowan lives in the bay too, so that would be perfect too.’

Nina slowed down. ‘I can’t. I have my job, my gran’s house.’

‘Do you enjoy your job?’

‘Not really, but it pays the bills.’ She shrugged. It was a crazy idea. People don’t just up sticks and move their lives hundreds of miles away, did they?

‘And your gran’s house? Would you be able to rent it out? Until you knew for sure you wanted to stay down?’

‘But it’s my gran’s house and before that, it was my great-grandparents’, I can’t just get rid of it.’ She hadn’t slept through a whole night there since it had been burgled, but she hadn’t in the bay either, apart from last night and she’d had Rowan there on the sofa. ‘It’s a nice idea, but...’ She sighed. She couldn’t imagine her life without Rowan in it again, and she really did want to get to know Brooke. ‘What about my job, though? I’d need to find a job?’

‘You’re thinking about it?’ Brooke’s eyes widened as she looked across at her.

‘I don’t know. If I’m honest, I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Down here I feel accepted. I’ve made more friends in such a short space of time than I have in years living back home. And of course, there’s Rowan.’ She looked over at him as he and Max skated on the other side of the hall and waved.

‘Well, if you do, I might just be able to recommend somewhere you could look for a job.’ Brooke frowned. ‘I don’t want you thinking I’ve been asking around or interfering or anything, but I was in the café earlier and Penny, the owner, was worrying about how she’d cope when Eva leaves next week. I may have put in a good word or two about you.’ Slowing down, Brooke paused. ‘But I made it clear to her I wasn’t sure if you were going to stay or not. It’s not as though I told her you definitely wanted the job or that you were definitely staying or anything.’

‘Wow.’ Pushing the toe of her roller skate down, Nina stopped just in front of Brooke and carefully clomped back to her.

‘I’ve gone too far, haven’t I? I’m sorry.’

‘You haven’t gone too far.’ Nina shook her head. ‘I’ve just never had anyone do something like that for me before. Thank you.’

‘Really? So, you’ll stay?’

Closing her eyes, Nina tried to think of one reason besides her gran’s house that was stopping her from moving and she couldn’t think of anything. Not a single reason. She’d all but drifted away from any real friends, all she did on her lunch breaks at work was sit at her desk and plan things she wanted to do on her days off. Not that she ever got around to doing them mainly because she had no one to do them with. What was stopping her? Nothing. Brooke’s idea of renting her gran’s house out for a while was a good one, and if she did decide to make the bay her permanent home, then she was certain her gran wouldn’t mind her selling it. Her gran had always told her to do what she wanted with it. Opening her eyes, she grinned. ‘Yes.’

‘Eek! This is going to be so awesome!’ Brooke wrapped her arms around Nina’s neck. ‘You can stay with me if you like? We’ll be squished into Annie’s campervan but the house I’m buying with the money from my grandparents’ house should be completing in a couple of weeks, so you can move in with me. If you want to?’

Pulling away, Nina looked at her. ‘You’d really let me move in with you?’

‘Of course. We’re cousins, aren’t we?’

Laughing, Nina shook her head. ‘That would be awesome, thank you. I’d pay you rent and sort somewhere else as soon as possible.’

‘They’d be no hurry. It’ll be amazing!’

‘What are you two looking so happy about?’ Skating up to them, Max came to a stop, shortly followed by Rowan.

‘Nina’s going to move down to the bay!’

‘For a test-run to begin with.’ Nina looked across at Rowan.

‘That’s great news.’ Rowan nodded.

‘Thanks.’ She frowned. ‘You don’t seem as happy as I thought you’d be.’

‘I am, I am.’ Looking down, Rowan rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I’m just trying to take it all in, that’s all.’

‘Okay.’

Skating towards her, Rowan cupped her chin and drew her in for a kiss. ‘Iamhappy.’

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