Page 45 of The Beach Cottage
“Preston, wow. What are you doing here? The kids are back in Sydney…”
“I know they are. But we have to talk,” he said. “Can you sit a while if I get a table and order something?”
“Not for hours, I’m afraid. A big boatload of tourists arrived an hour or so ago, and they’re all very hungry.”
“I know. I’m one of them,” he said. “That’s fine—we’ll order and wait. We have plenty of time. We’re staying overnight.”
“We?” Her heart skipped a beat. Had he really brought his fiancée to Coral Island to rub her nose in his perfect new life?
His eyebrows drew upwards. “Yes, I brought Annie with me.”
Annie?
Her friend from Sydney? Beatrice was harried. Customers had hands raised all over the café. They needed someone to serve them. She was distracted, but Preston’s words rang in her ears.
Why would her friend Annie come to Coral Island without letting her know ahead of time? And wouldn’t she be busy with… Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall what Annie might be busy with now that her children had left home. But no doubt there was something on her plate. She’d always been far too occupied with her life to visit before now. Perhaps she’d finally succumbed to Bea’s invitations and meant to surprise her. But why had Preston said he brought her?
Bea’s eyes widened as Annie stepped forward through the throng of customers, a shy smile on her face. Her previously grey bob had been coloured a stylish blonde with honey highlights. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of Beatrice in her café apron and black uniform, her hair greasy, tucked behind her ears.
“Beatrice, it’s been far too long,” Annie said, stepping forward to hug Bea.
Bea’s mind raced in circles. She couldn’t figure out what was happening. Her heart thudded, and her forehead broke out in a sweat. There was a piece to the puzzle that she was missing.
“It’s good to see you, Annie.” She took a step back, fidgeting with her apron strap. “So, I suppose I should try to find the two of you somewhere to sit.”
“No rush,” Preston said.
“Here, take a number and we’ll buzz you when your table is available.” She felt like an air hostess giving instructions to a couple of strangers. Her voice was stilted, her body tense.
“Thanks,” Annie replied, taking the buzzer. “We’ll be in the delightful little bookshop next door.”
The two of them walked past Beatrice, their heads bowed together in conversation. Annie threw her hair back with a flick of the wrist as she laughed at something Preston said. Beatrice watched them go, her brow furrowed.
“Who was that?” Evie asked, coming up suddenly beside her.
“That was my ex-husband, Preston.”
“I thought I recognised him. But he looks different somehow.”
“He looks happy and well-rested.” Beatrice’s eyes narrowed. “I barely recognise him myself.”
“And is that the famous fiancée?”
“No, it most definitely is not. She’s one of my friends from Sydney.”
Evie’s face registered shock. “Wow … okay. Well, keep me updated. I have to know how this one turns out.”
“I can hardly wait to find out for myself.” Beatrice’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
The rest of the afternoon, Beatrice worked with a ball of dread in her gut. It wasn’t obvious to her what was going on, but several theories rolled around in her head as she cleared plates and farewelled the tourists who were catching the ferry back to the mainland.
Preston and Annie stayed. They’d taken a game of chess from a shelf at the back of the café and were laughing and chattering over their game. Preston was winning, of course. He hated to lose at anything and was always a bad sport when he did. They’d eaten a piece of cake each and drunk two cappuccinos apiece. The sun was dropping slowly over the water, setting it on fire. And Beatrice had a headache that’d begun a half hour earlier at the base of her skull playing bongos on her brain.
When finally the last of her customers left and she’d cleaned up and closed the café, she turned with a sigh to join Preston and Annie at their table. She sat across from Preston.
“I hope you enjoyed your cake and coffee.”
“We had a lovely afternoon. Very relaxing,” Preston said.
