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She felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of being so near the place that had been such a big part of her life, but she told herself to stay calm. The chances were slim. Her pockets weren’t as deep as some.
She glanced at the garden next door. It was the opposite of this overgrown wilderness, landscaped in limestone slabs, white pebbles and teak decking, with drifts of soft grasses rustling in the breeze. By the boundary wall was a raised terrace screened by a row of black bamboo, and on it was perched a wooden hot tub. She imagined sitting there on a starlit night, gazing up at the sky.
She left the room and went to find Joel.
‘Who lives next door?’
Joel rolled his eyes. ‘Londoners. It’s a holiday let,’ he said. ‘They must be raking it in.’
Nikki didn’t rise to the bait. They were all making money from out-of-towners. Even – especially, arguably, as an estate agent – Joel, but it was habit for the locals to complain about them. Nikki tried not to partake. She’d certainly done well from them herself. As a wedding planner, the majority of her clients were people from away who dreamed of getting married by the sea. You didn’t bite the hand that fed you.
She felt downhearted all of a sudden, knowing the amount of money a property like this could make as a holiday let would mean she’d probably lose it to an investor. For a moment, she wished she hadn’t taunted herself by coming to view it. It was everything she’d ever wanted. Every time she’d gone down the steps to the secret beach, ever since she’d been at school, she’d looked at these cottages and thought one day. Was it really within her grasp?
Why not? She worked hard. Saved hard. She deserved to live here as much as anyone. And this, as they say, was ‘her’ time. She thought of her lovely Bill, swinging in a hammock in Bali, working on his laptop, happy as a clam. She’d have her son back home in a heartbeat, but she accepted he’d had to fly the nest. And this could be her reward, for the pain of losing him to a tropical paradise. He’d flit back in and out of her life, of course he would, but in the meantime, she couldn’t just sit and wait for him to reappear. She needed to make a new future for herself. Could a house replace a person? Probably not. Yet she had fallen in love with this little cottage and how it made her feel.
She loved the way the silvery ocean light crept into every corner.
She loved the way it felt good about itself, even though it was a little worn at the edges.
She loved the way it already seemed like home.
She realised Joel was looking at her.
‘It’s yours, if you want it,’ he said.
‘What?’ She wasn’t sure she’d heard properly.
‘The vendors say their dad wanted it to go to someone local. And they want a quick sale.’ He spread his hands. ‘I can call and tell them, if you offer the asking price.’
‘They could probably get more.’ She couldn’t believe she’d said that.
‘Maybe,’ said Joel. ‘But he’s left all his money to charity, so they don’t care.’
‘Oh.’
‘Some of it’s going to the lifeboat.’ Joel knew this would mean a lot to Nikki. After all, she was crew, and the lifeboat depended heavily on donations and bequests.
Her heart was pounding. She hadn’t thought she was in with a chance, but now it was within her grasp, she felt a bit overwhelmed. She had to go for it. ‘Absolutely. Asking price it is. We’ve got a deal.’
She stuck out her hand. Joel smiled, and they shook. They went back a long way. He’d been two years below her at school; played football with her brother Graham. The family company, North Property Management, had always looked after his rentals, fixing things at a moment’s notice, so she knew he would make this deal work.
‘Is it OK if I have a look around the garden?’
‘Stay as long as you like. Far as I’m concerned, it’s yours now.’
She knew Joel would go back to the office happy. A short chain with no complications was worth its weight in gold. And with a fair wind, she’d be in Number 4 Coastguard Cottages before summer got underway.
2
Nikki headed around the side of the house, pushed the squeaky old gate and walked through the long grass. The sea air rushed up to her in excitement, as if it had just heard the news. She breathed it in, the salty breeze that swept in over the barnacled rocks. In Speedwell, the air was tinged with diesel and fish from the boats in the harbour; frying chips and roasting coffee. Here, just a quarter of a mile along the coast, the gusts that came in from the Atlantic were pure and untainted but for the faint drift of seaweed.
Amidst the overgrown grass, she spotted pale yellow primroses, white narcissi and a drift of purple crocuses, and she felt a wave of sadness for whoever had planted them. Their heart must have been lifted by their arrival every spring, just as hers was now.
For a moment, she wondered if her deal with Joel had been a dream. It wasn’t every day that the thing you had been working towards came true. For a while now she’d craved seascape and solace – not isolation, but the ability to be by herself and enjoy her own company and have the choice of when to see other people. Her life, by anyone’s standards, was busy, and life in a small town meant everyone knew your business. Often before you did.
She pulled out her phone and pressed the FaceTime button, checking there was enough signal. She still couldn’t get over the fact that she could see Bill in Bali at the touch of a button even though he was on the other side of the world. It was early evening there now, so hopefully she’d catch him.
And yes! There he was. Her heart never failed to leap when she saw his smiley face, so like his dad.
