Chapter five
Tammy awoke slowly, blinking against rays of morning sunlight streaming in through lace curtains. Disorientated, for a moment, she was unsure of where she was. She didn’t feel the usual aches and pains she’d experienced each morning for the last six months whilst couch hopping amongst her friends. Instead, she could hear the squawk of seagulls in the distance. The previous day suddenly came rushing back to her.
She was in her Great-Uncle Ben’s cottage in the charming seaside town of Seagull Bay. More specifically, Tammy was nestled in the very bedroom her mother had slept in as a child. Her smile reached from ear to ear.
Running her hands over the quilted bedspread, Tammy felt a surreal sense of closeness to the mother she’d lost at the tender age of four years old. This room was the nearest thing to a connection she’d ever had. In fact, apart from her treasured tattered and dog-eared photo, this cottage was the nearest connection she’d had to both of her parents. They’d both been here—with her—as a family.
Overcome by bittersweet emotion, Tammy made a silent promise to make her parents proud of her whilst she was in Seagull Bay.
After washing up and getting dressed for the day, she headed downstairs to the cosy little kitchen to make a cup of tea. She called out for her Uncle Ben until she remembered he was averyearly riser. He’d probably been awake hours before her. She headed into the small kitchen and spotted a note on the kitchen table beside a shiny new key.
Tammy,
I’m down at the harbour selling my wares.
Here is the spare key. Have a great day!
Uncle Ben
Tammy smiled. She felt so at home here already. She’d add the note to the treasured birthday cards he’d sent her throughout her life. They were in a shoebox with the photo of her parents, a small stuffed bear, and the dress she’d been wearing when she was taken into care after her parent’s death. Ben was down by the harbour already selling the morning’s catch. She would go and say hello and take a photo of him with his cart to keep as her new screen saver.
Pocketing the key to the cottage, instead of making tea herself, Tammy decided to head to the café for tea and a hearty breakfast to go with it. She also wanted a chat with Katherine about preparations for the takeover. She stepped outside into the crisp, salty air.
The cottage sat atop a grassy cliff overlooking the town and the sea below, giving it a perfect vantage point. Tammy paused for a moment, breathing in the invigorating ocean air. The British sea wasn’t quite azure, but it glittered all the same under the morning sun, and the blue sky was a riot of seagulls swooping in front of the cliffs on either side of the bay. Tammy had never seen so many in all of her life. She smiled widely. No wonder it was called Seagull Bay. She gasped in awe at the scene. It was a beautiful day. She hadn’t thought about a day like this in such a long time.
As she strolled down the street towards the bay, a motorbike peeled around the corner, pulling up alongside her. Tammy stepped back startled until she recognised the brilliant blue eyes of the rider—even before he removed his helmet. It was Declan, the handsome chef she’d met last night.
He switched off his engine and unclipped the strap under his chin, pulling off the helmet in one swift motion. ‘Fancy running into you here!’ Declan said with a toothy white grin. His hair was cut buzz short, and now Tammy knew why as she admired the design on his helmet. ‘Did Ben enjoy his cake?’
Tammy bristled. What was he insinuating? That she wasn’t a very good baker?
She knew he was only being friendly, but Tammy was trying to find an excuse—any excuse—not to like him.
‘He said it was the best cake he’d ever tasted,’ she said defensively.
Declan ran his tongue around his lips and Tammy’s eyes couldn’t help but follow the tip of it. ‘I agree. I cut myself a slice to try when you nipped to the lady’s room just before you left.’
Tammy’s mouth dropped open, and she did her best to hide the grin desperate to form on her lips. ‘Hey, cheeky!’
Declan’s laugh was a smoky velvet that stroked at her skin. She wrapped her arms around her body to protect herself from his charm. She was off men—she mustn’t forget—she needed to protect her injured heart.
‘Where are you off to so early?’
Tammy was reluctant to tell Declan her plans. It would mean going into detail about why she was here and why she was taking on Katherine’s café. In the end, she decided she would tell Declan about the café. She’d tell him shemightbe taking over just in case he was a regular customer. She didn’t want to make things awkward explaining why she’d taken over if she had to serve him in front of other local residents.
‘I’m going to have breakfast in Katherine’s café because I need to familiarise myself with the cuisine, just in case I get to take on the lease.’
‘What? You might be taking over Katherine’s café? But didn’t you say you were a baker, not a chef? You don’t have any experience, do you?’
The vein that always appeared when Tammy was holding back her emotions pinged out on her forehead. This time she knew Declan was definitely insinuating she couldn’t do the job. ‘It’s not exactly rocket science is it, frying up a few rashers of bacon and scrambling eggs?!’
Possibly sensing the change in dynamics, Declan glanced at his watch. ‘Well, I’d best get to the pub and start prepping for the lunch crowd,’ he said, slipping his helmet back on and clipping the strap. ‘Maybe I’ll see you around later.’ With a friendly wave, he sped off down the street.
Letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Tammy reminded herself that while Declan was distractingly handsome, she knew nothing about him. With her track record, she couldn’t trust her judgement. It was best to keep Declan at arm’s length, no matter how alluring his smile might be.
As Tammy reached the bottom of the hill, she was amazed by the buzz of activity on the beachfront at such an early hour. Her Uncle Ben wasn’t hard to miss. He was surrounded by three women, pointing at fish on his cart and laughing at something witty he must have said. She watched him for a moment as he interacted with them. Anyone could see he loved his job. No wonder he’d never totally retired from the fish trade. Tammy guessed he must really miss the fishing side of it.
Taking her phone out from her pocket, she aimed it at him happily surrounded by his customers. His grey beard bobbed about as he joked with the women, and Tammy caught him in a wonderful pose with a fish in each hand as he held them up, offering them to one of the women to inspect. Turning around with an enormous grin on her face, she headed for the café.
