Page 8 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

‘Such a shame,’ said Stanley, coming to stand next to the counter alongside his friend. ‘This inn has given us such lovely memories over the years.’

She knew that the gossip about the inn being up for sale would spread like wildfire amongst the villagers, especially now that Dodgy Del knew about it. He couldn’t keep a secret if he tried.

She knew that her friends wouldn’t be surprised, but they would be as upset as she was.

But Belle couldn’t conjure up money from thin air. She’d tried to make good on the meagre money that they made to keep the place clean and tidy, but it needed a new roof, floorboards and a whole lot more.

She had tried other means such as lottery tickets, special events such as a gin evening, but nothing had helped.

She felt both helpless and hopeless.

After all, who was going to buy a run-down inn in the middle of nowhere?

4

Pete sank down onto the sofa, clutching the beer that Josh had just handed him. His brother sat down on a nearby armchair with a grateful sigh.

‘What a day,’ said Josh, leaning his head against the back of the sofa and closing his eyes.

‘Busy one?’ asked Pete, feeling guilty that he had spent most of the day asleep thanks to a sleepless night on his overnight flight.

Now it was evening time and Cathy and Amber were preparing a special welcome home dinner in the kitchen opposite them, with Grandma Tilly supervising from the seat next to Pete.

The apartment over the shop had been the family home for many years, but now it was just Josh and Amber living there. Amber’s pretty decorative touches were in evidence once more. The oak beams and furniture were mostly the same, but there were modern pictures on the walls, fairy lights across the beams and tea lights everywhere. Just like the shop, it was modern but cosy.

There had been quite a few changes in his absence, thought Pete. His grandmother now lived in a tiny bungalow at the end of the village. His mum had also moved out and was now living in a self-contained annex in the grounds of her best friend Deidre’s house. Deidre just happened to be Amber’s mum. They had grown up together in the village.

‘Fridays are normally our busiest day of the week until the weekend hits,’ said Josh, suppressing a yawn. ‘But it’s all good for the bank account anyway.’

If Pete had been stunned by the change to the outside of The Cranbridge Stores, that was nothing compared to his amazement as he had stared around the inside of the place.

When he had last seen it, it had been cramped, dark and unappealing. Now it was light and airy, modern and yet chic country-style.

‘I still can’t believe how incredible it looks downstairs,’ said Pete. ‘It doesn’t even look like the same place.’

‘They’ve both worked so hard,’ said Cathy, as she placed the salt and pepper pots on the table.

‘We all worked hard, including you and Grandma Tilly,’ said Amber, giving them both a soft smile.

‘I made all the difference,’ said Pete’s formidable grandmother with a giggle as she gave him a nudge in the ribs.

Apart from being a few years older, Grandma Tilly hadn’t changed at all. She was still a pocket rocket of good humour and strength.

‘Dinner’s ready,’ called out Cathy.

They all gathered around the oak table ready to eat. But once everyone was seated, Cathy wanted a toast first to welcome home Pete.

She picked up her glass and then appeared to falter. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ she said, looking at Josh for help.

Josh was the head of the household in some ways, despite both Cathy and Grandma Tilly being active members of the family. He had taken over the role from their late father with very little fuss. Pete both envied him and felt sorry for his brother too.

‘Okay,’ said Josh, rolling his eyes before giving his brother a grin. ‘Welcome home, little brother. Let’s eat.’

‘Is that it?’ said Cathy, sounding exasperated.

‘I hope your wedding speech will be a bit more entertaining,’ said Grandma Tilly, giving Amber a wink before taking a sip of her glass of wine.

‘My dinner’s getting cold and it’s only Pete,’ said Josh, picking up his knife and fork. ‘Besides, he’ll be off to another job before too long.’