Page 31 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

‘And then maybe I can get Holly and Bev to cover a few more hours and try and take the odd Sunday off too, so we can get a full day together at least sometimes.’

‘That sounds good.’

She felt herself relax. He wasn’t going anywhere fast. ‘Do you want to take Alfie on upstairs? He looks a bit sandy. His towel’s hanging on the peg above his bed.’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘I’ll be up in just a few minutes. I need to finish off making these truffles.’ But even as she said this, she really didn’t want him to walk away, not yet, even if it was only up a flight of stairs. She walked over to Max, who dropped Alfie’s lead. The dog would probably just head on upstairs by himself anyhow. What did a few sandy footprints matter? Max’s arms opened and she moved in to lean against the soft cotton of his T-shirt, finding the warmth of his chest below. It felt like where she should be.

She looked up, not realising at first that tears had misted her eyes, making her vision all fuzzy.

‘Hey,’ Max gently stroked her forehead, then moved his hand gently to tilt her chin so her eyes met his. ‘It’s okay … we’re okay.’

15

Used to getting up at six for work, they spent what was for them a long, lazy Sunday morning in bed. Emma never tired of exploring Max’s gorgeous body, and he seemed just as happy exploring hers. No alarms, no major deadlines, just a shop to open at midday.

It was ten by the time they were sitting, propped up against pillows, with a cup of tea that Max had got up to make. He’d also let Alfie out for her too. Emma decided to share her idea for the courtyard area.

‘That sounds great, Em.’ Max was enthusiastic.

In fact, she had heard of a car boot sale on today near to Alnwick. If they got their skates on an outdoor table set might be there waiting for her. She’d never get it into her little Fiat. But Max had a big Jeep outside.

‘Ma-ax, just thinking … You wouldn’t mind taking a drive across to a car boot sale this morning, would you? What I really need, to get this courtyard café off the ground, is some outdoor furniture – tables and chairs or maybe picnic benches, whatever I can find that’s in good condition. It would be great if I can get this idea up and running as soon as possible.’

‘Yeah, why not. No worries. Let’s get going before all the good stuff goes.’

‘Right. Brilliant. We’re on.’ Emma leapt out of bed. ‘I’ll just give Holly a quick call and make sure she brings her spare set of keys to open up the shop at twelve, in case we’re not back by then.’

They were soon in the Jeep and winding their way out of the village. It was only a twenty-minute drive, and the roads weren’t too busy.

The car boot sale was in full swing when they got there. A lot of the stuff on display was smaller items; knick-knacks, toys, clothes and suchlike. They stopped at a van which had several items of furniture outside, but there didn’t seem anything suitable for outdoor use.

‘You don’t happen to have any outdoor furniture, do you? I’m looking for a table and chairs set for a patio area.’ Em was being cautious, thinking he might raise his price if he thought a business was involved.

‘No, nothing like that, love. Sorry. But there is a chap further down who has a few house clearance items. You might be lucky there. Look for the grey van and ask for Rick; he’s a regular here.’

‘Okay, will do. Thanks.’

She suddenly felt like she was on one of those antique programmes like Bargain Hunt or something. Em needed to get there before someone else did. She set off at a marching pace, closely followed by Max, who was smiling to himself at her focus and determination.

She saw the grey van and scanned the area next to it. Bingo! One wooden patio table, looking slightly battered paint-wise but which should sand down okay, and four sturdy-looking wooden chairs. A lady and gentleman were browsing far too close to the set for Emma’s liking. She broke into a jog and manoeuvred subtly past them to ask the seller how much he wanted for the set. She held her breath while he stroked his short beard thoughtfully and eyed her. She levelled her gaze back at him with a hopeful smile.

‘Seventy-five pounds for the set.’

Emma stayed quiet. If each set cost that much, she’d have to pay out several hundreds, which she really didn’t have. She held her nerve while he added, ‘This sort of thing would retail at around two hundred and fifty.’

‘Yes, when it was new. But it’s been overpainted, and that paint’s all peeling away now. It’ll need some work on it.’

Max was grinning as he reached them, hearing the stand-off. Emma was a lady to be reckoned with for sure.

‘Okay, sixty-five then,’ the chap came back with.

‘Fifty.’ Emma stood tall.

The trader shook his head. The other couple were trying out a chair now.

‘Fifty-five. I have cash …’ She had some notes in her pocket from yesterday’s takings.