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Chapter One
‘No worries. I’ll be fine.’ Heather waved as the once-cheerful bus driver frowned and shook his head.
‘Good luck and, again, I’m sorry I couldn’t get you any closer.’ The bus driver tipped his cap.
Watching the bus door close, Heather glanced down the road ahead of her. How far had he said Penworth Bay was? Three miles? She was sure that’s what he’d said. Three miles would normally have been a breeze, but she had a feeling all those early Sunday park runs and her recent swap from car sharing to cycling to work hadn’t been training her up to walk three miles in a snowstorm.
She turned back, searching for the silhouette of the bus. There was nothing. It had either already disappeared around the corner, or she just couldn’t see it through the falling snow.
Rubbing her hands together, she shrugged her rucksack to a better position against her back and began walking.
Wait until she told Jordan about this. He’d be... Pausing, she closed her eyes, leaning her head back, savouring the chill of the snowflakes against her eyelids. There was no Jordan. Not anymore. Not her Jordan, who she could talk to, message or email anyway.
Shaking her head, she carried on. Stomping her feet through the mounds of snow in the slight hope of keeping them warm. She wouldn’t think about Jordan. She hadn’t travelled all this way to think about him. She was here to forget about him and everything, anything to do with him. She was going to Penworth Bay to volunteer at the Cornish Bay Bakery. She was going toenjoy a taste of life by the seaside, to let the sea air wash away her worries and the past. She was going to recharge, to surround herself with new hope for the future. That’s what she needed. Desperately needed. She needed to gain the strength to return home.
HEATHER PAUSED. THEREit was. Or at least she hoped it was Penworth Bay she could see ahead and that she hadn’t somehow taken a wrong turn or somehow ended up walking in the wrong direction. A row of houses or shops were ahead, and she was sure she could see the sea beyond. That or fields, she couldn’t make it out what with the dim light of the winter’s afternoon and the falling snow. It had slowed now at least.
As she neared, she checked her watch. She was late. She’d arranged to arrive at lunchtime. Now, with the evening drawing in, the bakery would likely already be closed, and she’d have messed up the rota on her first day. Walking up to the snow-covered village sign, she wiped it until the name beneath it’s powdery white coating became visible. Yep, Penworth Bay. That must be the ocean ahead, not fields. She had definitely read there would be sea views from the bakery. She looked up at the sky, the snow was easing now.
Wiping her glove down the front of her coat, she made her way towards the small row of seafront shops. There it was, the bakery, a sign hung above the double fronted frontage—The... she squinted; snow clung to the sign. She was sure it said Bakery though—her home for the next few weeks.
Tapping on the door, Heather cupped her gloved hands against the glass and peered inside. It was definitely closed but she could see movement. Removing her glove, she tapped again, this time the noise was not lost in the fabric of her glove, and shestood back as movement inside told her someone had noticed her.
As the door was pulled open, a slight flurry of snow fell from the paned glass and a woman waved her inside. ‘Come on in, you must be freezing.’
Stepping inside, Heather stamped her feet against the doormat, pulled her gloves off and rubbed her hands together, grateful for the warmth now enveloping her. ‘Thank you.’
‘How can we help you? We’re closed now, but I can make you a drink so you can warm up, if you like?’ Closing the door and firmly shutting the cold outside, the woman frowned.
‘I’ve come to volunteer here. My name’s Heather. Am I at the right place? The Cornish Bay Bakery?’ She pulled her fingers through her hair and looked around; it was huge inside. Larger than she’d expected from the photograph in the online advert. By the looks of it, it wasn’t just a bakery either. A large counter dominated the left of the bakery, empty trays indicating everything must be baked fresh every day. Opposite that, another counter stood to the right of the door, smaller this time, wedding cakes and favours standing proudly behind the glass screen. Tables and chairs occupied the middle area directly in front of Heather, a smaller counter sitting against the back wall. She pulled her fingers through her hair. Please be The Cornish Bay Bakery. Surely there wouldn’t be two bakeries, not in a small village like this?
‘Heather, hi. Yes, you are. I’m Gabby and this is Nick. I’ve actually just finished volunteering here.’ Gabby smiled.
‘Hi. Thank goodness for that. The bus had to stop on the road just outside the bay. It couldn’t go any further because of the snow drifts and on my walk here I kept imagining I would arrive at the wrong place and have to find my way out again.’ Heather nodded before glancing behind her. The snow had finished falling now, the street outside eerily quiet.
‘Oh no, that’s a long way to walk. Come upstairs and I’ll introduce you to Elsie and Ian. You can get warm too.’ Walking behind the counter, Gabby pulled a door open, indicating to Heather to follow.
‘Hi, I’m Nick.’ Stepping forward, Nick held out his hand. ‘Here, I’ll take your bag. If the snow’s that bad, it doesn’t look as though we’ll be going anywhere soon.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Elsie, who owns the bakery and her husband, Ian, are up here. They’ll be thrilled you managed to get through the snow.’ Gabby glanced back and smiled.
Nodding, Heather followed her up the stairs, running her finger across the brightly coloured wallpaper.
Reaching the landing, Gabby pushed open a door to the right. ‘Elsie, Ian, this is Heather. She’s come to volunteer.’
Following Gabby into the room, Heather smiled as a woman walked towards her. ‘Hi. I’m sorry I’m late, the bus was late and then had to drop me off a few miles down the road.’
‘Oh, Heather. Lovely to have you here. I’m Elsie and this is Ian.’ Elsie drew her into a hug before stepping back and looking ta her. ‘Oh, you must be freezing, love. Come and sit by the fire, warm yourself up. I can’t imagine that was a fun walk through the snow.’
‘Hello, I’m Ian. Glad you managed to get to us. Here, let me take your coat, I’ll pop it on the radiator to dry.’ Ian held his hand out.
‘Thank you. Lovely to meet you both too.’
‘Over here, love. Make yourself comfy and I’ll make you a hot choccie.’ Pulling cushions from the sofa, Elsie laid them in front of the fire.
‘I’ll make them. Hot chocolates all round?’ Gabby looked around the room.
