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‘Hey guys,’ said Holly, appearing from inside the pub with Ariel and Max in tow. She set down a bowl of fresh water in front of a very grateful Archie, then slid onto the seat next to Suzie, and picked up the cafetière. ‘Okay, who wants coffee?’
‘Me, please!’ Beckie beamed.
Holly poured their drinks, adding milk to Beckie and Suzie’s mugs, then removed a handful of doggie treats from a Tupperware box and gave one to each of their canine friends, receiving appreciative licks for her thoughtfulness.
‘Wow! I think this could bethebest coffee I’ve ever tasted!’ said Beckie, closing her eyes to better appreciate the flavour.
‘It’s Kona coffee,’ said Holly with a smile. ‘Oscar brought it back from Hawaii, and if there’s any left, he plans on serving it in his restaurant.’
‘Then Iknowit’s going to bethebest restaurant in the whole of Devon!’ said Rachel, draining every last drop from her mug before her expression grew more serious. ‘Okay, now that we’ve replenished our caffeine reserves, I think we need to make a start on helping Suzie write a to do list. Suzie, how long do you think it will take Rory to get the site back up and running again?’
‘I… I don’t know. Not long, I hope.’
The ever-present knot in her stomach tightened as she contemplated what the next few weeks would hold, but before she could succumb to the siren call of her anxiety monsters, her phone started to buzz. She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen, her heart lurching when she saw who was calling her.
‘Hi, Jules, is everything okay?’
She could feel her hand shaking as she clutched her phone to her ear. Her friends had paused their conversation and all eyes were on her, each one filled with apprehension as they waited to find out what Jules was going to say.
‘There’s really no easy way to say this, darling, so I won’t beat about the bush. I’ve just spoken to Rory, and while he’s happy to repair Opal’s bell tent, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to reinstate my yurt, or your tepee, until the new year.’
‘The new year! That’s almost four months away! What are we supposed to do until then?’
‘He did offer to help us find somewhere else to live. He mentioned a cousin who’s just finished converting a couple of shipping containers into Airbnbs in Exeter.’
‘Exeter!’
‘I knew you’d say that. I’m sorry, Suzie. Do you think one of your friends might be able to put you up? If not, let me know. A pal of mine owns an ancient camper van that he uses to tour the festivals during the summer months. It’s bit scruffy – actually, it’sa lotscruffy – but I’m sure he’d be happy to lend it to you until you can find something a little more… salubrious. Look, stay in touch, and let me know what you want to do, eh?’
‘I—’
‘Oh, and Rory’s lads have already made a start on clearing up the chaos the horses have left; they’ve promised to save what they can – which, to be honest, isn’t very much – and they’ll store it in one of the barns for as long as you want. Your insurance should cover what’s been damaged beyond repair.’
‘Thanks, Jules.’
Suzie’s heart sunk to her toes. She didn’t want to admit to Jules that after losing her beach hut studio in the fire, she hadn’t been able to afford to renew her insurance on the tepee. She gulped down on a sharp upswing of despair; not only did she not have a business – or a means of earning an income – she now didn’t have a home. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, and she experienced a sudden urge to run away and hide, to hibernate somewhere, anywhere, until the new year arrived and she could start again with a new tepee and, hopefully, a new beach hut studio.
But did she want to start again?
Before she could explore the answer to that thorny question, Beckie reached out to lace her fingers through hers and give them a gentle squeeze. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Rory isn’t going to replace the tepee, or Jules’ yurt, until next year.’
She saw the shock on her friends’ faces, and for some unfathomable reason, she experienced a wave of guilt; guilt for adding yet another layer of distress to their already heightened anxiety levels because of what they’d all been through in the aftermath of the fire.
‘I’m sorry, I—’
‘You can stay with us!’ Holly declared. ‘There’s plenty of room in the pub… if you don’t mind a few flakes of paint and plaster in your morning coffee instead of a sprinkle of cocoa powder. In fact, all four of Oscar’s sisters were over here at the weekend, and they had a competition to see who could come up with the quirkiest design for the bedrooms. They took one room each and what they created was amazing, although you might want to steer clear of the one Zoe did; it’s supposed to be a seaside theme, but I slept in there last night and it feels like you’re inside an aquarium, which is a little disconcerting.’
Suzie smiled at her friend, her heart ballooning with affection and gratitude.
‘Thanks, Holly.’
‘And, of course, it goes without saying that Archie is welcome to join the gang.’
‘And I can lend you some of my clothes,’ Beckie offered, then glanced down at Suzie’s bare feet. ‘And a pair of shoes, until you get yours back.’
‘And there’s still that job going at the White Swan,’ said Rachel, ever the practical one. ‘If you’re interested, that is. I know it doesn’t pay much, but it’ll keep Archie in dog food until you find something else.’
