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Chapter One
She was lost. Spinningslowly around, Tammy looked down the path towards the bottom of the hill and the ocean beyond before looking upwards. Nope, she was definitely lost. The bus had dropped her off halfway up the hill. The beach was at the bottom and a school and community centre stood at the top. Should she walk right to the top again? Maybe this bakery she’d signed up to volunteer at was up there? But she’d looked down the street.
Tammy picked up her holdall again, sighing as she realised it had been sitting in a puddle, and began walking back up the hill. She’d seen people file out of the community hall a few minutes ago. Someone might still be hanging around there and be able to point her in the right direction.
Walking up to the door of the hall, she lowered her holdall down and rolled her shoulders back before knocking. Why had she actually packed so much? She was sure the owner of the bakery wouldn’t mind her using the washing machine.
A woman pulled the door open. ‘Hi, how can I help you?’
‘Hi, I’m so sorry to disturb you, but I don’t suppose you know if there’s a bakery around here, do you, please?’ Tammy glanced back toward the hill and lowered her holdall to the floor.
‘There sure is. Is it The Cornish Bay Bakery you’re looking for?’
‘Yes, that’s right. I’m volunteering there, starting tomorrow. I’m hoping the owner won’t mind me arriving early.’ Tammy frowned. If she did mind, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. Probably hole up in a bed and breakfast somewhere until she was due to arrive.
‘I’m sure she won’t. Elsie, who owns the bakery, is lovely. In fact, I’ve just finished volunteering there.’
‘Oh, really?’ Tammy raised her eyebrows. If this woman had finished volunteering, then maybe therewouldbe space for Tammy even though she was early.
‘Yes. My name’s Carmen and this is my partner, Rob.’ Carmen indicated behind her as Rob waved, causing him to drop half the yoga mats he was carrying.
‘I’m Tammy.’ Tammy held her hand up.
‘Lovely to meet you, Tammy.’
‘You two go on ahead if you like and I’ll pop these away and close up before meeting you at the bakery.’ Rob grinned as he picked the mats up again, balancing the rolls on top of each other.
‘Okay, thanks. Come on, Tammy, I’ll take you to the bakery.’
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother if you’re in the middle of something.’ She looked back towards Rob, who had already left them and disappeared back inside the hall.
‘Honestly, it’s no bother at all. In fact, Elsie asked me to pop by and let her know how my first yoga class went, so I’ll be heading down there, anyway.’ Carmen closed the door and began leading the way down the hill.
‘You’ve just finished your first class, then?’ Tammy glanced back behind her towards the community hall.
‘Yes, that’s right and I’ve got to say I’m so relieved it’s over. I really enjoyed it, but I was so nervous.’ Carmen grimaced.
‘I can imagine the first time teaching a class must be nerve-wracking.’ Tammy smiled. ‘Elsie takes local volunteers then, too?’
‘I’m sure she would, yes. But I wasn’t local. I am now but when I came to volunteer I wasn’t, but after falling in love with the bay, and Rob, of course, I decided to stay and build up a yoga business here.’ Carmen grinned. ‘I think the majority of people who volunteer down here do so to get away from life back home. I know I did.’
‘Oh, I can completely empathise with that one.’ Tammy sighed. Even if this time away just gave her the chance to breathe and to process everything which had happened in the last few weeks, she’d be happy.
‘Here we are, The Cornish Bay Bakery.’ Pausing in front of a small row of shops, Carmen flourished her arm.
‘Oh, it’s beautiful.’ Tammy looked across to the row of ice cream parlours, cafés and the bakery before turning and looking out towards the ocean opposite. ‘I hadn’t realised it was quite so close to the beach. When the advert promised views of the ocean, I just assumed it meant you’d be able to catch a small glimpse of it if you stood on tiptoes in a particular spot in the garden or something.’
‘Haha, nope. Elsie’s guest bedroom literally overlooks the ocean.’ Carmen pointed to one of the first-floor windows above the bakery façade. ‘That one there, in fact.’
‘Wow.’ Tammy grinned. This was just getting better and better. Not only was she precisely two hundred and forty-eight miles away from her hometown, but she’d already met someone who used to volunteer at the bakery and now she’d learned the bakery was literally a stone’s throw from the ocean.
‘Ready to meet Elsie?’ Carmen looked at her.
‘Yep.’ Pulling her holdall further up her shoulder, Tammy stepped towards the bakery door next to Carmen.
Carmen knocked on the glass of the door, the tap-tap the only sound in the quiet cobbled street. ‘The bakery is closed so it’ll just be Elsie here, and possibly her husband Ian, but I think he’s staying over at the lighthouse until the new lighthouse keeper arrives, but you’ll be able to meet everyone in the morning.’
‘Right.’ Tammy nodded, a flutter of nerves unsettling her stomach. She hadn’t really thought there’d be many other people working in the bakery. She’d only really thought there would be the owner, Elsie, and her, but standing here looking up at the double-fronted building in front of her, she understood why there’d be more staff members.
