The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop: The perfect heartwarming summer escape from the Kindle bestselling author. Caroline Roberts

when you fall in love with someone new, you never stop loving and thinking of that first person – not when they had died only a few months before you were due to be married.

      There was a phone call that Emma had been meaning to make for a few days now. That Monday evening she picked up her mobile and dialled.

      ‘Angela, hello. It’s Emma.’

      ‘Oh Emma, how lovely to hear from you. How are you, darling?’

      It had been a month since she had spoken to Angela. She was Luke’s mum – Luke, Emma’s fiancé, who at only twenty-six had been knocked off his bicycle by a lorry and killed instantly. Luke, whose photo still sat on Emma’s dressing table.

      ‘I’m fine, thank you.’

      ‘And are you still with your young man?’ Angela asked.

      ‘Yes, I am. It’s going well.’

      ‘That’s good. I’m pleased for you, Emma. Really.’

      It must be hard for her to say that when they both knew that it should have been her son’s place next to Emma in the world. And yet, here was a mother, generous with her love and good wishes, despite all the pain and the might-have-beens.

      ‘Thank you.’ Emma’s voice had quietened. Although she had fallen in love with Max only recently, and Luke was no longer here, it still felt a little like a betrayal.

      ‘And how has The Chocolate Shop been doing, and the new café? You must tell me all about it.’

      And so the conversation moved on to easier topics, chatting away about chocolate and village life. Emma asked after Luke’s father, John, and the family.

      ‘Oh, the lovely news is that Nathan is coming back home for a while. Finished his travelling, as far as we know, and is looking for work back in England.’

      ‘That’s good. Send him my love, won’t you?’

      ‘Of course.’

      Nathan was Luke’s younger brother. It had hit him extremely hard, losing his sibling in such a sudden, horrendous way. Just a month after the funeral he had upped and left his job and set off with a backpack and a few possessions. He’d been travelling and working his way around the world ever since, with just the odd visit home, but he’d never settled. Every now and again, Emma would spot a new Facebook status with some amazing scenery or mention of a hostel with newfound friends in another foreign country.

      ‘Aw, it’ll be lovely to have him home again,’ said Emma, suddenly realising that for Angela, in a way, it must have felt that she had lost both her sons that year, and all those years since.

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘Well, you take care, Angela.’

      ‘You too. And you know you are always welcome if you ever want to come and stay.’

      ‘Thank you.’

      ‘So lovely to hear from you, Emma.’

      ‘Yes, it’s been good to chat. Lots of love.’

      They still felt like family. Just speaking to Angela brought back so many memories, happy times and the saddest of times too. After putting the phone down, Emma realised she had tears in her eyes, but the best antidote for sadness was work, Emma had found. So she was soon in the shop’s kitchen, making buttery flaky pastry ready to turn into chocolate croissants that would be just-baked and still warm for the arrival of her customers in the morning. Another day with customers to serve and chat with, chocolates to craft, bills to pay, a spaniel to walk, and a heart to keep healing.

       5

      With Easter now over, it was time to change The Chocolate Shop’s window display. Emma loved the changing of the seasons, seeing it as a new chance to be creative – with the chocolates she made, the drinks and cakes she served, and the styling of the shop itself. For this summer she had decided on a harbourside, coastal theme for her window extravaganza, reflecting the beautiful setting of their village, which would hopefully help to draw in the summer customers.

      Holly loved getting involved with the window displays too. She had agreed to come in on Tuesday afternoon, straight from the Sixth Form bus, to give her a hand. A while ago, Emma had found a scrap of blue fishing net on the beach, which she’d taken home and washed thoroughly. She’d known it might come in handy one day, and this was now set out at the base of the window. She carefully placed some pieces of driftwood, smoothed and weathered to a bleached grey, on top of it and an old-fashioned indigo glass float. From the craft shop halfway down the hill she had bought a wonderful model coble boat and intended filling the hull with chocolate truffles, and she also had three small, very cute wood-painted puffins. Along with a selection of her moulded chocolate shapes – seashells, anchors, starfish, and packs of chocolate puffins and seals – it would look delightful (hopefully!).

      Holly had helped her place all the items carefully and was now standing outside, judging the final effect and getting Emma to tweak the positions so it all looked just right. There was lots of nodding, pointing and thumbs-up signs going on.

      ‘Your turn now. Go on out for the final approval,’ Holly said to Em with a grin, as she walked back in.

      Emma was soon standing outside. ‘Hmm, pretty good. Just up a bit with that puffin there, yes. Perfect. Yep, I’m pleased with that.’ Emma gave a final thumbs-up sign to Holly through the glass.

      Just then, Adam came past. ‘Looking good!’ he exclaimed.

      ‘The window display or Holly?’ Emma grinned, as Holly was inside beaming out at the unexpected sight of her tall, sandy-haired boyfriend.

      ‘Both,’ he announced wisely with a grin. ‘See you later, Holly,’ he called out. ‘Can’t stop. I’m on a super-speedy mission for gluten-free bread. I’m hoping Sheila’s got some left in stock. Got a hotel customer with dietary needs they hadn’t specified before arrival.’

      ‘See you,’ Emma said as he strode on by.

      ‘By-ee!’ Holly was waving animatedly from the other side of the window.

      Em walked back inside, ‘Hey, look at you, grinning like a Cheshire cat. So how are things going with you two? I don’t suppose I really need to ask, looking at that beam of a smile,’ Emma said, grinning.

      ‘Great. He is just lush, Em, and we are getting on so well.’ There was virtually a swoon going on. If they were back in the Victorian days the old smelling salts would be coming out right now.

      ‘Well that’s brilliant. I’m happy for you, Hols. Now then, let’s get back to work.’

      Just after closing time the phone rang.

      ‘Hi Em, it’s a lovely evening. Pete’s got one of his golf committee meetings and I wondered if you fancy coming down to The Fisherman’s Arms? We could sit outside with a drink and watch the sun go down. What do you think?’ It was Bev.

      ‘Sounds perfect, yes.’ It had been a busy day – one of the ones when Bev worked at the surgery, so Em had been multitasking. A chilled-out evening might be just what she needed.

      ‘I could ask Ali too. It’s been a little while since the three of us have had a catch-up.’

      ‘Great. What time?’ Em glanced at her watch; just after six. She had closed the shop an hour ago and had been thinking of making some more chocolate-shaped puffins and seals, but she had felt tired and ended up reading her book for a while instead.

      ‘In about half an hour so we can sit out while it’s still warm?’

      ‘Yep, I’ll meet you there, shall I?’

      ‘Yes, great. I love it when a plan comes together. I’ll ring Ali straight away.’

      Emma had made some lovely friends since arriving