The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club. Lynsey James

      ‘Hello, dear!’ Rose’s voice was as bright and sunny as the day outside. ‘Nice to see you getting out and about! There’s food going if you fancy any?’

      I could see Noah staring in my direction, his facial expression unreadable. It was as though he was searching for some tiny imperfection on my face; his brow was crumpled and his eyes slightly narrowed. I squirmed; I didn’t like being under the spotlight.

      ‘Sure,’ I replied, taking a seat at the table. ‘I’d love some. Maybe we could talk business too?’

      Noah took that as his cue to leave, calling to Dixie to come with him. He shot me a dark look before he left the room. Rose didn’t seem to mind and cut us some cake, sticking the slices on china plates and joining me back at the table. I got ready to put my business head on and banish that day’s bombshell from my mind. Business was what I knew, what I was comfortable with. It would help me forget.

      Rose, however, had other ideas.

      ‘Don’t mind him,’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially. ‘He’s a lovely boy really, just forgets himself sometimes. As you’ll probably have gathered, he’s none too keen about me selling this place. Can’t say I blame him really; Sunflower Cottage has been like home for him since… Well, it means a lot to him, let’s just say.’

      Her eyes quickly darted to her tea, as though she knew she’d almost said too much. ‘H… he was telling me your car will be up and running again soon; something to do with the battery or something…’

      I stared at the door he’d just walked out of, expecting him to come storming back in at any moment. ‘Does he help you run this place?’

      ‘When he’s not busy at the garage, yes,’ said Rose. ‘He wants to be here full-time; would spend every waking minute here if he could! But I told him: I said I wanted him out there living his life instead of being stuck here with me. The silly sod gave up his job last year after I had a fall and moved down here! He had his own mechanics business in Leeds and he sold it to come and live in Luna Bay. Told me he’d only be staying a few weeks until I got back on my feet then casually announced he’d bought a cottage nearby! I nearly fainted with shock.’

      Noah’s devotion to Rose and Sunflower Cottage came as something of a pleasant surprise and I found myself smiling.

      ‘Wow, so he just packed up his life and came down here? That’s brave,’ I remarked, trying not to let my surprise seep into my voice.

      ‘He’s a brave person.’ Rose chose not to elaborate and took a forkful of lemon drizzle cake. ‘Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?’

      *

      I spent the next hour eating my body weight in cake, drinking enough tea to fill the North Sea and explaining the features and benefits of Walter Marshall Hotels to Rose again. I laid her fears to rest and told her we wouldn’t be bulldozing Sunflower Cottage and replacing it with some anonymous glass-and-steel skyscraper, even showing her a PowerPoint presentation on my laptop.

      ‘This place has so much character,’ I’d said, gesturing around at the gorgeous country kitchen. ‘Why would we want to lose that?’

      By the time I left to go back to my room, I felt more confident about closing the deal than ever. Rose had made some very encouraging noises during our discussion and, with any luck, I’d be back in Glasgow living my old life in no time at all.

      Or would I?

      Since I’d heard my mum’s revelation about Derek, I wasn’t sure if living my old life was still an option. I’d been living the life of Pamela and Simon Reed’s daughter, but I wasn’t that person anymore. Maybe my old life had to go like my old identity had.

      A noise from under the bed made my thoughts skid to a halt. It sounded like there was something rolling along the floor. I cocked my head to the side, trying to make out what the noise was and who was making it. An excited woof gave me my answer: Dixie was obviously under the bed. I crouched down and saw her pawing at her tennis ball, trying to get it out from the space it was now stuck in.

      ‘Hello, you!’ I chuckled and crawled under the bed to help her. ‘Is your toy stuck? Here, I’ll get it for you.’

      Dixie leapt around with excitement as I reached my hand in to free the ball. It was wedged between a couple of old-fashioned storage boxes.

      ‘I hope she’s not bothering you.’ Noah’s voice startled me and made me bump my head on the bedframe.

      ‘Ow! No, she’s fine, don’t worry. Her tennis ball got stuck and I was just getting it for her.’ I got to my feet and rubbed the sore spot on my head. ‘See, no harm done!’

      I threw the ball onto the landing for her and she went chasing after it, leaving Noah and I standing in a very awkward silence.

      ‘Listen, I know I haven’t exactly been friendly to you since you got here and not just because you ran into me and spilled my beer. I just really don’t want Sunflower Cottage becoming part of some faceless hotel chain that’ll rip the heart and soul out of it. Rose has worked hard for this place and I don’t want to see it pulled from under her.’

      I frowned and folded my arms. He wasn’t getting to speak to me that way. ‘You said it yourself, though; Rose wants to sell. Nobody’s pulling anything from under her! And you’re right; you haven’t been very friendly! In fact, you’ve been a sour-faced, obnoxious prat since I got here. What’s your problem, anyway? Don’t you want to see Rose happy? She told me she’s ready to hand over the running of this place to someone else. Don’t make me the bad guy just because you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.’

      Noah scoffed loudly and shook his head. ‘A chip on my shoulder? You know nothing about this place and you know nothing about me either. Rose doesn’t need some corporate chain coming in and taking over everything; she has me and I know this place better than anyone. We don’t need you here! You know what? The sooner you leave us to get on with our lives, the better!’

      He looked down at me, his eyes blazing with anger and his face set in a stony glare. I squared my shoulders and stood my ground; I’d dealt with hostile parties in these deals before and I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me. Plus, after the day I’d had and the discovery I’d made, I was in no mood for his shit. Footsteps on the stairs distracted us for a second.

      ‘Only me!’ I heard Rose trill as her footsteps retreated down the hall.

      ‘Well, until the owner tells me I’m not wanted anymore, I’m staying whether you like it or not. Now, you can act like a child and stomp around in a sulk for the next month, or you can try and be a grown-up about it. Your choice.’

      We stood mirroring each other’s body language, arms folded and scowls on our faces. Both of us were determined not to back down. Noah’s nostrils flared and I could feel my teeth begin to gnash. I’d never met such a pig-headed, ignorant man in my whole life.

      Suddenly, the standoff between us was shattered by a terrified scream followed by an almighty bang. Startled by the noise, we both ran out of the room, with Dixie joining us on the landing in hot pursuit.

      Nothing could’ve prepared us for the sight awaiting us. Rose was lying in a lifeless, crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs.

Chapter 8

      The next hour was punctuated by flashing blue lights, sirens and medical jargon. As soon as Rose got to the hospital, she was whisked away to have her injuries assessed and treated. Noah and I sat in silence waiting for news, our feud temporarily on ice. His large frame was hunched forward and he made a little pyramid with his fingers to rest his chin on.

      ‘God, I hope she’s OK.’ His voice was gruff and thick, like he was trying to keep his emotions below the surface. ‘Why the hell aren’t they telling us anything?!’