A Fresh Start in Sunny Shore Bay (Sunny Shore Bay Book 1): Escape to the British seaside with this hilarious, feel-good romance by Imogen Payne

Author:Imogen Payne [Payne, Imogen]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2021-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘Puddles!’ I call after the cream coloured ball of fluff, who’s currently rubbing his nose into a poor child’s carefully constructed sandcastle. ‘Puddles, get back here!’

One floppy ear pricks up and the daft dog dozily bounds back over to us. Holly sighs, shaking her head. ‘Just when I thought his behaviour was improving. George suggested training classes, but Dad hasn’t got round to booking him in yet.’

I chuckle at my sister’s futile attempts to get a very wriggly Puddles back on his lead. It’s so nice to see her, even if it’s just for a brief visit, along with Puddles the Labrador pup. Well, he was a puppy when I last saw him at Christmas, but he seems to have gone through a growth spurt in the last six months. He almost bowls me over when he jumps up me and gives me a doggy kiss on the cheek.

‘Come on, let’s take a walk along the pier,’ I suggest once Holly has managed to attach the metal clasp securely to Puddles’ collar.. ‘Save the sandcastles from the peril of Puddles!’

We grab ice creams, vanilla for Holly, strawberry for me, from the Salty Sea Dog kiosk and climb the wooden steps by the sand dunes up to the pier. It’s a gorgeously sunny day today with a gentle, pleasant breeze that makes the heat bearable, and the soft sound of the sea lapping against the sands beneath the pier is a welcome one. Despite being a Saturday, it’s not very busy. Sunny Shore Bay is a true hidden gem, so small that it’s an if you know, you know kind of place - meaning it’s not at all a tourist trap. Most of them head straight to the big city five miles away from here, and we’re lucky to have this beautiful cove all to ourselves.

‘How’s Dad?’ I ask.

‘In his absolute element at the tearoom,’ Holly shakes her head fondly. ‘It’s like he never left Lily Vale.’

‘That’s so great,’ I say, relieved. I check in regularly, but it’s hard for me not to worry about him. Even so, I really do believe that returning to Lily Vale was the best thing he could have done. When Mum died, he was running from the grief rather than facing it, but now, he’s found that embracing the precious memories they made together, while painful, can be healing too. He’s made his peace with the village and it sounds as though he’s thriving - Holly tells me all about how he’s rekindled his friendship with the lovely old gent down the street, Victor, and how the two of them have started going on nature rambles with Puddles. My heart swells to hear it, as large and warm as the sun above us.

‘I’m so glad he’s doing well.’ I quirk an eyebrow at my sister. ‘And I’m glad you’ve finally found someone you trust enough with the keys to the tearoom.’

Last year, I did the stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life - I accidentally left the door to the Cosy Little Tearoom open after closing time.

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