Jessie's Little Bookshop by the Sea by Kirsty Ferry & Kirsty Ferry

Author:Kirsty Ferry & Kirsty Ferry [Ferry, Kirsty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, contemporary, romance, short story, holiday
Publisher: Choc Lit
Published: 2020-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

‘Look! Jessie’s in the window!’ Elijah waved out of the car window, but as it was quite dark and the sun was virtually setting, it was highly unlikely that she would have seen him.

Miles pulled the car around to the back of the building and had barely switched the engine off before Elijah had undone his seat belt and slithered out.

‘Elijah!’ Miles called after him, knowing it was useless. He swore and unbuckled himself, then hurried after him. By the time he got there, Elijah was standing outside the window, knocking on the glass. A startled-looking Jessie was staring at him, apparently unsure as to what she should do.

She locked eyes with Miles and looked even more startled. After an awkward moment, she pointed to the door and indicated that they come in. Elijah gave a whoop of joy and slipped out of his father’s grasp, hurrying to the door.

He waited until the lock went clunk and Jessie opened up, then sidled in. ‘What are you doing, Jessie?’ Elijah slipped past her and dashed over to the window. ‘Wow! Cool! Webs!’

‘Not real ones,’ said Jessie, ‘but still messy if you get stuck in them. Put them down, please. Thank you.’ She stood back and waited until Miles stepped inside as well, then the lock went clunk again and they were inside the bookshop, the chilly October evening on the other side of the window. ‘I think I’ve got something that belongs to you, young man,’ said Jessie. Miles wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but she seemed to be very determinedly not catching his eye again. He supposed he deserved it. ‘This furry chap seemed to find his way into my bedroom last night,’ Jessie continued. ‘Now isn’t that the strangest thing?’ She went over to the counter and plucked Monkey off his makeshift throne. ‘He’s lucky,’ she said. ‘If he had come home with me tonight, he would have lost his chocolate bar, because I would have eaten it for supper.’ She handed Monkey and the chocolate to the boy.

‘Monkey!’ Elijah cried. He hugged him and then held him away from him. ‘I just didn’t know where he was. He must have been so tired last night after our walk.’

‘He must have been,’ said Jessie drily, ‘to have tucked himself up in my bed and taken a nap. But I am very, very pleased you’ve come back for him.’ Miles wasn’t sure if a faint blush crept over Jessie’s cheeks or not – but as she was still studiously not looking at him, he couldn’t swear to anything.

Elijah said nothing; he just buried his face in the Monkey’s soft fur.

Miles could see the edges of the child’s lips curve upwards into a self-satisfied smile, and he shook his head. ‘Elijah Fareham. Must I spend my life apologising for your behaviour?’

‘Wasn’t me. It was Monkey.’

‘Elijah!’

‘It’s okay,’ Jessie interjected quickly. ‘No harm done.’ She reached out as if she was going to ruffle Elijah’s wayward fair hair, then seemed to check herself and didn’t.

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