‘Wow, this is a small world. Was this the appointment you had to get to, checking into a guesthouse?’ There was a note of amusement in his voice that didn’t quite reach his face, which still looked as surly as ever.
‘Have you two met?’ Rose asked, her nose wrinkled with confusion. She looked from me to the mud-caked man and back again, waiting for one of us to offer an explanation.
‘Kind of.’ He gave an awkward grunt as he tried to keep hold of the squirming dog, who was probably trying to escape the imminent bath time. ‘I asked her to help me look for Dixie, but apparently she was too busy.’
Another glare was tossed my way. What was this guy’s problem?
‘And he came barrelling out of the pub without looking where he was going and crashed into me. It was a… unique way to welcome me to the village, I’ll give you that.’ I gave him my sweetest smile. Needless to say, it wasn’t returned.
‘Well, charming as this has been, I need to go and give Dixie a bath.’
He moved towards the staircase but Rose stepped in front of him, her arms folded across her broad chest. ‘Noah William Hartley, I will not have you being so rude to people and forgetting your manners! Now, introduce yourself properly to our new guest.’
I saw a blush creep into Noah’s cheeks; from the looks of things, he was used to being chastised. He sighed loudly and flashed a quick smile in my direction.
‘Noah Hartley,’ he said, sticking a hand out. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
I was surprised to hear that it didn’t sound forced or sarcastic. He’d probably have got a clip round the ear from Rose if it had.
‘Emily Reed,’ I replied. ‘I’m from Walter Marshall Hotels.’
All at once, the atmosphere darkened and Noah quickly snatched his hand back before I could shake it. His brows knitted together and he glared at me.
‘So, you’re here to take Rose’s place away from her, are you? Well, you can get in your car and go back to wherever you came from because Sunflower Cottage isn’t for sale!’
Rose’s jaw dropped and she shot him a look that could probably have turned the average person to stone. For such a kindly woman, I guessed she could be fierce when the situation demanded it.
‘Her car actually broke down by the side of the road,’ she said, her icy voice jarring with the house’s warm and loving atmosphere. ‘So, if you’d like her to leave, I suggest you get it towed to the garage. Why don’t you get on with that after you’ve given Dixie a bath?’
Judging by the look on her face, Noah would have been a fool not to do as she said. Although she’d phrased it as a question, it was evident he didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter.
‘Oh, you’re the local mechanic then,’ I said, raising my eyebrows in surprise. ‘You don’t look like one!’
He rounded on me, his face still set in the same surly expression. ‘Oh yeah? What do I look like then?’
I badly wanted to reply ‘a torn-faced disaster’ but knew that wasn’t a wise idea. He’d probably cut my brake cables or something if I did.
Noah looked like he was about to say something else, but luckily Rose beat him to it. ‘Go on then, Noah, Dixie’s filthy!’
His mouth opened and closed a few times, as though he had so much he wanted to say that his brain didn’t know where to begin. Eventually, he settled for a grunt of frustration and stormed off upstairs.
‘Sorry about him.’ Rose craned her neck to make sure he was out of earshot before she spoke. ‘He’s a lovely lad really, just forgets himself sometimes. He loves this place, bless him. It’s been the closest thing to home for him since…’
She trailed off and shook her head, as though trying to dislodge some unwanted thoughts. ‘Anyway, you’ll be in room seven. Let me show you up! It’s just up these stairs. Don’t worry about your suitcase; I’ll get Noah to bring it up before he goes to get your car.’
I followed her up the wooden staircase to a door with a large gold number seven attached to it.
‘This will be your room. The sheets will be changed every day and breakfast is served from seven until nine-thirty.’ Her voice carried the same warmth that permeated the entire B&B. ‘When you’re ready, I’ll be down in the kitchen. There’s some fresh bread and cookies if you’d like some.’
‘Thanks, Rose, I won’t be long,’ I replied.
So, I thought, this is what country living’s like. So far, I’d had a car break down on me, fallen down in the mud, been splashed with beer, and argued with the town arsehole.
One thing was for sure: I was in for one hell of a ride in Luna Bay.
It’s pretty safe to say I wasn’t prepared for what my room would look like. When I opened the door, I let out a little gasp. I’d imagined a tired and dated room full of frills and floral patterns. What I had was a beautiful New England beach house-themed room, with white wooden floors and pale blue walls. The duvet and curtains had blue and white stripes on them and the bed looked sumptuous and comfortable. The furniture followed the theme too: a white chest of drawers stood on the far wall and a wicker chair sat next to a window seat lined with sky-blue cushions. This definitely wasn’t the fixer-upper I’d imagined.
I could see why Walter Marshall Hotels wanted to snap this place up. It was in an ideal location, had beautiful interiors, and there were only minor repairs to be made, by the look of things. Sunflower Cottage would definitely be an asset to our already bulging portfolio, if we could get our hands on it. There was a certain magic to the place too, something I hadn’t seen anywhere else.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and found Noah standing on the other side, my suitcase in one hand and a newly clean Dixie nestled in the crook of his other arm. Her little face lit up as soon as she saw me and I stroked her soaking wet fur as best I could.
‘Hello you!’ I cooed. I risked a glance at her owner, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. ‘You know, I’m not usually—’
‘Here’s your suitcase,’ he grunted, abruptly cutting me off. ‘Where did you say your car was?’
‘It’s on the little country lane that leads into the village. I’ve tried to park it so it doesn’t block any other cars.’
He nodded. ‘OK, well, I’ll get it towed to the garage and take a look at it as soon as I can. We’re booked solid, but I’ll try and fit you in.’
I bristled at him acting like he was doing me a huge favour when he clearly didn’t want to. ‘Don’t inconvenience yourself for me! I’ll call another garage if that makes things easier for you.’
He flashed me something that I guessed was supposed to be a smile. ‘It’s no skin off my nose. The sooner your car’s fixed, the sooner you can leave.’
He retreated down to the lobby before I could answer, taking his ridiculously cute dog with him and leaving me fuming. I’d never met anyone so infuriating in my whole life. All I could hope was that he wasn’t a regular fixture at Sunflower Cottage; I might end up on a murder charge otherwise.
*
My second day in Luna Bay started much the same as my first: I had a run-in with Noah. No beer was spilled over anyone, though I was sorely tempted.
I went downstairs after an uneasy sleep to find him in the kitchen, helping Rose prepare breakfast for the other guests. He was even more dishevelled than usual, with stubble lining his chin and his hair sticking up in every possible direction.