I picked up the laptop to see if I could pick up any more Wi-Fi. My hopes were dashed when I couldn’t. ‘Looks like I won’t be getting much work done today then!’
Rose chuckled. ‘People don’t come to Luna Bay to be busy; they come here so they won’t be busy. You should put that laptop of yours down for a little while and have a look round the village. It’s a beautiful place; you’ll love it here.’
I closed the laptop lid and sighed in defeat. ‘I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a million things to do. Ever since I started at Walter Marshall, it’s been non-stop; I haven’t had time to catch my breath! I wouldn’t have it any other way, though; I love being busy.’
Rose walked over to the door, but didn’t immediately leave. ‘You know, Luna Bay has a habit of casting its spell on you. Sometimes you end up finding something you didn’t even know you were looking for.’
With an enigmatic smile, she was gone.
*
After spending most of the morning swearing at my laptop, salvation came in the form of a phone call from Frankie. She asked if I’d met any gorgeous surfers yet and if so could I bring one back for her. She also begged me to come back because she claimed her soul wasn’t complete unless I was in the G postcode area.
‘Well, I’m sorry your soul’s incomplete right now, but I promise I’ll be back soon. With any luck I should have this wrapped up in about a week tops. The owner’s lovely; it’s just her nephew, or whoever he is, trying to put a spanner in the works.’
‘Is he hot?’ Frankie asked in true Frankie Moretti style. ‘Maybe he could put a spanner in my works…’
I rolled my eyes and did my best to stifle a chuckle. ‘Can you drag your mind out of the gutter for five minutes?! He’s…’
I trailed off as I realised I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. I brought up his face in my mind and tried to come to a conclusion.
‘He’s OK, I suppose. Doesn’t look like a foot, but he’s not my type. You’d like him, though: he’s mean, moody and got a massive attitude problem.’
Frankie giggled. ‘Now you’re talking! Bring him up the road with you; tie him up and throw him in the boot of your car if you have to! I’m making wedding plans already. Any more scandal, news or gossip before I go back to work?’
‘Oh, you know,’ I said in a mock-casual voice, ‘my long-lost dad’s just a few feet away from where I’m staying and my life feels like it’s slowly turning to shit. The usual.’
‘Are you going to see him soon?’ she asked. ‘What will you say to him? Hi, Dad. Sorry I haven’t visited for twenty-five years but I didn’t know you existed until a few days ago?’
A cold sweat washed over me as the prospect of coming face to face with him crossed my mind. ‘I’ve got no idea what I’m going to say to him… Oh God, Frankie, I really didn’t think this through, did I? I’m going to fuck this guy’s life up by turning up on his doorstep; you can’t just take that sort of thing back, can you? I should never have come here; I’m going to tell Paul I’m coming home and to hell with the promotion!’
As panic gripped me, I went to cut the call until Frankie’s no-nonsense voice stopped me in my tracks.
‘Emily Reed, don’t you dare do anything of the kind! If you come back to Glasgow without having seen your dad or closed the deal for Sunflower Cottage, then I’ll never speak to you again. You deserve this promotion; everyone knows that. I know Paul’s taking the piss with it, but he knows he should never have promoted Tara. So stay right where you are and land this deal, missy. Plus, you need to bring this mean and moody guy back for me.’
That was all the incentive I needed. Frankie had a way of making the impossible seem like a walk in the park.
*
Thanks to a combination of no Wi-Fi and my long-lost dad preying on my mind, I decided to venture out into Luna Bay for a while. I found myself sitting in the Purple Partridge, the pub I’d bumped into Noah outside of. A pretty little place that looked out onto the beach, it was the perfect hideaway to escape my problems in. I sat huddled in my little booth near the back, determined not to let the world in. Instead, it passed by around me as the pub’s various patrons made trips to the bar, gossiped in corners and shared memories with their friends. I found myself tapping my foot and drumming my fingers on the table, frustrated not to have something to keep my mind occupied.
How had things unravelled so quickly? It was bad enough that my dad wasn’t my dad, but now I was in the same village as the man who was! It was like something from daytime TV. This was far more than your traditional curveball; it felt like someone, somewhere, was having a great laugh at my expense. The words in the letter played in my head like a sickening loop I couldn’t control: it still hurts that Emily has to miss out on knowing her real father. I wanted so badly for it to be a bad dream; to wake up and realise that the life I loved so much was still intact. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was stuck with the nightmare currently unfolding in front of me.
‘Are you OK, love?’ a voice above me asked.
I looked up and saw a kind-looking, middle-aged lady standing in front of me. Her sandy-blonde curls and soft-brown eyes gave her the look of somebody’s favourite aunt and her smile was warm and friendly.
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I replied, wiping my eyes. ‘Just… just a touch of hay fever, that’s all.’
‘I’ve heard that one before. Here, take this.’ The woman sat down next to me and pulled out a tissue from her bag, handing it to me so I could dry my tears.
‘Thanks. I don’t usually cry like this; it’s just been a really weird day.’
She chuckled and shook her head. ‘I’ve had a fair few of those myself recently. One thing I’ve learnt, though; it all comes out in the wash. I’m Diane, by the way.’
Diane. Surely that couldn’t be Derek’s wife, the one Mum had mentioned and who had been peppered throughout his letters? Just as my imagination began to run away with me, cool logic took over and reminded me not to jump to conclusions. It was probably just a coincidence; Diane was quite a common name, after all, and it might not be her.
‘Nice to meet you, Diane, I’m Emily.’ I stuck out a hand and she shook it.
‘Lovely to meet you, Emily; you look like you could do with a cup of tea and a massive slice of cake. My café’s not far from here if you fancy popping in?’
That sealed it. Diane might be a common name, but I was willing to bet there weren’t two Dianes in Luna Bay who both owned cafes. I felt goosebumps creep over my skin, like I was in the presence of a ghost. Here I was, carrying this huge secret that would rock her world, and she had no idea.
‘Thanks for the offer, but I’ve really got to get on. Got lots to get done while I’m here. Maybe some other time, though?’
Diane nodded and looked a little sad as I got up to leave. ‘No problem, you’re welcome any time. It’s the Moonlight Café, just on the corner of the next street. You can’t miss it. There’s some free cake and tea with your name on it!’
I smiled and said goodbye to her before leaving the pub. The sun was shining brightly over my beautiful surroundings, but I didn’t have time to enjoy it. The only thing I wanted to do was regain my focus, recover from the temporary blip on my radar and close the sale of Sunflower Cottage. That was what I was here to do.
A buzz of chatter greeted me when I got back to the guesthouse, as did the smell of baking. I followed it to the kitchen and found Noah and Rose sitting at