One Summer in Cornwall Karen King (positive books to read TXT) 📖

‘I will, thank you,’ Hattie said to his surprise. He wondered if she wanted to take the opportunity to meet her next-door neighbour or if she didn’t want to refuse.

‘See you later, then,’ Marcus said, kissing Hattie on the cheek.

‘I’ll have a bottle of wine chilling.’

‘Sounds great. Bye, Winnie!’ He waved and left, leaving the two women to chat.

After a quick freshen up and change, he dashed down the hill to work. He prided himself on never being late but he was cutting it fine today.

‘Have a good day at the beach, did you?’ Mandy asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips as he dashed into the reception.

‘What?’

‘You were spotted. With Hattie. Looking very close.’ She was delighting in teasing him. ‘I knew it as soon as I saw her. I knew you two belonged together. I had this feeling.’

Mandy and her feelings, Marcus thought in exasperation. ‘We’re just having a bit of a summer romance, Mandy. Nothing serious. Hattie put the cottage up for sale yesterday and has two viewings already. She’ll be gone in a couple of months.’

Even as he said the words, he felt his stomach sink.

Mandy folded her arms across her chest and looked at him. ‘She hasn’t left yet, lad, and my feelings are never wrong.’

Well, this time they are, Marcus thought, as he went through into the kitchen to take over from Shanise. Hattie had no intention of staying in Port Medden. And yes, he had a feeling he was going to really miss her but he would just have to deal with it. He’d known the score, and he certainly wasn’t going to be heartbroken like he had been with Kaylee.

Chapter Thirty-Four

‘Good morning, gorgeous.’

Hattie stirred and opened her eyes as Marcus kissed her on the forehead, then the nose, before finally resting his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the passionate kiss, thinking that even though this was the first morning she had woken up in bed with him, it seemed so natural. Just as natural as it had felt to suggest he stayed the night when they were both snuggled up on the sofa after eating the chicken hotpot Marcus had brought with him, and drinking the bottle of Pinot Grigio she’d had cooling in the fridge. Not that they’d got much sleep, hence why she was feeling so tired and groggy.

Not that she was complaining.

‘Want a cuppa or shall we . . . ?’ Marcus left the question dangling but his hands left no doubt as to what he was suggesting, and she felt the stirring of desire rise in her again.

‘We definitely should,’ she said, all thoughts of grabbing more sleep going out of her mind as she turned to him.

It was much later when they finally got out of bed. ‘Fancy coming surfing with me?’ Marcus asked.

Actually, she did, but should she? Jonathan was bringing the first viewers along today. Mind you, did she want to be here while they traipsed through Uncle Albert’s cottage and discussed whether to buy it or not?

‘Sorry, I forgot, you’ve got a viewing, haven’t you?’ said Marcus. ‘What time are they coming?’

‘Ten thirty and it’s . . .’ She glanced at the clock. ‘Heck, it’s nearly nine now. I need to shower and tidy round. I think I’d better give surfing a miss.’

‘No problem. I’ll go home and shower too. Good luck with the viewing, I’ll see you later. Yes?’

She nodded, wishing he didn’t have to dash, but then she had plenty to do herself and Marcus usually went surfing earlier so was probably eager to go.

He kissed her again, then left.

She got out of bed, smoothed down the sheet, pulled the bedcover over and plumped up the pillows before getting into the shower. By the time she’d had her shower and was dressed, she’d decided that she did want to be here when the viewers – a Mr and Mrs Howes, Jonathan had said – came. Apparently, they were looking for a holiday home for themselves rather than to let out, so she was hopeful they would think Fisherman’s Rest was right for them. Besides, it would be good to get some feedback after all the work she and Nick had done.

She tried to remember some of the tricks she’d read about how to make a home appealing when you wanted to sell it: ‘put colourful flowers in a vase’ – it was too late for that now; ‘brew proper coffee’ – but she always had instant; ‘have fresh bread baking’ . . . hmm all those were no-goers. ‘Make everywhere look clean and tidy’ – she could do that. She dashed around spraying everywhere with ‘Summer Breeze’ air freshener, plumping up curtains, straightening towels, and clearing the work surfaces, wanting to make sure the cottage looked at its best.

When there was finally a knock on the door – bang on time – she was a bag of nerves. She was so desperate for them to like the cottage, now she had spent so much time on it and put in so much hard work. Fixing a welcoming smile on her face, she went to the door, her hopes sinking as she caught the words

‘the garden’s so small’. Not a good first impression, she thought as she opened the door. Jonathan and a couple in their mid-forties, she’d have guessed, stood on the step in front of her.

‘Morning, Hattie. This is Mr and Mrs Howes,’ Jonathan said.

‘Do come in.’ Hattie stepped aside to give them room to step into the hall. The woman raised an eyebrow as her sharp eyes rested on the worn carpet then flitted over to the scratched lounge door. Damn she’d meant to get a new carpet but hadn’t got round to it. ‘It needs a little updating,’ Hattie quickly said.

‘Shall I take over, Hattie?’ Jonathan asked, obviously not trusting her to big up the selling points of the cottage.

‘Please.’ She