Winter Magic in Port Berry (Port Berry #3)

Chapter 9

Will

Will had just got back from Wales. He thought he’d be back before Saturday, but things had dragged with the estate agents. At least his flat was now on the market. All he had to do was clear out the last few bits and pieces before any handover, then he could kiss goodbye to the area he grew up in and start afresh in Port Berry.

He was pleased to be back. Pleased he would get to see Ginny again soon. He’d grown accustomed to her face already, and each time she entered his mind, he smiled.

The elderly lady who owned Seaview B&B was watering some leafy plants by the arched main door. She lowered her watering can, then attempted to swipe an orange feather duster over the stained-glass window at the top of the door. As she was short, her cleaning aid barely made it to the hull of the boat in the glass.

Will crossed the small foyer to help.

‘Cheers, lovey. I was going to get the stepladder.’

‘No need. Anything else I can help you with, Mabel?’

She pointed a bony finger to the top right of the window. ‘Missed a bit.’

Will grinned as he covered the pane with the duster. ‘Better?’

‘Brilliant. Go grab yourself a bickie.’

‘I’m good, thanks.’

Mabel’s splodges of pink blusher gave the impression she was rather hot and flustered, not that she ever gave off that vibe.

‘Do you want me to make you a cuppa?’ he asked.

Mabel nudged his arm. ‘Get away with you, young Will. You’re a guest.’

Will followed her over to the light-wood reception counter, where a large guestbook sat open. ‘I don’t mind.’

‘You’re a good egg. I can tell. So, did you get everything sorted in Wales?’

‘Pretty much. Erm, not sure how much longer I’ll be here, Mabel. I need to start looking for somewhere permanent. Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. You wouldn’t happen to know if any of the shops along here would be available soon? I did speak to an estate agent, but he wasn’t aware of anything. Thought you might know if anyone’s mentioned moving on soon.’

‘Goodness, Will. Must be some fairy dust floating around your head, son.’

He had no idea what that meant but judging by the sparkle in her pale-blue eyes, it was good.

Mabel squealed quietly as she clasped her wrinkly hands. ‘Come with me.’

‘Where we going?’ he asked, following her outside.

An icy breeze whipped up the salt from the sea as a seagull cried overhead before swooping down to swipe something from the top of a litter bin.

Mabel waved over at the perfume shop two doors down. ‘Not been here long. Never did too well. Takings are low, low, low. Sheila wants shot. Told me so yesterday. Who wants a perfume shop along here? No one, that’s for sure.’ She placed a palm out, stopping him from entering. ‘What you got in mind?’

‘Tearoom. Noticed there wasn’t one along the front. Thought it might make a good business for me.’

‘Ooh, I’d say, lovey.’ She winked, then tugged him towards the door. ‘Leave it with me.’

Will tried not to laugh as he entered the premises. He sneezed straight away as a sickly-sweet overpowering scent invaded his nostrils. ‘Oh, excuse me,’ he said, wiping his nose with a tissue he pulled from the pocket of his dark cardigan.

‘Hello, what can I do for you two?’ asked the woman behind the glass counter.

‘You want to take early retirement, don’t you, Sheila?’ Mabel said, seemingly doing a double take of the woman’s long floaty blouse sleeves.

Sheila looked about as confused as Will felt. ‘Erm, yeah, so?’

‘Got a buyer for you.’ Mabel tipped her head at Will. ‘My friend here is looking to open his own shop along here.’

As Sheila lacked interest, Will threw in his two-word pitch. ‘Cash buyer.’ That perked her up.

Mabel grinned. ‘Can’t beat that, eh, Sheila? Well, don’t keep the man waiting. You in or what?’

It wasn’t exactly what Will had in mind when talking business deals, but the two women seemed to have their own way, and after observing their back and forth for ten minutes, and totally admiring Mabel’s haggling skills, an agreement was in place, and Will hadn’t said a word more. All he had to do was hook himself a solicitor and the shop was his.

‘Told you I’d sort it,’ said Mabel, slapping his back as they went outside.

‘Did that just happen?’ He was mostly asking himself.

Mabel smiled. ‘Ooh, let’s grab that cuppa now, and once you’re up and running, I’ll be expecting the odd slice of cake for free.’

‘You sure you don’t want to come into business with me?’ He laughed as she beamed his way. ‘I think I like having you on my side.’

‘I’ve got enough on my plate running this place.’ She pointed up at the large chalky white B&B. ‘I wouldn’t mind retiring myself, but what else would I do? Don’t know any other life. I was born here, you know. Although I do have a little dream about moving to Jersey.’

Will followed her back into the warmth of the foyer. ‘Did this belong to your parents?’

‘Goes further back than them. Been in my family forever. Used to be a tavern back in the day. There were four of them along here. The Jolly Pirate kept its name and is the only one still a pub. Then there was the Black Ship — that’s a chippy restaurant nowadays. The Old Inn is one of those mini supermarkets. And my place was the Bell of Blood. You can see why that name wasn’t kept. Hardly screams cosy B&B by the sea.’

Will burst out laughing. ‘It’s got a nice ring to it.’

Mabel took him through to the kitchen. ‘Got a name for your tea shop?’

He hadn’t got that far. The fact he had some form of spit-shake securing him premises was still sinking in.

Mabel chuckled as she grabbed the kettle. ‘The Sailor’s Slice.’

Will laughed. ‘A work in progress.’

‘Now we just need to find you a nice home.’

‘You’re as bad as Jed. He likes to organize me as well.’

Mabel chuckled. ‘Ah, it’s what we’re like around here, lovey. We’re a small community with a big heart. You’ll see, and once word gets out we’re getting a tearoom along the front, you’ll be well and truly loved.’

‘I wouldn’t mind keeping it under wraps for now. Just till I get sorted.’ Will wasn’t entirely sure she had the ability to keep a secret, as she hadn’t stopped gossiping about the locals since he met her.

Mabel tapped the side of her nose. ‘Don’t you worry, son. I won’t say a word. It’ll be a nice surprise for everyone.’

He liked to think so. What better way to fit in than to have something that would add charm to the setting.

I’ll need a really sweet name.

Will sat at the table, waiting for his tea. He scanned the practical kitchen, thinking he’d have to see about getting some sort of hygiene certificate. He noticed there were some framed documents in the café.

‘I wonder what will become of this place once I’m gone,’ said Mabel, jolting him out of his thoughts.

‘Haven’t you got any family to pass it on to?’

Mabel crinkled her nose. ‘Got two grandkids. Twins. Boy and girl, well, grown adults now. But still, fat lot of good they are. He’s in prison because he’s an idiot, and she’s a right greedy mare who would sell this place before the ink was even dry on my will. Not that I’ve put either of them in it.’ She sighed deeply as she sat opposite him. ‘Not all families are happy, Will. Mine’s pretty crap.’

He knew how that felt. Although Babs seemed nice enough. ‘Do you visit your grandson much?’

‘Not seen him since he went away.’ She paused, looking deep in thought. ‘Do you think I should write to him?’

Will shrugged. Who was he to give advice on estranged families?

‘He’ll be thirty-one next year,’ she added quietly. ‘Went inside when he was twenty-three. Guess he could have grown up by now.’

‘As long as you would feel safe contacting him. I wouldn’t want any danger coming your way.’

Mabel smiled softly, lightly tapping his hand. ‘It’s okay, lovey. My Jamie was a good lad. Had a big heart, but then he got in with a bad lot, and, well, I don’t know, he started getting into all sorts of trouble. He never hurt anyone, Will. Just robbed a few places. This is his second time in prison. He got a short sentence first time. The judge wasn’t so lenient the next time round.’

‘Let’s hope he’s learned his lesson this time. Like you said, maybe he’s a changed man now.’

Mabel nodded. ‘You know what, lovey. I’m going to take a leaf out of your book. New beginnings and all that. I’ll write to him. See if we can make amends. After all, when he’s released, he won’t have anywhere to go but here. Perhaps I can help him one last time.’

‘I can always help mentor him when he gets out. Don’t worry, I won’t put him through basic training or anything, but I could befriend him, take him along to the Sunshine Centre, where I’m going to be volunteering. Who knows, might spark something for him.’

‘Ooh, you’re a good lad, Will. That would be brilliant. See, you’re one of us already.’

The thought of belonging warmed Will no end.

‘Let’s get that tea down us, then we can both get on with the rest of our day.’

Mabel was right, he still had so much on his to-do list, and Alice had invited him for dinner at the pub. He’d better get a wriggle on. Knocking back his cuppa, he thanked Mabel once more for her help with the shop.

* * *

Will approached the Jolly Pirate, trying hard to imagine what the area used to look like back when the Bell of Blood was in place. The pub was so busy, he couldn’t see any familiar faces until Alice bounced over, all smiles and flailing arms.

‘This way, Will. We have a table.’

He followed her through the crowd, bumping shoulders and making apologies along the way. It was a lot more settled in the restaurant side, but still vibrant and full.

‘Meet the team,’ said Alice, rolling out one hand. ‘Not sure who you’ve met already, but we’re the Happy to Help Hub volunteers.’ She went on to introduce those he’d met and those he hadn’t. ‘Jed, Sophie, Matt, Lottie, Samuel, Spencer, and—’ she pointed over at the bar — ‘Robson.’

Will smiled at the group. ‘Yes, I met some of you at the Halloween party.’

‘There’s one more of us, but she’s just in the bathroom. Sit down, Will. Get involved.’

Will’s shoulder was lightly patted by Matt as Alice plonked him down next to the dark-haired man.

‘I hear you’re Jed’s new catch of the day,’ said Matt, grinning.

‘Matt’s his old catch,’ said Sophie, nudging her partner.

Will watched them share a loving smile before examining him again. ‘He seems to have adopted me.’

Jed raised a glass of water. ‘Newcomers always need guidance. Just doing my Port Berry duty. Ooh, speaking of which, how do you fancy joining our choir? It’s not what you think.’

Spencer laughed, rubbing over his copper hair. ‘Nothing’s ever what it seems with Jed.’

Will grinned. ‘Now I’m intrigued.’

Jed put his drink down and leaned closer. ‘We’re taking the buckets out in a couple of weeks to raise money for chickens for Christmas. Make someone’s day seeing one of those in with their food bank parcel.’

‘Unless they’re vegetarian,’ said Lottie, giggling.

‘We’ll have some vegetarian treats too,’ said Samuel, her partner, smiling her way.

Will was a little lost. ‘What does taking the buckets out mean?’

Jed bounced a hand up and down. ‘Collection buckets. We sing, folk donate.’

That seemed simple enough. Will had one more question. ‘What does your choir sing?’

‘Sea shanties.’ Jed looked rather proud about that fact. ‘We’re the Berry Buoys. Been in competitions, so we have. On the news once.’ He turned to his granddaughter. ‘Remember that, Soph?’

She nodded. ‘Of course. We have the footage to prove it.’ She smiled at Will.

‘And you’ve got room for me?’ he asked the old man, trying for casual.

‘Yep,’ said Jed. ‘So you come to rehearsals at the church hall Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and we can get cracking. Christmas will be on us before we know it.’

‘Do you even know if he can sing yet?’ asked Sophie.

Jed tipped his head Will’s way. ‘Of course he can sing. He’s a sailor.’

‘You are?’ asked Lottie, eyes wide.

‘Retired,’ replied Will.

Alice shuffled forward. ‘That’s why he’s here. Settling down and ready for a new life.’

‘Which I’ll help sort for the fella,’ said Jed, making Will’s smile grow.

‘If Jed’s on your side, you’ve got no worries, mate,’ said Spencer.

‘He’s one of us,’ said Jed. ‘Born here, see. I know his gran, Babs.’

Sophie choked on her orange juice. ‘You’re Babs’s grandson?’

Will noticed her exchange glances with the woman in the electric wheelchair. Did they know something about his family he didn’t?

Two waitresses came out of nowhere, placing down plates full to the brim with roast beef and lamb, giant Yorkies, and veg. The smell of the food was making Will’s mouth water, so he ate a roast potato straight away.

Robson joined them, bringing over more food. ‘Glad to sit down for five minutes,’ he said, nodding a hello to Will. ‘So, what did I miss?’

‘Grandad signed Will up to the Berry Buoys,’ said Sophie, pouring hot gravy onto the meat on her plate.

‘I’m surprised he hasn’t put your name down for a shift at the Hub,’ said Robson, eyeing the old man.

Jed cut into his beef. ‘I was about to.’ He glanced up at Will. ‘When’s good for you, son?’

Taken aback, Will didn’t know what to say. ‘Erm, I’m not sure I’ll know what to do there. I haven’t been briefed.’

‘Oh, it’s simple enough. You just have to care, that’s all there is to it, right, everyone?’

A few of them nodded while the others started eating.

‘You can do your first shift with me,’ said Matt. ‘I’ll show you the ropes.’

Sophie nudged his elbow, causing him to drop his fork. ‘Would Monday between four and six suit, Will? I know it’s short notice, being Saturday today.’

He mentally flicked through his diary. ‘I’ve got some labouring work in the week with Shaun, but I can do Monday at the Hub.’

Matt frowned. ‘I won’t be on that—’

Sophie nudged him again. ‘That’s great, Will. You come over then.’

Will smiled her way. ‘I’m already signed up to volunteer over at the Sunshine Centre in Penzance. Just seeing where I might be able to fit at the moment.’

‘You fully retired then?’ asked Spencer.

Will shook his head. ‘No. I’m going to sort myself a business, so I’ll have some money coming in, but I’ll get other people to run it so I can put myself into volunteering roles. Well, that’s my plan. Have to see how it goes.’ He knew he was keeping his cards close to his chest, but he didn’t want to talk about the tearoom until it was finalized. He could just see them being pleased for him.

It was a nice feeling being in a group again. Loneliness had taken a back seat, leaving room for friendship and hope.

He glanced over at the empty chair opposite him, thinking whoever was in the bathroom was going to end up with a cold dinner.

‘Oh, there you are,’ said Alice, looking up. ‘I was about to send out a search party.’

Ginny pulled out the empty seat. ‘All right, chick, I got chatting to—’

‘Hey,’ said Will, offering a small wave.

‘This is Will,’ said Sophie quickly. ‘He’s Babs’s grandson.’ She went back to slicing a roasted parsnip. ‘Yep, her grandson. Will,’ she added slowly, without looking up from her plate.

The corner of Will’s mouth twitched as Ginny’s face held a blush.

‘Jed’s reeled him in to the Berry Buoys,’ said Matt.

‘And he’s doing his first shift at the Hub on Monday between four and six,’ said Lottie, looking directly at Ginny.

‘That’s Ginny’s shift,’ said Jed. ‘She’ll see you right.’

Will placed a baby carrot in his mouth as he stared over at Ginny. It was amusing to see her at a loss for words. Perhaps he should lighten the load. ‘Ginny and I have already met.’

Her eyes shot up, alarmed.

‘I helped her out in the café the other day,’ he added, and watched her shoulders relax. He went back to his dinner as the others happily chatted away about the Hub, café, and the sea shanty choir, not gazing up until a pea landed by his plate.

‘Ooh, sorry,’ said Ginny. ‘Accidents happen.’

Will looked at the pea. Was that her way of telling him the night they shared was an accident? He couldn’t be sure. He chanced a look her way to see the smallest of grins on her face, but that could be because she was talking to Robson. In fact, they looked quite comfortable together. Had he got it wrong about the chemistry he thought he had with her?

Ginny met his eyes, and her slight blush was back.

Maybe there was something. Perhaps he’d test the waters at the Hub during their joint shift. See if he could figure her out once and for all, because one thing he was sure of, he liked her, very much, which was a tad nerve-wracking, as he didn’t allow himself to get attached to women in case they left him.

‘We’ll be having this grub again for dinner tomorrow, Will,’ said Matt. ‘Join us if you like.’

Will motioned towards the main doors. ‘I heard there’s a service taking place for Remembrance Sunday by the memorial column along the harbour. I’ll be attending that.’

‘Oh, we’re all going,’ said Jed.

‘Councillor Seabridge lays a wreath, then we head over to the church, where Father Stephen continues the service,’ said Sophie.

Spencer nodded. ‘Then we come here for lunch.’

‘Okay, but I’ll have to miss dinner, as I’m going to see my gran,’ said Will. ‘I’ll meet you all down at the harbour in the morning though.’

Jed nodded. ‘There’ll be a few ex-servicemen like yourself there.’

Ginny’s eyes widened as her head shot up. ‘You were in the military?’

It just dawned on him he hadn’t mentioned much about himself to her. ‘Royal Navy,’ he replied. The chatter continued, so it was hard to hear what Ginny said next, but he was sure he heard her mumble something to herself about a Blue Man boat.