Winter Magic in Port Berry (Port Berry #3)

Chapter 26

Ginny

‘I can’t believe it’s January already,’ said Ginny, handing over two slices of her own handmade lemon drizzle cake to Samuel.

‘I know, and what a year last year was.’ Samuel took the cakes over to the couple by the window in Ginny’s café.

Tell me about it!

She was hoping the new year would bring less chaos and more stability, especially as she had a farmhouse to move in to.

Samuel came back to the counter and took a swig of water. ‘They’re the last two for the evening.’

Ginny glanced at the clock. It had just gone seven. She went to speak but smiled instead as Samuel’s staff came out of the kitchen to head off, having finished their shift. She thanked them all, then saw them out, turning the sign on the door to Closed .

‘How’s it been?’ asked Samuel, following her around the counter.

‘It’s okay. Two nights a week is manageable for me, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see that many in need of a free meal. Don’t get me wrong, I know how many food parcels we hand out at the Hub, but still, I was surprised.’

Samuel nodded. ‘It’s like that at The Food Bank Café. I know we’re set up for exactly that purpose, but it’s still shocking to see so many people in need.’

Ginny stole a peek at the couple by the window. They were chatting quietly while enjoying her cake and seemed happy enough. ‘This is one of the problems we face at the Hub,’ she whispered to Samuel. ‘Sometimes it just breaks our hearts.’

‘Yeah, I know.’

‘I’m glad you asked me to do this with the café. I know two evenings a week isn’t much, but it all helps.’

Samuel gestured at the front door. ‘Especially during this dreary month.’

‘I always find January a good month for baking.’

The couple stood, waving a goodbye and saying their thanks as they left.

Ginny went to clear their empty plates away. ‘And my cakes are going down well.’

‘Speaking of which,’ said Samuel, pointing at the window.

Ginny followed his eyes to see Sophie standing out in the cold, holding a large white box.

Samuel opened the door, then stayed there, letting the chilly air in.

Ginny stopped wondering what he was waiting for and turned to Sophie instead as she entered. ‘All right, chick. We were just about to head home.’

‘I know. That’s why we’re here.’ Sophie placed the box on a table and beamed, confusing Ginny even more.

‘Oh, about time,’ said Samuel, looking down the street.

Ginny stepped closer to him. ‘What are you talking . . .’ Her words drifted off as soon as she saw Lottie, Spencer, Robson, Matt, and Alice heading towards her café.

‘Surprise!’ yelled Sophie, lifting the lid off the box.

Ginny whipped her head around, then approached her excited friend to see what exactly the squeal of joy was all about. ‘Oh!’

‘Happy birthday, Ginny,’ called Lottie, entering the warmth.

Not being much of a fan of the day, Ginny had hoped to let it pass without an audience. Her friends didn’t normally make such a fuss, and it was obvious why they’d upped their game this time.

She so wished everyone would stop making sure she was okay. Ever since blabbermouth Will let out her secret, her mates had become clingy and melodramatic.

Robson put the radio on, Samuel produced a cold buffet from the fridge that one of his cooks had secretly prepared, and Alice filled glasses with fizzy wine.

‘Now, we know you don’t like presents or any sort of fuss,’ said Lottie, whipping out a wrapped gift. ‘But we figured a little something for your new home would be okay. Here, check it out.’

Ginny smiled, knowing she was blessed to have such love in her life. She unwrapped the balloon-patterned paper to find a set of coffee mugs with a farm animal print. ‘Aww, I love them. Thanks.’

Lottie grinned. ‘We’ve actually got you a few more, but they’re back at mine, so you can get them later.’

‘Four is enough,’ said Ginny, raising the box.

Sophie chuckled. ‘Not for when we all come over.’

‘Which will be in a couple of weeks when we move your things,’ said Spencer, taking a prawn sandwich from a platter.

‘It’s all happening so fast,’ said Alice, handing Ginny a glass of bubbly. ‘It’s so exciting.’

It was and it wasn’t. Ginny had the silliest idea that Will might just move in with her and they’d live happily ever after like the Henshaws. Oh well. It wasn’t as if she had a healthy relationship with luck.

Robson and Matt started singing along to the radio, raising their arms, adding an impromptu dance.

Lottie was inserting candles into the birthday cake, and Sophie faffed with crockery.

All Ginny could do was smile, realizing she had something good in her life, so maybe luck liked her in a small way. She flopped into a chair and picked at the food on the plate in front of her. There was no way she was going to shoo her friends out the door, so she decided to join in by making a start on dinner, seeing how hungry she was.

Lottie manoeuvred to her side. ‘Thirty-five now, lady. You feeling it?’

Ginny laughed. ‘I’ve been feeling fifty since I turned twenty-one.’

‘Aww, well, at least you only look about thirty.’

‘There’s not much difference.’

Lottie rolled back her shoulders. ‘You’re only as old as you feel.’

Ginny laughed. ‘Fifty it is then.’

Lottie dipped her head and voice. ‘How are you, really?’

‘I’m okay. You lot need to stop fussing.’

‘But we love you, Gin. You had such a mad year last year.’

Ginny nodded. ‘Which is why I’m determined to make this year better, even if it didn’t start off well.’

Lottie leaned closer. ‘What do you mean?’

They knew everything else about her life, there was no point hiding things anymore.

‘It’s Lee.’

Lottie folded her arms in a huff. ‘What’s he done now?’

‘He went and scattered Mum’s ashes without me.’

‘He did what?’ yelled Lottie, making everyone turn.

Robson was the first to join the table. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Lee scattered Birdy’s ashes without Ginny,’ said Lottie, before Ginny had a chance to draw breath.

Sophie wrapped an arm around Ginny’s shoulders. ‘Ooh, I never liked him, little runt.’

‘Why did he do that, Gin?’ asked Spencer.

Ginny shrugged. ‘He said it didn’t matter who was there. It was just the ashes. He didn’t even put her where she wanted to be.’

‘Where did he put her?’ asked Alice.

Ginny thumbed towards the door. ‘Up his way. Some memorial ground.’

Sophie clenched her fists and growled. ‘Ooh, that horrible git.’

‘It’s okay, Soph. I’m not going to stress over it.’ Ginny sighed, smiling gently at her concerned friends. ‘I’m going to put up a birdhouse at my new place, and that will be in memory of my mum.’

‘I don’t mean to be rude, Gin,’ said Matt, ‘but I’m surprised at how good you are about her.’ Sophie nudged him, and he frowned. ‘I’m not trying to say anything out of line here, but after finding out about your upbringing, I’m just a bit . . . I don’t know. I don’t really talk to my mum, so I guess I’m just going by me.’

Ginny glanced over at him. ‘It’s okay. I know she didn’t deserve my love, but she was still my mum, and in all honesty, I just wanted her to notice me. To love me the way she loved Lee. I’m coming to terms with it all now, thanks to Jan helping me, but it’s a slow process.’

‘I think you’re doing brilliantly,’ said Sophie, giving Matt another nudge.

‘Me too,’ said Matt.

‘And we’re all here for you every step of the way,’ said Robson. ‘We’re even going to help you eat that birthday cake, that’s how good we are.’

Everyone laughed, and Ginny waved them away.

‘Go on, get some food in you.’ She snaffled a sausage roll.

‘Here, drink your fizz,’ said Alice, sliding a full glass across the table.’

Ginny wrinkled her nose. ‘I’m not feeling it, Al. I did have a cuppa on the go. Not sure where that’s got to.’ She stretched her neck towards the counter.

‘Ooh, I could go for one,’ said Lottie.

Alice beamed. ‘How about I make us hot chocolate?’

Lottie lightly clapped. ‘Now you’re talking.’

Ginny laughed. ‘Do you even know how to work that fancy gadget back there?’

Alice scoffed. ‘Please. I’m going to boil some milk in a pan, the normal way.’

‘Wait, wait,’ called Sophie, lighting the candles on the cake. ‘Let’s sing to Ginny first.’

‘No, we can skip that part,’ said Ginny.

Robson kissed her cheek. ‘No chance, chick.’

She sat back and watched them flailing their arms while belting out her least favourite song in the world when it was aimed at her, but out of politeness, she threw in a little cheer along with a clap.

Alice made the hot chocolate, Sophie sliced the cake, and Robson upped the volume on the radio, pulling Ginny to the makeshift dance floor.

‘You know you’re my best friend, right?’ he said close to her ear.

Ginny pulled back and grinned. ‘Yeah, why, what you after?’

Robson crinkled his brow. ‘Moi? Nothing, thank you very much. I just have some birthday advice.’

‘Is that a thing?’

He nodded and grinned. ‘Is now.’

‘Come on then. Hit me. What you got?’

‘It’s about Will.’

Ginny lost her smile. ‘I don’t want to talk about him, Rob. You know what he did.’

Robson nodded. ‘Yep. He put his foot in his mouth. Happens to the best of us.’

‘Well, it bloody well hurt.’

‘I think it hurt him too, Gin.’

She dropped her arms from his. ‘So you’re on his side?’

‘No. Yours. Always yours, no matter what.’

‘Funny way of showing it.’

Robson narrowed his eyes, but still the piercing blue went straight through her like a laser. ‘I happen to know he thinks the world of you. I don’t want you to walk away from that, because you deserve happiness. All kinds of happiness. You, my beautiful mate, deserve the world.’

His words melted her heart, but also scared her. What if she had just tossed out the best thing that had happened to her? Did it really matter? She’d spent her whole life holding her own hand.

She glanced down. She was holding her own hand now. ‘I’ve got more to think about now, what with the farmhouse.’

‘Let him in,’ said Robson, taking her hands. ‘That’s my birthday advice.’

Ginny needed to do something. Her heart ached for the sailor. But that was the problem. Just like her mother, he too now had the power to destroy her.

‘We’re going to his gran’s funeral in a couple of days,’ added Robson. ‘Why don’t you come? It’s not as though you didn’t know Babs.’

‘He didn’t exactly show up for me when my mum died.’

‘Wasn’t that because he thought you hated his guts?’

Ginny gave a half-hearted shrug. ‘I think it’s best I stay away, Rob. Just focus on my own life now.’

He gave a small nod, then pulled her back for a slow dance to the upbeat music playing. ‘You know what’s best for you.’

Ginny scoffed. ‘Since when?’

‘Ooh, I don’t know, since you moved out of your mum’s, since you set up your own business, since you bought a farmhouse, since you go after all those dreams of yours.’

‘I didn’t complete my tea shop dream.’

Robson nodded. ‘Well, let’s just focus on that then.’

Ginny nudged his side. ‘I’m just saying.’

‘You could always go ask Will for a Saturday job at his tearoom.’

‘Oh, ha-ha.’

‘Hey, sometimes what you want comes at you from a different angle to what you expected. You used to blow kisses out to sea, then a sailor came to town. You wanted a tea shop along the front, and now we have one. Well, when it opens. The point is—’

‘I need to read the small print when I make wishes.’

Robson laughed. ‘You, my lovely, need to open your eyes and see just how magical you truly are.’

Magic or no magic, Ginny had decided she was only going to focus on the good things in her life, because the past wasn’t going to own her any longer. Plus, she had something else coming her way to add into the mix of her new beginning. Something she hadn’t shared with her friends just yet. But they’d find out soon enough. Everyone would, including Will. So, sod Lee, and her demons. A whole year was ahead of her, and she was determined to fill it with nothing but happiness.