Fully Booked Read online

  ‘The golf course looks pretty sinister in the darkness. All those grinning skulls – is that the impression it’s trying to give?’

  Robin laughed. ‘Not at all. Maggie’s owned it for as long as I can remember, and it’s very popular with children. As far as I’m aware, they don’t get terrified by it.’ She sighed dramatically. ‘I don’t know, Will. Needing a night light, and now scared of a few plastic skulls? I’m beginning to see a different side to you.’

  ‘I’m not maintaining my fearless Bear Grylls exterior?’

  ‘Not one hundred per cent,’ Robin admitted. ‘Why don’t you let me take you to Skull Island when it’s open, lay the ghost to rest? I could give you a tour of Campion Bay at the same time.’

  ‘Will you hold my hand if I get scared?’ He grinned at her.

  ‘That depends on whether you’ve perfected your one-armed golf-swing.’

  ‘I could give it a go.’

  ‘So it’s a date? I mean, it’s – we’ll – you’ll let me …’ She stopped under the weight of his gaze.

  ‘Yes, Robin,’ he said softly, his smile faltering. ‘I’d love you to show me round, although dare I say you’ve done so much for me already, I’m not sure I deserve a personal tour as well.’

  ‘See how it feels, being on the receiving end of all the information for a change?’

  ‘And you’ve obviously got a lot of it. I didn’t know about the moon names. They’re different every month?’

  Robin nodded. ‘There’s the wolf moon and the sturgeon moon and the snow moon and the hunter’s moon and harvest moon. There’s flower moon and strawberry moon … and some others. They come from a tribe I’m not even going to try and pronounce the name of right now, who used them to track the seasons. So they all fit with what’s happening at that time of year.’

  ‘I had no idea.’

  ‘It’s a good night for it,’ she said. ‘Moon-gazing, at least. I’m not sure how many stars we’d see, being as it’s so bright.’

  ‘I haven’t used the telescope yet – I’ve not even thought to. I’ve been falling straight into bed every night, drifting off under the glowing canopy. Obviously, that’s your fault for providing such a comfortable room. But maybe, one night soon, you could come up and show me what I’m missing out on?’

  ‘Sorry?’ Robin stood up straight, her mouth suddenly dry.

  ‘The stars,’ he clarified. ‘You clearly know more than you’re letting on.’

  She shook her head. ‘I don’t.’

  He was standing so close, looking down at her. Robin thought that he’d taken a step towards her, but he was still leaning against the banister, and she realised she must have closed the gap between them. It would be so easy to stretch up and press her lips against his. Her body was alive with the anticipation of how it would feel, how she would feel inside those strong arms.

  ‘What about the books that belong to your friend Neve?’

  Robin took a step back, his mention of Neve’s name shocking her out of her daze. She shook her head, unsure what to say.

  She had been imagining getting so close to him, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to tell him one of the most important things about her. They knew nothing about each other, and there was so much going on. He was one of her guests, a customer, and she was already going above and beyond by helping him with the clear-out. If something happened between them and it went wrong, would Molly and the residents of Goldcrest Road forgive her for putting her personal feelings ahead of the wider aim of keeping Tim away from number four? Things were far, far too complicated for anything to happen between her and Will.

  He shifted uncomfortably, his brows lowering in confusion. ‘Sorry, did I say something wrong?’

  ‘No, not at all. It – it’s late, isn’t it? We’ve both had a lot to drink and I have to get up in the morning, to make breakfasts, yours included.’ She picked up her shoes and pushed her elbow against her bedroom door, forgetting she’d locked it before they’d gone out.

  ‘Robin, are you OK?’

  ‘Of course. I just need to get to bed.’ She tried to select the right key and slot it into the lock without relinquishing her hold on her shoes or handbag.

  ‘Here, let me.’ Will took the key ring from her and opened the door, being careful not to push it too quickly so Robin fell inside with it.

  ‘Thank you.’ She stepped into her room and dropped her shoes on the bed. When she turned back he was closing the door slowly, shutting himself out and her in.

  ‘Great room,’ he whispered, nodding his head at the fairy lights that were wound around her silver, wrought-iron headboard. She hadn’t put pinprick lights in her room – it had seemed like an extravagance she couldn’t afford – but she had created the effect in her own, unsubtle way.

  She’d switched the fairy lights on earlier that evening, and the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling had absorbed their light and were giving off their greenish hue. She tried to picture what he was seeing; her standing there in the half-darkness, probably with wine-stained lips, in a bedroom that looked like it belonged to a teenager.

  She wanted to explain that she needed the stars; that they weren’t just for effect. She wanted to tell him that after Neve’s death she hadn’t been able to sleep in the dark, the blue flashing lights and the sounds of the screams returning stronger than ever whenever she’d closed her eyes. Will’s comments had been flippant, but she had needed a night light. She wanted to tell him everything, but by the time she’d realised that she was willing to trust him with it, he’d whispered her a good night and was gone.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning Robin worked determinedly through her headache, refusing to give in to something that was self-inflicted. Felix and Olivia had asked for kedgeree, and she’d prepared a champagne breakfast for Emily and Jonathan and taken it to their room, looking as cheerful and perky as possible. Paige was in a particularly chirpy mood, humming what sounded like a very monotonous dance track – or else just one line of a song, over and over – and Robin felt, for the first time since she’d opened the guesthouse, that she was getting to the end of her tether.

  ‘I can’t believe he’s been in Starcross for so long,’ Paige said, alerting Robin to the fact that they were in the middle of a conversation about Will that she hadn’t been paying attention to. ‘How does he afford it? Isn’t it nearly a fortnight?’

  ‘Nearly,’ Robin confirmed. ‘But he’s given up work to come down here and sort through his aunt’s house, so it makes sense that he’d have some money for expenses.’

  ‘Not if he had planned to stay in the house all along.’ Paige waved a spatula around to emphasise her point. ‘And he brought his dog, so – well, I dunno. Is it fair that he’s hogging the room?’ She spun to face Robin, her pretty face doing a perfect teenager pout.

  Robin laughed and then winced as the red-wine anvil sliced through her head. Sixteen-year-old Paige had inherited her curiosity from Molly, and Robin was often reminded how similar mother and daughter were. ‘Nobody else has booked it, so he’s not stopping anyone from staying in there.’

  ‘So what does it say on the website? If I were to go to the online booking system, when could I book Starcross from? Theoretically.’

  Robin turned away as the toast popped out of the toaster, knowing that whatever she said Paige could check for herself anyway. ‘I’ve held it until the end of the month, just until I know what Will’s doing.’

  ‘That’s another three weeks! And there’s only one of him. Isn’t it the most romantic room you have? I think it is. Shouldn’t it be reserved for couples?’

  ‘No, Paige.’ Robin shook her head. ‘It’s for whoever books it. And you never know, Will might decide Tabitha’s house is habitable after another few days, and then I can free it up. Why are you so interested, anyway?’

  ‘I just want to be involved,’ Paige said sullenly. ‘I do work here, after all.’

  ‘And I couldn’t be more grateful for that than I am to
day.’ She gave the young woman a warm smile. ‘Here, leftover hash browns. Nobody wanted extras this morning.’

  ‘Don’t you still have to feed Will? He hasn’t appeared yet.’

  ‘No, but he might be feeling a bit fragile, like I am. By the time he comes down, this will be cold – go on, save it going to waste.’

  ‘Ta.’ Paige nibbled it delicately and then poured a splurge of tomato ketchup over the rest and shovelled it into her mouth.

  There was a knock on the door, and Emily and Jonathan Hannigan stood in the doorway of the patio garden. Robin was struck again by how smartly dressed they were. Emily’s long turquoise skirt glittered with silver thread detail, and the brown shirt Jonathan was wearing had cream stitching running round the seams.

  ‘Hello, can we come in for a moment?’ Emily asked. ‘Is it allowed?’

  ‘Of course. Please excuse the mess, though.’

  They stepped into the kitchen and hovered awkwardly, as if waiting for Robin to start the conversation.

  ‘How can I help?’ she asked. ‘Was there a problem with breakfast?’

  ‘Not at all. The champagne breakfast was perfect. It’s our anniversary today, which is why we chose it, and now we were wondering – I know you said if you could help in any way …’ Emily glanced at her husband and he took up the mantle.

  ‘Would you be happy to take some photos of us, on the beach? Just a few quick snaps that we can remember the day by? We didn’t want to go over the top and hire a photographer, but we’re after something a bit better than a few selfies. If it’s too much of an imposition, though, please say.’

  ‘I’d be more than happy to,’ Robin said, her mind flashing back to the photo of the happy Once in a Blue Moon Days couple, Artem and Janine, on the private beach in Cornwall. ‘Except, I might not be the best person for the job. Paige, would you like to do it?’

  Paige shook her head. ‘I’ll stay here and finish the breakfasts. You look like you could do with the fresh air.’

  Robin smiled gratefully, knowing Paige was only trying to be helpful, but after the way she’d left it with Will the night before, she wanted to clear the air before he disappeared to Tabitha’s house. ‘It’s fine, Paige. I feel fine.’

  ‘Please, Robin,’ Emily said, clasping her hands together. ‘I’d love to hear more about the guesthouse, and where you got the inspiration for our room. Some of the paintings are local, aren’t they?’

  ‘Most of them are. Paige, if you’re sure you don’t mind holding the fort? We won’t be gone long.’

  ‘Half an hour, tops,’ Jonathan added.

  ‘You go. I’ll be perfectly fine here.’ Paige waved them away and turned to the kitchen counter, her humming starting up again.

  Robin smiled. Paige had shown herself to be more than competent when it came to refurbishments, as well as breakfasts and changeovers, and would probably relish the opportunity to be in sole charge of Will’s breakfast.

  ‘I’ll nip up and get the camera.’ Jonathan headed up the stairs.

  ‘Are you enjoying it so far?’ Robin asked Emily. ‘At least the weather’s decided to be kind this week. Campion Bay always looks at its best in the sunshine.’

  ‘We love it,’ Emily admitted. ‘The town centre is so full of interesting shops, and somehow has this lazy, chilled-out feel about it even when it’s busy. And I could stroll up the promenade with fish and chips every day.’

  ‘Have you seen—’ Robin started, just as the doorbell rang. ‘Hold that thought.’

  She opened the door to find Will standing in front of her, a huge bouquet of lilies and roses obscuring most of his face. Robin was dumbstruck, her mind unable to juggle the scene into making any kind of sense.

  ‘These just got delivered for you,’ he said breathlessly. ‘I was coming up the path, and a van pulled up. He asked if a Robin Brennan lived here, and when I confirmed it, seemed happy for me to give them to you.’

  She could see his eyes above the pink blooms, and when she didn’t respond, his brows knitted together. ‘Sorry, did you think—’

  ‘Who on earth are they from?’ Robin cut in, hoping her confusion would mask the disappointment she felt that they weren’t from him. Although, she reasoned, wouldn’t that have been weird anyway?

  Darcy skittered ahead of Will into the hall, barking repeatedly.

  ‘Calm down, Darcy.’ Will passed the bouquet to Robin. The bunch was heavy, the flowers beautiful and scented, the sort of thing she and Neve had often ordered for their Once in a Blue Moon Days. ‘Darcy has never liked lilies,’ Will explained, as the Cavapoo continued to yelp.

  ‘Probably because they’re associated with funerals,’ Emily said.

  ‘Who’s got a secret admirer?’ Jonathan asked, hurrying down the stairs and kissing his wife on the cheek.

  ‘They’re Robin’s,’ Emily said. ‘How exciting! Shall we leave you alone to read the card? We can always do the photos later.’

  ‘No, that’s fine, I’ll only be a moment.’ Robin took the bouquet into Sea Shanty and placed it on the table. It took her a few seconds to find the card in amongst the sea of petals. There were white lilies, pale pink and vibrant yellow roses, some still perfect buds, some flowers fully open and filling the room with their perfume.

  Glancing behind her, she could see that Will had his towel round his shoulders, his trodden-down trainers half on his feet. He had been for his morning swim despite their wine-soaked evening. Now he was standing between Emily and Jonathan, and she thought she saw a flicker of annoyance pass across his face before he replaced it with a smile and pointed at the stairs.

  She nodded and watched him disappear from view, Darcy, her barking halted, loping up behind him. Robin forced herself to turn back to the small white envelope in her hands and pulled the card out, reading the note inside without even looking at the image on the front.

  I’m sorry for the other night. You’re much more important to me than any sale. Can we get to know each other again? TL x

  A strange feeling lodged itself in Robin’s chest, mingling with her foolishness. She should have known. It was a classically expensive and over-the-top statement, one that screamed Tim Lewis. He was apologising for his behaviour the night she’d introduced him to Will, but was he being genuine, or was this just another way of marking territory he wrongly thought was his? Would he have laughed at the perfect timing that had led to Will accepting the flowers from the delivery driver, or was she being overly cynical?

  She put the card on the table and returned to her guests.

  ‘A good surprise?’ Emily asked.

  Robin shoved her purse and phone in the pockets of her jeans. ‘I don’t know. It’s complicated.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Emily said, sounding genuinely concerned. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’ll work itself out, one way or another,’ Robin said with a flippancy she didn’t feel. ‘Shall we?’

  She opened the front door for them and then stepped out into a balmy spring morning that instantly soothed her head and made her feel brighter. The heaviness seemed to lift the closer they got to the beach, and she slipped her ballet pumps off and left them next to the wall as the three of them made their way to a clear spot near to the water.

  The sand was damp and cool beneath her feet and, still relatively early, the beach was quiet, the sound of the waves filling her head.

  ‘What about here?’ she asked. ‘I can take a few with the sea in the background, and then get some with the seafront behind, so you have a variety.’

  ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’ Jonathan said.

  ‘It’s my pleasure. I’m always happy to play even a small part in memorable occasions.’

  ‘You used to do it for a living, didn’t you? Before this?’

  Robin nodded, closing her eyes briefly and letting the wind catch her hair. She started taking photos, concentrating her efforts on framing the shots, Emily and Jonathan turning out to be as photogenic as they were friendly. She took some with the sea an
d beach behind, and then moved round so that they had their backs to the houses and businesses on Goldcrest Road. Robin walked backwards, hoping to get in a few colourful long shots.

  ‘Wait!’ Emily shouted at her.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ She found out a millisecond later as a low wave crashed across her ankles, soaking the bottom of her jeans. Her guests looked horrified, but Robin grinned. ‘Hazard of the job. Have a look through these and see what you think. We can always take some more.’ She handed the camera to them and they peered at the screen together, nodding and making approving noises.

  ‘These are great,’ Jonathan said. ‘Exactly what we’d hoped for.’

  ‘Thank you so much, Robin. This week is really special for us, and we wanted to remember it.’

  ‘Your seventh anniversary,’ Robin said, remembering the conversation they’d had when they first arrived.

  Emily nodded. ‘If you count both times.’

  ‘And it’s really worked, despite all that time apart in between? I mean, you seem so happy – happier than most people – so I guess it has.’

  ‘I understand your scepticism,’ Jonathan said. ‘Lots of our friends and relatives were incredulous, a few tried to talk us out of going through with it, saying there was no way it would last when it had failed the first time.’

  ‘But that was the point,’ Emily added. ‘It hadn’t worked the first time. We were too young, we didn’t know ourselves well enough, let alone know each other. It went wrong, and we thought that was it. Of course, you do in your early twenties – the whole world is ahead of you once you come out of the other side of a break-up.’

  ‘But you found each other again,’ Robin said.

  Jonathan nodded, wrapping his arm around his wife.

  ‘I can’t imagine it.’ Robin picked up her shoes and walked alongside them. ‘Even if there’s some residual feelings, an echo of the attraction that had first drawn you together, how can you get past all that’s happened since, or however it ended the first time round?’

  Emily stopped walking and looked closely at Robin. ‘It sounds like you’re speaking from experience.’