Read Online The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club by Lynsey James - Free Book Online

recover from the temporary blip on my radar and close the sale of Sunflower Cottage. That was what I was here to do.

Chapter 7
    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 the table as Dixie chased a green tennis ball around the room. The conversation came to an abrupt halt and they each turned to look at me. Dixie immediately rolled out the welcome wagon and brought me her ball, so I threw it down the lobby for her.
    â€˜Hello, dear!’ Rose’s voice was as bright and sunny as the day outside. ‘Nice to see you getting out and about! There’s food going if you fancy any?’
    I could see Noah staring in my direction, his facial expression unreadable. It was as though he was searching for some tiny imperfection on my face; his brow was crumpled and his eyes slightly narrowed. I squirmed; I didn’t like being under the spotlight.
    â€˜Sure,’ I replied, taking a seat at the table. ‘I’d love some. Maybe we could talk business too?’
    Noah took that as his cue to leave, calling to Dixie to come with him. He shot me a dark look before he left the room. Rose didn’t seem to mind and cut us some cake, sticking the slices on china plates and joining me back at the table. I got ready to put my business head on and banish that day’s bombshell from my mind. Business was what I knew, what I was comfortable with. It would help me forget.
    Rose, however, had other ideas.
    â€˜Don’t mind him,’ she said, leaning in conspiratorially. ‘He’s a lovely boy really, just forgets himself sometimes. As you’ll probably have gathered, he’s none too keen about me selling this place. Can’t say I blame him really; Sunflower Cottage has been like home for him since… Well, it means a lot to him, let’s just say.’
    Her eyes quickly darted to her tea, as though she knew she’d almost said too much. ‘H… he was telling me your car will be up and running again soon; something to do with the battery or something…’
    I stared at the door he’d just walked out of, expecting him to come storming back in at any moment. ‘Does he help you run this place?’
    â€˜When he’s not busy at the garage, yes,’ said Rose. ‘He wants to be here full-time; would spend every waking minute here if he could! But I told him: I said I wanted him out there living his life instead of being stuck here with me. The silly sod gave up his job last year after I had a fall and moved down here! He had his own mechanics business in Leeds and he sold it to come and live in Luna Bay. Told me he’d only be staying a few weeks until I got back on my feet then casually announced he’d bought a cottage nearby! I nearly fainted with shock.’
    Noah’s devotion to Rose and Sunflower Cottage came as something of a pleasant surprise and I found myself smiling.
    â€˜Wow, so he just packed up his life and came down here? That’s brave,’ I remarked, trying not to let my surprise seep into my voice.
    â€˜He’s a brave person.’ Rose chose not to elaborate and took a forkful of lemon drizzle cake. ‘Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?’
    *
    I spent the next hour eating my body weight in cake, drinking enough tea to fill the North Sea and explaining the features and benefits of Walter Marshall Hotels to Rose again. I laid her fears to rest and told her we wouldn’t be bulldozing Sunflower Cottage and replacing it with some anonymous glass-and-steel skyscraper, even showing her a PowerPoint presentation on my laptop.
    â€˜This place has so much character,’ I’d said, gesturing around at the gorgeous country kitchen. ‘Why would we want to lose that?’
    By the time I left to go back to my room, I felt more confident about closing the deal than ever. Rose had made some very