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

noise, we both ran out of the room, with Dixie joining us on the landing in hot pursuit.
    Nothing could’ve prepared us for the sight awaiting us. Rose was lying in a lifeless, crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs.

Chapter 8
    The next hour was punctuated by flashing blue lights, sirens and medical jargon. As soon as Rose got to the hospital, she was whisked away to have her injuries assessed and treated. Noah and I sat in silence waiting for news, our feud temporarily on ice. His large frame was hunched forward and he made a little pyramid with his fingers to rest his chin on.
    â€˜God, I hope she’s OK.’ His voice was gruff and thick, like he was trying to keep his emotions below the surface. ‘Why the hell aren’t they telling us anything?!’
    I chewed my thumbnail as I tried to work out how best to comfort him. We’d only known each other for a couple of days and had spent most of that fighting, so I wasn’t in the best position to offer platitudes or advice. But I also didn’t want to do nothing. It wasn’t fair to leave him feeling terrible just because I wasn’t sure how to handle it.
    I reached over and tentatively patted his back. To my surprise, he didn’t flinch or pull away. ‘I’m sure she’ll be all right; she came round for a bit in the ambulance, remember? Shall we try to find a doctor, see what’s going on?’
    â€˜What if she’s not OK? I don’t know what I’ll do if—’
    Noah gave himself a shake and scrubbed a hand over his face. All the colour had gone from his skin and he looked genuinely afraid, although he was doing his best to hide it. I felt incredibly sorry for him; Rose was obviously an important person in his life and he was now faced with the prospect of losing her. As much as we’d fought since I’d arrived in Luna Bay, it was awful to see him going through something so terrifying. I felt absolutely useless for not knowing how to offer anything in the way of comfort or support. Business was my strong point, not emotions. Closing deals came easily to me; helping someone through a difficult time was a lot trickier. I searched my brain for the right thing to do or say, but no answers came. I found myself missing Frankie’s wit and wisdom even more. It came in handy at times like this.
    â€˜I’ll go and get us both a coffee and see if I can find someone who’ll help. Once you know what’s happening with Rose, you’ll be able to relax a bit more.’
    He nodded, staring off into space like he was in a catatonic trance. I watched him for a second as I walked down the corridor in search of a doctor and a vending machine. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through: the fear, the guilt, the swarm of what ifs flying through his mind at lightning speed. Noah Hartley looked like a man on the edge. And, much as I didn’t want to admit it, I felt incredibly sorry for him.
    *
    By the time I brought two mugs of weak-looking coffee back, two people had joined Noah: a man and a woman. The man looked similar to him – same colour of hair and shape of lips – while the woman had curly brown hair and bright-green eyes. They were chatting in hushed tones and stopped when they saw me. That seemed to be happening a lot with the residents of Luna Bay I’d met so far.
    â€˜This was all I could find; sorry, it’s a bit crap-looking.’ I thrust a cup in Noah’s direction and almost spilled it on his jeans. ‘I found a doctor. He said he’ll be here to fill us in on what’s going on with Rose soon.’
    He looked at me for a second, his expression unreadable. ‘Thanks, Emily, I really appreciate it.’ His face soured when he took a sip of the coffee. ‘Although this tastes like a tramp’s fart.’
    The man and woman looked expectantly at me and I suddenly remembered I hadn’t introduced myself.
    â€˜Where are my manners?!