Page 65 of The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove

His take on the whole women and men coming from different planets was that they absolutely were and that their brains were wired up differently. He went on to say that he thought Dennis wouldn’t have even thought about the consequences of me ever finding out about the bet, because his two worlds would never have collided.

It was useful to have this insight, but I just had to figure out what I wanted, whether this was enough for me to forgive him.

I did know that I was getting restless and was itching to get back to Driftwood Bay and the bookshop properly, and it be my life once more. I missed it, but wasn’t sure how it would feel going back. Would I ever be able to forgive Dennie? Could we ever go back to how we were? Or did I cut my losses and break all ties with him? I didn’t think we could ever just be friends again, so maybe that was the best thing to do. A bruised heart was notone that could make sensible decisions. But whatever I decided, I did know that life would go on. I could wallow with my wounds, but the only person suffering from that would be me. The world would keep on turning and I had to jump back on the merry-go-round of life.

My brain hurt from overthinking everything. Tomorrow was another day and I would try to make some decisions about it then. I’d been away long enough and skulking around in the middle of the night was playing havoc with my circadian rhythms. It was time to take back my life just like my brother was taking back his.

42

The next day, Mum was busy at work but said that she’d pop in for post when she’d finished, and Dan and I were so tired we decided we wouldn’t go to the shop that night. When Mum phoned to say she couldn’t get round because her car had broken down, Dan and I had both drunk the contents of a bottle and a half of wine so there was no way either of us could drive.

Mum came round early the next morning instead and this time there were two gold envelopes, both of which I practically snatched out of her hands. I opened the first one immediately, sloping off to my bedroom where I sat on the edge of my bed and read it.

Nancy,

It’s time for the final part of the story. But before you read that, there is something else I want you to know.

I’m not one for showing my vulnerability. I’ve kept it buried for years to protect myself. But with you it was different. Once I held you in my arms, and kissed your lips, I felt like it was the start of something huge. It was like you’d claimed the missing piece of my heart and made it complete once more. I pictured a future that we could have together. I clung onand didn’t ever want to let go. I saw us together for years to come, growing old together, being an old couple sat in bed, discussing our children and our grandchildren. Reminiscing over our life and how fabulous it had been. Me still watching you like I watched you that morning when I stayed over at yours. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from you. You were so beautiful that day, the light so bright in your eyes with everything that lay ahead. I hoped that we would love each other forever. When you were in my arms that night,it was everything to me. You were everything to me, Nancy. You gave me hope.

I will be eternally sorry that I messed that up.

The Final Chapter

When the company was sold a few months later, Craig was promoted over Dennis’s head and it soon came to light that the person who bought the company was Craig’s uncle. And so he’d had to hand the reins over to Craig. Dennis had always dreamed of being made a director and now he felt that it was never going to happen.

One day, Dennis came to visit his nan in Driftwood Bay. He’d been many times before but this time was different. When he collided with another body in the harbour, his eyes fell upon the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen and he couldn’t drag his eyes away from her. He’d never been a huge reader, but his nan had invited him to go along to the launch of the girl’s new bookshop that was opening up. He was desperate to see this girl again and when he walked through her shop door and she turned and smiled at him, he felt like he’d known her all his life. This feeling was new to him and if he was honest, it scared the crap out of him, but he spent a little timewith her and they got on like a house on fire. He tried really hard not to show off, but the experience he’dgained over the years told him that he could help her have a much more successful business than she currently had.

They couldn’t have been more opposite. He was fact and evidence based, and she left everything to the universe to decide. He was into designer gear because it was his way of showing people how successful he was, whereas she wore vintage clothes and those she’d found in charity shops, wanting to save the world with her strong values on recycling. He was guarded and closed off. She wore her heart on her sleeve. He had to be financially stable; it was his only way to feel safe and protected. She already felt safe and protected by the people and the environment that she lived in. He wanted to make money. She wanted to make the world a better place.

When they finally worked out that opposites could indeed attract, they began to bond. They learned from each other and they began to fall in love.

Dennis returned to London to sort things out for work. His feelings for the bookshop owner were stronger thananythinghe’d ever experienced before. He knew that their worlds were very different and that she could never work in London, but he knew that if he did things right, he could work from Driftwood Bay, travelling back to the city if and when he was needed. It was a perfect solution. But first he had to get Craig to agree to his plan.

Dennis channelled his inner Nancy and put hisvulnerability on the line and told Craig the truth. That he’d fallen in love and wanted to give it a chance to bloom and flourish. Craig agreed that it was definitely a solution but the only way that he would agree for him to have the time off was if Dennis and he had a wager. That Dennis couldn’t turn around the little bookshop in the little seaside town into a booming business. If Dennis refused to take the bet, then Craig would refuse to let his plan come to fruition and wouldsend him all over thecountry on assignments just to make his life as awkward as he could. Craig really was an arsehole.

But sadly, Dennis needed Craig to agree, for him and Nancy to stand a chance of being together. He wanted this more than anything else in the world, and so he accepted the bet, hoping and praying that Nancy would never find out.

Epilogue

Unbeknown to Dennis, Craig’s uncle who had previously owned the business had told Craig when a deal had turned sour that he wished he was more like Dennis. That he wished he’d made Dennis the CEO instead ofCraig because he would have been a better choice.Craig obviously saw red, jumped on the first train to Truro, got in a cab to Driftwood Bay with a bottle of whisky and blurted out the whole story.

Dennis loves Nancy. Nancy doesn’t like Dennis any more.

The End

I’d been trying to fight my feelings since I met you, Nancy. But it was hard. My feelings for you grew by the day until you became my everything. The person I looked forward to seeing each day. The person who made – makes – my heart happy.

Thank you for letting me feel that. I shall be forever grateful.

Right now, there’s a Nancy-shaped hole in my life. And my heart hurts. Like hell!

I miss you, Nancy, and I love you.

Dennie

xxx

I knew now. What I needed to do was to go back to Driftwood Bay. Dennis would be waiting for me, and while I wouldn’t make it easy for him, I would in time forgive him and we could move on with our lives. Together.

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