Page 68 of Sunrise By the Sea

Thankfully, kind Kerensa gave Avery a cuddle. Daisy would almost certainly have been coy and careful about what she wanted but Avery could not be.

‘CAN I COME IN YOUR CAR BOAT?’

‘’Fraid not, kid,’ said Reuben. ‘I’d have to insure you for four million. Hey, hi!’

He waved at Huckle and Polly, who came down to greet them.

‘Wow, it’s been pretty rough here, huh.’

His face, however, was beaming.

‘How long have you had that thing?’ said Huckle.

‘Don’t ask,’ said Kerensa. ‘He’s been so desperate for a chance to show it off.’

‘They only ever made four hundred,’ said Reuben.

‘And the rest are at the bottom of the sea,’ added Kerensa. ‘Have you got anything to eat? The boys are starving.’

‘Sure am,’ said Reuben.

In response, Polly showed her the wreck of the Little Beach Street Bakery.

‘Oh, man,’ said Reuben. ‘Oh, man, that’s bad. Are my ovens all right?’

‘They will be.’

‘Good, good.’

He turned to address the crowd that had gathered round.

‘I got something for you all,’ he said, in a way that made Polly a little anxious. Being in Reuben’s debt could be an uncomfortable place to be.

‘I’m going to buy everyone . . . new doors! Watertight, waterproof, whatever the water thing is. You can have ’em! New doors, new weather-proof windows! All on me.’

Polly speculated, correctly, whether Reuben had just made any large investments in glassware firms as the locals cheered.

‘Yeah yeah yeah,’ said Reuben. He looked back at Polly.

‘Are you absolutely sure you didn’t bake anything at home this morning and were keeping it for emergencies?’

Of course Polly had.

‘Great,’ said Reuben, digging into the wicker basket with jam tarts, lemon curd, and cheese twists she had made up for the helpers. He had got steadily chubbier over the years, even as Kerensa had got thinner and thinner, in the manner of the very rich, and he stuck both paws in.

‘“Thanks for the door, Reuben”,’ he said finally. ‘Seriously. I’m buying you an awesome door, girl dude.’

‘Oh yes,’ said Polly, distracted. Of course it was a kind offer, of course it was, she was so grateful. And of course she didn’t want his money; they were friends, after all. But a new door . . . it didn’t begin to touch the sides of what they were facing, not really. Nowhere near.

She swallowed down that thought. New doors would be great.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’m so grateful.’

‘I just need one thing in return.’

Of course he did.

‘I need you to cater Lowin’s birthday party.’

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