Page 42 of Coming Home to Hope Street

‘Are you awake?’ she whispered.

‘No,’ he whispered back.

She giggled but left him alone. The next thing she knew it was half past seven and Doug was turning round to reach for her in a different way. Mmm, she’d never complain about sleepy sex.

After breakfast, they walked hand in hand down Hope Street. She waved at Phoebe at work in the salon as she went past the window and then popped her head around the front door.

‘Don’t forget – ten a.m.,’ she cried, her voice a little higher than normal.

‘Why, what’s happening?’ Phoebe teased. ‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

Hannah beamed as she caught up with Doug again. ‘I think someone needs to pinch me. How can my life have changed so much in such a short space of time? I’m sure I’m going to wake up soon and find it’s been a dream. It’s all down to you, you know.’ She pulled him close and planted a kiss on his cheek.

‘No, it isn’t,’ he replied.

‘I just hope the townsfolk of Somerley appreciate how much trouble we’ve gone to.’ She turned into the square. ‘The Book Stop is going to be such a lovely addition, even though I do say so myself.’

Then she gasped as she saw the outside of the shop. There were lilac and gold balloons in a line above the sign, and rows of white bunting zigzagging across the forecourt. Tables had been placed outside to show the two businesses were now one.

She turned to Doug, eyes wide. ‘Did you know about this?’

‘Just a little,’ he smirked.

As they drew closer, she spotted a display board in the shape of a book and grinned like a loon.

‘We have a book shop,’ she said.

‘You’re going to do fine with it, I’m sure.’ Doug dragged her forward and they ran the last few metres. Outside the shop, he picked her off the floor and twirled her round. Then as he planted her back down again, he hugged her tight. ‘I’m so pleased I came to Hope Street.’

‘I’m glad you came back when you left,’ she cried. ‘Can you imagine if you hadn’t?’

He pressed a finger to her lips. ‘Let’s leave the past in the past. We got there in the end.’

She smiled at him again, eyes wide with delight. ‘We certainly did.’

Inside the coffee shop, the hustle and bustle was like a normal morning. Livvy arrived early to do her shift.

‘I have a small gift for you,’ she said, handing Hannah a package.

‘What is it?’ Hannah pulled the wrapping off quickly. It was a wooden plaque with the message “This is where our story begins” written on it.

‘I thought it would look nice on the wall somewhere,’ Livvy said.

‘Thank you! It’s perfect.’ Hannah drew her into her embrace. ‘I’ll hang it now.’

Livvy went to put on her apron.

‘Not today,’ Kate told her. ‘You can work with Hannah in the book shop.’

‘Thanks. I’ll play it by ear, though, and help out if I need to.’ Livvy beamed as she followed Hannah’s disappearing form.

Hannah hung the plaque on the wall behind the till. She wondered if Livvy had bought it pointedly, to show how much she was glad she’d come back to Somerley. Was it their story – hers and her sister’s – that it referred to? She hoped so.

Since Livvy had started working with her to get the book shop ready, Hannah had realised she liked having her around much more than she’d thought when she’d first set eyes on her. It was great to have her close by too. She’d yet to learn any more information about why she’d come home now after twenty years and, although disappointed, she knew there was plenty of time for that to come out.

‘This brings back memories of opening The Coffee Stop,’ Kate said to Chloe as they all sat down for a drink half an hour before the book shop was due to open. ‘I was telling Doug and Hannah about the power cut we had.’

‘Ugh, don’t remind me,’ Chloe balked. ‘It still went well though, despite the noise.’ She waved her hand in front of her mouth. ‘And the smell from the generator was disgusting.’

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