Page 5 of The Cornish Christmas Book Clu
An elderly man with a walking stick went into the shop, probably to buy his daily paper — he didn’t look like someone who’d get his news online. Gage found himself sizing everyone up as potential customers.
He yawned and was debating whether to finish up, get a shower and snatch a few hours of sleep when a woman strode into view. From here she looked positively Amazonian. Despite the dull, chilly morning, she wore short sleeves that showed off impressively toned arms. While all this was running through his mind, the woman marched across the road to stand in front of the window and glower at Gage.
Never a man to back down, he limped over to the door and flung it open. ‘Good morning.’
‘You’ve bought this shop?’ It sounded more like an accusation than a question.
‘Yep. I’m Gage Bennet.’ He stuck out his hand and after a brief moment of hesitation, she shook it. The strength in her grip took him by surprise and when she let go, he rubbed his fingers together. What did she do for fun? Bend iron bars?
‘Tamara Pascoe. So, what’re you going to do with the place?’
It seemed easiest to simply tell her, so he did.
‘A bookshop?’ Her ruddy, tanned skin bore no traces of make-up and the natural, tousled blonde hair brushing her shoulders would scare any stylist to death. Despite that — or because of it — she drew the eye. His eye. ‘You’ll be bankrupt in a year.’
‘I take it you’re not a reader.’
The sharp comeback threw her, and pinpricks of heat flared in her cheeks. ‘I certainly am! And I love bookshops. But—’
‘You think I’m crazy,’ he said bluntly. ‘It’s a little quiet here, I admit. But you must’ve heard the famous quote from that Kevin Costner film,Field of Dreams, that goes a bit like “If you build something, people will come”?’
The challenge made her big blue eyes narrow on him. ‘Good luck is all I can say.’
Her scathing comment put his back up.
‘It’s none of my business, but why pick Penworthal?’
Gage weighed up how honest to be. He couldn’t mention his connection to Becky, because his half-sister had been taken aback by his plan to open a shop and settle in the village. Unless she’d told them by now, her husband and children knew nothing about Gage. Wally’s long, secret affair with Gage’s mother had been firmly swept under the carpet by Becky’s mother. She’d replaced it with a lie that the Harrises’ marriage had ended by mutual agreement because they’d drifted apart.
‘I’m sorry, Gage, my love, but you’ve properly caught me on the hop. Give me a bit of time and we’ll sort things out.’
That hadn’t been the open-hearted welcome he’d foolishly hoped for, but, in Becky’s defence, he could see she’d hated sending him away with nothing more than a vague promise.
‘I visited a few times as a kid and loved it,’ he told Tamara. That was true enough. ‘I was looking for somewhere to settle after I got out of the Royal Marines, so it seemed a good choice. I’m also a huge book nerd.’ It irked Gage that he was forced todefend his choice of location when it was frankly nobody else’s business.
‘Me too.’ The confession came reluctantly. ‘I’m in a book club with six of my best friends, so I’m sure we’ll all be customers.’
He reined in his urge to say, ‘Don’t force yourself.’ Making himself agreeable to people didn’t come naturally to Gage. If he wanted the business to succeed, he’d have to grit his teeth and learn to like it. He hadn’t paid much attention to all the warnings about the difficulties of adjusting to civilian life, but they’d been right.
‘Great. I need all the booklovers I can find.’
‘I’d better get on. The scones and sticky toffee puddings won’t cook themselves.’
‘You’re a cook?’
Tamara pointed across the road. ‘I make the cakes and puddings at the pub, and I’m a part-time barmaid too. But the landlady’s giving up the tenancy in the new year and there’s a good chance I’ll be out on my ear when the new people arrive.’ She straightened her broad, muscular shoulders. ‘No point in whingeing, is there?’
He sensed there was something else she wanted to say, but she clamped her lips tight on whatever it was.
‘I might pop over later for a pint.’
‘Feel free.’
Gage wasn’t sure why his gaze dropped to her left hand. Ringless. That didn’t mean too much these days, though. As he glanced back up, their eyes met and he felt himself redden. Tamara tossed her head and turned away.
Chapter Three
‘So, dish all the dirt. Who’s the hunky hottie and what’s he up to over there?’ Pixie cornered Tamara in the kitchen where she was elbow-deep in scone mixture.
