Page 105 of The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop
‘But having the right people, in the right place: that’s what really matters.’
‘You’ve got good people in the bookshop, too.’ Ollie gestured to Becky, sitting on the arm of the sofa and ruffling Meg’s hair, the little girl calling out nonsensical answers to Finn and Dylan, trying to join in.
‘I have,’ Thea said. ‘You, me and Becky, I really think we’re making something of our little bookshop. I’m so glad to be working with you both.’
‘I can’t imagine not being a part of it. And I …’ Was it too soon to say it out loud? Was it tempting fate?
Thea nudged her gently. ‘What?’
Ollie turned to her. ‘I’ve found my home, too. Here. Max. This motley crew.’ She nodded towards the living space, the chaotic game of charades. ‘And I’m including the bookshop in that.’
Thea grinned. ‘OK, you’re right. I only left out A New Chapter so you wouldn’t spend Christmas Day thinking about work. But I can see you’ve found something else to keep you busy.’ She reached over and stole a pig in a blanket from the pile.
Ollie laughed. ‘I had help with the feast: it wasn’t just me.’
‘Well, it’s all delicious.’ Thea held up her glass, and they clinked. ‘This is the last thing I’m going to say about it today, but I really want to focus on the Book Wars competition in the new year, and maybe organise some writing workshops, too.’
‘Writing workshops? That would be amazing!’
‘Yeah. I just … people weresoexcited about Liam being Bryan Mailer, and the fact that he lives right here, in town.’She gestured to where he and Philip were talking animatedly on one of the sofas. ‘I want us to encourage new writers as well as new readers, be aspirational. Book Wars will help, because it forces people to talk about their favourite stories and why they love them so much.’
‘More children’s events, too?’ Ollie asked.
‘Yup. And launches. We’re going to do more author talks and signings. Speaking of authors, what happened with Liam and Arabella?’
‘They had a long chat after the event, apparently, and he’s going up to London to meet with her in her swanky office in the new year. He won’t say if it’s about his memoir, or re-publishing his mysteries, or both. I’m going to wait until he’s had a couple more glasses of wine, then get it out of him.’
‘That’s amazing!’ Thea sighed happily. ‘We’ll have to get him to come and do more events for us. I want to do everything, basically.’
‘Good! Me too.’
‘But we don’t have to rush into it,’ Thea said. ‘We’ve got time, Ollie. If you’re planning on staying, now. If this really is home for you, and you want to …’ she hesitated.
‘If I want to what?’
‘I know that A New Chapter is small. You might grow out of it, look further afield, in Truro or Padstow or … I don’t know.’
Ollie shook her head, and took a moment to drink in the scene in front of her. Liam and Max’s parents, her new friends playing charades, Becky and her kids right in the thick of it. Max, wearing a Christmas jumper with a reindeer on the front, Santa’s legs sticking out of a chimney on the back, and still managing to look utterly gorgeous as hewent to pick a slip from the selection of films and books that Ollie had written out the day before and put in a large bowl.
She watched as he took out a piece of paper and unfolded it, his expression one of intense concentration, reminding her of earlier that morning, the way he’d been so focused on giving her pleasure.
‘I’ve asked Max to move in with me,’ she admitted to Thea, her insides flipping. ‘It was spontaneous, and he might say it’s far too soon – he was shocked, which was understandable, seeing as I said it as a joke to begin with – but now I’ve thought about it, I really want him to. I want us to walk into work together, him to Sea Brew, me to A New Chapter, and I don’t care what other people think about it.’ She exhaled. ‘I’m telling you this because I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. This place – the town, and your bookshop, Thea. I never expected …’ She laughed. ‘I never expected to love it all so much.’
Thea squeezed her arm, and they watched as Max and Meredith acted out something that Ollie had a suspicion might beThe Lost City, but in such a chaotic way that she couldn’t be entirely sure.
‘That’s the thing about this place,’ Thea said.
‘What’s that?’
Billy shouted, ‘Christmas crackers!’ and a cheer went up from the charades participants, followed by laughter. Henry joined in with a generous bark.
Thea turned to Ollie, her smile warm and 100 per cent smug. ‘Once you’ve let it into your heart, even a little bit, you’re stuck loving it forever.’
‘Oh, well.’ Ollie lifted her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug, then held her champagne glass out in front of her. ‘No point fighting it then, is there? Better just to accept it and go all in.’
‘Hear hear,’ Thea said, and clinked her glass against Ollie’s.
Chapter Forty-Four
