The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop Read online

  ‘It’s funny, it’s a Tuesday and there’s been no sign of Mrs C today at all yet,’ Bev said.

  ‘Hmm, she’s always here like clockwork. I wonder if she’s away or anything? Though she never seems to go far nowadays, and she usually lets us know.’

  ‘She might just be a little under the weather.’

  ‘Yeah, possibly. There’s a lot of summer colds about at the moment. Still, I might just pop around later if she doesn’t show. Take her some chocolate brazils to cheer her up,’ Em said.

  The two of them got caught up with the orders, Em making milkshakes, coffees, plating up cakes, chocolate croissants and more.

  In the early afternoon, Em found herself chatting with an American couple who were on vacation, touring the UK.

  ‘We were on our way up to Scotland and had booked a night in a B&B here. It’s so beautiful. The beach, the bay, and all these cute little cottages – so quaint. We just don’t have places like this in the US. So much history,’ the lady enthused.

  ‘Thank you, and yes, it is very special here. It’s like a hidden corner of England.’

  ‘Exactly.’ The guy was smiling.

  ‘Yeah, and the chocolate milk is awesome too. How do you make this stuff?’

  ‘Just pure chocolate and whole milk whisked together slowly to warm.’

  ‘It’s to die for, honestly. This your own place?’

  ‘Yes, the business is mine.’ Emma smiled. She didn’t want to go into the technicalities on the property’s ownership, or the heartache that was causing right now.

  ‘Just gorgeous.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Emma had to go then and serve at the counter, as Bev was busy in the courtyard area.

  It was 4.30 before they knew it. And still no sign of Mrs C. Em was beginning to feel more than just a little concerned and the shop had emptied out.

  ‘Bev, will you be all right here for the last half hour if I just pop across the village and check on Mrs Clark?’

  ‘Yeah, of course.’

  ‘I’ll take her a slice of cake and a bag of her favourite brazils. She might need a bit of a pick-me-up if she’s feeling out of sorts.’

  ‘No worries.’

  Emma was passing The Fisherman’s Arms, heading for the pretty but unassuming row of two-up two-down stone cottages where Mrs C lived, when she heard a shout.

  ‘Hey, Em! Wait up.’ Nate was there at the back of the car park, placing empty bottles in the recycling bins.

  ‘Hi.’

  It was only the second time they’d seen each other since the night of ‘the kiss’. Em had thought it was best to keep a low profile as far as Nate was concerned for a while, let her head and heart settle down.

  ‘How’s it going?’

  I still feel guilty. The Chocolate Shop is up for sale. The Rock Shop’s been talking me down. But other than that … ‘Fine,’ was what she actually replied. ‘You?’ she asked.

  It was slightly awkward between them, but actually Em was glad she’d seen Nate by chance. There was evidently no ill will so it would be easier next time and thereafter. In time, they could both move on from that crazy moment.

  ‘Yeah, I’m okay,’ Nate replied. ‘Keeping my head down here at work and catching some surf when I can. Life ticks on.’

  ‘It certainly does.’

  ‘Well, it’s good to see you.’

  ‘You too, Nate. Catch you soon. I’ve got to go and check on one of my elderly customers. She’s usually in every Tuesday, but no show today. I just want to see if she’s okay.’

  ‘That’s kind.’

  ‘Well, yeah.’ She was the kind sort of stupid girl who cheated on her boyfriend with a kiss – argh.

  ‘See ya, then.’

  ‘Yeah. Take care, Nate.’

  She walked on and was soon making her way up Mrs C’s path, where two cheery pots of colourful pink and purple petunias sat each side of the step. She pressed the doorbell and waited patiently. No answer. She knocked again, and then paused to shout through the letterbox, ‘Mrs Clark? Are you there? Are you okay?’

  Still no answer. Maybe she had gone out on a day trip or something. Em was probably just being over-cautious. She could leave the cake and chocolates she’d brought on the doorstep for the old lady’s return.

  Em was about to go, but she just had an unnerving feeling at the back of her neck that she couldn’t pin down. Something didn’t seem right. She tried the door. It wasn’t locked.

  She poked her head around the open doorframe, calling out once more, ‘Mrs Clark? It’s Emma.’

  There was a low murmur but Emma couldn’t quite make it out. Then a frail voice, ‘Oh … thank goodness.’

  Em went down the hall and found Mrs Clark there at the bottom of the stairs, one of her legs splayed out at a horrible angle. The old lady’s face was so pale.

  ‘Oh, Mrs Clark. What have you done?’ Em tried her best to stay calm.

  ‘I tripped … Oooh, that hurts … Bugger!’

  ‘Okay, okay. Don’t try to move. It looks like you may have broken something. I’m going to call an ambulance.’

  After calling 999 and giving the address and injury details, Emma found a blanket to cover Mrs C and made her a cup of sugary tea. The old lady was probably in shock and who knows how long she had been stuck like this. Em then sat with her at the bottom of the stairs, holding her hand, and helping her take sips of the warm sweet tea.

  ‘It’ll be all right. They’ll get you fixed up in no time,’ Emma soothed.

  Every now and then the elderly lady winced with the pain, but she was trying to be so brave.

  ‘The ambulance will soon be here. Are you warm enough? Can I get you anything else?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  They both smiled as she was so apparently not.

  Em gave the old lady’s hand a warm squeeze.

  ‘Silly old bugger, that’s me. Lost my footing. Then I couldn’t get to the … ouch … bloody phone, could I.’

  ‘It’s okay, easily done. And I’m here. I’ll stay with you until the ambulance comes.’

  Emma made a very quick call to the shop, asking Bev to close up for her and explaining the basics of the situation, not wanting to give too much detail and alarm Mrs C. She said she’d call Bev back with more news later.

  ‘Oh no, how awful for her. Goodness, send her my love.’ Bev was concerned.

  ‘Will do.’

  ‘And that’s fine. I’ll sort everything out here.’

  It was about twenty minutes later when the ambulance arrived. The crew soon sorted out Mrs Clark, carefully placing her on to a stretcher and getting her some much-needed pain relief.

  ‘We’re going to take you down to the Cramlington Hospital,’ they advised. Then they addressed Emma, ‘Are you family?’

  ‘No, a friend.’

  ‘Right, well are you able to let any close family know?’

  ‘I don’t think there are any. But I’m happy to come along to the hospital myself. Would you like that, Mrs C?’

  The old lady nodded, looking lost, vulnerable.

  ‘It’s the patient only in the ambulance, I’m afraid,’ one of the paramedics advised.

  ‘That’s no problem. I’ll follow in my car. You’re in good hands, Mrs C.’ Em gestured to the ambulance team. ‘I’ll see you very soon. Can I bring anything for you? A nightdress maybe, some toiletries?’ Em had a feeling they’d be keeping her in for a while.

  ‘Ye-es pet, whatever you think. Ooh …’ The pain was still getting to her, bless.

  With that, they wheeled her out to the ambulance and they were soon setting off, with no blue lights but at a determined speed.

  Emma got a small bag of essentials together including a nightdress and slippers. It seemed odd going through someone else’s belongings, but Mrs C would be glad of them for a hospital stay.

  A small crowd of locals had gathered in front of the house having seen the arrival of the ambulance, asking Em for details on what had happened and w
ishing the old lady well. After she’d had a few friendly words with them, Emma dashed back to The Chocolate Shop to feed Alfie and then let him out for five minutes before putting him back and setting off in her car.

  After a forty-minute journey, Emma reached the hospital, where she sat waiting on a plastic chair in A&E for some news. Looking around, it was as if she’d arrived in an alternative world, far removed from everyday life with its bright lights, squeaky grey lino floors, children crying, scents of disinfectant, milky tea from a machine in a polystyrene cup, and the dull tones of hushed talk from her fellows showing boredom, frustration, pain. Then there was suddenly a sense of drama as a more serious case was rushed through.

  We all take our health for granted, Em mused, until boom, something goes wrong – a fall, the stealthy grip of an illness surfacing, an accident … Emma already knew that all too well.

  Then finally some news came via a friendly nurse; Mrs Clark had been X-rayed and had fractured her hip in the fall. She was going to need surgery and a hip replacement. They were taking her down to theatre shortly and it would then be several hours until Emma or anyone else could see her. Em asked if there was any chance she could see her quickly now, pre-surgery. She imagined the old lady would be feeling vulnerable and just a word or two of comfort from a familiar face might help. The nurse agreed and led her through. Mrs C was in a cubicle but had already been moved on to a trolley, ready to go down for surgery. She still looked extremely pale.

  ‘How are you feeling now? Have they settled the pain for you?’ Emma asked kindly, taking her hand.

  ‘Yes, pet, they’ve all been very good.’

  ‘It’s your hip that’s broken, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, in two places apparently – I did a good job.’ She managed a wry smile.

  ‘You’ll be okay. They’ll get you all sorted out. Then you’ll just have to take it easy for a while.’

  The old lady nodded. The nurse reappeared with an orderly who was there to wheel the stretcher.

  ‘We’re ready to take you down to theatre now, Mrs Clark.’

  Emma gave the old lady’s hand a squeeze. ‘I’ll come back later. I’ll check visiting hours and ask them to let me know how you get on in surgery, but it may be the morning before I can see you.’

  ‘I’ll be fine, pet, don’t you worry. I’ll be back marching up that hill to your shop again in no time.’

  They both knew that was more than a white lie, but Emma kept up the bravado. ‘Yes, you will be.’

  The two of them were smiling through their fears, as she was wheeled away.

  Emma felt shattered by the time she got back to The Chocolate Shop. She gave Alfie a big hug before letting him out, and then called Bev to update her and to ask if there was any way she could help mind the shop tomorrow morning, so that Em could visit the old lady again.

  ‘I’ll see if I can swap shifts with Ali at the surgery. Leave it with me,’ Bev said. ‘Oh dear, the poor love. I’ve been wondering how she was. And to think she was stuck at the bottom of the stairs all that time. Thank heavens you went to check.’

  ‘I know. She was very shaken up and in a lot of pain, bless her.’

  ‘It’ll take her some time to heal after a major break like that.’

  ‘I know. I can’t see them letting her back home any time soon after the operation.’

  ‘Aw, bless … Oh, I don’t like to alarm you, Em, especially after the day you’ve had, but the landlord phoned the shop while you were out. Hate to give you bad news, but there’s a viewing arranged. A couple are coming to look around the shop and flat tomorrow afternoon at three.’

  Emma felt her heart sink. So this was it, it was becoming a reality. It was all about to slip away. It felt like a stopwatch had been set off and was now racing on, with her wonderful shop to be handed over at the finish line.

  ‘Em? You okay?’ The line had gone quiet.

  ‘It’s not the best news I’ve had all day. But I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to stop it. I can’t refuse to show them around.’

  ‘Well, you could insist the estate agent or landlord does it for you.’

  ‘Nah, I may as well bite the bullet, however much it hurts. It’ll not change the outcome. Well, you never know, I may be able to spin a few off-putting negatives through the conversation.’

  They both laughed.

  ‘Ah, it sucks though, doesn’t it,’ Emma added.

  ‘I know. I’m sorry, hun. Nothing like being kicked while you’re down.’

  Emma spoke with Max later that evening, telling him all about her sod of a day.

  ‘Sorry, Em. That sounds tough on you. Do you think the old lady will be all right?’

  ‘In the long term, yeah, at least I hope so. But it’ll take a good while to heal at her age. She looked so frail, bless her, so vulnerable, there at the bottom of the stairs.’ She was holding back tears just telling him.

  ‘And the shop too. Is this the first viewing, then?’

  ‘Yeah. I feel sick just thinking about it. Renting is so shit. It feels like mine after all these years, but it never has been. I knew that, but I couldn’t stop my heart attaching to it, making it my home, my life.’

  ‘Oh, Em.’ Max’s voice was gentle. ‘Do you want me to come up and see you? I can drive up straight away.’

  ‘Aw, thanks but it’s late enough already. I’ll probably be off first thing visiting Mrs C in the morning and then dashing back to do this viewing and run the shop. But what about tomorrow … after work? I’d love to see you then.’ To feel your arms around me.

  ‘I’ll be there. No worries.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Then you can tell me all about the buyers’ visit and how you spat in their hot chocolates.’

  Emma had to laugh – either that or she might end up in tears.

  ‘Okay.’

  36

  Emma had been to see Mrs Clark that morning, taking a large bag of chocolate brazils to keep her going, as well as some grapes and strawberries. She found the old lady on a side ward of four patients, propped up on white pillows in the hospital bed.

  ‘Hello, Mrs Clark. How are you feeling today? How did the operation go?’

  ‘Oh, Emma, pet. Hello. Yes, the nurse said it seems to have gone fine. Bloody uncomfortable now, though, and I’m a bit afraid to move …’

  ‘No wonder. You’ve been through a lot.’

  ‘Thank you so much for everything yesterday. I really don’t know how I’d have managed if you hadn’t turned up.’

  ‘Ah, you’re welcome. We just need to get you right now, don’t we?’

  ‘Bugger of a thing, this. I can’t even get to the bathroom by myself yet.’ She pointed at some crutches beside the bed. ‘Got to work these things out. The nurses are helping me just now. Mind you, can’t complain otherwise, the staff here are lovely, if overworked. Dashing around like bees all the time.’

  ‘I’m sure they have plenty to keep them busy. Oh, I heard from Sheila this morning,’ Emma said. ‘She sends her love and is starting a rota for visits, as everyone’s been asking after you in the village.’

  ‘Aw, well that’s kind of everyone. Mind, if Sheila calls in, she’ll be talking me to sleep or driving me to distraction, one of the two. Never stops, that woman.’

  Emma had to smile. ‘I think her heart’s in the right place.’

  ‘Well yes,’ Mrs C conceded. ‘They say I’ll be in a few days,’ she continued, ‘but then they’re looking at getting me a respite place in a nursing home, just while the hip’s healing … Had to tell them all about the stairs, and that I’ve no family to speak of. Have a cousin or two but we’re not close and I haven’t seen them for years, so I don’t think they’ll be wanting to take me to the loo or cook my supper back home.’ She chuckled.

  They chatted for a while, Mrs C asking about the shop, and how things were going for her. Emma didn’t mention the impending sale viewing, not wanting to cast a sense of gloom.

  ‘And how’s
your young man? Max … that’s it, isn’t it? He’s very handsome I must say. If I were half my age, well …’

  Emma felt herself blush.

  ‘He’s fine. I’m seeing him later, actually.’ She was really looking forward to it. And she didn’t have to wait until the weekend now.

  ‘Good for you. You work too hard as it is. A little distraction now and then does no harm at all.’ With that, the old lady winked, making Emma blush even more. ‘He seems a real nice lad, Emma. I can tell he wants to look after you. Look at all he did last year, helping with the shop conversion, making those window seats for you. My favourite place to sit, that is.’

  ‘Yes.’ Max had been a great help last autumn, in the early days of their relationship, when he had helped add the café area to the shop.

  ‘It’s not what they say, it’s what they do, tells you what they’re really like. That’s what my old mam used to say. Ah, there’s some right charmers out there, but they never last the course.’

  ‘I know.’ Em felt a prickle of guilt about Nate, then. But that was just a blip, she reminded herself. Never to happen again.

  ‘Ah yes, he’s a keeper, Max.’ The old lady’s eyes were twinkling.

  ‘I think he might well be.’ Emma smiled back.

  Emma arrived back at The Chocolate Shop just after twelve-thirty, ready to help with the lunchtime shift. Bev was doing a sterling job, but it was getting busy when Em arrived.

  ‘Are you okay to stay on a while, Bev?’ Em asked hopefully. ‘I’m sorry, I expect you’ll be wanting to look in on your mum too.’

  ‘Of course. I’ve swapped to the late-afternoon shift at the surgery. Don’t start until four. So I can do a few more hours here if that helps. And I can always drop by to see Mum as I pass.’

  ‘How’s she doing?’

  ‘Getting better, slowly but surely.’

  ‘That’s good. And thanks, Bev, you’re a gem.’

  They slipped into their usual roles and the time whizzed on. It was just before three when a middle-aged couple paused outside. They studied the shop front, then stood talking seriously together.

  ‘I think your people are here,’ Bev said gesturing to the front window, as Em came by with a tray of coffee and chocolate fudge cake.