bread and cookies if youâd like some.â
âThanks, Rose, I wonât be long,â I replied.
So, I thought, this is what country livingâs like. So far, Iâd had a car break down on me, fallen down in the mud, been splashed with beer, and argued with the town arsehole.
One thing was for sure: I was in for one hell of a ride in Luna Bay.
Chapter 6
Itâs pretty safe to say I wasnât prepared for what my room would look like. When I opened the door, I let out a little gasp. Iâd imagined a tired and dated room full of frills and floral patterns. What I had was a beautiful New England beach house-themed room, with white wooden floors and pale blue walls. The duvet and curtains had blue and white stripes on them and the bed looked sumptuous and comfortable. The furniture followed the theme too: a white chest of drawers stood on the far wall and a wicker chair sat next to a window seat lined with sky-blue cushions. This definitely wasnât the fixer-upper Iâd imagined.
I could see why Walter Marshall Hotels wanted to snap this place up. It was in an ideal location, had beautiful interiors, and there were only minor repairs to be made, by the look of things. Sunflower Cottage would definitely be an asset to our already bulging portfolio, if we could get our hands on it. There was a certain magic to the place too, something I hadnât seen anywhere else.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and found Noah standing on the other side, my suitcase in one hand and a newly clean Dixie nestled in the crook of his other arm. Her little face lit up as soon as she saw me and I stroked her soaking wet fur as best I could.
âHello you!â I cooed. I risked a glance at her owner, who looked like heâd rather be anywhere else. âYou know, Iâm not usuallyââ
âHereâs your suitcase,â he grunted, abruptly cutting me off. âWhere did you say your car was?â
âItâs on the little country lane that leads into the village. Iâve tried to park it so it doesnât block any other cars.â
He nodded. âOK, well, Iâll get it towed to the garage and take a look at it as soon as I can. Weâre booked solid, but Iâll try and fit you in.â
I bristled at him acting like he was doing me a huge favour when he clearly didnât want to. âDonât inconvenience yourself for me! Iâll call another garage if that makes things easier for you.â
He flashed me something that I guessed was supposed to be a smile. âItâs no skin off my nose. The sooner your carâs fixed, the sooner you can leave.â
He retreated down to the lobby before I could answer, taking his ridiculously cute dog with him and leaving me fuming. Iâd never met anyone so infuriating in my whole life. All I could hope was that he wasnât a regular fixture at Sunflower Cottage; I might end up on a murder charge otherwise.
*
My second day in Luna Bay started much the same as my first: I had a run-in with Noah. No beer was spilled over anyone, though I was sorely tempted.
I went downstairs after an uneasy sleep to find him in the kitchen, helping Rose prepare breakfast for the other guests. He was even more dishevelled than usual, with stubble lining his chin and his hair sticking up in every possible direction. His checked shirt was buttoned at a random angle and I could see a stain on his dark-brown T-shirt. It was such a contrast to my own appearance; I was wearing my favourite grey trouser suit and my hair was scraped up into a sleek, high bun. Just because I was at the seaside didnât mean I couldnât look professional, after all.
âMorning,â I said, running a hand over my hair and sitting down at the table. The smell of cooking made me feel funny, but I tried not to show it. âLovely day, isnât it?â
âHello, dear. Did you sleep well last night?â Rose put