The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club by Lynsey James Read Free Book Online Page A

bread and cookies if you’d like some.’
    â€˜Thanks, Rose, I won’t be long,’ I replied.
    So, I thought, this is what country living’s like. So far, I’d 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
    It’s pretty safe to say I wasn’t prepared for what my room would look like. When I opened the door, I let out a little gasp. I’d 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 wasn’t the fixer-upper I’d 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 hadn’t 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.
    â€˜Hello you!’ I cooed. I risked a glance at her owner, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. ‘You know, I’m not usually—’
    â€˜Here’s your suitcase,’ he grunted, abruptly cutting me off. ‘Where did you say your car was?’
    â€˜It’s on the little country lane that leads into the village. I’ve tried to park it so it doesn’t block any other cars.’
    He nodded. ‘OK, well, I’ll get it towed to the garage and take a look at it as soon as I can. We’re booked solid, but I’ll try and fit you in.’
    I bristled at him acting like he was doing me a huge favour when he clearly didn’t want to. ‘Don’t inconvenience yourself for me! I’ll call another garage if that makes things easier for you.’
    He flashed me something that I guessed was supposed to be a smile. ‘It’s no skin off my nose. The sooner your car’s fixed, the sooner you can leave.’
    He retreated down to the lobby before I could answer, taking his ridiculously cute dog with him and leaving me fuming. I’d never met anyone so infuriating in my whole life. All I could hope was that he wasn’t 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 didn’t mean I couldn’t look professional, after all.
    â€˜Morning,’ 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. ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Hello, dear. Did you sleep well last night?’ Rose put