Christmas at Butterfly Cove: A delightfully feel-good festive romance!. Sarah Bennett

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      For M.

      We might not be together this Christmas, but you’re the happy ending worth waiting for.

Chapter One

      Nee Thorpe stared at the brown oblong of modelling clay sitting on the workbench in exactly the same spot she’d dropped it two hours earlier. The tactile material had always been her favourite medium to work with, but these days the earthy scent of damp clay did little more than bring bile to the back of her throat. After a month staying with her sister, Mia, and her new husband, Daniel, she’d run out of excuses as to why she wasn’t working on anything. Daniel had recently opened a set of bespoke artist studios in the old barns adjacent to his wife’s guesthouse in the idyllic coastal village of Orcombe Sands – known to the local population by the far prettier nickname of Butterfly Cove. They were still taking regular bookings, even this late in the season, with sun-worshippers giving way to the hardier walkers who wanted to make the most of the outdoors before winter set in and kept them closer to home.

      Perched on the edge of the cove, at the head of a private beach, Butterfly House had provided a welcome haven for Nee’s tattered spirits. It had also become the new hub of their family. Her middle sister, Kiki, had relocated to the village in the spring, finally escaping her disastrous marriage. With her two small children in tow, she’d not only made a new start, including running the latest family enterprise – a beautiful little teashop and gallery in what had recently been a scruffy-looking garage block – she’d also found a new love in the shape of Daniel’s best friend, Aaron Spenser. Nee swallowed. She should be thrilled Kiki had found happiness with someone who would finally treat her in the way she deserved, and in truth she was. She would just have preferred it if Aaron hadn’t been the elder brother of the man whose heart she’d broken, smashing her own to pieces in the process.

      Desperate for a distraction, anything to avoid the lump threatening to choke her every time her eyes strayed to the formless block of clay on the worktable, Nee rinsed her still-clean hands at the sink then pulled the studio door shut behind her. Soft music drifted from the open door of the space next door, accompanied by a deep baritone hum which was enough for her to identify the occupant. Bryn was a broad-shouldered, softly spoken car mechanic who also produced the most delicate, ethereal watercolours she’d ever seen. He was staying for a week and appeared to be relishing the calm serenity of the cove. Not wishing to disturb him, or to be caught up in an awkward discussion of what she was working on, or wasn’t working on as the case may be, she tiptoed past his door then hurried down the corridor to escape onto the gravel driveway which separated the barns and the house.

      A quick glance towards the teashop put paid to her hopes of drowning her sorrows in a cup of tea, and she checked her watch. If she was quick, she might still catch up with Mia and Kiki in the kitchen. Tuesday was turnaround day at the guest house, and in addition to running the teashop, Kiki helped out changing the beds and cleaning the rooms.

      Opening the back door, she paused to toe off her shoes and caught their familiar voices deep in discussion over arrangements for Aaron’s upcoming birthday. Circumstances had led to her middle sister and her two children sharing a nearby cottage with Daniel’s best friend. After a shaky start, the two had finally admitted to feelings that were obvious to everyone around them, and they were a picture of domestic bliss. The kids adored Aaron, and it sounded as though they wanted to throw him a surprise party.

      ‘It’s such a sweet idea, especially when you think they came up with it themselves. I just wish things weren’t so awkward, with…you know.’

      Awkward. Nee stopped short at the word, her call of greeting frozen on her lips. Heart dropping with a knowing premonition, she waited anxiously for Mia’s response.

      ‘I know.’ Mia sounded sympathetic and resigned in equal measures. ‘But we can’t keep ignoring the situation.’

      Kiki sighed. ‘You’re right, but I don’t want them thinking I’ve manufactured a situation to force them to face each other. But how can we possibly have a party for Aaron without Luke there?’

      Nee sagged against the cool plaster wall, shivering from more than the cool air gusting through the open door behind her. The soft, familiar voices of her sisters continued their discussion, but she couldn’t make out the words over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. Tightness filled her lungs and the walls of the cloakroom seemed to constrict around her. She had to get out. Had to get away. Reaching blindly for a jacket, she spun on her heel and fled across the grass. A bitter voice whispered in her ear. That’s right. Run away, just like you always do.

      Nee huddled deeper into the padded jacket she’d borrowed from the row of pegs beside the backdoor at Butterfly House. The sleeves hung past the tips of her fingers, and the material smelled faintly of the kind of citrusy scent that spoke of aftershave rather than perfume. She hadn’t stopped long enough to examine her choice, just grabbed for the first one her hand reached as she flew out of the kitchen and into the beautiful, sprawling garden behind the guesthouse. Her headlong flight carried her down the flagstone path to the short flight of steps leading to the beach. Only once her shoes sank into the soft, pale sand did she slow her frantic pace.

      The thick fleece collar blocked the worst of the wind howling in across the open water, and she narrowed her eyes against the sting of sand whipped up by its fury. The approaching storm transformed Butterfly Cove from a seaside idyll into a wild, desolate space. The normally gentle waters churned and roiled as though a monstrous beast twisted below the surface. Gone was the peaceful blue blanket she’d grown accustomed to over the summer, replaced by a murky, green-grey morass. Dark clouds scudded across the sky, and the first icy drops of rain hit her raw cheeks. It had to be rain because, after the past few weeks, Nee was sure there wasn’t a tear left inside her.

      The rain fell harder – fat, cold drops that soon plastered her short blonde hair flat against her skull. Her face began to ache, a combination of the harsh bite of the wind and the desperate clench of her jaw. Everything was such a bloody mess, and she had no one to blame but herself. Luke had committed no sin, unless falling in love with her could be considered a sin. A bubble of hysteria formed a tight knot at the top of her chest. He would probably consider it more of a curse. And who would blame him when she’d done the unthinkable and left him alone in their marriage bed without a word.

      Her decision to leave had made sense at the time. They’d acted impetuously; wouldn’t be the first couple to confuse a heady rush of lust with something deeper. Better to make a quick break, go out on a high before the humdrum reality of life crept in and shattered their perfect fantasy. The hurt would fade, leaving behind fond memories of a foolish summer of love. All perfectly sensible and rational conclusions, and every one a complete and utter lie. The moment she’d seen him staring at her across the platform, the one hope she’d clung to, that Luke had moved on without her, had been destroyed. She’d put her own ambition before his heart, and ruined both their lives in the process.

      ‘One cannot make true art without first suffering, my dear.’ The only voice she hated more than her own guilt intruded on her thoughts, and Nee raised her hands to her temples. She squeezed her fists into the sides of her head, as though applying the right amount of pressure could force him back into the skittering darkness of her deepest subconscious. It didn’t help. The moment she let her guard down, he was there.

      Staring out across the tossing waves, Nee could almost sense him reaching out across the miles to drag her СКАЧАТЬ