A New Start at the Happily Ever After Bookshop

Chapter 1

Carrie Worsley smiled at the sight of her daughter, Poppy, hurrying across the infant school’s playground.

The six-year-old’s wild, curly blonde hair, inherited from her mother along with her deep green eyes, was looking particularly unruly; a sure sign that she’d had a good day.

She was laden down with what appeared to be every piece of art she’d produced during the entire school year and had some sort of papier maché hat balanced on her head.

Where would they put it all in their shoebox of a flat?

Carrie had no idea but knew Poppy would want to keep everything she’d created.

Carrie said goodbye to her best friend, Davina, who’d also spotted her daughter, Sophie, among the hordes of children coming out of the large, grey concrete school building Carrie also worked in.

Poppy and Sophie, just like their mums, were best friends, affording many opportunities for the mothers to chat.

“Hey, Pumpkin! All ready for the summer holidays?” Carrie asked, relieving her daughter of three bags of paper and card creations.

“Sophie’s going to Disney World for two weeks!” Poppy announced.

“I know! I was just talking about it with her mum. Lucky Sophie. I bet she’s so excited!” said Carrie, feeling her stomach sink. She felt so bad that her teacher’s assistant salary didn’t stretch to being able to take Poppy to the far-off places a lot of her daughter’s friends got to visit.

“Can we go on an aeroplane sometime?”

“Maybe one day.” Carrie struggled to keep a smile on her face. She knew a happy childhood didn’t amount to how many exotic holidays a child went on, but being a single parent was hard, and it was impossible not to feel guilty about, well, practically everything.

They walked out of the school gate companionably, their relaxed chatter a sharp contrast to the busyness of everyone around them who all seemed to be hurrying off somewhere in their cars, honking their horns at anyone who took too long.

“Shall we get a treat to celebrate the start of the holidays?” Carrie suggested as she spotted the ice cream van.

“Yes, please!” Poppy was so easy to please.

Carrie ordered them two 99s with strawberry sauce and they found a bench to sit on just inside the little park opposite the South London school.

Carrie turned her face up to the sun and relaxed as Poppy explained her top ten ice cream flavours in some detail.

It would be nice not to be working for the next six weeks and to hang out with Poppy. Though, of course, she could do with earning some money . . . Maybe she’d look again for something online to bring in a little extra . . .

“Can I go in the playground, Mummy?” Poppy asked. “Charlie and James are in there.”

“Of course,” said Carrie, having already noted Poppy’s classmates in the enclosed play area.

She smiled and waved at Charlie’s mum and James’s dad before pulling a pack of wet wipes out of her bag.

“But give your face a clean first, you’re a bit ice-creamy.

I’ll watch you from here with all your stuff. ”

Poppy wiped the ice cream off herself and ran over to join her friends as Carrie’s mobile rang. It was Auntie Mary. Carrie’s eccentric Cornish aunt didn’t often call, and Carrie’s first instinct was to worry there was something wrong.

“Hey, Auntie Mary. Is everything OK?”

“Carrie, dear! Yes, everything’s absolutely fine! I just have a little favour to ask.”

“How can I help?” Carrie kept her eyes on Poppy, taking turns to go down the slide with her friends.

“Do you remember June? Used to work in the library here? Well, she was supposed to be going away with her sister, Sarah . . . I don’t know if you’ve met her .

. . But Sarah’s daughter, Miranda, has been having a terrible time with her husband and one of her boys, the younger one I think, is being assessed for .

. . something . . . one of the letter things, A-something . . .”

Carrie waited patiently for her aunt to get to the point.

“Anyway, Sarah has pulled out, so I’ve been invited to go on a cruise! For a month! We leave in two days. We’ll be going all over the Mediterranean, and the food’s supposed to be amazing. The ship has a theatre and a cinema. And three pools!”

“That sounds fantastic.”

“So, you’ll help?” asked Mary excitedly.

“Sorry?” said Carrie.

“To look after the shop while I’m away. You and Poppy!”

“You want me to run your bookshop for you?”

“Yes! It’s the perfect solution. I need someone to look after the place, and your mum was just telling me that school’s broken up for the summer and you’re not going away.”

Carrie was speechless. Her beloved aunt was a force of nature, but this was out of the blue even for her. She managed to say, “It’s lovely of you to think of us, Auntie Mary, but I can’t just come to Cornwall for a month . . .”

“Whyever not? You’ll both have a wonderful time. I’d pay you of course!”

The extra income would be handy, Carrie thought.

But how on earth was her aunt going to be able to pay her out of the meagre takings from her little bookshop in Castle Cove on the South Cornish coast?

Bookshops were closing everywhere, especially in sleepy little towns in the middle of nowhere.

She was amazed Aunt Mary even covered her rent to be honest.

“It will do you both the world of good to get away for a while and I’ve just had the flat above the shop redecorated so it’s all yours.”

“That’s very kind of you . . .”

“Poppy would love it here, you know. Do you remember what a lovely time you used to have visiting when you were little?”

“I do,” said Carrie, waving at Poppy who was at the top of the slide.

She did indeed have wonderful memories of visiting her aunt in her sweet seaside town during the holidays.

Of reading for hours in the corner of the bookshop on a huge cushion.

Of walking the coastal path with Uncle Tom, who’d passed away eight years ago.

Of staying in the little flat above the shop, sharing the spare bedroom with her mother.

Of smelling bacon cooking in the morning because her aunt always insisted everyone start the day with a proper breakfast.

She smiled. She hadn’t been to Castle Cove since before Poppy was born.

Her boyfriend, Tony — Poppy’s dad — had considered the little town boring and had never been keen to visit.

When their relationship ended, she’d been preoccupied with raising her daughter by herself with an ex who was barely around.

Ends barely met so finances couldn’t stretch to the cost of the journey down to Cornwall.

She knew if she’d explained to her aunt, Mary would have sent the money to enable them to visit, but it didn’t feel right to ask.

Instead, Carrie had used the excuse of busyness and Auntie Mary visited her and her mum in London every year.

Finances were definitely easier now that Carrie was working and not having to pay for childcare, but they’d stayed settled in that routine.

“And you worked here that summer before university, so you know how everything works . . .” Mary was continuing.

“I’m pretty sure at least some things must have changed in what, sixteen years?” Carrie chuckled.

“Well, yes, there have been changes. But you’ll soon pick it up,” her aunt reassured.

“I know I’ve surprised you with this, so take a little while to think about it.

I’ll need an answer as soon as possible though if I’m going to try to find someone else.

But you’d both have the most wonderful time! ”

“I’ll think about it, Auntie Mary,” said Carrie, unable not to laugh at her aunt’s evident enthusiasm but knowing how determined she could be once she got an idea in her head.

There was a pause before Mary, in a softer tone, said, “I think it would do you good, too.’ She then continued, “Anyway, I’d better get back to things — some customers have just come in. Love you!”

“Love you too,” Carrie said before ending the phone call.

She couldn’t say she wasn’t at least a little bit tempted.

It had been so long since she’d been to Cornwall, and she’d love to see her aunt’s bookshop again.

And it would be good to get out of London.

Poppy would love the beach and taking her away would relieve some of the guilt she felt at not treating Poppy to somewhere like Disney World, even if it would be a working holiday.

But she couldn’t just go to Castle Cove for a month .

. . Poppy’s dad was taking her out to London Zoo on Sunday for a start.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard from Tony about what time he was going to pick Poppy up.

Poppy was still having a lovely time in the playground, so Carrie decided to call him while she had a few minutes. From experience she knew he’d ignore any WhatsApp message she sent. His phone rang for an age before he finally picked up.

“Hey,” he said, sounding distracted. “What’s up?”

“Hi. I just wanted to check what time you’re picking Poppy up on Sunday?”

The line went silent for a minute.

“Sunday . . . yeah, about that . . .”

Carrie’s heart sank. Poppy had been so excited about going to the zoo with her dad, who never managed to fit in seeing her more than about twice a month.

Carrie didn’t know why she continued to be surprised when Tony did things like this.

She guessed she was still waiting for him to realise just how amazing the child they’d made together was and how he could have much more of a relationship with her if he’d simply make space for Poppy in his life.

“She’s really excited about it, Tony . . .” Carrie regretted her words instantly. She didn’t want to come across as nagging. That was a surefire way to put him on the defensive and to not get what she wanted.

“Yeah, I know. But I’ve been offered a job in Germany for the next few weeks. Touring with a bunch of wrestlers.”

Tony had done a wide variety of jobs in the ten years Carrie had known him — most of them seasonal.

That way there wasn’t enough time for him to get bored or fired from them.

And to think, she’d found his laid-back, let life take you wherever it’s meant to attitude so attractive when they’d first been introduced by a mutual friend in a random pub one night.

“Oh, right,” was all she managed to say.

“Yeah, I’ll be in charge of their merch stall. Pretty sweet gig. Josh recommended me . . .”

“How many weeks exactly?”

“Um . . . it’ll be more like a couple of months.”

“And you’re definitely doing it?”

“I’d be a fool not to, to be honest. Tell Poppy I’ll take her to the zoo when I get back. And the cinema.”

“I’ll let her know,” said Carrie, doing her best to hide her frustration.

“Thanks. Oh, I don’t suppose you could lend me a couple of hundred quid, could you?

We have to pay for our own flights out there.

” Tony had asked her for money so many times over the years.

She could actually picture the way he was running his hand through his long, dark hair, practically batting his eyelashes at her as he put in his request.

She felt a wave of anger at the fact that Tony not only failed to provide for his daughter but was also quite happy to take money from her.

“No, I can’t.” She sighed. “I can’t believe you are even asking this after just letting Poppy down.”

“Don’t be like that, Carrie,” Tony whined.

And in that moment, Carrie made up her mind.

“I’m not being like anything. Poppy and I are going to Cornwall.

I need every penny for that.” There was nothing stopping them she realised, and now Poppy’s dad wasn’t even going to be in the same country over the summer, so she needn’t feel guilty on that count.

She went to remind Tony that Poppy’s birthday would be while he was away, but he’d ended the call.

“Who were you talking to, Mummy?” asked Poppy, running over with a huge grin.

“I called Daddy,” Carrie said. “He’s sorry, but he’s got a really cool new job and is having to go away for the summer. He’s not going to be able to take you to the zoo on Sunday — but he will as soon as he gets back. He’s going to Germany.”

Carrie’s heart broke as she watched her daughter’s face fall. “I bet he sends you a postcard,” Carrie said, as brightly as she could manage. She stood up and gave her daughter a hug, making a mental note to ask Tony to send Poppy a postcard.

“What about my birthday?” Poppy asked quietly. She looked down at her shoes.

“I don’t know,” Carrie said. “Maybe he’ll be able to travel back for it.”

Carrie stroked her daughter’s hair. “We’ll just have to think of lots of fun things to do together until Daddy comes back,” she said.

“Like what?” asked Poppy. She looked as if she was going to cry.

“Like going to stay at the seaside in Cornwall,” Carrie found herself saying.

Her aunt’s offer really was the perfect solution.

She’d be able to earn some extra money, trusting that Aunt Mary wouldn’t make herself bankrupt paying her.

And being somewhere different would be exciting for Poppy and would keep her mind off the fact that her father had let her down once again.

“Cornwall?” Poppy said.

“Yep. Do you remember that my Aunt Mary, Granny’s sister, has a bookshop at the seaside? She’s asked us to go and take care of it for her while she goes on holiday.”

Poppy’s face brightened and she stepped back to see her mum’s face. “I love bookshops.”

“I know you do. And this one is really cool. I used to visit there when I was little. And there’s a flat upstairs we can stay in where my Auntie Mary used to live before she moved. It’s only a few minutes’ walk to the beach.”

“Is it a sandy beach?”

“It is. The main beach can get a little busy but I’m an expert in all the secret coves the tourists don’t know about. Some of them have little caves to explore, and rock pools where you can find tiny crabs . . .”

“And we’re going to go there?” asked Poppy.

“If you’d like to,” Carrie said, with a smile.

“I definitely would,” said Poppy, solemnly. “When can we go?”

“I think my Auntie Mary needs us there as soon as possible. How about we spend tomorrow packing and getting ready and then drive to Cornwall on Sunday?”

“Will we be there for my birthday?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe? Would that be OK?”

“Yes, but we’ll make sure Daddy and Granny know?”

“Of course.”

“Can I go and tell Charlie? He’s still in the playground,” Poppy said, pointing to her friend.

“Sure. After that we’d better get home. I’ll call Auntie Mary and tell her we’ll be coming. Then we can start getting ready for our adventure. She’s going to be so pleased that she can go on her holiday.”

Carrie watched her daughter running excitedly to her friend. It seemed she’d made the right choice in agreeing to help her aunt.