Chapter 29
Bea persuaded Nathan to take her straight to see the wagon the moment she was discharged from hospital, but when she saw the extent of the damage, she was plunged into a deep despair.
The inside of the book wagon was a complete wreck.
The bookcases that he’d spent hours building were battered and broken, all the lamps, decorations and stock smashed, torn and damaged, the paintwork scuffed and tattered, the walls dented and misshapen.
Jess’s beautiful hand-written signage was now barely legible.
It looked in worse shape than when Bea had first collected it from Charlotte, all those weeks ago.
She was right back to where she started, but, worse than that, she had no money to repair the damage. All her savings were gone and any profit she’d made had been ploughed straight back into buying stock that was now ruined.
It felt like her dream was over; that this was the end of Bea’s Book Wagon. The worst of it was, she had been so close to making her business a success.
Bea didn’t leave the house the first week she was home; whether it was her sadness at the state of the wagon or the shock of the accident, she couldn’t tell.
Lochlan had barely left her side. He hadn’t actually cancelled all his meetings, but he was doing them virtually, on Zoom, from her kitchen table, and he’d been attentive and patient, trying to lift her spirits with candlelit takeaways in the living room and marathons of her favourite boxsets.
Physically, Bea was recovering well. The pounding headache she’d had since the accident was gradually starting to clear and her bruises were fading, but her ribs still hurt. Laughing and sneezing were excruciating, the latter she’d found out the hard way when her hay fever kicked in.
She was trying to keep herself busy with what stock she had left for the online shop and subscription boxes, but her heart wasn’t really in it. She hadn’t been back to see the wagon since the day she was discharged from hospital. She just couldn’t face it.
She wasn’t fit enough to paint, sort or repair anything, so she’d called the organizer of the Cherrydown fête and cancelled her pitch. All she wanted to do was eat a vat of Ben & Jerry’s and spend her days on the sofa watching black and white movies with Lochlan.
Anything else felt too painful.
When Nathan saw Bea’s face as she assessed the damage to the wagon, it almost broke him.
It was as if she had just crumbled right there in front of him.
He’d never seen her look so sad and he couldn’t blame her, it looked a total mess.
Bea was usually the first to look on the bright side of life, but not this time.
This time it was different. It was as if all the fight had gone out of her, but he was damned if he was going to let her give up.
‘Okay, everyone! There’s a reason I asked you all here tonight,’ said Nathan, looking around the Apple Tree at all the familiar faces of his friends and neighbours.
‘I thought you were going to buy us all a round, mate?’ joked Jake, putting his arm around Rose.
‘No, sorry,’ continued Nathan, clearing his throat. ‘I’m sure you all know what happened to Bea?’
‘Terrible business,’ Jean tutted. ‘And right after book club, too.’
‘That damn Fallon boy,’ agreed Joyce.
‘I’m sure you’ve all heard that the wagon’s been badly damaged and Bea doesn’t have the money to fix it,’ said Nathan.
‘Oh no!’ wailed Violet, ‘that’s a terrible shame, she’s worked so hard.’
‘She has,’ Nathan agreed. ‘But she’s got broken ribs and no insurance money. She can’t fix the bookshop on her own… but we can!’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Joyce.
‘Well, if we all pitched in, did what we could, we’d have it finished in no time. It’s a big job for one person, but all of us working together?’ said Nathan.
‘Greg and his lads will help, won’t you?’ said Joyce, nudging Greg in the side.
‘Oh, yes, happy to,’ said Greg.
‘Count me in,’ agreed Jake with a nod.
‘Me too,’ called Leo.
‘And me!’ Pete chorused.
‘And I’m sure we can get the WI ladies to make new cushions and bunting,’ said Violet. ‘Can’t we, Jean?’
‘Oh, absolutely,’ Jean agreed.
‘Excellent!’ said Nathan. ‘I knew you lot would be up for it, but we’re against the clock.’
‘How’d you mean?’ asked Joyce.
‘Well, she was booked in for next Saturday at the Cherrydown fête and I was hoping—’ said Nathan.
‘We could get it done by then?’ suggested Tori.
‘No, by Friday actually. It’s Bea’s birthday and I thought—’ said Nathan.
‘It would be the perfect present?’ said Jean.
‘Exactly,’ said Nathan, ‘I know it’s a lot to ask,’ he added quickly. ‘But Jess and Archie are up at the farm already getting started.’
‘We’d better drink up, then,’ said Leo, downing the remains of his pint, ‘so we can join them.’
‘What? Now?’ said Tori, eyes wide.
‘No time like the present,’ said Jake, with a nod of agreement.
‘Honestly, guys, I can’t thank you enough,’ said Nathan. ‘Can I ask one last favour?’
‘Name it,’ said Beth.
‘Don’t breathe a word of this to Bea. I want it to be a surprise,’ whispered Nathan.
‘Ooooh, I do love a secret,’ said Maggie, her eyes sparkling as she picked up her bag and followed the others out the door. ‘And this is a pretty big one.’