Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
SCARLETT
S carlett was busy thanking her lucky stars she’d done her fair share of café work during her time at uni. It had been a while, but it didn’t take long before her muscle memory kicked in, and her hands remembered what to do, even if it took her brain a bit longer to catch up.
The machine was a bit older than the state-of-the-art behemoth she used to wrestle with at the trendy Bristol coffee shop. Still, the principles remained unchanged. Grind, tamp, brew, steam, pour, serve, repeat.
Of course, there wasn’t any time for the fancy-pants coffee art she used to have to fuss around with back then. Somehow, she had a feeling this crowd were more interested in a good coffee served quickly than elaborate hearts, ferns and swans drawn in their froth.
By this point, The Limpet was bursting at the seams, with every table occupied. People had spilled out onto the deck to make room for new customers as they elbowed their way inside, keen for a dose of caffeine before braving the waves.
‘One oat milk latte!’ Scarlett called out, sliding the finished drink down the counter to a woman with an impressive collection of swimming badges sewn onto her tote bag.
‘Cheers, love!’ the woman replied, dropping some coins into the tip jar. ‘Proper coffee at last, not like that dishwater we had on the drive over here.’
Just as Scarlett thought the main rush was almost over, the café doors opened again. This time, it was the Chilly Dippers, with Brian Singer leading the charge.
‘Damn, I thought we’d cracked it there for a second!’ Pete whispered in her ear.
‘This lot shouldn’t give us any trouble,’ chuckled Scarlett.
‘What makes you so sure?’ said Pete, running his fingers through his already haywire hair.
For a mad moment, Scarlett wanted to follow the path of his fingers with her own. Instead, she gave herself a quick shake and grinned at the familiar faces now standing at the till.
‘Because I’m one of them,’ she said. ‘Or an honorary one, at least.’
‘Ah… so Seabury has arrived?!’ said Pete, hurrying over to the till to start taking their orders.
‘Well I never,’ said Brian, as he bumbled along the counter, peering at Scarlett over the cake stands. ‘You seem to be settling in rather well! Everything alright?’
‘Right as rain, thanks Brian,’ said Scarlett, shooting him a smile over her shoulder.
‘I have to say, I didn’t expect to find you running the place!’ he laughed, shaking his head in wonder.
‘She’s not running it,’ Libby interjected as she passed by with a tray of empty cups. ‘She’s saving it. And us. Mainly me.’
‘What can I get you, Brian?’ said Scarlett. ‘Your coffee’s on me for the lift all the way over here yesterday.’
‘Well, that’s very kind,’ he said with a broad smile. ‘Since you’re offering, I’ll have a large black Americano with hot milk on the side, please.’
‘Coming right up,’ said Scarlett, already reaching for a fresh cup.
Lou spotted her next, pushing her way through the crowd with a look of disbelief on her face.
‘Scarlett Finch!’ she exclaimed, hands on hips. ‘What on earth are you doing behind the counter?’
Scarlett shrugged, not pausing in her coffee-making. ‘Helping out?’
Lou shook her head and started to laugh. ‘Typical! You’re meant to be on holiday!’
‘It’s oddly relaxing, actually,’ she said with a smile, handing Brian his coffee.
‘If you say so,’ said Lou, sounding dubious. ‘Though I must say, the view is rather nice.’ She waggled her eyebrows meaningfully in Pete’s direction.
‘Shush,’ hissed Scarlett, feeling a flush creep up her neck. Lou had the kind of voice that could carry across an entire county—even when she was whispering. ‘I’m just being helpful.’
‘Mmm-hmm,’ Lou hummed, clearly unconvinced. ‘He’s cute, though, isn’t he? In that slightly scatty surfer-boy way.’
‘No comment. Anyway, do you want a coffee or not?’ said Scarlett, pointedly changing the subject, even though she couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Pete, who was busy charming Doris and Kathleen. His easy smile made something flutter in her chest.
‘Cappuccino, please,’ said Lou, dragging her attention back.
‘Why do you look so smug?’ said Scarlett.
‘You and those heart eyes!’ said Lou. ‘You’d better be prepared to give me a full report later.’
‘There’s nothing to report,’ Scarlett insisted.
‘Yeah, right!’ snorted Lou.
‘I’m serious!’ muttered Scarlett. ‘I’ve known him less than twenty-four hours.’
‘Sometimes that’s all it takes,’ said Lou with a wink. ‘Anyway, how exactly did you get to know Mr Cutie-bum?’
‘Keep it down!’ hissed Scarlett, shooting another look at Pete. Was that a smirk playing around that gorgeous mouth of his, or was she just imagining it? ‘I know him because I’m staying in his hut.’
‘It’s his place, is it? Is it awful? Don’t tell me you’re having to share the bed? That would be very romcom!’ said Lou, her eyes going wide. ‘Do I need to rescue you tonight? Kathleen said she doesn’t mind if you squeeze in with us.’
Scarlett saw Pete cross his arms over his chest. So… he was eavesdropping, then?! That was definitely the look of someone getting protective about their territory. Well… no issues there. She was more than happy to defend it.
‘No, no and no to all the above,’ said Scarlett with a little laugh. ‘Pete’s staying in his campervan, I’ve got the place all to myself, and I’m completely fine, thanks. I’m actually a little bit in love with my hut. It’s gorgeous.’
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pete puff up proudly.
‘The breakfast options were a bit limited, though,’ she added, doing her best not to giggle when she saw him wince.
Lou glanced between Scarlett and Pete, and a troublesome gleam appeared in her eyes.
‘Don’t start!’ Scarlett muttered in a low voice. She knew her friend wasn’t above a spot of matchmaking… and if Lou got the rest of the Dippers involved, today would turn into a nightmare.
‘Would I?’ said Lou, doing her best to look the picture of innocence as she took her coffee.
‘Yes. You would,’ chuckled Scarlett. ‘But please don’t. I’m nervous enough about the swim as it is.’
‘Ah, you’ll be fine!’ said Lou. ‘Actually… do you know when everything’s going to kick off? Everyone seems to be a bit vague on timings.’
‘Eleven,’ said Scarlett. ‘Safety briefing in here first, though.’
‘How on earth did you manage to become a local overnight?’ said Lou, looking impressed.
‘Pete,’ said Scarlett simply, though she instantly regretted it as the look of curiosity reappeared in Lou’s eyes. ‘Look, if I promise to tell you everything when he’s not in earshot, will you promise to behave?’
‘Deal,’ said Lou, shooting her a wink before disappearing off into the crowd with her coffee.
The café continued to buzz with activity, but at long last—when it felt like every swimmer in a twenty-mile radius had been caffeinated to within an inch of their lives—there was a lull.
Scarlett wiped down the counter and then stretched her arms above her head, working out the kinks from standing in one position for so long.
‘You’re a marvel,’ Pete said, handing her a glass of water. ‘I owe you one. Or several.’
‘Not really,’ she said, taking a grateful sip of her drink. ‘I really enjoyed it. Anyway, if you count letting me stay in your hut, fixing the shower and then making me that treasure hunt this morning so that I got breakfast before the chaos, I reckon we’re square.’
‘Cool,’ said Pete, with a smile that practically melted her kneecaps. ‘Ah, finally—here come the experts.’
‘Who’re they?’ said Scarlett.
‘Surf club committee,’ said Pete. ‘Right, I guess we’d better get the show on the road.’
Scarlett watched in surprise as Pete headed over to greet the decidedly salt-crusted new arrivals. Two seconds later, the guy with long dreadlocks and a plaited beard shoved two fingers into his mouth and let rip a piercing whistle, calling everyone to order in a split second.
‘Thanks, man!’ chuckled Pete, clambering onto a chair.
‘Looks like there’s more to your man than meets the eye!’ Lou whispered in her ear as she reappeared at Scarlett’s side.
Scarlett gave her a sharp nudge in the ribs in response, making Lou chuckle as she leaned her behind against the counter.
The surf club committee might look like a bunch of salty, sandy hippies, but it quickly became clear that they knew their stuff. After a bit of banter, Pete and the dreadlocked guy—whose name was Mick?—
settled into their safety briefing.
The mood in the café shifted from light-hearted to attentive as they outlined the swim route, the potential hazards, and the emergency procedures. Everyone listened intently, the earlier laughter replaced with serious nods and occasional questions.
Scarlett did her best to take it all in. If she was being honest, though, she was having a hard time concentrating. She kept getting distracted by the serious expression on Pete’s face, the way his strong hands moved as he talked, and the way the sunshine streaming through the café window was kissing a path along the sharp lines of his jaw.
She wouldn’t mind kissing that path too…
Scarlett shook her head, doing her best to dislodge the thought that had just made her knees turn to jelly.
‘You okay?’ said Lou, looking at her in concern.
‘Did he just say jellyfish? ’ Scarlett quickly invented.
‘Yeah,’ Lou whispered back, ‘but it’s not likely. Don’t you wuss out on me now!’
‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ Scarlett lied quickly, turning her attention back to Pete.
Jellyfish? What else had she missed while she’d been ogling the guy?!
‘We just want to make sure that everyone stays safe and has a lovely day,’ said Pete. ‘Remember, stick between the flags, and if you get into difficulty or spot someone who needs help, raise your arm like this—’ he demonstrated ‘—and we’ll be right with you.’
There was a ripple of applause from the crowd when he finished. Scarlett found herself joining in.
‘Oh – one more thing,’ yelled Mick. ‘Don’t forget to bring your costumes for tomorrow!’
‘Wait… costumes?’ said Scarlett, turning to Lou as excited chatter broke out around them.
‘Yeah,’ said Lou. ‘For the fancy dress dip.’
‘You didn’t tell me about that!’ Scarlett squeaked. ‘I didn’t bring a costume…’
‘I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to chicken out on me,’ said Lou. ‘Don’t worry, we always bring spares. Though, they might be a bit... eccentric.’
‘Define “eccentric”,’ said Scarlett.
Lou’s grin was worryingly mischievous. ‘Let’s just say last year, I went as a jellyfish, complete with trailing tentacles that got so waterlogged I nearly drowned. Apparently, the year before that, Joan went as a ship, with a cardboard hull that disintegrated about thirty seconds after she hit the water. It’s meant to be fun, not practical.’
‘That’s very… comforting!’ said Scarlett with a sigh. Still, she’d worry about that later. First things first—it was nearly time to brave the waves.
As people began to filter out of the café, heading down to the beach to prepare for the swim, Scarlett found herself oddly reluctant to leave the safety of the café. She’d enjoyed her unexpected morning of coffee-making.
‘You ready?’ said Lou, gathering her bag and turning to make her way to the door.
‘I’ll join you guys in a minute,’ said Scarlett. ‘I should help Libby clean up a bit first.’
‘ Libby my aunt fanny,’ said Lou, rolling her eyes. ‘More like hoping for a few minutes alone with Mr Windswept-and-Delicious over there?!’
‘I have no idea what you mean!’ said Scarlett blandly.
‘Sure, sure,’ chuckled Lou. ‘I believe you, though millions wouldn’t. Don’t canoodle for too long—the waves wait for no woman!’