Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
I t’s the second week of May and the day of the announcement for the National Award for the Most Innovative Café.
Noah and I have dropped Lucas at school and are walking hand in hand along the beach to the café. Our jeans are rolled up to our knees and in our hands are our trainers – there’s nothing sweeter than an early morning paddle. We stand for a few moments, savouring the azure blue sky, sun rays skittering over the water, and the gentle lapping of the waves. Noah gazes out towards the horizon and I stare down and see something glinting in the wet sand. Bending down I see that it’s a tiny gold bracelet which has been brought back by the tide. Gently I wipe away all the bits of wet sand and seaweed. ‘I’ll stick this on our social media to see if anyone has lost it.’
Noah circles my waist with his hand and pulls me close. ‘I’m glad I never lost you, Alice.’
‘I am glad you came back, Noah.’
The Little Love Café is packed with happy couples. The winner of the award will be invited to a fancy dinner in London where they will be formally presented with their award. I’m sat at a table constantly refreshing The Little Love Café email account. Noah is sat by me; Richard is playing his harp and Ava is serving.
Ava added a photo of the lost bracelet to our social media pages and on the town’s Facebook page. We’re hoping the owner comes forward soon.
Noah places a hand on my shoulder. ‘I believe in us.’
I lean my head on his shoulder. ‘We make a great team, Noah.’
He chuckles. ‘Once we stopped arguing. I am so glad we got a second chance.’ Noah plants a kiss on my cheek. Underneath the pink table I cross all my fingers and toes.
I look across the café. Harold and Pearl are in the corner gazing into each other’s eyes. The completion of his mission earned him a proper date with Pearl. Since then, they have been seen walking arm in arm around Blue Cove Bay and exchanging a kiss or two at the community centre. They did reveal to Phoebe and Liam that they were responsible for the lavender scented love letters and the matchmaking.
Dad has arrived with Pam from her bakery. Since he’s been working alongside Pam, we have all noticed a change in them both. Dad seems happier than he was in the supermarket and Pam now wears her beautiful silvery hair down a lot more and she doesn’t look so harassed. In fact, today I can see a brush of sparkly eyeshadow over her eyelids and her lips are pink and glossy. They’re heading for the table. ‘Any news?’
We all shake our heads. Phoebe and Liam have come over to the table, hand in hand. ‘This is so exciting, guys,’ gushes Phoebe. She puts her arms around my neck and pulls me into a hug. ‘I am so proud of you, Alice.’
At the door I can hear Esme laughing. We all look up to see her and Keith walking in, arm in arm. It turned out Keith was the anonymous buyer of the gift shop. He bought it to free Esme from Joy’s clutches. She now manages it and he is her assistant. They are also dating which has made us all happy. Joy went to Devon with Eric and the last we heard she was struggling to run her new business by herself. After years of watching her make Esme do everything, hearing this is very satisfying.
‘Have you heard anything?’ Esme asks.
I shake my head. Keith holds up his crossed fingers. ‘We’re all praying, Alice.’
Ava comes over to the table holding her phone. ‘The bracelet owner has been found, Alice’.
‘Really?’
She nods. ‘It belongs to one of our customers. She and her partner came here a few weeks ago, had an argument and she stormed out onto the beach.’
An uncomfortable feeling passes over me.
‘They had a yelling match on the beach, and she lost her bracelet. Anyway they are fine, but she thought the bracelet he once bought her was lost forever. Isn’t that great you found it?’
I smile at Ava. ‘Perfect.’
Noah holds up the iPad. ‘Frankie and Rose are on a video call. He said he wants to watch the result come in live.’
Frankie and Rose’s happy faces come through on the screen as The Little Love Café email pings to signal the arrival of an email. Everyone gasps as I say, ‘It’s here. The email from the award committee.’
I go to open the email and Dad stops me. He turns to everyone who is gathered around and to the iPad screen. ‘Before we find out, can I say how proud I am of my daughter, Alice, for all her hard work and Frankie for creating this wonderful place. I would also like to welcome Noah to our family and apologise to Rose. Julie is one very proud mum in heaven today.’
‘Can I also say,’ says Frankie from the iPad screen, ‘that I am also proud of Alice. I knew she could turn this place around with Noah’s help.’
Clearing my throat I rise from my seat. ‘Before I open the email, I also want to say a few words.’ Noah and Keith give me a little round of applause. ‘I have worked so hard to turn this place around and give my wonderful, best mate in Australia something to smile about.’ I turn to Frankie on the laptop screen. ‘Frankie, I admit now giving me the job in my broken-hearted state was probably not a good decision.’ Everyone around me laughs and Frankie grins. ‘You can say that again, Alice,’ he chuckles, which sends a ripple of laughter around the café.
I continue. ‘I am not going to take credit for the idea of this café. This is Frankie’s café, and I simply made a few tweaks and finishing touches… once I controlled my emotions. Turning this café around has been a team effort and I would like to thank Noah, Jake, Pam, Dad, Ava, Richard and of course Frankie. I also want to thank my two friends, Phoebe and Esme who drank far too much wine with me when I needed to vent and moan.’ Both Phoebe and Esme cheer and clap.
With Noah holding my hand I open the email.
The National Award for the Most Innovative Café goes to… The Little Love Café in Blue Cove Bay.
After a lot of hugging, kissing, and crying down the laptop at an emotional Frankie and Rose, Noah and I head out onto the beach. Ava is managing the café whilst we get some much-needed time to process the café’s victory.
‘We did it,’ says Noah, lifting me up and twirling around. He puts me down and we engage in a beautiful kiss. Once we come up for air we walk towards our rock. ‘I can’t wait to marry you a second time by this rock,’ Noah says, with a grin.
‘Really?’ I gush.
He nods. ‘Lucas can hold our rings.’
‘Lucas has a thing for shiny things so we might have to talk to him about how he must hand over the rings and not put them in his pocket.’
We both giggle. While Noah climbs up our rock, I look at out at the sparkling sea. Just as the sea returns treasures like the lost bracelet hidden beneath the surface, love offered Noah and me the chance to rediscover our connection which we thought had been swept away years ago.
‘Alice, come on,’ shouts Noah, ‘I want to kiss you up here like I did when we were teenagers.’
THE END