Page 8 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Make lemon cake!’ the café owner chipped in, popping Lucy’s lemon drizzle down on the table with a flourish. The two girls grinned at her.

‘Or pizza,’ Becky added with a beam. ‘I’m with you all the way, Luce.’ Her friend reached to touch her hand.

‘Oh, are you talking about your new venture, Lucy? How’s it going, my love?’

‘Yeah, pretty good. Three events done, and I’ve survived in one piece so far. It’s just a big learning curve, I suppose.’

‘Of course, it will be. It’s a big step, running your own business. Well, if you ever need any advice you can always ask me,’ Louise added. ‘I’ve faced many a challenge here over the years.’

‘Aw, thank you.’

‘Oh, and if you want a bit of time out, ladies, don’t forget the Driftwood Book Club. Last Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. All are welcome. We’ve got a great little group going on here. Book chat, cake and coffee. Just let me know if you fancy popping along, and I’ll tell you which book we’re reading.’

‘Sounds good. Just my kind of thing,’ Lucy replied.

When she wasn’t working, Lucy could often be found with her nose in a book. It was one of her favourite things to do. How lovely for them both to be invited to be part of the village group, and for Louise’s offer of help and advice with her new venture. And the icing on the top was that she also happened to make some of the best cakes in the world. Lucy looked down at her wedge of lemon drizzle with a smile.

With friends like these on board, it made her challenges seem a little lighter.

Later that afternoon, the weather took a bad turn. Lucy and Daisy watched little plops and streams fall like teardrops down the small window panes of the cottage. Lucy switched the living-room lights on to give a cosy glow and took up her latest book.

She was just getting to a new chapter, all settled on the sofa, when the cast-iron knocker on the front door clop-clopped, and Daisy gave a protective bark. Who on earth might that be? Lucy wasn’t expecting any visitors today. She headed out to the front door.

A tall, lanky twenty-seven-year-old was stood on the step, his dark wavy hair dripping rain into his eyes. ‘Hey, sis.’

‘Olly! Quick, come on in. This is a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting you today …’ She glanced over his shoulder, no sign of his partner Alice or Freddie, their toddler. ‘On your own?’

‘Aye, I’ve escaped for a half-hour.’ He gave a mischievous grin. ‘I have been putting up shelves in the little man’s room all afternoon, mind. Then I was sent out to get some bits and bobs at the supermarket for supper; thought I’d drive the extra few miles and have a quick catch-up. I’ll be back at work tomorrow and it’ll be all go again for sure.’

Olly was an electrician, working for a local company.

‘Fancy a coffee?’

He put a thumbs up. ‘Never known to refuse. Unless there’s a bottle of beer handy, of course.’

‘That kind of a day, hey? But sorry, no beer.’ Lucy smiled.

She got on well with her younger brother. Yeah, they’d had the odd minor tiff as kids, but there was none of that dreadful sibling rivalry between them. They’d been a team, and even though he was four years younger than her, she thought of their childhood fondly. They had fun together: beach days playing rounders, huddled in towels after a chilly dip in the North Sea, practising their basketball skills at the net in the back garden, and noisy games of Twister, Connect Four, and Mousetrap on wet days at home. She’d always felt a bit protective of him too, especially with the fallout between Mum and Dad happening whilst she and Olly were still living at home. Though teenagers, it was still tough to deal with. And, she absolutely adored his new family unit. Cheeky little Freddie was the spitting image of him as a little boy.

‘Get on okay at your pizza gig last night?’ Olly asked.

He had helped install the electrics to the horsebox, all in his own time and for free, bless him, so he had an added interest in her new venture.

‘Yep, went off pretty well overall, I think.’

‘As long as the customers were happy and you got paid, that’s all that matters.’

‘Yeah.’ She hoped the balance payment from Abigail would show up in her account tomorrow. It was much needed.

They headed into the kitchen and Lucy clicked the kettle on, spooning instant coffee into mugs.

‘I just wish Dad would be a bit more positive about it all, though.’

‘Yeah well, that’s Dad for you. He’ll just be worried it’s a bit of a risk, and after everything … He just doesn’t want to see you get hurt, Lulu,’ Olly added.

The word again hanging in the air between them.

‘Yeah, I suppose,’ she conceded with a sigh. A lump formed in her throat as tears began welling in her eyes. She batted them back down, turning away for a brief moment. She wasn’t one to be wearing her heart on her sleeve, even with the own brother. But break-up life after Liam’s bomb of an affair had been so damned tough.