Page 63 of Tricks & Treats at The Cosy Cornish Bakery

Hannah looked at her guardedly. ‘Maybe. Maybe if you don’t go around looking all glam and posh all the time, boasting about your latest long-haul holiday.’

‘And maybe if you treat me like an ordinary flawed human being. We could even be friends,’ Chloe added, tentatively.

‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, sis.’

Chloe gave a dry laugh.

They were interrupted by Dulcie bustling into the kitchen. ‘Thought you two were making tea. What have you been doing all this time? I’ve got a throat on me like the bottom of Demelza’s parrot cage. You been scoffing all my chocolate Hobnobs when I’m not looking, Hannah? You’ll never be as slim as Chloe. And I suppose you’re missing your staff or did you have servants in that posh London flat of yours, Chloe? Doubt if you’ve ever made tea for yourself, have you?’

The sisters met each other’s eyes and burst into laughter.

CHAPTER 31

‘He’s gone?’ Chloe slammed down her wine glass and stared, aghast, at Ginger. She leaned forward, so that the other drinkers in the bar wouldn’t hear. Most of the village seemed to have turned up to The Smugglers to hear the results of the pumpkin carving and scarecrow competitions. ‘But I thought it was all going so well.’

Ginger nodded, her bottom lip trembling with the effort of stopping the tears. ‘I’ve been such a fool, Chlo.’

‘What happened?’

‘We had a great time trick or treating. Bumped into your Hannah and the kids. He was so lovely with Maddy and Isaak.’ Ginger sighed volubly. ‘It melted my heart to see him with them. I suppose it’s because he comes from such a big family, he just has a natural way with children. I fell for him even more watching him laughing and joking around with them. When we got back to The Sanctuary we…’ Ginger paused and looked down, twisting her pint of cider around. ‘We fell into bed.’ She met Chloe’s gaze, her eyes sparkling. ‘Oh, Chloe, it was glorious. Amazing. I’ve never felt so sexy, so desired. So powerful. You know, thinking about it, I don’t think Ryan was any good at sex. Well, Josh certainly is. The things he did to me.’ Her eyes widened. ‘The things I did to him.’

Chloe held up her hand. ‘Whoa, girlfriend. TMI.’

‘Sorry. Of course, I kept kidding myself I was taking it for what it was. A one-night stand, a fling, a chance to grab a bit of happiness.’ She looked up and added earnestly, ‘I mean you would have done it, too, wouldn’t you? Bedded a world-famous Hollywood star?’

Chloe put a comforting hand over Ginger’s. ‘Probably,’ she lied, desperately keeping her anger at Josh under control. ‘It’s just that you’ve always had a heart like soft putty and you have a nasty habit of falling in love with the people you go to bed with.’ No matter how unworthy they are. Bloody Ryan picking on sweet Ginger all those years ago and destroying all her confidence with men. And bloody Joshua Ralph for sweeping in and taking advantage.

‘I mean, I couldn’t resist him,’ Ginger went on. ‘And not because he was all starry and glamorous. I fell for the man behind the movie star image. The guy who loves books and star-gazing and hot chocolate and walks on the beach.’ Her face flamed. She clasped her hands to her cheeks. ‘And it gets worse. Really bad. We went for an early morning stroll on the beach, when it was quiet and there was no one around.’ She bit her lip, her face crimson.

‘And?’

‘We found a seal. A stranded pup.’

‘Oh, so it was you two who found it? I heard Pinky telling everyone in here all about it earlier.’

‘Yes, we reported it to the seal sanctuary and waited until they turned up to rescue it. Hope it’s going to be okay. Trouble was, Erin from the sanctuary recognised Josh.’

‘What happened?’

Ginger shrugged. ‘He posed for selfies with them. Said it would be good publicity for him. I was amazed. Thought he’d deny it, do his Welsh Jim act, but he just turned on the charm, melted Erin completely and posed with them all.’

‘Suppose it will be good publicity for them, they’re always short of funds. And what excellent publicity for the Joshua Ralph brand. God, she was furious with him. ‘It’s a pain he’s been recognised and word’ll get round the village now, but you’ve had famous people staying with you before and the good folk of Wheal Kitty Cove will get over their fit of the vapours. It’s annoying, especially as you’ve worked so hard to keep him quiet as he requested, but is it really that terrible?’

‘It wasn’t finding the seal and Josh being recognised that was terrible. It was my behaviour beforehand.’ Ginger’s hand shot up to cover her mouth. ‘I was completely wild. I don’t know what got into me.’

‘Well, Josh Ralph by the sounds of it.’

To Ginger’s credit, she managed a short laugh. ‘Yeah. Maybe it was all that sex. It’s been a fallow period since Ryan left. Think it made me giddy.’

‘But what did you actually do, Ginger?’ Chloe held up her hand again. ‘Give me the non-X-rated version, please.’

‘Remember Smuggler’s Gug beyond Dancing Ledge?’

‘The cave?’ Chloe’s mouth fell open. ‘Not the cave?’

Ginger nodded. ‘I dragged him in there. To be honest it wasn’t half as romantic as I remember it being aged fifteen.’ She drank a great gulp of her cider.

‘Yes, well,’ Chloe said, drily. ‘When aged fifteen there aren’t many options for a spot of nooky. Did you, you know, make use of the flat rock?’