Sighing, he drained his coffee and stood up. Rosa had played such a massive part in his life already. Had once said to him in his deepest moments of grief for his mother and unrequited love for Rosa herself, that you had to keep breaking your heart until it opened fully. That was pretty hard to take from the only woman who had ever broken his. But he was lucky to have her as a friend. A friend for life, whom he knew he could rely on.
Reaching for his ringing mobile phone, he grinned and said playfully, ‘Ah, if it isn’t the elusive and gorgeous Miss Filth. What can I do you for today?’
Davina Hunt laughed down the end of the phone. ‘I’m off shift at four and wondered if you fancied taking me from behind in the Golden Hind.’
CHAPTER 4
‘Remind me when Little Ned’s birthday was again.’ Jacob opened up an embossed red leather diary, labelled Lobster Pot Restaurant Bookings. ‘And what would he like for Christmas?’
‘It was only in July,’ Rosa looked quizzically at her friend, then down to Little Ned who was sleeping soundly in his pram, ‘and now it’s Christmas already?’
‘You know me, I like to be organised. If my presents are not all bought, wrapped perfectly and under the tree by December the first, I come out in hives. It’s all right for you, being semi-retired; some of us have to work, you know.’
Rosa could hear Hot upstairs causing chaos with the Duchess, Ugly and Pongo, the camp publican’s dogs, as Jacob went on, ‘And the trouble with being rich, gay and childless is that I have at last count seven god-children, including your little fellow here, three dogs and one husband. I don’t even believe in God and He certainly doesn’t believe in me, so it’s all a bit of a farce really. To top it all, I can’t stand half of the little bastards. That’s why I have to write everything down.’
Rosa’s shoulders started to shake with laughter. ‘I do hope that my boy fits into the “stand” category.’
Ignoring her, Jacob carried on with his rant. ‘I’m even thinking of making this pub a child-free zone, but as half the holidaymakers are families, Raff told me rather firmly that it would be career suicide.’ On hearing his name, Jacob’s handsome Italian husband peered through the kitchen hatch and blew a kiss at Rosa.
‘Ciao bella, I’m busy making pasties to freeze for the Residents’ Association tent at the Fireworks Night party, so I won’t come out. And you tell him, Rosa. Say it’s for la famiglia – it’s all about the family.’
Rosa blew him a reciprocal kiss and turned back to Jacob.
‘You may be rich, but I’m certainly not after your money so you don’t have to worry about that, at least.’
Jacob leaned over the bar and squeezed her shoulders. ‘Darling girl, I didn’t think that for one minute. Considering you own the café and are now in situ in that lovely pile of bricks on the front, you are becoming rather the Devon landowner. In fact, I might have to start calling you the Queen of Cockleberry Bay.’
Rosa said, ‘Oh, I think you’re quite safe with that title, don’t you?’
Jacob smiled wryly. ‘You’ll never guess what else has happened. I’m so bloody stressed.’ He let out a massive sigh. Raff was smirking to himself in the kitchen at his husband’s dramatics.
‘Now as you know there was never any love lost between me and Sheila Hannafore. I always suspected her of burning down my storeroom. Anyway…’
‘That was years ago,’ Rosa interjected. ‘And you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead. But go on.’
‘Well, that gorgeous bear of a man, Danny Green, told one of my punters that the Ship has also applied for a Three-Star Seaside rating. I mean, how can they even consider that they will be on a par with us?’
‘Oh Jacob, there’s plenty of room for you both to have guests down here.’
‘Maybe so in the summer, but in the winter not so much.’
‘You have lots of repeat business, you’ll be fine.’
Jacob ran a hand through his hair. ‘It’s more the principle than the money, darling. They’ve also got somebody working on their marketing.’ He shuddered. ‘I can’t imagine anything there will be up to our standard. You know how I insist on every one of my one-thousand-thread Egyptian cotton pillowcases, sheets and duvets to be preened and positioned to perfection and not once, let me repeat, not once has a pubic hair EVER been found in a shower cubicle. That reminds me, we’ve just had a letter to say that our annual inspection is due before the year is out too.’
‘It’s good you get a warning though.’ Rosa tidied Little Ned’s blankets.
‘Yes, but they still send a bloody mystery inspector, so we have to be constantly on the ball. On that note, I must get the dogs groomed.’ He sucked in his breath. ‘Can’t have that good-looking scallywag Lucas Hannafore getting one over on us now, can we?’
Jacob’s excitable voice caused Little Ned to stir and Rosa to get tetchy.
‘Shush. We mustn’t wake him,’ she hissed. ‘I’ve got at least half an hour of peace left and then I’m taking him to meet the owner of the new Cockleberry Crèche.’
‘Oh yes.’ Jacob cheered up. ‘The woman who runs it is a hoot. She popped in yesterday to check out our menu.’ He busied himself wiping down the bar. ‘What does your husband think of you dumping your child with someone else?’
‘Did you really say that out loud? And anyway, my husband has flown across the Pond and left us to fend for ourselves, so I’m sure he will be perfectly fine about it. If it worries you so much, maybe I can leave Little Ned with you two?’
With a tight, ‘I think not,’ Jacob minced purposefully to the other end of the bar to get himself a bottle of water. Then he came back grinning to say, ‘Fancy some lunch before you go and sell my favourite godson to someone else?’
CHAPTER 5
‘Goodbye Stephanie, what a good girl you’ve been today. See you tomorrow, Bertie. Catch some more spiders in that tin, please. Mrs Hatt, can you please make sure you pack more nappies tomorrow and can you tell your sister that no, I don’t supply vegan snacks for under-fives, for under anyone actually, but we’d love to have her little Bobby if she wants to provide some herself.’
With the door shut firmly and all her infant charges gone for today, Gladys Moore plumped her large backside on the sofa at the rear of the nursery and stretched her legs out, needing a few minutes’ peace and quiet before she roused herself to tidy and clean the place ready for tomorrow’s intake. Her ebony skin was so flawless that Rosa couldn’t exactly guess her age but thought she might be in her late fifties. Her natural afro was soft and wild. Her breasts large and full. The long-sleeved red and white polka-dot dress she was wearing suited her affable personality to a tee.
Rosa, who had been keeping out of the way, waiting with Ned asleep in his pram while the others left, coughed to get the woman’s attention. Gladys sat up with a start, her open smile brightening the whole room.
‘Sorry, didn’t see you there. Can I help you, dear?’