‘Here comes the bride, all fat and wide,’ Titch sang as she manoeuvred the baby buggy containing a sleeping Theo into the Corner Shop.
‘Hardly,’ Rosa replied. Patricia Whittaker was tiny in both height and stature, hence her nickname.
‘I don’t know any other words to that song.’
‘You crack me up, mate. It’s “all dressed in white”, isn’t it?’
‘Shush, you’ll wake the devil incarnate. I tell you, since he’s started crawling, I need to be on full alert.’ Titch walked into the back kitchen and filled the kettle. ‘Nobody tells you that you also need eyes in the back of your backside to stop them getting into stuff.’ She yawned hugely. ‘In fact, Rose, nobody tells you how hard it is being a mother. I reckon it’s a conspiracy: couples who reproduce don’t put out a warning as they want everyone else to suffer as much as they do.’
‘Don’t be saying that to me,’ Rosa objected. ‘Not when I’ve just got my head around getting up the duff myself.’
‘Ah, now that is an exciting revelation. And joking aside, Rose, just look at him.’ They both stared down at the caramel-skinned, curly-haired sleeping little baby and said, ‘Aw,’ in unison. ‘I wouldn’t change him for the world. And now I’ve got Ritchie, well, I can’t complain. He does so much. I’ve lucked in with him, I tell you.’
‘Remind me. How old is he now?’
‘My fiancé? He’s twenty, I think.’ Titch grinned. ‘Oh, my son, you mean. I can’t believe you just asked me that, considering you helped deliver him on this very floor – and in a dog bed!’
‘Ha! Oops, yes of course. That was a day neither of us will forget in a hurry. Wait a minute – he’ll be walking before too long, won’t he?’
‘Thanks for that, Rose, I’m only just getting used to the crawling bit.’ She looked around. ‘Where’s our Hottie today?’
‘With Josh. They’ve gone into Polhampton to do some shopping.’ Rosa’s phone beeped. ‘Talk of the devil.’ When the conversation had ended, she said, ‘That’s a nuisance.’
‘What’s up?’
‘I said I’d meet the Gazette reporter at twelve, and now my dear husband tells me he’s going to be later than he said.’
‘Theo shouldn’t need his lunch until one, so I can cover until Josh gets back, if you like. Just let me make myself a cuppa before you go.’
‘You’re an angel. Make us both one, I’ve still got half an hour. I can’t believe it’s so quiet today. Everyone’s down on the beach, no doubt. The calm after the storm and all that.’ Rosa followed Titch into the back kitchen. ‘How’s it going, with all of you living at your mum’s, anyway?’
‘It’s all right, but when we are married the plan is to get our own place. In fact, hurry up and move out of upstairs, mate – you know we want to rent it off you.’
‘Patience, dear Titch, patience. That is the plan, especially once I start popping out babies too.’
‘Babies plural? I’d like to see how you get on with just the one first, love.’ Titch held up the biscuit tin and shook it. She frowned. ‘Looks like we need to get Mary baking again with immediate effect.’
As Rosa headed home from her interview with Scott, she thought back to the day that had literally changed her life. It seemed unbelievable now, how so much could have happened in such a short time. This hot July day was a contrast to the cold and frosty December morning when she had stepped out of Evans, Donald & Simpson Solicitors in London, with the ancient leather briefcase she’d been given, along with the revelation that she was the brand-new owner of the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay.
Hurrying home to her rented room in the East End of London, she had confided in Josh, her landlord at the time, asking what on earth she would do with a rundown old shop located miles away in South Devon. And then she discovered the condition attached to the mystery inheritance. A note she had found among all the paperwork in the old briefcase had read: One proviso of my gift to you is that you must NEVER sell the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. When you feel the time is right, it can only be passed on to someone you feel really deserves it, and only then.
Thinking this over, Rosa sighed then returned to the present moment. Scott had been a proficient interviewer – concise and straight to the point, which made it easy for her to answer. He took a few photos of her on the beach and outside ROSA’S, and had done his research about ‘the proviso’ since it had been mentioned previously on the South Cliffs Today radio show. He had said that if she wanted to tell him anything more about that, it would be completely off the record. In reply, Rosa had casually mentioned that it had been on her mind a bit recently but there was nothing more to be told.
However, it had been on her mind a lot lately. Yes, she was just part-time at the café now and yes, she did love sharing her shifts with Titch at the shop, although it didn’t leave her much time for anything else. Having a family and moving to a bigger home were the obvious next steps for her and Josh. And as he had made a significant investment into the café, that was what she needed to concentrate on more now. Especially as part of their deal was that Sara, who had created such a good foundation for ROSA’S, wanted to start taking life a little bit easier.
There was no question now that she had to do right by her wonderful great-grandfather Ned and great-grandmother Queenie; the couple had not only loved her from afar and brought her back to her birth mother Mary, here in Cockleberry Bay, but they had also given her a chance of making something of herself in this beautiful part of the world.
And as much as her heart and soul were entwined with the shop, and despite having owned it for such a short time, realistically and practically, Rosa knew it was time. Time for it to be passed on to somebody who truly deserved it.
CHAPTER 7
Titch appeared from the back kitchen with Theo in her arms. ‘Shit! They don’t tell you how much babies do that, either. I’ve put his stinky nappy in the bin, Rose, so the flies don’t get at it.’
Relieved that there were no customers within earshot, Rosa took Theo’s little hand in hers. He gripped it tightly, then smiled gummily at her.
‘He’s a bloody flirt already, too,’ his mother said proudly. ‘Right, I’m off. Did the interview go OK?’
‘Yes, fine, thanks.’
‘Good, good. I sold two flamingo inflatables so you’ll need to put some more out. And it looks like you are getting low on the big bags of the posh dried dog-food.’ Titch started loading stuff into the bottom of the pushchair. ‘Now, what did I want to ask you? There was a reason for me popping in earlier. Oh yeah. Can we have the wedding reception in the café, do you think?’ Before Rosa could answer, Titch added hurriedly, ‘We will pay you and everything, as we realise we will need it exclusively. We were thinking the day after Boxing Day if that’s OK?’
‘What a fantastic idea. We can decorate it beautifully and make it look all lovely and wedding-y, as well as Christmassy. I’ll have to run it by Sara, but I’m sure she’ll be fine about it.’ Rosa picked up Theo’s bottle, which he had just thrown to the floor. ‘And if it suits, well then – that can be my and Josh’s wedding present to you.’