Copyright

HarperImpulse an imprint of

HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2018

Copyright © Caroline Roberts 2018

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018 Cover illustrations © Shutterstock.com

Caroline Roberts asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008295547

Ebook Edition © June 2018 ISBN: 9780008295554

Version: 2018-09-21

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

A Letter from Caroline

Acknowledgements

Recipes

Keep Reading …

About the Author

Also by Caroline Roberts

About the Publisher

Dedication

For Julie and Kathryn

– onwards and upwards

Epigraph

‘There is nothing better than a friend,

Unless it is a friend with chocolate.’

Linda Grayson

1

‘Is it ready yet?’ The young man stood at the counter smiling, a hint of nervous anticipation in his blue eyes.

‘Yes, of course. I added the final touches to it this morning,’ Emma answered.

‘I can’t wait to see it. And did it fit in okay?’

‘Yep, no problem at all. I used one of the little cellophane bags I usually put the truffles in to protect it – didn’t want any chocolate smears to spoil the box. It looks great, honestly. I’m sure she’ll be happy with it. Anyway, I’ll go and fetch it from the crafting kitchen, where I’ve kept it safe for you, then you can see for yourself.’

It had been an unusual and rather lovely request: to place an engagement ring inside a hand-crafted chocolate Easter egg. Emma had been asked to design several creations, or add special messages to gifts, over the eight years since she had opened The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, but never this. She’d thought it wise to keep the ring in its jeweller’s box, so the lucky girl in question didn’t spoil the moment of revelation by eating it accidentally and ending up in A&E!

Emma had spent many hours designing and crafting the delicate, filigree-inspired sugar-paste design of hearts and flowers that adorned its moulded dark chocolate sides (dark chocolate being the fiancée-to-be’s favourite). With some trepidation, and not wanting any breakages at the last moment, she carried it carefully through to the shop, praying that it would be everything that Mark, the young man waiting at the counter, was hoping for.

‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ The young man’s jaw dropped.

Emma felt her shoulders relax as she placed the very special chocolate egg on the counter-top.

He smiled ecstatically at her. ‘The design is just stunning. She’ll love it, I’m sure. Let’s hope she loves what’s inside too.’

‘She’d better,’ Emma grinned. ‘If someone had made that much effort for me, well …’ She let the words trail. Someone had, once, many years ago. Just the memories and the love she still felt for that wonderful person took her back – and still, after all these years, it had the power to make her feel raw, bruised.

‘Well, best of luck,’ Emma rallied, not wanting her own past to tarnish someone else’s bright, shiny future. ‘Here, let me pack it up for you. I have a box and bubble wrap to make it as safe as I can.’

‘I’ll drive home steadily, I promise.’

And a few minutes later, the young man was setting off with his ‘engagement egg’ safely stowed in his arms, along with a heart full of hopes and dreams.

Emma stood at the counter, waving a cheery goodbye to him, but he could only manage a small nod in reply for fear of dropping his precious cargo, although he was smiling broadly.

Emma sighed happily. She loved this job so much. Well, it was more than a job to be honest – it was her own business, with her gorgeous little flat above the shop that was compact but cosy. ‘The Chocolate Shop by the Sea’ had been her refuge all those years ago, and now it was her joy. Coming down in the mornings to the scent of cocoa and vanilla, and sometimes warming whisky or orange, depending on what she’d been crafting the night before. The flavours and smells changed by the seasons, as did the colourful displays in the shop. Now, it was spring with wraps, boxes, ribbons and tags in Easter-bright yellows, pinks, blues and greens.

She looked around her. The shop, with its café, was fairly small, having been someone’s front room once upon a time. It had a traditional wooden floor and the original stone cottage walls and there were two round tables set in the window-seat area that overlooked the quaint village street. The counter area had a refrigerated unit to store the cream-based truffles and ganaches safely and wooden shelves for her fabulous displays of chocolate, including a quirky boat-hull-styled unit that she kept filled with pretty packs of truffles, fudge and hand-crafted chocolate bars.

She had re-styled the shop to echo the pretty harbour location, with new sky-blue seat pads for the window seats and stripy cushions in blues, cream and greys. Even the chocolates on the counter featured puffins, shells, anchors and boats.

Holly, her seventeen-year-old assistant, was due in any minute. She usually started at ten o’clock on a Saturday. Holly, a bubbly, pretty girl with a mass of wavy brown hair was in her final year at the local Sixth Form and worked for Emma at weekends and holidays. Emma knew she would likely lose her after the summer, when university or a college course beckoned. They had chatted about it recently after closing one day, both perched on stools with hot chocolates at the counter. The young girl would be a real miss at the shop, with her sunny nature and diligent attitude, though of course Emma wished her well for her future. They had worked hard together this last year, turning the business around and making its new coffee shop a success. There had been much fun and laughter along the way too.

Em spotted Holly’s dark curls bouncing by the front window.

‘Hi, Em.’ Holly was grinning happily as she came into the shop.

‘Morning, Holly.’

She was followed by a smart-looking lady in her sixties, who approached the counter with a friendly smile.

‘Hello, I’m looking to buy three chocolate eggs for my grandchildren. Something a bit different for each. Any ideas?’

‘Boys? Girls? Any hobbies?’ Emma asked.

‘Well then, Laura’s seven and into football, having just got into the school team.’

‘Ooh, well done to her.’

‘Her little sister is just a toddler who adores all things pink. And my grandson’s nine and mad about all those Xbox games and cricket.’

‘Okay, I have some suggestions.’ And with that, Emma brought forward some examples to the counter. ‘So, I do have a football egg, and believe it or not an Xbox-controller-shaped egg. It’s been popular, I can tell you. Or I can personalise a traditional egg with a name and a message, and there are large chocolate Easter bunnies and chicks, with varying ribbons and decorations. I can certainly go large on a fancy pink ribbon for the toddler with any of those. There are also hamper-style gifts with a selection of things in.’

‘Hmm, I can see I’m spoilt for choice. These all look fabulous. I’m so glad the young man at our hotel told me to call down here.’

Holly was now standing beside Em, with her stripy blue apron on. Em felt her positively glow. The young man in question being her boyfriend, Adam, who worked as the assistant manager of The Seaview Hotel at the top of the village.

‘I’ll go with the football egg and two of the bunnies, please,’ the lady continued. ‘Can I have one with a pink ribbon and the other with a green spotty bow tie?’

‘Of course. Let me pop them into bags for you. Can I help with anything else?’

‘Hmm, yes,’ The woman scanned the glass window of the refrigerated section. ‘Maybe a box of whisky truffles for my husband.’

After that, being the day before Easter Sunday, the customers kept piling in, and the café was buzzing all morning. The mini egg bags had run out by lunchtime, but there were plenty of other options. It was a fine balance, ensuring there was plenty of choice for those special occasion days, but also that you weren’t left with too much. Emma and Holly didn’t stop. Thank goodness Emma’s close friend, Bev, had agreed to help this afternoon too; she usually worked for a couple of days in the week.

The Chocolate Shop was in full swing right up to the close of business – an hour later than normal at six o’clock. Emma saw the last gentleman out with his huge fancy marbled milk-and-white egg filled with truffles, checked the street for any last-minute stragglers and seeing there were just a couple of tourists heading down the hill towards the harbour, she shut the door, turning the painted wooden sign to Closed. Wow! That was some day – feet throbbing, hands sore from all the wrapping and tying of bows, and a till hopefully laden with cash ready to pay next month’s rent.

‘Thanks for all your hard work, ladies.’ Emma turned to Bev and Holly.

‘You’re welcome,’ Bev replied.

‘No worries.’ Holly smiled at her boss. ‘I’m going home to get ready to go out with Adam. I think he’s taking me for a meal.’

‘Ooh, lovely. And, hang on, I have a gift for you both. You can’t be working in a chocolate shop and not be getting any perks.’ Em trotted off to the back kitchen to fetch the two chocolate eggs she had hand-crafted especially for her staff. Both had their names carefully written in white chocolate across them. Holly’s was milk with white chocolate spots all over it and Bev’s was dark with hand-crafted flowers in white and dark chocolate, both filled with their favourites: Eton Mess truffles with meringue and strawberry pieces for Bev, and Baileys truffles plus some salted caramels for Holly.

‘Oh my, that is amaze-balls.’ Holly beamed. ‘It’s almost too good to eat.’

‘That is so pretty,’ Bev added. ‘Mind you, I’ll have no trouble tucking into mine. It looks divine. Thanks so much.’ She gave Em a hug.

‘You only love me for my chocolate,’ Emma jested as they pulled away.

‘Absolutely.’ Bev grinned.

‘Right, well, time to get yourselves home then. We’ve already run well over time, so thank you. I’ll do the last bit of tidying here.’

‘You sure?’ Holly checked; she’d quite gladly help for a while longer.

‘I’m fine, honest. Go get your glad rags on, young lady, and enjoy your evening. Tomorrow’s a day off for me too. Yee-es.’ Em was more than ready for it, the run-up to Easter being particularly hectic. It was one of the few Sundays of the year when she closed.

The perfect antidote to a hectic day in the shop was a walk along the beach. After her staff had gone home, Emma nipped upstairs, took off her work apron, and found the lead for Alfie, her much-loved springer spaniel. He leapt out of his bed in her upstairs kitchen and was soon bouncing around her ankles.

‘Come on then, boy. Time for the beach.’

He knew the routine off by heart and didn’t need asking twice; he bounded off down the stairs then sat waiting, tail wagging eagerly, by the back door. They left by the courtyard, a lovely stone-flagged area to the rear of the shop, turned out through the side alley to join the main village street of quaint stone cottages, and headed down the hill to the harbour, past the grocer’s store and the new arts-and-crafts shop. It was breezy but mild, and a few fishing boats bobbed alongside the harbour wall; two of the traditional cobles had been brought up to the shoreline and rested amongst lobster pots, colourful buoys and thick-corded ropes. Emma said ‘hello’ to a group of tourists she passed, and gave a wave to Danny, her friend from the pub. The Fisherman’s Arms was set on top of the slope that rose gently to the right of the harbour and Danny happened to be out in the front car park, chatting to some guests.

Within five minutes she and Alfie were walking along the sandy track through the dunes, coming out upon a golden sweep of crescent-curved beach. Emma let Alfie off the lead and he ran joyfully down to the water’s edge, where rolling waves foamed in from the pewter-grey North Sea. It was beautiful there and strolling along the soft sands calmed her instantly. The hush of the waves, the breeze on her face, Alfie in his element – Warkton-by-the-Sea, with its beach, harbour, village of stone cottages and warm local hearts – this was home. This was her happy place – at last.

She walked the length of the bay to where the rock pools gathered before the low cliffs. The evening was beginning to creep in, the sky gently fading to a peachy-grey before night came. She’d get back; she needed to get ready to see Max anyhow. It wasn’t only Holly who had a date night to look forward to. Emma’s boyfriend would be with her in an hour or so. Wow, she could still hardly believe all that had happened in the past year. She never imagined she could fall in love again – after the pains of the past she could hardly bear to think about – yet here she was – they were – still in the early, tentative, but oh-so-sweet-and-sexy days of their relationship. Another love.

2

Emma woke the next morning to find Max asleep beside her. It was rather wonderful, but it still took a little getting used to. He’d arrived a little later than expected last night, so they had had a chilled-out evening in the flat above the shop, catching up on their week apart over a supper of chicken and salad.

The morning light glowed on his face, which was framed by short, mid-brown hair. She studied the dark lashes on his closed lids, the shallow lines on his forehead, deeper laughter lines around his eyes that she knew were hazel-green, the sensual curve of his lip, the cropped beard. It was a handsome face, a little lived-in and rather gorgeous. Watching him made her melt and then spin inside. It was hard to pin down these new emotions. She had been self-contained for so many years; a case of necessity. And day by day she felt her heart unravelling just a little more. It felt beautiful … and somewhat scary.

She reached to gently touch his shoulder which was bare above the covers. He was well-built, the muscles defined. There was the small scar where he had injured it just before Christmas. He still had to be careful, the dislocation to his shoulder making it likely that it might happen again. She loved him for his scars, his hurts, as well as his bloody sexy body. And hey, there were worse things to get used to than waking up to a strong, caring guy who looked a bit like Gerard Butler.

His eyes blinked open. ‘Morning, beautiful.’ His just-awake smile was warm in his voice.

‘Hello, gorgeous.’ Their morning greeting had become their ‘thing’ as they welcomed another day. It started off as a cheesy joke but had stuck and it never failed to make her smile. ‘Oh, hang on,’ she added, ‘Happy Easter.’

‘Happy Easter, Em. Now then, I haven’t got you a chocolate egg – thought you might be all chocolated-out by now. But I did get you this …’ He got out of bed, totally starkers, and wandered across to the chair where he had placed his clothes and overnight bag. She loved that he was happy in his own skin, uninhibited. He lifted out a small gift from his luggage. ‘For you.’

He climbed back into bed, as she opened the gift bag to reveal a very cute soft toy rabbit.

‘Well, you seem to be the one doing all the Easter-egg making and delivering around here, so I thought your very own Easter Bunny might be quite fitting.’

‘Aw, how sweet. He’s really lovely.’ The toy was gorgeous, all soft beige fur, with a white fluffy bib area and a yellow-spotted bow tie. ‘Thanks.’

With that, she leaned down to find her gift for him where she’d hidden it under the bed. ‘And this … is not your average Easter egg, by the way.’

‘Oh, I can’t wait.’ Max opened the medium-sized cardboard box, unwrapping layers of tissue paper to find a set of chocolate tools: spanner, hammer, nuts and bolts, and a screwdriver with screws.

‘Hah, this is brilliant!’

‘All edible,’ Emma announced. She had seen the moulds online and knew that was just the thing for Max, who owned his own building company. It had taken a while to get the silver-metallic finish just right, but she was pleased with the end result.

‘Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s so cool. I’m gonna have to show the lads at work. Thank you.’ He beamed at her. ‘I love it.’

‘You’re welcome.’

He leant across to give her the most tender kiss – an embrace that promised so much more.

‘We have no rush this morning,’ she hinted. ‘I’m not opening the shop today.’ After three weeks of manic build-up, creating chocolate eggs of all shapes and sizes, filled chocolate bonnets, moulded Easter chicks and bunnies, she was more than ready for a day off – a rare treat. Running your own business meant long hours, and busy days.

‘Hmmn, no rush at all then. So, I’m going to make love to you very, very slowly indeed.’

Em felt her whole body tingle just at the thought of it.

‘And … I might even find a use for that chocolate spanner,’ he added jokingly, with such a wickedly naughty grin on his face, that the pair of them dissolved into laughter.

Making love in the morning left you with a warm glow for the rest of the day. There had been no rush for Emma and Max to be out early, but there were two special chocolate Easter eggs she had yet to deliver to her twin nieces who lived nearby. They arrived late morning at her brother James’s house, which was in a small hamlet in the countryside outside the market town of Alnwick, a twenty-minute drive away through pretty country lanes.

After the annual Easter egg trail in the back garden for the girls, which had now become a bit of a tradition (and who better to bring the most delicious chocolate eggs than Auntie Emma?), they were chatting in the family kitchen over tea and simnel cake, with Easter ‘nests’ the girls had made themselves with lots of chocolate, cereal and mini eggs.

‘Uncle Max, do you like my chick?’ Lucy asked.

Emma had lovingly crafted two large and very cute chocolate Easter chicks, which had been the grand finale of the trail. They even had bow ties on – one red and spotty, the other yellow-striped.

‘He’s rather fabulous, isn’t he? Do you think it is a he?’ Max asked, noting with a smile that there was a large chunk of chocolate missing already from the back of his head.

‘Oh, yes. Of course.’

‘Mine’s a girl,’ Olivia piped up. ‘I’m going to call her Flick.’

‘Flick, the chick. That’s a cool name,’ Max said, grinning.

Max was a natural with the children, so at ease chatting away with them, despite having no nieces or nephews of his own. Lucy had started calling him Uncle Max soon after Christmas, when Emma had only been seeing him for a few months, and it had stuck. He seemed very much a part of Emma’s family already.

‘So, how’s the shop going, Em?’ Chloe, her sister-in-law, asked.

‘It’s been really hectic in the run-up to Easter, but that’s good. And I’m managing to keep up with the rent payments okay for now, so that’s a bit of a relief.’ There had been issues with a huge rent hike the year before, but Emma was managing to keep the wolf of a landlord from the door at the moment. The new café area was proving popular and her Chocolate Shop by the Sea was doing well; it certainly kept her busy.

‘That’s good news, Em. Glad to hear it. Anyone for a top-up?’ Chloe got up from the table where she’d been sitting with Emma and busied herself with the kettle and teapot.

The two men were standing chatting by the French windows that led to the garden. They were talking work too.

‘The accountancy practice has been full on lately,’ James, her brother, was saying, ‘what with the end of the financial year coming up. You?’

‘Yeah, lots on for me at the moment,’ Max replied. ‘Things have really picked up in the building industry again. New houses going up, conversions, all sorts. In fact, I’ve just been offered a great project down in Leeds.’

Emma’s ears pricked up – it was the first she’d heard of this.

‘Converting a warehouse into apartments, right by the side of one of the canals. The job’s worth a lot of money and sounds really interesting. I like working with original buildings, but then that has its problems too, and it’ll mean I’ll be travelling and being away quite a bit. Gotta go where the business is, though.’

‘Too right.’

Well, thanks for letting me know about this, Emma mused, feeling a little disgruntled that he hadn’t thought to tell her first. It was hard enough finding time to spend together as it was, with both of them running their own businesses.

‘Uncle Max, can you come and play dens with us?’ Lucy interrupted.

The girls had a Wendy house all set up in the lounge.

‘Yes, Uncle Max.’ Olivia was on the case too.

‘Okay, okay. Just give me five minutes to finish my tea.’

‘O-kay.’

It always made Emma laugh seeing him trying to squeeze his well-built frame into the tiny tent-like play zone. He was often the ‘giant’ in whatever scene they were playing. And off he went, escorted by two five-year-olds to the play den, one holding each hand. He gave a mock look of horror to Emma, but she knew he didn’t mind. Hah, they might even get to paint his fingernails again. They had once before, in alternate colours of pink and silver, and he had begged Em to go to the village grocer’s for some remover, before he set off to work the next day. ‘I look like Eddie Izzard or something,’ he’d muttered. ‘I’ll never survive the ribbing from the lads if I don’t get rid.’

Em chatted with James and Chloe, catching up on her brother’s recent visit to her parents – she hadn’t had a chance to call across herself with the shop being so busy lately – whilst Max kept the girls happily occupied. She peeked into the lounge at one point to find them putting hair clips in his hair, which was a challenge with it being so short. They stayed for another half hour or so after Max managed to escape the den, chatting over a glass of wine, and then set off back to Warkton-by-the-Sea.

‘Max …’ Emma said in her car on the way home, ‘I couldn’t help but hear you and James talking earlier. Why hadn’t you told me about the job in Leeds?’ It had been simmering away in her mind. She concentrated on her steering as she reached a sharp bend in the country lane. Her fingers tensed.

‘I was going to – it just didn’t seem right last night when I’d only just got there. I wanted to relax and have a nice evening. I would have said something tonight.’

‘Oh. Well, with you away more, will I still get to see you?’ They only managed to snatch days together at the weekends as it was.

She sounded needy, she knew, and hated that. But she was just getting used to being in a relationship again, had only just let someone back into her heart. It felt odd, like a loss of independence, life had been a lot simpler for all those years on her own.

Simpler, but rather lonely, something inside reminded her.

Ah, relationships, they made you feel out of control, fuzzy at the edges somehow. Hah, that’s when they didn’t rip you apart.

To be fair on Max, working six days a week herself and also a Sunday afternoon at busy times, didn’t help matters. It was hard for both of them, with their homes an hour apart, leading different and hectic working lives. It was sometimes a miracle they had time to meet up at all. But the alternative, no Max, she didn’t like to think of that.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out like that.’ His green eyes gazing across the car at her were caring, his gentle smile honest.

How could she stay cross with him? ‘Ah, it’s okay.’ Her tone softened. Through the windscreen, the metallic blue of the sea came into view as they approached her village. She was more annoyed at herself for beginning to rely on him being there. She knew he had to be back at work early tomorrow, leaving her bed in the early hours and she didn’t want to spoil this evening. She had plans for them to walk on the beach with Alfie, before a cosy supper, a seat for two on the sofa by the fire, then hopefully making love once more. Having Max in her life was so much better than having him out of it.

3

‘How’s sexy lover boy, then?’

‘Morning, Bev.’ Thank goodness there were no customers in as yet. Em felt her cheeks tingle with a blush.

‘So,’ her friend continued angling, ‘good weekend?’

‘Yes, thanks … very good. And yes, Max did come up.’

Bev’s eyebrows arched cheekily. ‘Hmm,’ was all she uttered with a daft grin on her face.

‘… to stay.’ Emma completed the phrase, shaking her head.

‘Ah, if only I wasn’t already married!’ Bev was still grinning away. She loved teasing Emma. ‘Now I know why you were all ice maiden for six years: I think I would have been too if I knew that was the prize at the end of it.’

‘O-kay, enough!’ Yes, so Max was pretty good-looking, but really, despite being her best friend ever since her arrival in Warkton-by-the-Sea, Bev could sometimes take things a little too far. But still, the conversation had made her smile, she conceded.

‘Right, what do you need help with this morning, boss?’ Bev asked cheerily.

‘Well, I’d like to crack on in the kitchen with making some more ganaches and truffles. It’ll be a nice change from Easter eggs and that’ll replenish the stocks for the refrigerated counter. I fancy doing some Irish Cream truffles and trying out some new Red Velvet ones. I thought I might experiment with that flavour.’

‘Ooh, they sound nice. I am prepared to sacrifice my waistline to test any new chocolates out, you know.’

‘That’s no surprise. So, if you can just keep an eye on the shop and café whilst I’m in the back kitchen, I promise to bring through a couple to try once they are made.’

‘Can’t wait. We can test them out with morning coffee.’

‘Perfect.’

‘Oh, Em. I’ve brought in some miniature daffodils from my garden for the posy vases on the tables.’

‘Aw, thanks. That’ll cheer things up in here.’ It was a grey old day outside, the April sky heavy with cloud and the threat of rain. But hey-ho, it might just make a cosy chocolate shop café even more appealing to the tourists on their Easter holiday break.

The shelves behind Bev were stacked with chocolate bars in many flavours, packs of chocolate-dipped fudge, a counter with truffles and melt-in-your-mouth ganaches, moulded lollipops with puffins and teddy bears on, a few remaining Easter chicks and bunnies, and lots more. Emma loved the chance to change the selections by season and special holidays. Now the displays were brightly coloured for spring and Easter, with gift boxes in gold and white, and pretty cellophane packs with curls of ribbons in pinks, blues, greens and yellows.

Despite the grey skies outside, spring was very much in the air. The season of hope, new life and second chances.

There was a lull just after eleven and Emma made coffee for herself and Bev.

‘Coffee time,’ she called, bringing through a tray with a cafetière of coffee on, as well as a small plate with a selection of choc-chip shortbread, the new Red Velvet ganaches, and a couple of other chocolates to try.

‘Oh my, I think I’m actually going to drool.’ Bev’s eyes lit up. ‘How did I get so lucky as to work in a chocolate shop, with my bestie, no less?’ The novelty of helping out at The Chocolate Shop still delighted Bev. She also worked a couple of mornings as a receptionist at the doctors’ surgery in the next village, which had been her job for many years, but now she was also helping her friend, and this didn’t feel like work at all.

They settled themselves on stools to the side of the counter.

‘Now these are lemon meringue cups, and the new red velvet, and there’s a strawberries-and-cream bar in white chocolate that I’ve broken up to try. I’ll put some out as tasters on the counter shortly.’

Bev dived straight in, taking a bite of a lemon cup. ‘Oh wow, delicious!’

Em poured out the coffee, its rich aroma filling the shop.

‘I’ve been thinking …’ Bev started.

‘Now that could be dangerous!’

‘Hah.’ Bev looked indignant.

‘Go on.’

‘Well, you remember what a success your launch night for the chocolate café was? With all the chocolate and bubbly we had. And you’re always looking for ways to improve the shop, and bring in more money, of course …’

‘Ye-es.’ Em wondered where this might be going.

‘Well, what about prosecco-and-chocolate nights? Girlie nights, celebrations, that type of thing.’

‘Hmm.’ Emma sipped her coffee. ‘You might just be on to something there.’

‘Well, I’d love to go to something like that, so would lots of my friends, I’m sure. Something a bit different from going out into town or to the local pubs and clubs, getting pushed about in a crowd, your toes stood on and lager spilled down your back. Yes, chocolate nights in.’

‘Interesting … I know there’s all sorts of legal implications to consider for being licenced to serve alcohol for the prosecco, but I might just look into it. In fact, I think it could work well.’ Emma was always open to new ways to expand the business and protect her Chocolate Shop’s future. ‘Yes, I can picture it now. Hen do’s, small parties, birthdays. Maybe we could do a hands-on truffle-making session too, as part of the party.’ Her mind was on a roll now. ‘My cocktail-based ones might work well. The Pimm’s chocolate cups I did last summer, or the Pina Colada or Mojito truffles.’

‘Ooh, yes. Sounds brilliant. Of course, being my idea, it will be.’

Emma took a sip of coffee. ‘Hmm, I’m liking it, Mrs Walker. You might well be on to something. I’ll do some research. An extra string to The Chocolate Shop’s bow can only be a good thing. Whilst we’re going along nice and steady at the moment, who knows what’s around the corner?’ She remembered only too well the rent hike of last year, and her greedy landlord, Mr Neil, was always waiting in the wings. But more than that, it sounded a really lovely thing to do.

With that, the shop door chimed, and in came old Mrs Clark, one of their regulars. The elderly lady was well wrapped up in her coat and scarf, but she looked a little more stooped lately, and her face a little paler than usual.

Emma stood up to greet her. ‘Morning, Mrs C, and how are you today?’

‘Not so bad, Emma, not so bad.’ It was as though she was trying to convince herself. ‘Mind, that hill up’s a bit of a bugger. Gets steeper every time.’ Mrs Clark loved the ‘B’ word and used it prolifically. It always made Emma smile.

‘Well, come and have a seat, Mrs C. What can we get for you? The usual coffee? We have some nice chocolate cake, freshly made too, if you fancy?’

‘Just a cup of coffee, pet. That’ll be grand. And how are you two ladies?’ Mrs Clark settled herself into one of the window seats, placing her large handbag beside her and removing her woollen coat and patterned head scarf.

‘Good thanks,’ answered Bev. ‘We’re planning prosecco parties.’

‘My, that sounds fun. That’s what you young ones should be doing, having fun. Life’s too short not to enjoy it. We had some good parties in our time. I remember the old tea dances down at the village hall. Me and my Jim, back when we were courting – those were the days.’ Her grey-green eyes seemed to light up with the memories, then she smiled and sighed all at once.

‘Go on, tell me about it back then, Mrs C,’ Bev took up.

‘I’ll just go and fetch your coffee, Mrs Clark. Won’t be a minute,’ said Emma, knowing the story would still be in full flow on her return.

‘Thanks, pet.’

‘Well then, I do remember one of the tea dances in particular. I wasn’t supposed to be going out that night at all as my dad was still cross. You see, I’d been out with Jim to the pictures in Alnwick two days before, and somehow we’d missed the eight-fifteen bus home.’

Bev was nodding, enjoying the story. She liked to hear about the village in the old days.

‘Well,’ Mrs C continued, ‘if truth be told, I think we’d spent far too long kissing round the back of the picture house after the film. Lost track of time. Of course, there were no mobile phones, not even many telephone boxes back then, to let my parents know. Well, my dad was all burnt up with anger when I got back.’

‘Ah, he was probably just worried.’

‘Yes, but you don’t think the same when you’re young and in love. That was it, he said I wasn’t allowed out for another week. And warned me never to be late again.’

Emma returned with a cafetière of fresh coffee that gave off a gorgeous aroma. She’d popped a mini chocolate brownie on the side of Mrs C’s coffee cup for good measure.

‘Well then, my Jim had other plans. Little did I know he’d been planning a special night. He’d gone to call on my dad without me knowing – one, to apologise and two, to ask for something else.’

‘Ooh, and what was that?’

‘Suddenly, it all changed and I was allowed to go, my mother making a big fuss over my dress choice, which wasn’t like her at all. Well …’ The old lady grinned, her eyes twinkly at the memory. ‘He only went down on one knee in the middle of the dance floor. Oh, I still remember that so well, the band were playing Buddy Holly’s “True Love Ways”. Jim had asked for it specially, it was one of my favourites. I said “yes” straight away, of course.’

‘Aw, that’s such a lovely story,’ Em smiled.

‘True love, hey, Mrs C,’ Bev added.

‘Ay, those were the days.’

4

Even when you fall in love with someone new, you never stop loving and thinking of that first person – not when they had died only a few months before you were due to be married.

There was a phone call that Emma had been meaning to make for a few days now. That Monday evening she picked up her mobile and dialled.

‘Angela, hello. It’s Emma.’

‘Oh Emma, how lovely to hear from you. How are you, darling?’

It had been a month since she had spoken to Angela. She was Luke’s mum – Luke, Emma’s fiancé, who at only twenty-six had been knocked off his bicycle by a lorry and killed instantly. Luke, whose photo still sat on Emma’s dressing table.

‘I’m fine, thank you.’

‘And are you still with your young man?’ Angela asked.

‘Yes, I am. It’s going well.’

‘That’s good. I’m pleased for you, Emma. Really.’

It must be hard for her to say that when they both knew that it should have been her son’s place next to Emma in the world. And yet, here was a mother, generous with her love and good wishes, despite all the pain and the might-have-beens.

‘Thank you.’ Emma’s voice had quietened. Although she had fallen in love with Max only recently, and Luke was no longer here, it still felt a little like a betrayal.

‘And how has The Chocolate Shop been doing, and the new café? You must tell me all about it.’

And so the conversation moved on to easier topics, chatting away about chocolate and village life. Emma asked after Luke’s father, John, and the family.

‘Oh, the lovely news is that Nathan is coming back home for a while. Finished his travelling, as far as we know, and is looking for work back in England.’

‘That’s good. Send him my love, won’t you?’

‘Of course.’

Nathan was Luke’s younger brother. It had hit him extremely hard, losing his sibling in such a sudden, horrendous way. Just a month after the funeral he had upped and left his job and set off with a backpack and a few possessions. He’d been travelling and working his way around the world ever since, with just the odd visit home, but he’d never settled. Every now and again, Emma would spot a new Facebook status with some amazing scenery or mention of a hostel with newfound friends in another foreign country.

‘Aw, it’ll be lovely to have him home again,’ said Emma, suddenly realising that for Angela, in a way, it must have felt that she had lost both her sons that year, and all those years since.

‘Yes.’

‘Well, you take care, Angela.’

‘You too. And you know you are always welcome if you ever want to come and stay.’

‘Thank you.’

‘So lovely to hear from you, Emma.’

‘Yes, it’s been good to chat. Lots of love.’

They still felt like family. Just speaking to Angela brought back so many memories, happy times and the saddest of times too. After putting the phone down, Emma realised she had tears in her eyes, but the best antidote for sadness was work, Emma had found. So she was soon in the shop’s kitchen, making buttery flaky pastry ready to turn into chocolate croissants that would be just-baked and still warm for the arrival of her customers in the morning. Another day with customers to serve and chat with, chocolates to craft, bills to pay, a spaniel to walk, and a heart to keep healing.

5

With Easter now over, it was time to change The Chocolate Shop’s window display. Emma loved the changing of the seasons, seeing it as a new chance to be creative – with the chocolates she made, the drinks and cakes she served, and the styling of the shop itself. For this summer she had decided on a harbourside, coastal theme for her window extravaganza, reflecting the beautiful setting of their village, which would hopefully help to draw in the summer customers.

Holly loved getting involved with the window displays too. She had agreed to come in on Tuesday afternoon, straight from the Sixth Form bus, to give her a hand. A while ago, Emma had found a scrap of blue fishing net on the beach, which she’d taken home and washed thoroughly. She’d known it might come in handy one day, and this was now set out at the base of the window. She carefully placed some pieces of driftwood, smoothed and weathered to a bleached grey, on top of it and an old-fashioned indigo glass float. From the craft shop halfway down the hill she had bought a wonderful model coble boat and intended filling the hull with chocolate truffles, and she also had three small, very cute wood-painted puffins. Along with a selection of her moulded chocolate shapes – seashells, anchors, starfish, and packs of chocolate puffins and seals – it would look delightful (hopefully!).

Holly had helped her place all the items carefully and was now standing outside, judging the final effect and getting Emma to tweak the positions so it all looked just right. There was lots of nodding, pointing and thumbs-up signs going on.

‘Your turn now. Go on out for the final approval,’ Holly said to Em with a grin, as she walked back in.

Emma was soon standing outside. ‘Hmm, pretty good. Just up a bit with that puffin there, yes. Perfect. Yep, I’m pleased with that.’ Emma gave a final thumbs-up sign to Holly through the glass.

Just then, Adam came past. ‘Looking good!’ he exclaimed.

‘The window display or Holly?’ Emma grinned, as Holly was inside beaming out at the unexpected sight of her tall, sandy-haired boyfriend.

‘Both,’ he announced wisely with a grin. ‘See you later, Holly,’ he called out. ‘Can’t stop. I’m on a super-speedy mission for gluten-free bread. I’m hoping Sheila’s got some left in stock. Got a hotel customer with dietary needs they hadn’t specified before arrival.’

‘See you,’ Emma said as he strode on by.

‘By-ee!’ Holly was waving animatedly from the other side of the window.

Em walked back inside, ‘Hey, look at you, grinning like a Cheshire cat. So how are things going with you two? I don’t suppose I really need to ask, looking at that beam of a smile,’ Emma said, grinning.

‘Great. He is just lush, Em, and we are getting on so well.’ There was virtually a swoon going on. If they were back in the Victorian days the old smelling salts would be coming out right now.

‘Well that’s brilliant. I’m happy for you, Hols. Now then, let’s get back to work.’

Just after closing time the phone rang.

‘Hi Em, it’s a lovely evening. Pete’s got one of his golf committee meetings and I wondered if you fancy coming down to The Fisherman’s Arms? We could sit outside with a drink and watch the sun go down. What do you think?’ It was Bev.

‘Sounds perfect, yes.’ It had been a busy day – one of the ones when Bev worked at the surgery, so Em had been multitasking. A chilled-out evening might be just what she needed.

‘I could ask Ali too. It’s been a little while since the three of us have had a catch-up.’

‘Great. What time?’ Em glanced at her watch; just after six. She had closed the shop an hour ago and had been thinking of making some more chocolate-shaped puffins and seals, but she had felt tired and ended up reading her book for a while instead.

‘In about half an hour so we can sit out while it’s still warm?’

‘Yep, I’ll meet you there, shall I?’

‘Yes, great. I love it when a plan comes together. I’ll ring Ali straight away.’

Emma had made some lovely friends since arriving at Warkton-by-the-Sea, having known no one at all in the village at the start of her Chocolate Shop venture seven years ago and at her darkest of times, her friends and her family had become a bit of a life-support system, especially Bev.

The three ladies were soon installed at a wooden picnic bench in the back garden of The Fisherman’s Arms, the village pub, which stood proudly on the rise of land to one side of the harbour, nestled by old stone fishermen’s cottages. There was an area of grass to the rear of the pub, and a little gate that led out to the coastal footpath on one side, and some steps that led down to the harbour on the other. She often let her mind stray to times gone by, to when the fishing fleet would be bringing in their catch of herring or the like, ready to take to the smokehouses on the other side of the street, all but one now converted into a restaurant and cottages. It must have been a hard life, with the North Sea always cold, at times treacherous, the women left at home mending the nets, nursing hungry children. They would have known grief and loves lost, for sure.

‘So, been busy today, Em?’ Bev brought her back to the here and now.

‘Yeah, it has actually. Even though the schools’ Easter holidays are over, there’re still plenty of tourists about. I think the fine weather has drawn them out.’

‘Ah, yes. The village is pretty busy. I had trouble getting parked today.’

‘Been up to much, Ali?’ Em asked.

‘Head down at work too. An outbreak of the norovirus has kept us pretty hectic, hasn’t it Bev?’ Ali worked with Bev at the doctors’ surgery.

‘Yeah, it’s been like D & V city. Oh, the joys.’

‘D & V?’ Emma quizzed, then wished she hadn’t.

‘Diarrhoea and vomiting,’ answered Bev matter-of-factly.

‘Ah, I see.’

‘Though,’ Ali continued, ‘me and Dan are planning a breakaway soon. Got a cottage booked for a long weekend down in the Yorkshire Dales.’

‘Ooh, sounds nice.’ Em couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken a holiday. It just hadn’t been on her agenda – building her business and keeping the shop running had kept her busy enough. And where would she have gone on a holiday on her own, anyhow? Looking out across the harbour with the soft peachy-grey shades of a late-spring evening settling over sea and sky, a few boats bobbing about and the graceful swoop of a tern nearby, this was a lovely place to be anyhow.

‘Fabulous,’ agreed Bev. ‘Though I hope there’s a nice pub or takeaway nearby. You’re not out hiking all weekend with packed lunches in backpacks, are you?’ Dan was well known for his love of outdoor pursuits.

‘Hah, well there will definitely be some hiking involved, but I have checked out the local village online and it has a Chinese takeaway and a good pub by the looks of it.’

‘Good girl.’ Bev smiled.

Their glasses were nearly empty.

‘Right then.’ Emma stood up. ‘I’ll go in and fetch the next round of drinks. Same again, girls?’

‘Ooh, yes. Thanks, Em.’

She entered the back door of the pub from the beer garden. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust with it being so much darker inside. It was fairly busy in there. Sounds of chatter filling the air with people making the most of a pleasant spring evening, and holidaymakers out for their supper and enjoying the atmosphere of a traditional English pub. The Fisherman’s Arms had been here at the harbourside for centuries, heard and seen the tales of the local fisherfolk, witnessed hard times, and good times.

There was a guy at the bar and Emma stopped in her tracks. She felt goose bumps all over her body. Luke! Memories flooded her mind. That same dark-blond hair, something about the curve of the back of his neck. The clothes were a bit more casual than he might have worn but … yes, Luke. Oh my God. She felt giddy, strange. Dropped her purse, as her hands began to tremble, bent down to see where it had fallen. Damn, it had gone right under a chair at someone’s table.

‘Sorry,’ she apologised to the couple sitting there, as she fumbled for it on the floor.

When she stood back up, she looked towards the bar again. He’d gone.

She scanned the room. No sign. It was as if he’d never been there. Was she hallucinating? Was it just wishful thinking? But for a split second it felt like Luke was really there. It was probably just some tourist who looked a bit like him. But blimey, it was like seeing a ghost.

There was a part of her that wanted to run out, check if he really was there, if he might be walking around the village right now. But she knew that was just plain crazy. She had seen Luke laid out, kissed his cold, scarred forehead on that mortuary slab. It was a doppelganger tourist at best, and a figment of her imagination at worst. She must have been working harder than she’d thought – she was overtired or something.

Emma headed for the bar, still feeling a prickly sensation just heading to the space where he had been. But yes, all was okay, she told herself, she needed to just chill out with a half pint of cider and her friends.

‘Hi Danny, can I have a G&T, a half of Fosters and a cider, please.’

‘You certainly can.’ He stopped for a second and looked at her. ‘You okay, Em? You look like you’ve …’

Seen a ghost, Em finished in her mind.

‘Well, you look a bit pale,’ he continued.

‘Yeah, I’m fine, Danny. You?’ she asked, neatly deflecting the question.

‘Great. The good news is that the pub’s up for an award – best coastal pub in the North East. We’re on the shortlist.’

‘Cool. Well done. You deserve it. It’s lovely here. Fingers crossed for you.’

‘Cheers.’ Danny busied himself getting their drinks ready.

Em scanned the bar area and tables. No one at all that looked like Luke. She must have been having a ‘moment’.

The landlord Dave appeared next to Danny. ‘Evening, Em.’

‘Hello. Well done on the short-listing for the award, by the way, that’s great news. Well, so far so good, anyhow.’

‘Yeah, it’s fantastic, isn’t it.’

‘You’ll be putting Warkton-by-the-Sea on the map.’

‘Hopefully.’

And hopefully people would find a gorgeous chocolate shop while they were there too! Emma mused. She was genuinely pleased for the pub. It was great that local businesses were doing well and it was such a nice place to come and chill out; log fires in the winter and the pretty beer garden overlooking the harbour in summer. Fish and chips and their scrummy crab sandwiches, no wonder it was popular there. In fact, ‘Danny, can I put in an order for two lots of crab sandwiches and a large bowl of chips too, please.’ She hadn’t had any supper as yet, and just the thought of them with freshly made, crispy chips was making her tummy rumble.

‘I’m on to it.’ He jotted the order down on his pad and handed it to the waitress to take to the kitchen for him.

‘Thanks.’

Emma paid, then made her way back out with their drinks. She couldn’t resist a scan of the harbourside and the pavement that led away from the pub but there was no one there who looked the least bit like Luke. Of course there wasn’t …

She placed the drinks before her friends at the picnic bench. ‘There you go, ladies.’

‘Cheers, Em.’

‘Thanks.’

She wouldn’t even mention the incident in the bar or her ‘sighting’ for fear of sounding slightly loopy. Instead, she needed to relax and make the most of a chilled-out evening. Still, it had left her with an odd prickly feeling at the back of her neck.

6

‘Oh, bloody hell, guess who’s sliming his way across the street?’ Holly was pulling a face.

Emma looked up from the counter to see her landlord, Mr Neil, outside. Her blood went cold. It was never good news when he turned up out of the blue. She tried to stay calm and smile as he entered the door, managing a polite ‘Hello.’

‘Good morning, Emma. How’s business?’

It always seemed to be a bit of a leading question from him.

‘Fine,’ she answered, keeping her reply purposefully vague. If she sounded too positive, he might decide to put up the rent again. Who knew what schemes were going on in that greasy little head of his? ‘Would you like a coffee?’ Better keep him sweet. This place was her life and soul, and he held her future in his hands.

‘Yes, thank you, I will.’

‘I’ll make it,’ Holly offered. Em thought she might just be looking for a way to escape the room. The guy certainly had a knack of sucking the air of the place. Or maybe her young assistant was thinking of putting salt in it or something. Em gave her a stern glance just in case she had any such antics in mind. It wouldn’t do to annoy him.

‘The café seems to be doing well.’ He was perusing the room. The window-seat tables were taken up with two families.

‘Yes, I’m pleased with how it’s going.’

‘Hmm, it’s a good new addition.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed. And yes, she’d been the one to put in all the hard work and the finances to fund the conversion. He’d be the one gaining from it in the long run. Despite being the landlord, he didn’t do a lot for the upkeep of the property. One time, when the boiler had gone down, it had taken him five days to get an engineer out to repair it. The shop and her flat were freezing all the while. She’d had to borrow a fan heater to keep the shop warm enough during the day, and she and Alfie had had to move across to sleep at Bev’s for a couple of nights.

‘Here you go.’ Holly popped a cup of coffee on to a table which was set to the side of the café.

Mr Neil took up the chair beside it. He then took out some paperwork from his black leather briefcase and leafed through A4 sheets. At least Emma didn’t have to stand making conversation with him for now, as he looked otherwise engaged.

Holly raised an eyebrow and gave a pretend shudder. Emma held on to her fake smile, then a customer came in asking for suggestions for his mother’s birthday. Em was all too happy to help, though she was still aware that she and her shop were under scrutiny from the side table.

Once the customer had left, she observed her landlord taking several photos on his mobile phone of the interior of the shop. He was definitely up to something.

After clearing one of the window tables as one group had left and tidying the counter area which was already tidy to start with, she saw him make a move. He filed back his papers, then brought his empty coffee cup over to her.

‘About the rent. I’ve decided I’m not going to put it up further at this point.’

Wow! Emma felt huge relief; last year had been such a struggle. Well, this sounded very positive. Had he had a personality transplant or something? She stared at his slicked-back black hair (he must use lashings of Brylcreem or some such product) and found herself waiting for the but.

There was a second or two when he stared back. ‘But …’

Argh, there it was.

‘I won’t be renewing your contract for the full year. Instead, I’ll be reviewing it on a month-by-month basis.’

‘Oh.’ She was a bit shocked. Why was he doing that? In fact, could he just go ahead and do that? There must be laws on all this. But then, he was the landlord. ‘Can I ask why?’

‘Just keeping my options open.’ He gave a thin smile. ‘I’ll get the formal paperwork on that to you shortly. Good day.’ He turned on his well-polished heel.

It was obvious further questions were not going to get her anywhere.

Emma felt her heart sink as he left. Holly started doing a mock throwing-up gesture behind the counter.

‘Ugh, can’t stand the man. He is such an eel.’ Holly’s nickname had stuck. ‘Makes my skin crawl. Can’t we ban him?’

‘Hah, don’t think so as he owns the place, Holly.’

‘Well, that’s a bloody shame.’

7

News of the monthly contract was spinning around in Emma’s mind all day after that. Max was away all this week through to Saturday evening, getting the new project in Leeds off the ground but as soon as the shop was closed and Holly had gone home, Emma knew she needed someone to chat it over with. She found herself sitting on a stool in the back kitchen, surrounded by large bags of chocolate callets and moulds ready to fill, but she knew she couldn’t settle to crafting yet. She picked up her mobile and dialled Max.

‘Hey,’ he answered in soothing tones.

It was lovely just to hear his voice.

‘Hi.’

‘Something up?’

How could he tell that from just one word? But over the past months, they had grown closer and were getting to know each other well.

‘Yeah …’ Her voice gave a little waver. ‘Oh, Max, Mr Neil’s been in. You know, the landlord of the shop.’

‘Ah, yes.’

‘There’s definitely something going on. He’s changing the contract for the shop to a month-by-month lease only. So, I don’t even know if I’ll get to stay here for the whole of this year. Do you think he’s planning on selling or something?’ Emma felt sick just thinking about that possibility.

‘Hmm, I don’t like to say it, but it sounds likely, Em. Or at least he’s keeping his options open to do that. He might also have a new rental in mind, where he intends charging a lot more. Sorry, Em. What a bummer for you.’

‘I know. I’ve been feeling dreadful ever since he was in this morning, worrying about it all.’ She felt fragile, vulnerable. How could she lose her Chocolate Shop? It was more than just a business, it was her home, her life. It had kept her going through the hardest of times, given her a purpose in life again.

‘Ah, Jeez. I’m sorry I’m so far away right now, Em.’

‘I know. Me too. I miss you.’ It was at times like this that she wished he didn’t have to travel miles away for work, that he lived nearer and could just pop in. Boy, she could do with his big strong arms around her right now.

‘There’s a virtual hug coming down the phone.’

Aw, he knew exactly how she was feeling. ‘Thanks, Max … but somehow it’s not quite the same.’

‘I know, babe. I’ll be back with you soon. Saturday night.’

‘Yeah.’ A few more days to get through. She’d been on her own and got along fine for years. Weird that after meeting and getting to know Max, just days could seem such a long time.

‘I can take you out for some supper then – or maybe a night in with a takeaway would be better. Me, you, Alfie, a bottle of wine and fish and chips from the pub. What do you think?’

‘Oh, yes. I can’t wait.’ A cosy night in together sounded perfect.

‘Look, I’m sorry Em, but I’d better go. We’re just trying to get wrapped up here on site for this evening.’

‘Me too. I have a stack of chocolates to make.’ Flavoured choc bars, lemon-meringue truffles and dark chocolate coffee cups were awaiting her attention.

‘I love you.’ Max said.

Aw. ‘Love you too,’ she answered.

It was good knowing that she had Max for support, even if he was miles away right now.

As she put down the phone, she knew she needed to think practically and to plan for the worst. What if she really did have to leave these premises? She’d have to start keeping an eye out for other properties, but where might be suitable? Warkton-by-the-Sea was a small village so she knew there was nothing else vacant like her shop. It was so ideal here, and all the renovations and work she’d had done just last year … She let out a long, slow sigh. All her plans for this season, the prosecco parties, the summer ahead … She couldn’t begin to imagine leaving this place.

‘Right, Emma Carter. These chocolates will not make themselves. Get to work,’ she rallied herself. She began to pour dark chocolate callets into a stainless steel bowl ready for tempering. She’d craft by hand tonight, leave the tempering machine which she used at busy times sleeping, it’d keep her active and take her mind off her troubles.

The next morning, after a troubled sleep, Emma was up early. It was a bright and sunny late-April day. She took a large mug of coffee and a warm chocolate croissant that she’d just made and went to sit outside in the back-yard area behind the shop. Alfie lay down beside her feet, hoping to catch a crumb or two.

It was pretty there, a walled courtyard with cream flagstones as a patio. She had a little table and two chairs set up and there were flower pots of varying sizes, now full of bold pink and yellow tulips and the last of the spring daffodils, and a rambling rose took up the side of one wall. In summer the rose was a mass of ballerina-pink delicate blooms. The sun was just peeping over the wall, lighting her corner of the yard, but the whole area caught the sunshine through the afternoon. It was such a nice place to sit, to relax.

A thought began forming in her mind: maybe her customers would like that too. A sunny space to serve her café customers during the spring and summer. A courtyard café, full of chocolate cake, milkshakes, ice creams and more. But then, after her landlord’s ominous visit, would she still be here? Would Mr Neil have his way and hand in her notice on the lease at any time? But she couldn’t just give in and give up on a maybe. And she’d need every penny she could get if the rent was about to go up again, because she might be competing with some other party interested in taking over her shop. If she was going to go down, she’d go down bloody fighting.

Yes, it should be fairly easy to get some more outdoor furniture. She could look around a few house clearances, car boot sales, ask around. So, she couldn’t afford new, but with a splash of paint, and some TLC … She began to feel the stirrings of hope. She needed to believe there was still a future for her here. The alternative was just too horrid.

She finished her croissant, giving Alfie the last buttery corner and a pat on the head.

‘It might just work, Alfie. What do you think?’

They just had time to take a walk down to the beach before opening. Emma grabbed Alfie’s lead and popped a couple of dog biscuits in her pocket. It was a beautiful morning, a day not to be wasted, and her head had been so full of stuff last night, it might help settle her mood. The future of the shop in the balance, Mr Neil’s visit, that strange tourist who may or may not have looked like Luke – she’d never find out now – and these new thoughts of making a courtyard café area: it was all spinning about in her mind like a kaleidoscope.

They headed out through the back gate, around to the main street of quaint stone cottages, down the hill to the small harbour where a few fishing boats bobbed on a gentle sea and a couple of seagulls swooped in the morning sky. It was still quite early, so apart from a delivery van and its driver who gave her a friendly nod outside the grocer’s, she didn’t see anyone she knew. The harbour was quiet nowadays, the fishing fleet down to just five boats – so different from the tales of ‘back in the day’ from old Mrs Clark when she was a little girl, when there had apparently been up to twenty, most of them going out to catch the herring, the ‘silver darlings’ as the older generation of villagers had called them, that they brought back to smoke and make into kippers in the smokehouses.

Emma would sometimes let her mind wander to the harsh realities of the Warkton-by-the-Sea fisherfolk and theirs lives onshore and at sea decades ago. The men having to leave their wives and children back home to head out on perilous seas. The women mending the nets and trying to keep warm, holding it all together to keep a family fed. Emma enjoyed Mrs Clark’s tales, and was often drawn in by the sepia photos of village life that still lined the walls of The Fisherman’s Arms. The sea was as much a part of this place as the land.

The fishing boats still brought in some herring and there were crabs, scallops and occasionally langoustines and in the summer season the lobster pots would be set out on their lines. Today, a couple of the cobles had been pulled up on the shore with their colourful nets and lobster pots beside them. The hull of an old rowing boat had been made into a lovely flower display down by the harbour too. It was such a pretty spot.

Emma and Alfie carried on towards the dunes. They soon emerged from the sandy track on to the crescent-shaped bay where the colours of sand and sea were a wash of blues, greys and ochre and the sky still held a blush of early-morning pink and peach. The sun was beginning to warm and waves frothed to shore, the surf gentle today in a light late-spring breeze. She picked up a driftwood stick and launched it for Alfie, who dived after it into the breakers. Being a spaniel, he loved the water, and was a good swimmer. He soon returned with the stick in his jaws to shake an arc of salty droplets around him, spraying her lightly, which made her smile. It was calming down there on the beach – a leveller. Whatever worries you had didn’t seem quite so bad somehow, diminished as they were against the vastness of sky and sea, the soothing sounds of the waves rolling in in a hush.

Emma sat on a rock for a while, taking in the sights and sounds of the bay, breathing in the fresh salty air. Whatever concerns she had today about the shop were nothing to what she had been through, what she had learnt to cope with in her past. She was a survivor. She’d be okay.

‘Come on Alfie. We’d better get back. I have a Chocolate Shop to open up.’

And so they made their way back up the dunes, back up the hill to The Chocolate Shop by the Sea that was home.

Emma was working on her own today, which had kept her occupied and her mind off all those other things. It was nearly four o’clock when a familiar face popped around the front door: Holly.

‘Hi, Em. I thought I’d call in and see how you are after yesterday.’ She didn’t say any more, as there were a couple of tourists sitting in the window seat, finishing off their pot of tea.

Emma appreciated her assistant’s discretion; they both knew she was referring to the landlord’s visit.

‘Aw, thanks. I’m okay – just wondering what the nasty devil’s scheming,’ Em added in a whisper. ‘But I’m fine. I just need to concentrate on making The Chocolate Shop the best it can be. That’s all I can do.’

‘Yeah, absolutely. It’s already fab here anyway. Mind you, I do like the sound of the prosecco parties idea. Bev mentioned it to me when I bumped into her; she’s planning a trial run, you know.’

‘Is she now?’ Bev hadn’t mentioned anything to Em about that as yet.

‘Oops, wasn’t I meant to say anything? I thought you’d agreed.’

‘First I’ve heard of it.’ Em gave a wry grin.

‘Ah, well Bev said it was going to take a while for the licensing to go through.’

Yes, there had been a lot more to it, when Emma had looked into it with the local council; she’d need to do a licensing course and then apply to the local authority for a licence after that.

‘So, Bev thought we could give it a practice run. We’d all bring the prosecco and you’d …’

‘Supply the chocolates,’ Em finished for her.

‘Exactly. So, you’re not cross I let it slip?’

‘No, it’s not your fault. But Bev should have asked me first. I assume we’re meant to be holding it here?’ Her friend did tend to leap into things. ‘I’ll be having words when I see her next, never fear.’

‘Sorry, Em.’

‘Ah, it’s all right. But honestly, that woman – any excuse for a party!’ Emma was smiling now. ‘Hey, don’t worry, Hols. In fact, after yesterday I need a bit of cheering up. It sounds fun, and we can test out how it might go for the real parties once I get licensed and we have paying guests.’

A customer came in then, a lady who looked to be in her forties, who started browsing the artisan chocolate bars section.

‘I can recommend the dark choc-orange or the summer fruits on white, but they’re all lovely, to be honest.’ Holly couldn’t help herself praising the shop’s goods. ‘Right, I’d better go Em. I’ll be in again tomorrow. See you then.’

‘Yep, see you then. Thanks for your help with the display the other day too. And I’ll phone Bev and let you know about the party that I’m holding!!’ she added ironically.

‘Hah, yes!’

‘Thanks for dropping by, Hols.’

‘You’re welcome. It’s hard to keep me away. I just love this place.’

It was time now for Emma to check on her other assistant’s plans.

‘Hi, Bev. So, can you tell me when I’m having this party then?’

‘Ah, I was going to call you about that.’

‘Ye-ah, is that before or after you’ve invited half the village?’

‘Soz, I got a bit carried away with the idea. But the good news is that everyone thinks it sounds like a brilliant idea, so surely that bodes well for the business angle? And all the girls will bring along a bottle of prosecco so all you need to provide is …’

‘The chocolates. Yes, I guessed that. And the venue, of course.’

‘Naturally. So, it’s okay then? You’ll do it?’

‘I don’t suppose I have much of a choice now, do I? But yes, of course. It’s what we’d talked about anyhow.’

‘Great stuff. I could really do with a girlie night. It’s been ages since we had a proper get-together. So, when shall we set the date for?’

‘Hah, I thought you’d have already planned that too.’

‘Well, no, not quite. Though next Friday might just have been mooted.’

‘I knew it. You are incorrigible.’

‘Well, I had to get an idea of who might have which night free. We can all do that one.’

‘And what about me? I might have a night of passion lined up or something.’

‘Ah …’

‘Just because I’ve been out of action for seven years. Remember that things have changed a little now.’

‘Ooh yes, the delectable Max. How is he?’

‘Good, thanks. But as usual, he won’t be around until the Saturday, as far as I know. So yes, okay, my arms have been twisted so much they’re nearly broken, but yes, let’s go for it. Next Friday it is. Who’s invited so far?’

‘Holly’s coming and is bringing a friend. Then there’s Jo and Ali in our little gang, and I may have mentioned it to the practice nurse. She started a couple of months ago and is a hoot. Maybe you could ask your sister-in-law Chloe? And see if she wants to bring a friend?’

‘Yeah, I’m sure she’d love a night out. Then I could ask Sheila from the grocer’s – she is a bit of a gossip but her heart’s in the right place – and her daughter, Laura, who’s on Reception at the hotel. They are both good fun and if it goes well they are sure to spread the word about the prosecco parties once we get the licence sorted.’

‘Hmm, good thinking.’

‘So, that’d be about ten of us. A good number, bearing in mind the size of the shop. We’ll stick with that, give it a try and see how it goes. In fact, shall we go the whole hog and do a chocolate truffle-making session too?’

‘Ooh yes, absolutely. Can you show me how to make those gorgeous Eton Mess ones, you know, with the meringue pieces? Though it’ll probably just end up a mess with me involved.’

‘Yes, no worries. You’ll be fine, I’m sure, and then I’ll think of a couple of others – the Baileys ones are always good, and maybe chocolate-dipped strawberries.’

‘Scrummy bliss. I can’t wait.’

8

Before Emma could catch a breath, it was the eve of the planned prosecco party. She was in the shop serving a lady who was choosing chocolates for a wedding anniversary gift box when the doorbell chimed and she glanced up. She felt her body go cold. There were prickles in the back of her neck. She couldn’t believe her eyes … Luke?

But it could never be. This guy, though, he looked so like Luke it was unnerving. He was grinning at her and gave a small wave, realising that she was in the middle of serving a customer. Which was more than Emma realised at that moment in time. OMG – was it Nathan?

‘Did you say there were some fruit flavours? Excuse me …?’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Emma had stopped still and was just staring at the newcomer. ‘Yes, of course,’ she rallied, ‘there’s a lemon and blueberry, raspberry ripple, Eton Mess with strawberries and meringue pieces. All equally scrumptious.’

‘Ooh, I’m sure they will be, they sound delightful. One of each, then.’

Emma placed them in dainty paper cases before adding them to the gift box. ‘Just two more would make up your twelve.’

‘Any other suggestions?’ The woman smiled.

‘Well, the sea-salted caramels are always popular, and the Irish Cream truffles are a personal favourite.’

‘They sound ideal. Thank you.’

Emma looked up to acknowledge the man who was still standing there waiting. Oh my, his eyes were so very like Luke’s – that same blue-grey. She found her hands were trembling as she wrapped the box with ribbon.

‘That’ll be eight pounds and twenty pence, please.’

The lady paid, saying, ‘Thank you, I’m sure my husband will love them,’ as she took the paper bag with the gift in.

As the space between her and the man who had just walked in cleared, Emma felt her heart banging in her chest. Luke’s brother – it just had to be. It hit her suddenly, it was the only explanation. The last time she had seen him was at the funeral.

‘Nathan? Is that really you?’

‘Yeah – well I prefer to be called Nate, nowadays, but yeah, it’s me. And, how cool is this?’ he said looking around The Chocolate Shop and then settling his gaze on her. ‘Hi, Em. Good to see ya.’

Emma noted a slight Australian drawl to his accent. Well, he had been away a long while.

‘So, how are you?’ She was coming out from behind the counter towards him. ‘You look … wow, you look different … you look good. All grown-up somehow.’ She stopped herself, realising she was beginning to sound like some maiden aunt.

‘Well, I am twenty-six!’ he laughed.

‘Of course.’ The same age Luke had been when he died … But wow, his little brother was here and all grown-up. Emma clapped her hands together. This was just wonderful. But God, he did look so like Luke. Her heart didn’t know quite what to make of that yet.

He opened his arms wide to greet her and they shared a big hug.

‘Wow, long time no see.’ Emma could scarcely hide the emotion in her voice. Yes, the last time she had seen him was at Luke’s funeral, eight years ago now, when he was just eighteen.

‘I know … and hey, you don’t look so bad yourself, Em. You’ve not changed a bit, honest.’ He took a step back to take a proper look at her. ‘And this place, it’s brilliant. Your own business and everything. Mum and Dad told me all about it, of course.’

‘Yep. Welcome to The Chocolate Shop by the Sea. It’s been a long haul, to be honest, but yeah, it’s good here … And you, how’s life for you? Is this a passing trip? What are your plans?’

‘Well, that’s the million-dollar question.’ He gave a cheeky smile, as though planning wasn’t really his thing.

‘Hang on, shall I make us a coffee while it’s quiet here? Have you got time? It’d be great to catch up.’ There was only one customer in just now, who seemed to be happy reading their newspaper with a pot of tea and a chocolate brownie to hand.

‘Yeah, why not. That’d be great.’

‘Right, well take a seat and I’ll be back with some coffee in a minute.’

‘Do you do a flat white?’

‘Ah, I’m afraid not, no machine for that as yet, though it’s on my wish list. We’re still on cafetières for the moment.’

‘That’s fine, no worries.’ And he sat down, gazing out of the window. ‘Sweet spot here.’

‘Yes, it’s a great village. I’ll just be two ticks.’

Emma dashed off to make their drinks, realising she had a huge smile on her face. Mind you, once in the kitchen she felt a bit giddy and had to pause and hold on to the work surface for a second or two. Just seeing him walk into the shop like that, Luke’s brother, being near him … it brought back so many memories. Nathan’s hair was a bit longer, and the clothes far more casual than Luke would have chosen, but whoa, a quick glance and he could easily pass for Luke. And that made the hole in her heart she’d been trying so hard to heal, tear open a little more.

She told herself to get a grip and got on with making the coffee.

A few minutes later they were settled in the window seat together chatting about old times, about Luke, and the years kind of melted away. Yet they were both so aware that they were in such a different place than they would ever have imagined back then.

‘God, I think I must always have been the annoying kid brother when you two got together. Hey Em, remember that time when our parents were away overnight and you and Luke were at our house? I was being a stroppy teenager and didn’t want to go off to my room and I was on the PlayStation in the lounge for hours – no doubt getting in the way of your cosy night in. Then Luke got mad and got me in a headlock and something cricked badly. We ended up in A&E and he was terrified he’d really done something wrong.’

‘Hah, yes. And I was left there at your house to keep an eye on the dog, and your parents rang to check everything was okay. It was past ten o’clock and I had to pretend you’d both gone off to sleep for an early night … as if.’

‘Yeah, they did an X-ray to check, then let us home. No real damage, it was just a bit cricked. Mum and Dad still don’t know about that one.’

‘Brothers, hey?’ said Emma.

‘Still miss him.’ He took a slow breath.

‘Yeah, me too.’ Emma didn’t want to get maudlin, so switched the conversation. ‘So, tell me all about your travels and adventures then. I’ve seen the odd photo online. Looks like you’ve been to some amazing places.’

‘Yeah, it’s been pretty cool. I liked the Far East the best. Some incredible places in Vietnam and Cambodia. Temples, palaces, gorgeous tropical beaches, crazy tuk-tuk drivers in cities with seven carriageways, millions of motorbikes and a few cows crossing too. You have to see it to believe it.’

‘Yeah, I bet.’

‘And the people over there are just so friendly.’

A young couple walked in, so Emma had to pop behind the counter to serve, then she headed back to sit with Nathan – no, Nate – once more.

‘So, what do you make of Warkton-by-the-Sea then?’ she asked. ‘Have you had chance to look around?’

‘It’s a cute place.’

‘So, are you just on a day trip? What’s brought you here?’

‘Well, I heard you were up this way. Thought I’d check in, say hi and take a look at the place. It’s an area I’ve always fancied visiting. Who knows, it might be a day trip or I might just stay a few days. I have no ties as such. I liked it down by the harbour and the pub seems pretty chilled. They do a nice pint of real ale.’

‘Oh, so you’ve already been into The Fisherman’s Arms …’ Emma started. The other day made sense now. ‘Were you here a week or so ago?’

‘Yeah. I did try and call at the shop then too, but it was after closing. I hadn’t thought about that, so I headed on up the coast for a few days.’

‘Hah, I saw you. Thought I might have been going a bit crazy. For a moment, I thought it was Luke …’ She felt a lump form in her throat.

‘Oh, Em.’ His hand went gently over hers. They didn’t need to say any more. Sat quietly for a while. Lost in their own memories.

‘It’s been tough, hasn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’ She had found someone who really understood. A shared love, a shared grief.

An elderly lady came in then and settled down in the other window seat. Em needed to get back to serving her customers and looking after her Chocolate Shop. It was no good dwelling on the past. It didn’t change anything.

‘Well, Em, I’d better get off.’ Nate stood up, and the two of them shared a warm hug.

‘I hope you can stay around for a couple of days at least. If you need a sofa for a night let me know. But if not, take care. All the best, whatever your plans for the future, Nate.’

‘Thanks. Good to see you, Em.’

‘You too.’

She watched Nate head out of the shop door, leaving a trail of strange emotions in his wake.

9

Emma found herself rather floored by the surprise arrival of Nathan yesterday – or Nate, she reminded herself. Her mind was still in flux. It was such a blast from the past, and yet he had changed so much from the teenager she remembered … was so like Luke.

Well, enough of the nostalgia trip; she had to shake herself up. Today was the day of Bev’s trial prosecco party and now that she had closed the shop for the day, there was a party to organise! She’d decided to welcome all the guests with a flute of prosecco and a chocolate-dipped strawberry on the side. Then they could have a go at making the dipped strawberries themselves – they were really easy to do but looked delightful and tasted delicious. Just perfect with a glass of bubbly too.

Then they would move on to the truffle-making session. She’d lined up a selection of alcohol flavourings – Irish Cream, whisky and rum worked really well – so they could choose their own favourite. She’d also have some vanilla extract for a non-alcohol version, just in case. Hmm, that set her thinking – at the professional party nights there might well be a non-drinker, or perhaps someone pregnant. Yes, she’d put out a bottle of sparkling elderflower and some non-alcohol drink options too – the elderflower was still gorgeous and bubbly. It was good that she was doing this trial run – a useful business experiment. And, even better, it was a damn good excuse for a get-together with friends.

She set out the big round table in the window with a dozen champagne flutes – she’d had to borrow eight of them from Bev, as she rarely required that many. Next, she needed to go and turn on the tempering machine, so as to keep the melted chocolate just right. That way, the beginners could work with the chocolate easily. She then went upstairs to find her festive decorations that had been packed away after Christmas, pulling out a strand of white fairy lights to give the shop a pretty glow.

After setting everything out, she looked around The Chocolate Shop – it really was lovely. She felt proud of how much she had achieved in these seven years, both for herself and her shop. The new soft furnishings in their pretty shades of blue, grey and white gave it a cosy coastal feel for the summer months and a soft toy seal that one of her nieces had given her sat on the hull-shaped shelf rack along with the rows of goody bags of fudge and truffles. On the walls, there were some black-and-white photos of Warkton in the old days, showing the fishing boats down in the harbour. Old Mrs Clark, whose husband Jim had been a fisherman, had given them to her. One image was of his old coble boat, Silver Spray. He’d died over twenty years ago, so Mrs C had told her sadly.

It was after Emma shared a little of her own loss that the old lady came up with the photos, saying she wanted Em to have them, so they could be displayed in the shop for all to enjoy, far better than being tucked away gathering dust in her cupboard.

The shop was very much a part of this community, of its history. It had seen its share of love, laughter and loss too. But tonight, Emma had a good feeling, was going to be a particularly fun one.

Next some music. She took out her small portable speaker and chose some easy-listening tracks on her iPhone to give the shop a more relaxed ambience. Great.

It was soon time to dash upstairs for a quick shower and change. The girls were due around seven-thirty. She chose to wear her black work trousers, trying to keep her outfit true to how she might dress for the formal party nights, and teamed it with a soft-pink floral top. She popped her long red hair into a ponytail, to keep it neat and out of the way.

She was just about to head back down when she heard a knock at the back door and then Bev’s voice calling up the stairs, ‘Only me! I take it I’m the first. I’m a bit early. I’ll come on up, shall I?’

‘I’m nearly ready, so I’m on my way down, actually. Hang on.’

Emma was soon heading down the stairs.

They greeted each other with a hug in the hallway. Bev had brought a lovely square glass vase filled with pink and cream roses. ‘For you.’

‘Aw, thanks Bev. They’re beautiful.’

‘Well, I can’t exactly bring you chocolates, can I?’ She smiled. ‘Oh, and these, to help with supplies.’ Bev winked, and presented her with three bottles of prosecco, which Em placed on the kitchen side.

‘Ooh, I’ll put these flowers straight through into the shop. They will complete the look perfectly.’ Em placed them carefully on the second window table. The first table being ready with the glass flutes, the bottles of alcohol to add to the truffles that she’d set out earlier, and a set of black aprons she had sourced online especially for the truffle-making session and had printed with The Chocolate Shop by the Sea logo and gold writing that read: ‘Love, laughter, chocolate and prosecco!’

‘Hah, these are brilliant.’ Bev was opening one out.

‘Thought it’d be worth the investment. Make it feel more professional, yet fun.’

‘Love them. This is so going to work, you know, Emma. It’s such a bloody good idea, dare I say so myself.’ Bev was virtually preening. ‘Prosecco parties are so my thing … Let’s pour out a glass and toast their future success.’

‘Oh, yes. Why not.’

There’s nothing quite like the sound of the popping of a cork; the sight of straw-coloured bubbles rushing into foam down the side of a glass; that first blissfully refreshing mouthful.

‘Cheers, Bev.’

‘Cheers, hun. To the most fabulous chocolate and prosecco parties ever! And to The Chocolate Shop by the Sea making lots of money.’

‘Yay! Now that would be brilliant.’ A secure financial base would be just wonderful, for who knew what might happen next to the rent or the property after the bloody landlord’s last visit. But, those negative thoughts needed to be pushed back for another day. Tonight was for enjoying themselves. ‘Well, the good news is, it might not be too long before I can do the proper licensed parties. I’ve done my research and I’ve already booked a licensing course. Once I’ve passed the exam, I have to make an application to the council.’

‘Ooh, landlady Em. You’ll need to invest in some leopard-print gear, big dangly earrings and a push-up bra!’

‘Hah, you’re thinking Bet Lynch or Barbara Windsor’s character at the Queen Vic!’

‘Ooh ah, I bet Max’ll love it.’

‘Behave woman, but hah, he probably would. Though may I say, it’ll be a much classier affair here.’

With that, two eager faces appeared at the shop door. Holly and her best friend, Jess.

‘Come in. Come in. It’s open,’ Emma called out.

‘Hi Em. Wow, it looks a-mazing in here. Love the new evening ambience.’ Holly grinned.

‘It’s really pretty,’ Jess agreed.

Within a half hour all nine guests were there, including Chloe and her friend Hannah, and were hands-on, dipping strawberries into bowls of white and dark chocolate that Emma had set out in the centre of the table.

‘I want to eat them all already. How long do they take to set?’ Jess asked.

‘Um, about twenty minutes for these. I’ll pop them in the cooler kitchen area for a while.’

That gave them time to have another glass of bubbly and have a chat. It all seemed to be going well, Emma mused.

‘Top-ups anyone?’ Bev was wielding the next prosecco bottle promisingly.

‘I’ll skip this time.’ Em intended taking it steady for now whilst she was teaching and observing how the session was going.

The others were keen for refills.

‘Okay, so next we are going to make the chocolate truffles. There’s a little more technique to this.’ Emma was trying to keep it sounding professional.

‘Oh my, so I need to concentrate,’ Sheila, from the grocer’s, piped up.

‘It’s like being back at school,’ added Jo, with a smile.

‘Hah, school was never this fun!’ Ali grinned.

‘And since when did you ever get served prosecco at school?’ Holly added.

‘Good idea if they did, mind,’ said Jess. ‘Might ease the pain of exams.’

‘You’d never get any work done, girls,’ Sheila retorted sensibly.

Emma went off to fetch more bowls of tempered chocolate for the truffle-making session, to which they would add cream and their chosen liqueur. The mixture would then need to be chilled in the fridge for at least an hour before being moulded into small balls and dipped into even more chocolate to coat. Chloe offered to give her a hand.

‘Seems to be going well. It’s a really lovely idea, Em,’ she said, once the pair of them were in the kitchen.

‘Yeah, fingers crossed. Even if I could only do one or two a month to start, that’d be good.’

‘Well, I’ll help spread the word. There are lots of mums at the school gates, desperate for a night out. And this would be right up their street.’

‘Thanks.’

They were soon back out carrying bowls of melted dark chocolate.

‘Right, I’m going in with the Baileys liqueur.’ Laura took the bottle of Irish Cream in readiness.

‘I fancy the whisky,’ piped up Ali.

‘Ho ho ho, and a bottle of rum for me, then.’ Holly took up the last bottle. ‘We can share, Jess.’

‘You only need a tablespoon for your mixture. So it’ll go a long way.’ Em was passing out the small dishes of melted chocolate – one for each person. ‘Don’t add the alcohol just yet, by the way. There’s another step to do first.’

‘Em, do you have any of that raspberry gin left?’ Bev asked as the hostess-with-the-mostest reached her. ‘You remember, we opened it at New Year.’

‘I do remember, and yes, there’s still half a bottle upstairs. Mmm, raspberry gin truffles, you might be on to something there, Bev.’

‘I know. I have a taste for this stuff. My taste buds are the equivalent of Jo Malone’s nose!’

The whole group creased with laughter at that point.

‘Just saying.’ Bev sounded slightly put out.

‘I’ll just nip up and fetch it.’ With that, Em dashed up the stairs. She couldn’t be long, or all the chocolate would start cooling. Kitchen cupboard, there it was. Result. She was back down in two ticks.

‘Okay ladies, watch and learn. We all have a bowl of melted dark chocolate each and next I’ll bring through the hot cream to mix. So, wooden spoons at the ready.’ She poured a little into each bowl, judging the right amount instinctively. ‘Don’t worry, you can all have the recipe sheet to take home, so you don’t need to remember all this. Okay, so now to add your chosen liqueur – just a tablespoon is enough – and stir through again.’

‘This is fun.’

‘Smells divine.’

‘When can we lick the bowls?’ Laura, from the hotel, asked cheekily.

‘Hold fire on that. The mix needs to set in the bowls so we can handle it later to mould into truffles.’

‘Darn.’

‘Spoilsport.’

‘Going to have to test a little on my fingertip then, if that’s the case,’ said Laura.

‘Don’t panic, folks, you can have the chocolate strawberries you made earlier while you wait,’ added Em.

‘And I suppose another glass of prosecco might help,’ Bev said, grinning. There were still plenty of supplies, after all, as everyone who had come along had brought a bottle.

‘Come on, then, let’s have a brainstorm while you’re all here. I’m always looking for new ideas for flavours for the shop; any suggestions for some new chocolates?’ Emma was keen to hear their thoughts. ‘And I promise I’ll make the best suggestions a reality.’

‘Ooh, now then …’

‘Gin and Tonic.’ Jo started the ball rolling.

‘Toffee vodka.’

‘Whisky and orange,’ added Chloe’s friend, Hannah.

‘Hah, they don’t have to all be alcoholic, mind. But what else can I expect with you lot!’

‘Ginger beer,’ came from Holly.

They all pulled a face.

‘What? I love ginger beer.’

‘Porn star martini,’ called out Bev.

‘Sex on the beach.’ Ali.

‘Now we’re talking,’ Jo rallied. ‘What’s that other one? Long slow screw up against the—’

‘Okay, enough, enough. I think we’ll stop the brainstorming now. You lot have one-track minds. I’d have to have an adult section in the shop with a black curtain over it at this rate.’

‘Ha ha, yes, an obscured section in the refrigerated counter for X-rated chocolates. Hilarious! How can I help you, madam?’ Bev winked.

‘We could have chocolate willies,’ Holly joined in. ‘We had them at Ellen’s hen do. They were brilliant.’

‘Oh, just imagine handling those.’ Jess pulled a face. ‘Were they life-sized?’

‘Nooo!’

‘We are not that kind of an establishment.’ Emma tried to keep a snooty voice going but ended up in a fit of the giggles. She should have realised a brainstorming session with her girlfriends after several bottles of prosecco may not have been the best idea.

The group chatted on about love, life and the latest village gossip, and it was soon time to do the next stage of the truffle-making. There was white and milk chocolate to coat, once the truffle centres had been rolled into little balls. This was the messy bit, and the girls had a hoot at this stage. There was much licking of fingers by the end.

‘Mine look like little turds.’ Jess wrinkled her nose at the end results laid out on her plate.

‘How come all my decorating chocolate has slid off the outside?’ frowned Sheila.

‘The chocolate was probably a little too warm. Were you handling the bowl a lot?’

‘Hmm, maybe.’

‘Ah.’

‘Well, look at these little beauties.’ Bev was beaming.

‘These are brilliant, Bev. Ooh, you can help me crafting in the shop, now I know you’re a natural.’

‘It’s been so much fun,’ added Laura. ‘Now do I get to lick the bowl?’

‘Sure do. And when they are finally set, I’ll give you all goody bags of them to take home.’

‘That sounds great,’ said Chloe. ‘Better keep James away from them or I’ll not get a look-in.’

‘Brill, but can I take Bev’s ones instead? They look so much more appealing than mine!’ said Jess.

‘Keep your hands off, you!’ Bev threatened. ‘Oh, okay, I’ll donate one or two then.’

The evening carried on with the sounds of chatter and laughter, ending with an impromptu medley of chocolate and confectionery inspired songs. ‘You’re Sweet Like Chocolate’ being Holly’s contribution (they all knew she was singing about Adam), ‘Sweet Caroline’ a tentative link from Ali, ‘Sugar, Sugar’ from Jo, ‘The Candy Man Can’ from Sheila, and a fabulous twist on ‘I Love Rock ’n’ Roll’ by Bev which turned into ‘I Love Rocky Road’ which they all chanted happily along with as a grand finale, with much table drumming and arm swaying.

All too soon, it was time for the group of ladies to go; the time had flown and it was nearing midnight.

‘Past the Cinderella hour,’ Sheila sighed. ‘Sorry, folks, it’s been great fun, but I have a shop to open in the morning.’

‘Hotel Reception to run,’ echoed Laura.

‘Yes, “Doctors’ surgery, how can I help you?”’ Ali put on her best receptionist voice.

‘Sixth Form …’ Holly began. ‘Ooh no, bliss, it’s Saturday.’ Holly was gleeful.

‘But you are working for me,’ Emma reminded her.

‘Oops, yes. I’ll be here, never fear.’

‘Well, it’s been amazing, Em.’ Jo was sporting an extra-wide prosecco-fuelled smile.

‘Just brilliant. Thank you,’ said Jess.

‘These prosecco nights will be fabulous.’ Chloe gave her a big thumbs-up. ‘As soon as you get your licence we’ll all spread the word for you.’

‘I’m sure the hotel guests will love it, too. Especially for birthdays, special occasions and the like. It’ll be perfect,’ Laura added. ‘I’d be happy to put some fliers out for you. They already love the turndown chocolates as it is.’

‘We’ll be behind you all the way.’ Sheila grinned.

‘And if you ever need any more practice runs …’ offered Ali with a cheeky smile.

‘Aw, thank you. Love the support from you lot.’ Emma gave them all hugs on their way out.

She closed the shop door with a happy sigh. There was just her and Bev, who’d offered to stay and help tidy up. It had been such a good night, and just what Emma had needed after the shock of Nate’s appearance and that blast from the past.

10

Soon afterwards, that same evening, Bev was wiping down the tables so the shop would be shipshape for opening in the morning.

‘Well, that seemed to go down well,’ her friend confirmed with a grin.

‘Yes, I’m so pleased. I really think it will work. Thanks so much for the idea.’

‘You’re welcome. Yep, it’s been great tonight.’

Emma didn’t answer. Tiredness, as well as all her tumbled thoughts over the past couple of days, were now creeping up on her.

‘Em, you okay, hun?’

‘Yeah, why?’

‘Just, you seem thoughtful. And you were a bit quiet when I first got here? That rent man’s not been hassling you again, has he?’

‘No, it’s not that.’

‘So?’

There was no hiding from Bev. How did best friends manage to suss you out in that way?

‘Okay, you’ve got me. I-I saw Luke’s brother yesterday.’

‘Oh, right. Whoa. That must have been a bit strange.’

‘Yeah. The last time I saw him was at Luke’s funeral. He was still a teenager, the kid brother.’ Emma sighed. ‘They got on so well those two, despite the age gap. Nathan adored him.’

The two ladies sat back down at the window-seat table. Bev placed a hand gently over Em’s where it rested on the tabletop. Emma hadn’t realised but she had started to cry.

‘Hey, it’s all right,’ her friend soothed.

‘Oh Bev, it was just weird yesterday. When I first saw him, just for that split second, I thought it was Luke. It was like an electric jolt right through my heart.’

‘Aw, bless.’

‘Of course, then I knew it couldn’t be. He just looked at me with those eyes … I didn’t think I ever would, but I had started to forget those eyes, how they really looked, and then the way he flicked his fringe out of them. Luke used to do just that when his hair got a bit longer. It took me right back …’ Em snuffled a bit.

Bev fumbled in her pocket, then passed her a tissue.

‘Ah, I’m sorry. This sounds silly.’

‘No, it doesn’t.’

‘It was just such a surprise … Hah, who’d have thought. The end to a perfect party night and me blubbing like a loon. I should be pleased that he’d thought to come and see me.’

‘Yeah, true. And I bet it’s been hard for him too.’

‘Yes, it must be. I suppose we have a lot in common, really. I think that’s why he disappeared off abroad for all those years. Just to get away from all the memories … That’s why it was easier for me to come here. To be somewhere else. I didn’t have to look at where Luke worked, where he ate, the bed where he’d slept with me, every day. It was hard enough without that.’

‘Yes, I can only imagine how awful that must be …’

‘I’m okay. Really. It was just a bit of a shock, that’s all. Come on …’ Emma stood up, needing to get on with a task, stop dwelling on seeing Nathan. Get back to her life here and now in The Chocolate Shop, and the fact the kitchen area was still a mess and needed a good tidy before opening tomorrow morning.

Blimey, Max would be here with her tomorrow, too. She wondered what he’d make of all this with Nate. But then, a part of her thought, she should just let it lie. She didn’t need to mention it. What if she got all upset in front of Max, like she just had with Bev? What might he think? They were just getting settled together. Yes, he knew about her fiancé Luke, but there was no point digging up the past. In fact, Nate might already be off on his way somewhere else and that’d be the last she’d see of him for years.

Bev stood up next to her, with her cleaning cloth in hand.

‘Thanks, Bev.’

Her friend realised she was saying thank you for more than the clearing up. ‘You’re welcome, hun. Hey, it was a great night. The prosecco party idea is going to be such a success, I tell you.’

‘I think you may be right, there, my lovely friend!’

They headed for the kitchen where they hand-washed the flutes and stacked the dishwasher with all the chocolatey pots and spoons. Then it was time for Bev to go. Em felt a little lonely pit in her stomach.

‘You okay? Shall I walk back with you?’ Em offered.

‘Don’t be daft. If you walk me, then I should have to walk you safely back too. Then we’d be to-ing and fro-ing all bloody night.’ She laughed. ‘I’ll be fine. This is Warkton we are talking about. The last major crime wave was when Mrs C left her walking stick at the post office section in the grocer’s and was convinced someone – in fact “a right bugger” – had stolen it. And it was only that Sheila had put it behind the counter for safekeeping.’

The friends giggled.

‘Night, Em.’

‘Night. Love you, Bev. Thank you … for everything.’ She found herself still feeling a bit emotional.

‘You are so welcome, my gorgeous chocolate-shop friend.’

‘Hah, you only love me for my chocolate.’ Em was smiling.

‘Foiled again,’ was Bev’s slick response.

The pair of them burst into laughter.

11

Emma’s head felt rather delicate when she turned the pretty wooden sign to ‘open’ on the shop door the next morning, despite her efforts to take it easy on the prosecco.

She served the early customers with their teas, coffees and brownies on autopilot, looking forward to ten-thirty when Holly would come in and she could then retire to the kitchen to do some crafting – something straightforward like making a batch of fudge might be good today.

Stan and Hilda, a sweet old couple, regulars from the village, appeared for a pot of tea and some cake.

‘So, how are you both keeping?’ Emma asked cheerily, after taking their order.

‘Grand we are, Emma. Just grand at the moment, thanks pet. Enjoying the better weather now that summer’s just around the corner. And you, pet?’

‘Yes, all fine here thanks, Stan. Keeping myself busy and out of mischief.’

He gave her a wink.

‘It’s lovely to be able to stop here a while now, Emma,’ Hilda took up, ‘what with the new café. It’s made a real difference. Very cosy.’

‘We make a morning of it now, don’t we, Hilda. Fetch the papers at Sheila’s on the way up, so we’ve got something to read. Then call back in for our weekend groceries on the way back down. Mind, when we saw Sheila earlier, she was looking a bit peaky. Reckon she’s going down with a cold or something,’ Stan added.

‘Ah, maybe.’ Emma smiled knowingly. There’d be a few sore heads in the village this morning for sure. She headed to the kitchen to prepare their tea and cakes. ‘Won’t be a minute,’ she called back over her shoulder. ‘Take a seat and make yourselves comfy.’

‘Oh, we will, lass,’ Hilda answered.

Holly arrived just as she was bringing a tray of drinks back out. Her assistant was carrying a brown paper bag that smelt suspiciously delicious.

‘Morning, Em.’ Holly sounded far too chirpy!

Oh, to have the recovery levels of a nearly eighteen-year-old, after a night out.

Emma served Stan and Hilda, then followed the aroma back to the kitchen. ‘What’s in the bag, Holly? And please, for goodness’ sake, say it’s for me or at least to share.’ She suddenly found herself with the appetite of a horse.

‘Hmm, thought you might like one. Mum made me a bacon sarnie just as I was coming out. There was one going spare, so I nabbed it for you before my brother could pig that down as well as his own.’

‘Ah, you are an angel – and thank your mum from me. This is so what I need right now.’ From feeling a little queasy when she’d got up, a little later than normal at seven-thirty, she had now turned ravenous.

She made a quick cup of tea for them both and dived into the soft malty bread and bacon. ‘Mmm. Just bliss.’

‘Right,’ Holly said, ‘I’ll head out to the counter and make sure Stan and Hilda are fine and have everything they want. Last night was brilliant by the way, such fun. Jess and I have been telling our mates all about it already.’

‘Great. Mind you, I’ll not be able to serve you as a paying guest until you’re officially eighteen, you know.’

‘Ah, yes. Well, Jess is already eighteen, and several of my friends. It’s only a month until my eighteenth birthday so I’m sure we can wait ’til then.’

‘So, have you got anything special planned for your birthday?’

‘I’m having a fancy meal out with the family. And then, I’m also planning a night out “on the Toon” in Newcastle with my mates. Yay – I can go out clubbing officially at last.’

‘Sounds great fun. Right, let’s get to work then.’ Emma finished off the sandwich, had another slurp of tea, then washed her hands ready for her fudge making.

The morning and lunch shift passed quickly. There was a lull by mid-afternoon, and the pair of them found themselves yawning once the shop emptied. Em offered to make them both a coffee to perk them up.

Sitting with a steaming mug in hand, Em started, ‘So, how’s the studying going? And are things still going well with Adam? All fine?’

‘Yes, pretty good. Just keeping my head down with the studies – needs must. And Adam, oh, he’s just so lovely. I don’t know how I got so lucky.’ Holly paused, looking thoughtful, then, ‘It’s going to be hard though, Em. I really want to go off to uni this September. I’ve got my nursing place for midwifery all sorted at Northumbria, as long as I get the grades in this summer’s exams, but then Adam’s going to be all the way back here because he’s got his job at the hotel.’

With her long-distance relationship with Max going on, Emma knew exactly how that felt. ‘Yes, it might be a bit tricky – but you know what, Hols? If it’s meant to be with Adam, you’ll make it work somehow. You need to think about your ambitions and goals in life too. You’re still so young and there’s a big world out there, Holly. Go grab it.’

‘Yeah, I know. I’ve always wanted to nurse and to look after people.’

‘Well, good for you. Hold on to your dreams, Holly, and your heart will work out the other stuff. If Adam’s serious about you too, you’ll both find a way.’

‘Yes, I suppose. I just feel a bit anxious about it all. But thanks, Em.’

It was like her and Max: despite all her concerns and fears, they had found a way. So far so good, anyhow. She was looking forward to seeing him tonight.

They heard the shop door chime and were soon back serving coffee and cake, filling gift boxes with truffles, and bagging up the new tray of fudge, then tying the bags with navy-blue curls of string. Delicious aromas of chocolate and fudge surrounded them, and Emma looked proudly out across the café where a host of happy customers were chatting and eating. The Chocolate Shop by the Sea was so charming with its cottage-style stone walls and cosy window seats – a place to truly warm your heart.

It was half an hour after closing time when Emma’s mobile rang.

‘Hi, Em. You okay?’ It was Max. The sound was a bit echoey, tinny. He must be driving and on the hands-free.

‘Yeah, where are you? Are you in the Jeep?’ She was hoping he’d be here with her within the hour.

‘Yes, but I’ve only just set off.’

Her heart sank. ‘From Leeds?’ That was about three hours away. ‘What’s happened?’

‘I’m sorry. Having a ’mare of a day here. Been waiting on steel girders being delivered and they were on the back of a wagon that’s been stuck in a jam on the motorway all afternoon. We needed to have them in place before we left today, to prop the structure securely.’

‘Oh, right. Well, couldn’t the others have stayed?’ She couldn’t hide the disappointment in her tone.

‘It’s my business, Em. Those girders cost a hell of a lot of money and they are such an important part of the structure; I needed to know it had been done right. You can’t get it wrong at his stage.’

‘Okay,’ she conceded. It was just so frustrating – she would be waiting for nearly three hours until he was here. What with all that had happened this week – with the landlord, seeing Nate out of the blue like that, still nursing a mild hangover – all she really wanted was to curl up in Max’s arms. She tried to buck up her mood. Max wouldn’t want to be coming back to some grumpy woman. ‘So, you’ll be here in what, just over two and a half hours?’

‘Probably, traffic permitting. It’s still slow getting out of Leeds. I’m sorry, babe.’

‘Ah, it’s all right.’ She tried to be a bit more understanding. ‘I’ll fix us some supper for when you get here.’ The earlier plan of a fish-and-chip takeaway from the pub might not work out now, as they finished serving food by nine. Well, she was bound to have something in the freezer; maybe a pizza would do. ‘Drive safely.’ That’s what really mattered, that he got to her safe and sound.

‘Yep, will do. Oh, and yeah, how did the prosecco party thing go last night?’

‘Really good. Well, a bit too good if my head’s anything to go by.’

‘Hah, don’t expect any sympathy from me – all self-inflicted,’ he jibed.

‘Cheers. Thanks for the support. But yeah, I really think the idea’s got potential and the girls seemed to love it.’

‘That’s great. And it should help keep the coffers full and Mr Miserable off your back for a bit.’

‘Hopefully.’

‘Right, well, I’ll crack on. See you soon.’ He sounded tired.

‘Yep, I’ll let you concentrate on the road. See ya.’ She switched off her mobile and sighed.

It was work getting in the way again and the new job for Max down in Leeds was making things even more difficult for them. It was frustrating more than anything, but hey ho, such was life. She knew all about long working hours and short breaks. You just had to get your head down and get on with it sometimes.

She couldn’t settle until he was there with her, so despite feeling tired, she used the time to make some raspberry-swirl chocolate bars – they looked so pretty with white and dark chocolate swirled together and freeze-dried raspberry pieces sprinkled over the top. She also made a batch of hazelnut pralines.

Alfie’s excited bark was the indicator that Max’s Jeep had finally pulled up outside. Em dashed through from the shop’s kitchen and opened the front door to save him having to do the usual after-hours walk around the back yard. He came to the door looking pale-faced and shattered.

‘Wow, what a day that was! Come here, you.’ He managed to smile, his arms opening.

They shared a hug and a slow, sweet kiss, right at the shop door.

A couple of teenage lads happened to be wandering by, who gave a wolf-whistle.

Emma and Max pulled away gently with a smile.

After a casual supper of pizza and garlic bread – the freezer having come up trumps – they sat in the upstairs lounge of the cottage flat above the shop. Em, comfortable with her legs curled up on the sofa, rested her head back against Max’s chest.

‘So, tell me all about this prosecco party, then.’

‘Yeah, it went off great. I thought the parties would need a bit of focus, so we made homemade truffles whilst enjoying the prosecco. And then there was time for chat and a bit of fun. The girls all loved it. I really think the party idea will work, once I get my licence completed. And, at least it’ll be another chocolate string to my bow.’

‘Exactly. It sounds good. What are you thinking of charging?’ Ever the business mind at work with Max.

‘Well, I’ve priced it out, and I was thinking, with say two glasses of prosecco included and all the chocolate-making ingredients, of charging £19.95 a head. That’s similar to a top-end afternoon tea, and quite fair as a glass of prosecco out is usually about six or seven pounds. If the group want to buy any extra bottles, I can charge that on top. It’ll keep the initial cost down per person but if a party are having fun, they can carry on with the bubbly that way.’

‘Yes, that seems sound. You’ll just need to keep an eye on your actual costs when you do the first few parties. You’ve got to make it worthwhile for the business too. You’ll be giving up a whole night of your time, remember.’

‘Yeah, I know, but I have to keep thinking of ways to improve the shop’s finances, especially with that bloody latest visit from Mr Neil.’

Max was stroking her hair gently as he spoke. ‘I hate to put a spanner in the works, but it may well be that your landlord has plans to sell the freehold on the shop, Em. There’s definitely something behind his month-on-month lease agreement.’

‘Yeah, so he can get out of it quickly, I know. But I’m just trying to pursue everything I can to make this business successful and to be the best chocolate shop along the Northumberland coast. That’s all I can do. There’s no way I’m going to give up now.’

‘That’s the spirit, Em. Good for you.’

‘Oh Max, if I think too much about the alternatives, the implications of maybe losing this place, it’d send me crazy.’

‘I know. But whatever your landlord is scheming is outside your control. Just keep focussing on what you can improve to make the business even better, and if The Chocolate Shop ever did have to move premises, at least your reputation and your business can move with you.’

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ But, even though his words made sense, the thought of ever having to leave this place, and maybe the village too, just broke her heart.

Later, as they sat, cosied up, watching some television, Emma realised Max’s breathing had slowed and looked up from his chest to see that he had fallen asleep. She got up carefully so as not to disturb him and went downstairs to let Alfie out the back yard, before locking up the back door for the night.

On her return, she gently shook Max’s shoulder. ‘Hey, sleepyhead. Time for bed.’

‘Wha—?’ He looked up, bleary-eyed and a bit startled.

‘You fell asleep in the middle of Poldark.’

‘Oh, right.’

They were soon settled in bed and within a minute he was off again, breathing heavily beside her. It was the first evening since he had started staying over of a weekend that they hadn’t made love. Emma sighed. He must be totally shattered, she reasoned. But still, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. There was a time when he could hardly wait until he’d got inside the door to make love with her. And now this … Had things changed so much between them already?

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