Read The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club for Free Online Page B

paintings and the like – adorned the walls, while little shelves held ornaments and other assorted knick-knacks. This wasn’t just another faceless guesthouse; this was on a whole different level.
    â€˜Wow,’ I breathed, ‘this is beautiful.’
    â€˜Thank you, dear.’ Rose placed my luggage at the foot of the stairs then came over to join me, her white-blonde curls bobbing round her like a halo and her mouth set into a weak smile. ‘Anyway, where are my manners? I’d better introduce myself properly. Rose White, lovely to meet you.’
    She stuck a hand out and I shook it. One look at her told me she not only knew exactly why I was here, but that she wasn’t going to put up a fight. There wasn’t anger or resistance in her eyes; there was only sadness, regret and a hint of relief.
    â€˜You’re younger than I expected you to be,’ she said, piercing the silence between us.
    â€˜Youngest business development manager in the firm,’ I said, not sure why I thought this was a good time to bring that up. I cleared my throat. ‘You’ve got a gorgeous B&B here.’
    Rose cast a dreamy eye round the lobby. ‘This place is beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve run it for the last thirty-five years and loved every minute of it. It needs a bit of TLC here and there, but it’s my favourite place to be in the world. Now, let’s get you settled in.’
    I gave a soft chuckle. ‘I wish all potential clients were as welcoming as you! Sometimes it’s their family’s idea to sell, rather than their own. When that happens, they make it clear I’m not wanted and that they don’t want to give up the business they’ve worked so hard to build.’
    Rose shook her head as she retrieved a key from a hook behind the little reception desk. ‘Not me, flower; I think I’m ready to hand over the reins to someone else now. I’m getting too old to run this place by myself; I’ve been doing it for thirty-five years and I need a rest! Only problem is, when it comes to the crunch, I can’t seem to sign on the dotted line. Not to mention they sent an incompetent fool last time; she was soon given her marching orders! I think I just need a little more time to think about things before I give it up altogether. Now you’re here to explain all the benefits and give me all the information I need, that should be a bit easier. Anyway, I’ll get you your room key so you can freshen up, we’ll have some tea and cake, and then we’ll get your car sorted. There’s a fantastic local mechanic round here; he’ll be able to fix it easily, I’m sure.’
    I felt my shoulders relax and even stopped thinking about the pain in my knee. Rose had a way of making someone feel calm and at home, no matter what trouble they’d been through. Just then, the back door opened and a familiar voice drifted into the lobby. It was the man who’d crashed into me outside the pub.
    â€˜Hey, Rose, sorry I was a bit longer than I thought I’d be. Dixie ran away from the pub and decided to go for a run in the fields! Fancy a—’
    His voice cut off when he saw me. He cut quite an amusing figure; his russet-brown hair was sticking up in odd directions, mud was streaked across his face and clothes and his little white dog was tucked under his arm, also caked in dirt.
    â€˜Wow, this is a small world. Was this the appointment you had to get to, checking into a guesthouse?’ There was a note of amusement in his voice that didn’t quite reach his face, which still looked as surly as ever.
    â€˜Have you two met?’ Rose asked, her nose wrinkled with confusion. She looked from me to the mud-caked man and back again, waiting for one of us to offer an explanation.
    â€˜Kind of.’ He gave an awkward grunt as he tried to keep hold of the squirming dog, who was probably trying to escape the imminent bath time.