Page 2 of A Little Love Song in Seabury (Seabury #16)

LEAH

O ne benefit of turning up in town so late was that Leah had no trouble finding a parking spot for the little hire car. With a huge yawn and a grateful pat on its yellow bonnet, she left it sitting in one of the spaces right outside a seriously funky-looking café called New York Froth.

Perfect—it looked like she’d already found her holiday breakfast haunt!

Resting her wheeled suitcase on the pavement, Leah yanked her cavernous handbag higher onto her shoulder and turned on the spot, taking her time to complete a slow circle.

So… this was Seabury!

Will hadn’t told her much about the little town—mainly because Will never told her much about anything, really.

But she’d pieced together enough bits and bobs about it over the last three years to make her seriously curious.

She was looking forward to exploring. After all, this had been Will’s hometown when he was a kid, back before he’d lost his dad and moved to boarding school.

Coming to a standstill, Leah stared out at the sea for several long moments. There was something incredibly calming about the gentle waves, and for a mad minute, she was almost tempted to head straight down to the beach for a paddle.

Maybe not. It was late, and she was absolutely wiped after the long drive. Still… she could always go tomorrow, couldn’t she?!

‘This is going to be a good week,’ she whispered.

Leah didn’t know what made her so sure. Maybe it was just the fact that if she decided to make something happen, it usually did. There was a lot to be said for the power of positive thinking.

One thing was certain, though—Leah needed this break. Sure, she was basically tagging along on her boss’s holiday, but it was easier this way. If Will needed her, she would be on hand. If she was miles away, she simply wouldn’t be able to relax!

Will had promised not to call on her unless there was an emergency… but if she was being completely honest, Leah wouldn’t mind if he did need her. She never minded. Whatever he wanted, wherever she was, Leah would drop everything for him. That was just the way it was.

‘And that’s a habit you need to get out of!’ she sighed, watching as the lacy crests of the waves gently caressed the pebbled shoreline.

Sure, it was her job… but it had also become her life. Her whole life. And when something was as one-sided as this particular set-up… well, it couldn’t be healthy, could it?

This holiday had come at the perfect moment for both of them. It was time for a break. Together… but apart at the same time. Maybe this little town would give Leah the peace and stillness she needed to make a few decisions.

Hard decisions. Life-changing decisions. Decisions she knew would end up making her cry before everything played out.

Not tonight, though. Tonight, all she needed to do was get herself settled and calm her mind.

Leah knew from bitter, knackering experience that if she let her head go down any rabbit holes before bed, she’d have nothing but a long, sleepless night ahead of her.

And after the drive she’d just had, she needed some proper sleep!

‘Right, where’s the Post Office?’ she murmured, turning her back on the sea and staring up and down the line of shops.

Leah knew she was at the right end of town from the directions Doris had sent her. Seabury’s postmistress owned the flat above the shop, and Connie had lived there when she’d first moved to town. According to her friend, the place was tiny, but a real gem. Even better… it was currently vacant.

‘Bingo,’ she said with a smile, spotting the Post Office’s distinctive sign a little further along the seafront .

Heading straight for it, Leah took the narrow alleyway down the side of the shop and spotted the cheery red front door with the promised pot of geraniums next to the doormat. She angled her phone at the base of the pot, using the screen’s weak light to hunt for the key.

‘Gotcha!’

Opening the door, she jogged up the narrow stairs, towing her suitcase behind her, and let herself into the cutest, tiniest bolthole she’d ever seen.

Sure, there might not be much room, but the sofa looked comfy, the bookshelf came fully loaded and, according to Connie, the place had beautiful views out over the sea.

It couldn’t be further from the sleek cliffside house she’d hired for Will, but for her, this was perfect.

When they’d first discovered Leah was joining Will in Seabury, Connie and Rosie had practically begged her to stay at Seabury House.

As much as she’d been moved by their enthusiasm, Leah simply hadn’t felt comfortable accepting.

It might have been different if Will was staying there himself… but then again, maybe not!

For one thing, they needed a break from each other. For another… she wasn’t sure how her boss would feel about her cosying up with his family! That said, the pair of them got on okay. More than okay when Will actually noticed her presence.

Leah sighed. In many ways, working for Will was a dream.

She got to travel the world, stay in some amazing places, and see him perform in some of the greatest auditoriums in the world.

It was a gruelling schedule, but Leah loved organising things.

She was good at it, and now that she knew Will so well, she was uniquely equipped for the job.

That was part of the problem. Leah made sure everything was so seamless that Will barely registered her existence…

or at least, that’s what it felt like sometimes.

She arranged flights, booked accommodation and made sure that his life was as easy as possible while they crisscrossed the globe together.

Hell, since he’d randomly sacked his agent a couple of weeks before the end of the tour, she’d taken on the majority of that role too.

Perhaps if she left a few more bumps in the road, Will might appreciate her more. Then again… maybe not. Music was all that mattered to William Pepper, concert pianist extraordinaire. Nothing was going to change that.

Urgh… she was well on her way down that rabbit hole already, wasn’t she?!

Blowing out a long breath, Leah placed her handbag carefully onto the coffee table and then tucked her suitcase next to the sofa.

The temptation to flop down onto it was huge.

There was a large, cosy-looking blanket folded along the back, and she could happily snuggle down into those cushions and sleep for England.

But… if she could just drag her weary bones a few more paces, she was sure there was a perfectly serviceable bed around here somewhere!

‘Come on, Leah, pull it together!’ she sighed, reaching up to yank the slide from her hair so that her sleek, businesslike up-do tumbled down around her shoulders. The relief was instant. She combed her fingers through the heavy strands, massaging her tingling scalp.

That was better!

What she really needed now was a long, hot shower… and maybe a fry-up. Sure, it was late, but the box of wilted salad she’d picked up at their last fuel stop felt like weeks ago. She was officially starving!

‘Okay, which way’s the kitchen?’ she muttered, trying the doorway opposite the sofa first.

Sure enough, she’d found it, though with little more than a postage stamp of floorspace, it barely qualified as a room. More like a walk-in cupboard.

‘Small but perfectly formed!’ There was everything she might need while she was there – oven, fridge, sink, microwave.

What Leah didn’t have was any shopping. She’d been too busy making sure Will had everything he might need and had run out of time to shop for herself.

It didn’t really matter, though, did it? She was right in the middle of town. All she had to do was get through until morning, and she’d be able to head to the café for breakfast. After that, she could stock her cupboards with enough goodies to get her through the week.

Unfortunately, this most excellent plan did nothing to help with the fact that Leah felt like she could eat a horse. Still, she had an emergency box of her favourite spiced chai teabags in her handbag. At least she could have a hot drink before grabbing a shower and heading to bed.

Filling the kettle, Leah set it to boil and then turned to the fridge. Maybe Doris kept some milk in there for whoever came up to clean the place.

It was probably wishful thinking…

‘Oh my goodness!’ she gasped.

The under-counter fridge had a lot more going for it than just milk. Yes, there was a full, fresh bottle waiting for her, but there was also a box of eggs, a pack of bacon, a pat of butter, and several full, labelled Tupperware boxes.

‘Allotment salad, veggie lasagne, chilli, chicken soup,’ she read.

There was probably enough food in there to feed a family of five for a fortnight.

But the fridge’s crowning glory wasn’t the abundance of provisions—it was the collection of miniature bottles nestled in the door right next to the milk.

Two champagne, two white wine, and two red wine sat like tiny treasures in their designated slots.

Had Leah somehow made a mistake? Was this the flat Doris had promised her, or had she somehow managed to wander right into the middle of someone else’s holiday?

Closing the fridge door quietly, Leah was about to go and check the rest of the flat for signs of other occupants when she spotted an orange post-it note on the floor a few feet away. It was face down, its stick having clearly given up the ghost.

Leah grabbed it. Turning it over, she let out a sigh of relief and then grinned as she scanned the cramped writing.

Hi Leah – Welcome to Seabury! Fridge and cupboard fully loaded. Fresh bread on the counter courtesy of Ewan. Help yourself to everything. If you need anything, just shout. Can’t wait to see you.

Rosie & Connie xxx

‘Wow, what a welcome!’

Leah had spoken to both Rosie and Connie regularly over the last few months, and they were on their way to becoming close friends. She might not have met them in person yet, but the girls had clearly pulled out all the stops to make sure she got a warm welcome. What a lovely start to her holiday!

Leah turned to the cupboard in the corner and opened it. Sure enough, it was heaving with all manner of goodies, from sweet treats to dried pasta.

The sound of the kettle rolling to a boil and flicking itself off made her turn. Excellent. A cup of tea with milk and something to eat was just what the doctor ordered!

Lifting the lid of the old-fashioned bread bin, Leah found a pack of soft white rolls and a gloriously crusty golden loaf that looked like it was homemade. Well… she might not have the energy to cook herself a full fry-up, but she might be able to manage a bacon sandwich!

Leah stared for a long moment at the newly boiled kettle. Then she shook her head and, with a grin, fetched the pack of bacon and a bottle of bubbly from the fridge.

It was time to kick her holiday off in style!

After a quick search along a high shelf, Leah unearthed a tall champagne flute. Unwrapping the foil from the bottle, she popped the cork and poured. Then she grabbed the glass and lifted it.

‘Here’s to you, William Pepper,’ she sighed. ‘Royal pain in my backside… and the most impossible man to be in love with.’