Page 37 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

‘I don’t see how anyone can stop him…’ I whispered, defeated.

In the space of an hour, I had lost my job, Piers and the respect of everyone in the village.

And as far as the girls were concerned, I was grateful that they hadn’t even doubted me when I told them what had happened.

They had immediately switched into Mama Bear mode and huddled around me, trying to find a solution.

‘Plus, Piers is probably going to sue the pants off me,’ I added.

‘Oh, he will not!’ Nina assured me.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised,’ I answered. ‘He made me sign a waiver that I wouldn’t be taking any video or audio of him, nor reveal any information whatsoever on him. As if I would! I know only too well what it means to go into hiding for your own sanity. But he doesn’t believe me.’

‘He will, Kate. He just needs time to sit back and realise that it couldn’t have been you. That Will simply hacked your computer.’

‘It seems to me that your ex has lost control of reality if he thinks he can get away with this. First the accusations of theft and blackmail, and now this?’ Nat said. ‘He seems delusional.’

‘Oh, he’s more than that. He’s dangerous. In any case, I can’t stay now. I have to leave. I’m like a sitting duck here, waiting for him to find me…’

‘Leave? And go where?’ Faith said.

‘Anywhere but here.’

‘But you’d be alone,’ Rosie whispered, her blue eyes huge and moist. ‘At least you have us here!’

I found myself wiping my own eyes. ‘I know, and I’m going to really, really miss you guys…’

‘Then stay, Kate,’ Nina urged. ‘We’ll figure it out. We’ll vouch for you to the police. And we’ll talk some sense into Piers. The poor sod is so used to being hounded down like a fox that he doesn’t recognise a good thing when it happens to him.’

‘Oh, no, we’re over. You should’ve seen his face. He hates me now.’

‘Oh, please,’ Emmie chortled. ‘You can tell all the way from Squally Isle that you two are in love.’

I wrapped my cold hands around my hot mug. ‘Not anymore. It’s all gone to pot…’

‘Kate,’ Faith said, putting her warm hand over mine. ‘If we know Piers at all, he’ll come to his senses. And as far as the police are concerned, all we have to do is explain everything. That you ran for your baby’s safety. You have to stay. Your new life is here, in Starry Cove.’

I was tempted, of course. In the space of a few months, I had come to love these women deeply.

Not only for their kindness and generosity toward me, but for the fact that, from each one, I’d learnt a lesson on how to become the person I wanted to be.

Thanks to them, I also knew what kind of mother I wanted to be.

I took the best from each one: Nina’s assertiveness, Rosie’s sweetness, Emmie’s kind spirit, Faith’s sixth sense in knowing what I was going through and Nat’s practical approach to problems. And so much more.

They were such rounded personalities who had been through so much personal trauma due to being with the wrong man.

But they’d found and supported one another unconditionally.

And to know that they were doing the same for me, the new kid in the neighbourhood, literally speaking, was tremendously touching. It was like living in a fairy tale.

But real life was another story altogether, and lately, I’d been reading too many romance novels where everything fell into place in the end, where girl and boy met and fell in love and were happy until they dropped dead, preferably at a ripe old age with litters of grandchildren visiting on the weekends.

I was worried that that kind of love wouldn’t be on the cards for me.

I nodded my head. ‘I do want to stay and be with you all. I couldn’t ask for anything better for myself and my baby’s future.’

‘Then it’s settled,’ Rosie said, beaming. ‘You stay.’ As I began to protest, she held her hand up to stop me. ‘No buts! We’ll figure this whole thing out – together.’

Nina got to her feet. ‘Well, first things first, I’m calling on that hothead to knock some sense into him.’

I looked up at her. ‘Would you give him a message?’

‘What do you want me to tell him, sweetheart?’

I bit my lip. ‘Would you please tell him that it had to be Will? That I would never do anything to hurt anyone, let alone… him?’

‘Of course.’ Nina smiled as a chorus of ‘Aws’ and arms encircled me.

‘And, when you’re ready, we’ll notify the police so you can tell them your version,’ Nat said.

Between the threat of Piers suing me and Will and the police on my tracks, I was in between a rock and a hard place. So much for my new Cornish life in Starry Cove.

‘I’m grateful to all you girls. Everyone here has shown me nothing but kindness, from dear Mrs Nankivell to you, to all the shop owners to…

Piers. And I’ve repaid you with—’ I stopped, the remorse stifling me.

‘—lies. I’m so, so sorry, but I had no choice.

I didn’t know who to trust, and every day that went by, it became more and more difficult to confess. ’

‘You poor, poor thing!’ Rosie cooed. ‘I’m so sorry! What you must have been through!’

I shrugged. ‘Yes, but that doesn’t justify the lying…’

‘You did what you had to do until you felt safe.’

‘W all know that once you’ve told one fib, it has a snowball effect and just gets more and more difficult to talk about. But it doesn’t matter now. We’re all here for you, aren’t we?’

‘Of course,’ chimed the choir of Coastal Girls, my dear, dear friends.

‘Now all we need to do is sort you out and get you back on your feet again,’ said Rosie.

‘I’m sorry. All I seem to do is attract problems…’

‘Nonsense,’ she said. ‘You should have seen the state I was in before I found the courage to quit my old job. I was an absolute mess, letting my boss treat me like crap. But I have to thank her, funnily enough.’

‘Why?’

‘Because she convinced me into coming down here, during the Christmas hols to boot. I was supposed to investigate The Old Bell Inn and eventually sack the manager, who I ended up marrying!’

‘Mitchell?’

‘Exactly! So you see, not everything happens for the worst. And Cornwall gave me the shove I needed to make my life better. It’s doing the same for you, too.’

‘How,’ I asked, and I couldn’t help the exasperation that crept into my voice, ‘is any of this a good thing?’

Rosie took my hands in hers. ‘It is an excellent thing because just when you think things can’t be any worse, they get better. Wait and see.’

‘I wish I had your faith in life.’

‘Trust us, we’ve all been there.’

‘I hate seeing you like this,’ Emmie said, pushing my now long fringe out of my eyes. The kindness of this gesture undid me completely. There were still good people around.