Finding Home by Kate Field (read book .txt) 📗

How was Mim going to fix this quickly, in the few minutes left before she started work? There was one obvious person who might be able to help, if he was free. She toyed with her phone. She hadn’t seen as much of Corin since their conversation about her relationship with Gordon. Their few meetings had been awkward, and it felt as if their newly established friendship was scuffed and dented already. She was hesitant about asking a favour but he wouldn’t mind if it was for the charity, would he? There was no time to debate. She tapped out a quick text to see if he could do an emergency shop.

She could have saved the cost of a text. The man himself was standing at the gate posts that led out to the public road when she drove through a few minutes later. He had a scrubbing brush in his hand and a bucket of soapy water at his feet.

She wound down the window and called out to him.

‘You’re keen. I don’t think the guests will mind if the gate posts are dirty.’

Corin didn’t return her smile.

‘It’s not just dirt,’ he said. Mim got out of the car and went to have a look. The posts had been sprayed with bright red paint. The word ‘GO’ was written on the left hand post, while ‘AWAY’ was written on the right hand one; the first A was only just visible as Corin had scrubbed most of it off.

‘Is this aimed at the charity’s guests? This is a step further than the posters,’ Mim said, looking at the gate posts with dismay. She remembered her earlier suspicions that Gordon’s daughter, Yvonne, might have tracked her down; nasty posters were one thing but it seemed unlikely she would go this far. ‘This is criminal damage, isn’t it? Who could feel so strongly?’

‘I don’t know. Was it there when you came back from the Boat last night?’

‘No. I’d have noticed it.’

‘They must have done it in the early hours of this morning.’ Corin looked down at Dickens. ‘Some guard dog you are.’

‘Do you think it’s a rival holiday park?’ Mim asked. ‘Worried that we’ll take away some business?’

‘I doubt it. Our guests wouldn’t have booked a holiday themselves so there’s no loss. Besides, we know many of the park owners. They’re decent people and wouldn’t do this. The nearest park is owned by Henry Burrows and it certainly isn’t his style. He’s rich enough not to worry about five rival caravans.’

‘You should have called me.’

‘I almost did,’ Corin said. He dipped his brush in the soapy water again, so he wasn’t looking at Mim. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d want me to.’

‘Of course I would. I could have shown off my expertise this time. If they gave PhDs for use of a scrubbing brush, I’d have two.’ Corin laughed and Mim felt the lingering awkwardness between them melt away. She glanced at her watch. ‘I wish I could help now but I don’t have time. I’m almost late for work.’

‘Don’t worry, Bobby is on his way with a stronger cleaner. We’ll make sure there’s no trace of this by the time the guests arrive, even without your expertise.’ He smiled. ‘They’ll also have milk, coffee, and tea bags.’

‘Thanks.’

Mim was about to drive away when Corin knocked on her side window. She stopped and wound it down again.

‘You won’t be working on Monday, will you?’ he asked. Mim shook her head. ‘There’s an open sea swim taking place at Beremouth. It’s a regular Easter Monday event. Some people take it seriously, others wear fancy dress. It’s quite a spectacle. Would you like to come?’

It sounded fun, especially as her regular swimming date with Heather and Karen was off because of the Bank Holiday. But would it be weird to go with Corin? This wasn’t anything to do with the charity; this would be the two of them, going out as friends. She hesitated.

‘The standard swim is 4k, but there’s a 2k version if that’s too much,’ he added. That comment was enough to make Mim’s decision.

‘It’s not too much. I can manage that.’ She laughed when Corin grinned. ‘You only said that to persuade me, didn’t you? You knew I wouldn’t resist a challenge.’

‘I wouldn’t stoop to such tricks.’ He stepped back from the car, still smiling. ‘Have a good day.’

It was frustrating being stuck in the shop when As You Like It holidays welcomed their first guests. Mim was reliant on her phone for news about what was happening. Corin sent her a photo of a well-stocked fridge, and Lia sent a picture of herself perched on the veranda steps, waiting to greet the arrivals, but Mim still felt like she was missing out. She was determined not to miss out on the official launch of the charity at the end of April, but when she asked Janet for the Saturday off that weekend, she was met with an abrupt refusal.

‘You can see how busy we are during the holiday season,’ Janet said. It was true, unfortunately; they’d been so busy that Janet had come down from her flat to help out. ‘I can’t manage these crowds single-handed.’

Crowds was an exaggeration – Mim had never seen more than six people in the shop at once.

‘Could whoever works here on Monday to Wednesday cover an extra day?’ Mim asked.

‘Maybe,’ Janet replied. ‘And maybe they’ll get a taste for Saturday working and want to keep it up. Do you want to risk that?’ Mim shook her head. ‘And don’t be claiming a sickie, either. I’ve made a note of that date now, so don’t try to fool me. You need to be worrying more about your own job and less about this charity business. You have to look out for yourself in this world.’

By Monday, Mim was exhausted, grumpy, and very glad that she’d agreed to join in with the swim in Beremouth so she could release her tension in the