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

‘It wasn’t Henry Burrows again, was it?’ Corin asked, leaning forward. ‘Is he still pestering you?’

‘Who said he was pestering me?’ Mim replied. ‘A man like that wouldn’t chase after someone like me.’

‘I don’t see why not.’

‘Then this clearly isn’t your first pint of the evening.’ Mim handed Corin his drink and turned to Howie. ‘Who was it?’

‘No idea. I’d not seen him in here before. Here’s an odd thing, though. He called you Miranda. It wasn’t until he’d gone that I made the connection. I’ve not heard Miranda since I filled out the paperwork when you started.’ Howie let out a rumbling laugh. ‘Not in trouble with the law, are you?’

‘No,’ Mim said. Corin was still standing at the bar. Dickens was sitting on a stool next to him. They were both watching Mim. ‘What?’ she said to them. ‘I thought we’d established that I wasn’t a dodgy criminal.’

‘We have, but do you think Yvonne was satisfied? Does she have a partner?’ Corin asked. He called over to Howie, who had moved along the bar. ‘What did this man look like?’

‘Barely a man at all, actually. He was young, lanky, sandy-haired. I’m no good with faces. There was nothing remarkable about him. He was one of you, though.’

‘One of me?’ Mim repeated.

‘You know, a northerner.’

Mim looked at Corin.

‘You don’t really think Yvonne would have another go, do you?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. Is there anyone else who might be looking for you?’ Corin scratched the top of Dickens’s head. ‘An old boyfriend, perhaps?’

‘No one ever hung around long enough to earn the title of boyfriend. The men I knew rarely thought I was worth visiting at the hotel, never mind at the opposite end of the country.’ Mim laughed. ‘And don’t even think of dragging out the pity face. I wasn’t interested in a boyfriend then. I got what I needed and that was fine by me.’

‘Then?’ Corin looked up. ‘So you are interested now?’

‘I might be up for it. The trouble is, now I’m stuck in a land of southerners and I’m not sure I’m up for that…’

Corin laughed and Mim went over to serve another customer. He was still at the bar when she’d finished.

‘So what changed your mind?’ he asked when she joined him again. ‘I thought you didn’t believe in all the hearts and flowers.’

‘I didn’t, but then Bea told me about her history with Bill.’ She’d thought about it a lot over the last few days and how it might tie in with what she wanted in her own life. ‘It’s a good story. Perhaps there’s something in this romantic stuff after all.’

‘Perhaps there is.’ He smiled. ‘Dad has set the bar high. He built a business and made a fortune to show Mum he loved her. How do you follow that?’

‘Not everyone wants grand gestures,’ Mim said. ‘It’s the thought behind it that matters, isn’t it? He understood what she needed and provided it.’ She passed him a bowl of water for Dickens. ‘Are you worried about taking over? Because it means so much to them?’

‘Yes. The business is Dad’s Taj Mahal – it was built as a symbol of love. I can’t let it fail.’ Corin spun his glass round on the bar. ‘It’s not just the personal connection. We employ over a hundred people in the factory. We pay above average wages and offer good benefits. Our employees are happy. We have a responsibility to them to keep the business running.’

‘You don’t have any vacancies going, do you?’ Mim grinned, but Corin’s words had reminded her of the awful day when the hotel had closed and she’d had to tell the staff that they were out of work. It hadn’t been her decision but she’d still felt guilty and had hated being responsible for ruining Christmas for the families involved. How much worse would it be for Corin, having the fate of a hundred families in his hands? Especially when it wasn’t the career he’d chosen for himself. No wonder the rest of the family didn’t want to take it on. It would be easier to employ someone to run the business and sit back and enjoy the money but that wasn’t Corin’s way.

‘Don’t forget that you need to be happy too,’ Mim said. ‘Is there no room for compromise? Can you work in the business part time so you can carry on with the fossil tours and the educational work? You know what else Bea said? She wants you all to follow your hearts.’

Another customer came up to the bar and Mim started to move away.

‘She said that?’ Corin smiled at her. ‘Perhaps on this occasion I should follow her advice.’

Over the next few days, Mim had the odd sensation that she was being watched but when she turned round there was no one there. She told herself she was imagining it, but when it happened a fourth time she mentioned it to Karen and Heather after their next swim. It was now warm enough for them to sit outside the campervan for their tea and cake, on deckchairs provided by Heather.

‘There is someone looking for you,’ Karen said. ‘I was going to tell you. I was in the shop yesterday—’

‘Janet’s shop?’ Mim interrupted. ‘How could you go in there after what she did?’ There had been no further activity against As You Like It holidays but Mim was still nursing a grudge.

‘I know, I have tried to boycott it,’ Karen said, holding up her hands as if to ward off any further criticism. ‘But Susie wanted brownies and I’d run out of cocoa powder. I don’t hear you complaining now,’ she added, pointing to the half-eaten brownie in Mim’s hand. Mim grinned.

‘Tell me who was looking for me,’ she said. ‘Someone’s been in the Boat as well. A young bloke according to Howie.’

‘Could be the same person,’ Karen said. ‘This was a young lad, early twenties I’d say. Tall and gangly, gingery