A Pretty Beach Wish by Polly Babbington (scary books to read TXT) 📗

Just about everything has been done on the tightest budget. This sofa here and its sister is my one indulgence.’

‘You’ve made a mighty fine job of it. I just love these old Mermaids houses. I used to walk along this lane on my way to school,’ Harry said looking up at the ceilings. ‘I’d kill to buy one of these and get out of the new estate.’

‘Harry, it’s one of the best decisions of my life. We absolutely love it here.’

‘Glad to hear that. Ah, yes, how are you getting on with the new doctor?’

‘Swimmingly actually. Couldn't be better,’ Juliette replied, beaming.

‘Wedding bells in the air are there?’

‘Not at the moment, but we’ll have to see about that,’ Juliette replied and smiled.

Chapter 8

A couple of days later, Juliette clicked the button on a video call, and a few seconds later her friend Daisy appeared on the screen, her hair piled up and tied on the top of her head with a huge blue scarf. She was surrounded by moving boxes ready to move out of her flat and holding a large roll of brown packing tape in her left hand.

‘How are you getting on?’ Juliette enquired, looking into the screen on her phone.

‘Not too bad.’

‘Are you all packed up now?’ Juliette continued. Daisy had been on the phone the day before panicking that she wasn’t ready for her move back to Pretty Beach and her flat was far from being packed up.

‘I was still packing at midnight!’

‘Oh dear. So sorry I couldn’t get up there to help you out.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, it’s fine. Yeah, I’m done now. Every single thing I own is in a box and everything is stacked in the living room ready to go when the removal team arrives. It was the best advice to do it like that, thanks. Now I can semi-relax. Just the actual getting there to do.’

Juliette had moved more than a few times over the years and had quickly learnt that removal people differed vastly. She’d learnt through experience that if you did your bit right at the beginning, the whole thing went a lot more smoothly. She’d advised Daisy that having everything packed the day before pretty much down to your toothbrush meant that when the team arrived all you had to do was get to your new place with a small bag, a change of clothes, a kettle, and things to get you overnight. Not that it mattered so much in Daisy’s case because when she arrived in Pretty Beach she was staying with Juliette and Luke for a few nights, anyway.

‘I’ll be leaving once they are all packed up so I should be in Pretty Beach about lunchtime. So, I’ll get to you sometime in the evening.’

‘Okay. I probably won’t be here until the evening, almost certainly actually. The key is in the usual place. I’m going straight from work to the school.’

‘All good. Can’t believe it’s actually happening now the day has arrived. I’m really excited now the day has come.’

‘Me too! We can’t wait to have you here. I’m so thrilled! Maggie is beside herself. She must have asked me forty times when she’ll be able to stay with Aunty Daisy for a sleepover.’

‘Ha, well it won’t be long - there’s not too much to do in the hut. I reckon I’ll be in by the weekend, don’t you?’

‘I would think so. A quick coat of paint here and there and even that you could get away with not doing.’

‘I thought that, but I might as well as long as you don’t mind me staying with you for a few days?’

‘Of course not. I’ve just made up the bed in the spare room. Nice pale pink sheets freshly sprayed with lavender and ironed just for you.’

‘Ooh, that sounds like heaven after the last few days I’ve had. I’ll sleep like a baby tonight. I might need one of your vodka and homemade lemonades in the garden just to top it all off.’

‘I made a new batch at the weekend, so you’re in luck.’

‘Oh, sorry, I almost forgot. What happened with the boat?’ Daisy asked and looked through the phone screen to Juliette whose phone was leant up on a pile of cookery books on her kitchen table.

‘Yes, we got it! Luke’s sorting out the insurance and all that stuff today. All we need to do now is get it looking a bit prettier.’

‘Have you persuaded Luke yet on the colour?’

‘Not yet. I’m working on it, but it’s not looking hopeful, Daisy. Luke’s so laid-back he’s almost horizontal. Not it seems, though, about pink boats. I had a thought about it, though...’

‘Yeah. What’s that?’

‘A vlog from you on the boat. Cooking something out on the sea, a beautiful Pretty Beach day. How glorious does that sound?’

‘Oh yes! Pure gold.’

Chapter 9

Juliette got out of the shower in the tiny little bathroom all the way up at the top of her house and with her towel wrapped around her looked out over the sea. It looked somewhat calm; not that she really had any idea about all things nautical and if it really was calm, but it was blue and flat and that seemed good enough to her.

She dried herself off, pulled on her denim shorts, a navy-blue linen shirt lined inside the cuff and neck with a tiny ditsy print, and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail with one of Maggie’s scrunchies.

Luke, only in boxers, walked into the bathroom. Juliette swallowed at the sight of the god standing right there in front of her who she had somehow managed to bag. Here he was walking around her bathroom virtually naked and she was loving it.

‘Ready?’ Luke asked.

‘Yep. I just need to grab my jacket on the way out. Not sure how warm it’s going to be out there on the water.’

‘It’s forecast to be warm, but it’s questionable if I believe that, so good idea,’ Luke replied, closing the weather app on his phone.

‘You’re not ready, though!’