Free Little Kiosk By The Sea by Jennifer Bohnet Page B

trawl through the property pages of the day’s paper again on the off chance he’d missed something on his first read. What he’d really love to find would be somewhere like Johnnie’s ancient cottage. He been tempted to ask if he had a spare room. So full of atmosphere, he could only wonder at the stories it could tell. A house like that would be amazing.
    Five minutes later, he folded the paper up in frustration. Nothing. He glanced at his watch. A couple of hours to kill before his appointment with the yacht broker down at the marina. Apparently they were keen for him to see a fifty-foot wooden ketch that had just been put up for sale over in Brixham.
    Before then he had time to wander along the quay and take another look at Bayards Cove. It was a place that fascinated him. Made him wish his ancestors had gone over with the Pilgrims back in the seventeenth century rather than running away to marry a GI three centuries later. He also needed to visit the library and spend some time there looking up the history of the town with particular regard to the Holdsworths and the Seales, whom he’d already discovered had run the town a couple of centuries ago.
    Then this evening he’d return to his room and spend the evening reading and doing some more research on the Internet. He didn’t want Jessie telling him he wasn’t doing enough to find their ‘English Connection’.

HIGH SEASON

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    JOHNNIE
    Johnny stood patiently in line at the cash desk while the woman being served carefully placed her shopping in her wheelie bag before handing the cashier her cheque book. He could sense the impatience of the couple in front of him before they tutted loudly but it didn’t bother him.
    ‘They should try queuing in a French supermarket,’ a voice behind him said softly. ‘This is so quick compared. Takes hours sometimes over there to do a weekly shop.’
    He turned and saw the woman who’d helped him secure Annie on the grid the other week. Probably not a holidaymaker then.
    ‘Hello. You’re right about French supermarkets – takes forever to do a quick shop.’
    ‘We both like good French wine though,’ she said, indicating the same bottle in their respective baskets.
    ‘You know about wine?’
    ‘Just a bit.’
    Johnnie started to place his stuff on the conveyor belt, carefully laying down the wine to avoid it toppling over when the belt jerked forward.
    ‘Morning, Johnnie,’ the female cashier said, flashing his items through. ‘Everything okay?
    ‘Fine,’ he answered, handing over some notes. He pocketed his change, picked his shopping up, smiled at the two women and left. Two minutes later, he was loitering outside, wishing the woman would hurry up and appear.
    The woman glanced at him and smiled when he fell into step alongside her.
    ‘As one sailor to another – can I buy you a coffee?’ he said. ‘The Royal is the nearest place if that’s all right with you?’
    ‘Thank you, Johnnie, that would be lovely.’
    ‘How do you know my name? Ah …’ Comprehension dawned. ‘Susie on the cash desk. That’s the trouble with being a local – so you’re … ?’
    ‘Rachel.’
    ‘Thought you might be a holidaymaker the other day,’ Johnnie said.
    She shook her head. ‘No. I live in town now.’
    The Harbour Bar was busy as they entered, with both locals and holidaymakers enjoying a mid-morning coffee. One or two of the locals raised their hands in greeting to Johnnie as he went to order their coffees. He saw BB tucked away in a quiet corner, intently studying the local newspaper, oblivious to anyone around him.
    Sitting with another women in a place where he and Annie had often had coffee felt strange. Of course he’d been in here often enough in the past year or two with Sabine and friends, but it had been a long time since he’d actually invited a woman to have coffee with him. He stirred his coffee thoughtfully, wondering what to say. BB, on his way out, walked over.
    ‘Hi, Johnnie,