‘Don’t worry, Tess,’ Hope smiled kindly, ‘whatever’s wrong, Wynmouth will soon set you right.’

‘Nothing’s wrong,’ I shrugged as Sam released my hand.

Hope raised her eyebrows.

‘What?’ I asked.

‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘If that’s the story you’re sticking to for now, then that’s fine by me. I’m sure you’ll share your woes in your own good time.’

She was obviously every bit as perceptive as her mum.

‘I think I might go for a walk,’ I told the pair, once I had finished the extremely strong coffee and was feeling more like my old self, as well as a little jittery thanks to the extra shot (or three) that Hope must have added to my cup.

‘Mind if I tag along?’ she asked. ‘I really should be getting to the café.’

‘Not at all,’ I said, ‘I was planning to head that way.’

The heat had really begun to build as we walked along the seawall and there were already lots of families enjoying the beach. We stopped and watched some children dashing in and out of the sea, squealing as the icy water reached their knees.

‘Everyone looks so happy to be here,’ I sighed.

‘Including me,’ said Hope. ‘As much as I enjoyed my travels, it’s wonderful to be home again.’

Looking around, I could see why. Wynmouth might not have been exactly as I remembered it, but with the sea in front and the farmland, dotted with the odd wooded copse, stretching to the horizon behind, it was still a stunning little corner of Norfolk.

‘It does feel like home, doesn’t it?’ I said huskily, the words escaping without my meaning them to. ‘There’s still nowhere else quite like it.’

I might have only spent my holidays here, but I had never felt the same level of comfortableness and connection anywhere else in the world. Nowhere seemed to fit me quite as well as Wynmouth.

‘I thought this was your first visit,’ Hope said, sounding surprised. ‘You made that sound as though you’ve been before.’

I certainly hadn’t meant to.

‘No,’ I faltered, ‘I just meant that it’s so warm and welcoming, that you can’t feel anything but at home here.’

Hope linked arms and we started walking again.

‘I’m really sorry your boss gave you a hard time,’ she said, ‘but I suppose given the amount of extra time you’re taking off it probably came as a bit of a shock to them.’

‘Yes,’ I agreed, ‘he did sound a bit surprised. And I’m pretty certain that if I was working for anyone other than my father, I most likely wouldn’t have got away with it at all.’

‘You work for your dad?’

‘Yes,’ I sighed. ‘He owns the company I work for, so now I’ve not only upset my boss, but my father too.’

Hope was quiet for a moment.