The lady who ran the ice-cream kiosk came out to fold up her shutters, and Molly skittered away behind one of the beach huts before the lady could shout at her. She scurried along behind the line of huts and came out by the steps. She would go and sniff along the line of broken shells and seaweed down by the sea. She’d found things to eat mixed up in there before.
Molly dragged her paws over the deep sand, feeling weary. She had loved playing with the children that afternoon, but now she was worn out and so hungry. The seaweed smelled strong and salty and there was another smell – a hopeful sort of smell. A fish! She scrabbled at it excitedly with her paw and it broke up into bits.
Molly sneezed at the smell – it had been dead for a while and didn’t smell very nice. It was dry and leathery from lying there all afternoon in the hot sun. She could just about remember the delicious bits of fish she used to get as a treat when she’d lived with her owners, before she was a stray – this fish smelled quite different. But Molly was too hungry to be fussy. She wolfed it down, even the bones and the dried-up skin.
After the fish, Molly padded along the sand to the little hollow under the patch of marram grass. This was the wilder end of the beach, past the concrete promenade, where the road led down to the harbour. It was never as busy, so there wasn’t as much chance of scraps from a picnic. But the dunes were a quiet place to sleep. Molly had found a sandy hole under a big clump of grass a few weeks before. She’d then dug it out a little more, so that it made a nest just large enough for a small dog to sleep under cover. She snuggled into it and curled up. Her stomach was hurting – the fish probably hadn’t been a good thing to eat. But it had been all there was.
Chapter Three
The next day, Anya and her parents packed the picnic things under Jessie’s pushchair again and got ready to set off for the beach. Anya had been hopping about by the front door for what seemed like ages. When they’d stopped at the ice-cream shop the day before, she had spotted a bodyboard with dolphins on and she’d been admiring it while the lady behind the counter scooped out their ice creams. The dolphins were gorgeous – they looked as though they were smiling and Anya couldn’t help smiling back at them. Then she’d heard Dad saying, “And we’ll take that bodyboard as well, please?”
Anya had wheeled round, staring at him in surprise. She hadn’t even asked, just thought how much fun it would be to have one. Lots of the people on the beach that day had been splashing around on them.
Now, she was desperate to get down there and try it out. It just seemed to be taking forever for Mum and Dad to finish sorting out the picnic and Jessie’s things. Anya had run around finding all of her sister’s toys and muslins, but now Jessie needed her nappy changing.
Eventually, Dad lifted the pushchair over the front step and they set off along the clifftop path to the beach.
“Looking forward to trying out your bodyboard?” he asked, watching Anya admire the dolphins again as she carried it along.
“It’s going to be brilliant,” Anya told him, as she tried to squash down the thought that it would be even more fun with a friend. Still, she had Dad to swim with, which was going to be fun, too. He often worked really late, so Anya didn’t see him that much except on weekends and during the holidays.
As soon as Dad had helped spread out the picnic blanket and unload all their picnic stuff, he and Anya picked their way over the pebbles and sand down to the sea. It was a beautiful hot day and the water was calm.
“The sea is really blue today,” Anya said, sounding surprised. “Yesterday it was sort of browny-green.”
“Maybe it’s reflecting the sky,” Dad suggested. “Are you ready for this, Anya?” He grinned at her. “You don’t want to back out?”
“No!” Anya glared at him. “Although it does look a bit cold,” she admitted.
Dad tested the water with one foot. “Ugh. Make that very cold.”
“Go on!” Mum called. She was standing further up the beach next to Jessie, holding up her phone to take a picture. “It’ll be nice and warm when you get in.”
Dad sighed. “That’s because we’ll be so numb with cold we won’t be able to feel it! Come on, Anya – let’s run.” He grabbed Anya’s hand and they dashed into the water. It was cold. Freezing. But Mum was right. After a couple of minutes, it really didn’t feel cold at all.
They had the best morning splashing around with the bodyboard, Dad swimming along towing Anya behind him, and jumping in and out of the waves. Then Dad helped Anya build a sandcastle that was even bigger than the one she and Rachel and the others had made the day before.
After lunch, Jessie was fussing and a bit grizzly so Mum and Dad took it in turns to play with her and carry her up and down the beach, trying to persuade her she wanted a nap. She didn’t, though. She kept on crying, and Anya knew there was no use asking Dad if he wanted to go in the sea again. She lay on her front on the sun-warmed pebbles, reading her book.
By about three o’clock, Mum was starting to look really anxious. Even Anya was feeling worried – her little sister looked so miserable. “Mum, should we go back to the cottage?” she suggested, looking at Jessie’s scarlet cheeks. “Maybe Jessie just doesn’t want to sleep in her pushchair? If we went back you could put her down in the travel cot and she might feel better.”
“Would you mind?” Mum asked, looking at Anya gratefully. “I don’t want to spoil your beach day, Anya. We’ve only got a week here. Maybe Dad could stay with you and I’ll take Jessie back.”
“I’d rather come with you,” Anya said, with one quick wistful glance at the sea. “I’ve got that bead jewellery kit Nana bought me for the holidays, I’d like to do some of that. And anyway, I think it’s going to rain.” She didn’t really – there was only one tiny cloud in the sky – but she wanted to make Mum feel better.
They started to pack up, folding the rug and gathering all their bits and pieces together. As they were walking along the promenade to the cliff path, Anya stopped for a last look at the sea. It’ll still be there tomorrow, she told herself. And I bet Jessie will feel better by then. Maybe Mum will go in the sea with me. Rachel might be back on the beach, too. She was just about to turn round and run after her mum and dad, when she saw a dog – a little golden, curly-haired dog, trotting along the promenade a short way behind her.
“That looks just like Molly,” Anya muttered to herself, squinting thoughtfully at the little dog. “But it can’t be. I haven’t seen Rachel and the others. And I did look all the way down the beach when we arrived.”
“Anya! Come on!” Dad called, waving to her.
Anya turned to wave back. “Coming!” she answered. But then she looked at the dog again. She was almost certain it was Molly – the dark eyes were just the same and the messy curls around her muzzle and ears. “It is her! Molly, what are you doing here on your own?” Even if she had just missed Rachel’s family and they were here after all, Molly was too far away from them now. Had she run off?
“They should keep you on a lead,” Anya murmured worriedly. She glanced over at Dad, who was starting to look a bit cross. She’d have to go and explain. Anya dashed along the promenade to where he was waiting at the bottom of the path. Mum had already set off with the pushchair.