“Harry, it helps your mind. It makes you feelalive,and it gives you feel-good endorphins. We all need that.”
I’m still stuck on his statement. “All year?”
“Oh yes. We even swim on Christmas Day. There’s usually a big group of us, but it’ll just be us four today.” She turns to her son, offering him an impish smile. “So, what do you say? You know you always whinge about it, darling, but you love it when you get there.”
I can see how this must be true. Harry’s very active for a bookseller.
Harry puts up his hand to stay her enthusiasm. “Maybe it’s not a good idea. Clem hurt his ankle last night.”
“Oh no.” She turns to me. “How?”
“An over-inquisitive cow. Let’s not talk about it.” She giggles, and I shrug. “My ankle is fine if you want to go,” I say to Harry. “But I haven’t brought my costume.”
“You sure you want to?” I nod, and his wide smile is my reward. “I think I’ve got some board shorts here,” he says. “And you can borrow my brother Jimmy’s. He’s about your size.”
Holly claps her hands together. “Wonderful. I’ll grab your dry robe, Harry, and Clem can have Jimmy’s. See you downstairs.”
She dashes out, and I grin at Harry. “Notquitemy idea of a good start to the morning.”
He sits next to me on the bed, cupping my face in one hand and stroking my hair back with the other. His gaze is warm and intent. “I’m sure you’ll throw yourself into it as usual.”
“The sea?”
“No, the occasion. I’ve never seen you discomposed by anything. It’s one of the qualities I most admire about you.”
“It is?” I say, staring at him. “Are there more?” I add hopefully.
“Your cheerfulness in all social situations and the fact that you make me smile more than anyone I’ve ever met.” He drops a kiss on my nose that makes me feel warm all over. “Get dressed. I’ll go and grab the beach towels.”
I stare after him as he leaves the room. Then I spare a glimpse at the camouflaged tale of Fiona and Jared. I don’t remember her going swimming. It probably wouldn’t have been good for her, as she’s shown an alarming predilection for falling over at any opportunity. She takes more tumbles than a drunken sailor. Dismissing her, I leap out of bed to get dressed.
After using the bathroom and cleaning my teeth, I come back to find a pair of blue-and-white striped board shorts on the bed. I wriggle into them and find they’re nearly a perfect fit. I pull on a pair of blue sweatpants with a tight white t-shirt and add a green jumper because it might be summer, but it’s not tremendously warm this morning and also because it makes my blond hair look good.
Then I clatter down the stairs to find Harry and his parents talking in the hall. Harry must have finished getting dressed while I was in the bathroom, because he’s wearing jeans and a grey hoodie that makes his green eyes glow.
His dad has a cooler bag in one hand and when he sees me looking at it, he grins. “All the stuff to make bacon sandwiches.”
I perk up immediately. “Yummy,” I say, grinning at him.
Holly flings her arms around me. “How lovely. Swimming with my boys.”
It makes me smile, and I look up to find Harry watching us with a twinkle in his pretty eyes.
When we get outside, I shiver a little and Harry hugs me to him. “Cold?”
“I’ll warm up. I always forget when I see sunshine through my bedroom window that it’s England and not the Bahamas.”
I look around for the car and then watch as his parents walk down the drive. “Is the car down there?” I ask hopefully.
His mouth twitches. “Ah no. We walk to the beach.”
“Walk?” It’s so loud that birds take flight from a nearby tree.
This seems to amuse Harry even more. “You sound distressed.”
I glare at him. “Harry, I don’t walk.”
“I’m sure you just did it. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me.”
