‘What?’
He shrugged. ‘I was just thinking that the way the sun is shining on you made you look as if you had a halo around you. I was trying to imprint the vision in my memory.’
She was taken aback for a moment and couldn’t speak, simply gazing at him. They stood in silence, their eyes locked. She wondered if he was about to kiss her and hoped he might. She was just about to slip her arms around his neck and kiss him, when a child shrieked, distracting her. Tasha opened her eyes and looked for the child, relieved to see she was squealing happily. She let her arms drop back to her sides. She turned her back to the sun and it took a moment for her eyes to recover from the brightness. When they did she saw Callum bend to pick something up.
‘What’s that?’
He rubbed his thumb over it and handed it to her.
‘It’s a piece of pottery.’ He held it out and Tasha took it from his palm.
She studied the white glazed pottery with tiny blue painted flowers. ‘It must have come from a beautiful piece.’ She wished she could see the whole plate, or whatever it had originally been part of. Tasha liked the thought of keeping a reminder from such a special day. ‘Do you think I can keep it?’
‘I don’t see why not.’
Happy, she dropped the piece into her pocket.
As they passed several rock pools, Tasha felt the urge to step into one. It was warmed by the sun and she took a moment to wiggle her toes and relish the new sensations she was enjoying.
She went to speak when a ball slammed into the rock pool, splashing her up to her face. Shocked, Tasha shrieked.
‘Sorry, miss.’ A little boy ran up to her as she took Callum’s outreached hand and stepped out onto the sand. The child stood a short distance away, and Tasha sensed he wasn’t sure whether to approach the ball or not.
‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘You can come and fetch it.’
‘Are you OK?’ Callum asked.
She laughed, seeing the funny side. ‘I must have looked silly standing there covered in sea spray!’
He grinned. ‘I think he got a fright when he saw how big the splash was that his ball made.’
‘Good,’ she said, amused. ‘Maybe he’ll be a little less enthusiastic with his kicks in future.’
‘Shall we see the cave?’
She nodded and let him lead her further into it, enjoying the feeling of her hand in his. Tasha went to remark that they were still holding hands, then it occurred to her that if she did Callum would probably let go or worry that she wasn’t comfortable walking with their hands together, which wasn’t the case. So she kept quiet and decided it was another thing to keep for her memories when she was back at home in England and missing this place. And him.
‘This is magical.’
He sighed. ‘I’m glad you think so.’
She looked at Callum as he seemed to study first her eyes, then her mouth. His gaze didn’t move for a few seconds and she hoped he was going to kiss her. Then he seemed to think better of it and, looking into her eyes again, smiled. ‘Shall we go on?’
She presumed he meant with their exploring and nodded.
As she walked slightly behind him, their hands still in each other’s, Tasha wished she’d had the courage to kiss him. Then again, she mused, to do so would only be starting something neither one of them could take forward. After all, whatever each of them thought of the other, she would soon be leaving the island and not coming back for months.
If at all.
Even if Riley did return to film a second series, the way she felt about him right now she probably wouldn’t still be his assistant, if she managed to find another job working for someone less demanding.
‘Everything all right?’
She gave Callum a reassuring smile. ‘I was thinking about leaving Riley,’ she admitted, wanting Callum to know why she was thoughtful at such a perfect time.
He stopped walking. ‘You’re really going to do it?’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I’m considering it more and more now. His dramas take up too much of my emotion and I’m sure I can find work elsewhere that isn’t quite so draining.’
