‘Then start slow. I take it he’s been in the sea?’
‘I’m not that mean a mother,’ she told him.
‘Didn’t say you were. But how about you come down to the shed tomorrow when he’s helping out. You can sit on the beach if it’s warm enough, watch the paddleboarders or kayakers in the bay – I’ll even give you my binoculars – that way you can see what it’s all about, and you’ll see them, most of them, wearing buoyancy vests. Even the strongest swimmers should wear one, it’s something I encourage, not that I always get my way.’
‘You want to take Jonah in the water tomorrow?’ She felt her insides churn.
Footsteps announced Jonah’s departure from the bedroom and at last the end to the games. ‘I won fifteen games, Mum!’ he announced.
‘I won four,’ Adrian laughed coming up behind them, and Maeve didn’t miss the look of admiration Leo sent his brother’s way, because Adrian seemed happy, not pained to be here with everyone after all this time.
And Maeve sent a look of appreciation Adrian’s way, but for an entirely different reason.
‘Did I hear Leo say something about Jonah going out on the water tomorrow?’ Adrian came so close to Maeve that she held her breath for a second, her eyes level with the top of his shoulder, the muscles beneath his t-shirt.
‘I’m not quite ready,’ she confessed to Adrian so that only he could hear.
‘Why don’t you start with yourself.’
‘You want me to go on a kayak?’ She didn’t miss the way his eyes dipped to her lips as she spoke.
‘Not quite. But start by getting down there like this evening,yougo close to the water,youreally remind yourself of the fun you can have in the sea.’
Was he flirting or was he being serious? She couldn’t tell without staring at him so intently gossip would be bouncing off the walls of the cabin.
‘I’ll bet I’m right in thinking all you’ve done so far is catastrophise, thinking the worst would happen if Jonah was to go into the water more than knee-deep,’ Adrian went on as though he could see right through her.
‘Something like that,’ she admitted.
‘It’s a hurdle, that’s all. And one you can get over. It doesn’t need to be rushed, doesn’t even need to be this side of Christmas, you could wait until next summer. If you’re hanging around.’
‘I am.’ And then she braved. ‘Are you?’
‘I’d like to.’
And he had no idea how much she wanted, needed to hear that.
But as Jonah tried to persuade someone, anyone else to have another game with him while she was distracted, shechanged topic. ‘Leo and Nina are getting on well tonight.’
‘He says they’re friends again.’
‘Somehow I think they’re more than that.’ And before Jonah could harass anyone else she found her bag and went to his side.
‘Can we play again another day?’ Jonah asked Adrian without hesitation.
‘I’ll see, mate. I’m not sure my ego could take that much losing again. I mean, I used to be good back in the day.’ He pulled a face that made Jonah laugh and Maeve’s heart melt.
‘Why don’t I walk you both home,’ Adrian offered Jonah and Maeve.
‘No need,’ said Maeve. ‘The car’s parked at the top – I need to get this young man home to bed.’
He looked about to protest until Leo finished putting out the last of the rubbish and slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders, clearly glad to have Adrian here as he insisted on a nightcap for the both of them back at his own cabin.
Maeve bid them all a goodnight and with Jonah still rambling on about Frustration and how he’d only just won the last game, they trekked to the top of the track.
Things were beginning to change. Should Maeve dare to hope it was for the better?
Chapter Thirteen
