‘It’s something else, isn’t it?’ Nolan pointed. ‘Through there is the bathroom and then the bedroom.’
Curious to see what the bedroom looked like, Bea took a quick peep. The room was small, the double bed filling the space almost wall to wall. There was also a small bedside cabinet with a lamp, and a line of built-in wardrobes.
‘Small but very cosy,’ said Nolan. ‘I spend most of the time out on deck, painting.’ They walked back out into the sunshine and sat down on the chairs.
‘I couldn’t imagine ever living on a boat but after seeing what it has to offer, I can see the appeal. It’s like something out of a romance novel, tranquil and peaceful.’
‘I absolutely love it. Waking up to the sound of water, the gulls flying high ... and there’s something cleansing about the fresh air. Rain or shine I sit out with a cuppa first thing in the morning and live for the moment. Then I spend my day fishing, or there’s water sports, or walking through scenery that would never have crossed my path otherwise.’
‘You’re living the dream.’
‘I am on a day like today, but it can be a different story in winter and it’s no fun if it’s lashing down.’
‘Do you get lonely?’ asked Bea.
‘I’m completely happy in my own skin, love my own company and my painting. And every time I sail into a new bay there’s a whole village of fabulous folk to chat to.’
‘But don’t you want to put down roots and find a permanent base for your life? I can see the attraction of this for a short-term holiday but to do this for ever…’
‘I’m all about taking chances, living life to the max. What would you choose – constant shifts in a supermarket or waking up with a view to kill and scenery to paint?’
‘When you put it like that,’ answered Bea, still thinking she would never be brave enough to take the plunge into a constant unknown.
‘And what do you do for a job?’ asked Nolan, stretching out his legs in front of him and leaning back in the chair.
Bea laughed. ‘I work night shifts in a supermarket.’ She watched as Nolan swallowed hard, then brought his hand up to his mouth.
‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—’
‘You didn’t.’
‘And how do you find it?’
Bea exhaled. ‘Mundane, rarely challenging, the same old, same old, but I know when I get paid and how much goes into my bank account.’
‘But does it make you happy?’
Bea considered the question carefully. ‘Do you know, this is going to sound a little sad when I say it, but I’m not exactly sure what happiness is.’
Nolan sat up in his chair and rested his arms on his knees. ‘It doesn’t sound sad at all. It might be you’ve lost your way.’
‘I was thinking about this earlier. I can’t remember the last time I had a proper belly laugh or thought, “That was a damn good day,” and I can’t remember the last time I had anything to look forward to.’
‘We can’t have that. Laughter is a must. Life is so much better when you have a smile on your face and there’s nothing better than that ache in your stomach when you’ve laughed hard. What are you doing tomorrow?’
Bea raised her eyebrows and smiled. ‘What are you suggesting?’ she asked in anticipation.
‘That Bea…’ He waved his hand around in a circle of enquiry.
‘Fernsby,’ she said, filling in the blank.
‘That Bea Fernsby, who is free to do what she wants, spends the afternoon with me and there’s one thing on the agenda.’
‘And that is?’
‘Laughter!’ Nolan reached out to hold her hand. The second his fingers brushed against hers, there was that quiver through her whole body again.
‘Deal,’ she replied, with a wide grin on her face before sitting back in her chair.
