‘Houses are sellable, and life is what you make it,’ interrupted Pete, as though he could read her thoughts.
He retracted his arm from the burrow and noted down the number of puffins on the sheet of paper.
‘How is it they don’t bite or scratch you?’ she asked, jealous.
‘They know me. I’m not called Puffin Pete for nothing, you know. Your turn.’
Verity lay down on her stomach and reached inside the next burrow. ‘I was thinking about it but now I’m not so sure. I suppose it’s the fear of the unknown.’
‘If you get the job, just see how it goes. You’ve got your property rented out and you could use that income to rent somewhere around here.’
‘It makes perfect sense but what if the novelty of the island wears off once I’m no longer in holiday mode? What happens then?’
Pete pointed towards the sea. ‘That’s not a novelty. Waking up and seeing that sea every day is the thing that’s kept me going all these years. Tell me the pros and cons.’
Verity pulled her arm out of the burrow. ‘I think they’re beginning to like me. No bites that time.’ She smiled.
‘Definitely a pro,’ said Pete, drawing a line down the centre of another piece of paper. ‘All the pros?’ He wound his hand around in a circular motion to encourage her to start talking.
‘Pros: I’ve made friends in Clemmie and Amelia. And I just love all of this.’ She swept her arm towards the sea and the bay. ‘It’s miles away from my past and no one knows anything about me unless I tell them.’
‘Fresh start,’ Pete said as he noted it down.
‘I don’t already have a job so I could start work straightaway.’
‘Noted.’
‘I don’t have any friends in Staffordshire anymore and it would be a relief to move away from my ex. And there’s something about this place. I love that you have a proper community where everyone knows everyone and there’s always someone you can talk to. I guess the bottom line is that I like it here.’
‘And the cons?’
‘I have a house in Staffordshire.’
‘And…’
‘I can’t think of anything else.’
‘Then it’s a no-brainer. Apply for the job. See what happens.’
Verity sighed. ‘Actually, there is another con, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.’
‘Why, has something happened?’ asked Pete.
‘Sam happened. I think I’ve been stupid.’
‘Because of last night?’
Verity nodded. ‘I feel an idiot. My gut feeling is unsettled. I think I made the wrong judgement.’
‘Did you have all the facts to make the judgement?’
‘Yes, but I went ahead anyway, even knowing it was never going to go any further. And now I have to face him.’
‘It’s difficult when feelings are involved.’
‘But that’s the thing, I don’t understand how I can even have feelings so soon. They’ve crept up on me and now they’re all I can think about.’
Last night she’d felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time – sexy, desired – and there was no way Sam hadn’t felt the same connection between them.
