‘Of course not. You go ahead.’
‘Yes, you need to make things right as soon as you can,’ Charlotte added her approval.
‘Thanks, you two.’
Sofia frowned.
‘You’ll miss the wedding, though.’
‘Oh yes, the wedding. Please give my love to Grace. I’m sure if you explain the circumstances, she’ll understand.’
Given their little chat at the eighties’ night about family, Maddie was convinced of it.
‘Don’t give it another thought. Char and I will boogie under the stars and drink ourselves stupid on your behalf. Plus, I’ll even organise a car to take you to the airport.’
‘Thank you.’
‘But there is one condition…’
‘I know I’m not going to like this.’
‘Tonight, we go for an earlygyros in town and then the three of us have a last swim together on a very special beach at sundown.’
‘I might be missing something here, but it doesn’t sound too bad.’
‘Char?’
‘Yes, I’m in.’
‘Meet back here at five with your swimming stuff.’
Stomachs pleasantly full of gyros, they’d enjoyed the walk along the headland in the opposite direction to the cat sanctuary and had dropped down to a large sandy beach. The first fingers of the orange sunset had appeared in the sky, but there was still plenty of light left.
Maddie went to put her bag down on the sand, but Sofia stopped her.
‘It’s not this beach. It’s the one over that little hill where the white church is.’
‘Can’t we stay here? It’s lovely.’
‘No, you’ve got to see the next beach. It’s so pretty.’
Maddie and Charlotte followed Sofia up the steep path, past theMamma Mia!-worthy church and down the steps on the other side.
‘Oh good, we’re the only ones here.’
Sofia jumped down the last few steps and onto the sand.
‘Why’s that good?’
A suspicion started to form in Maddie’s mind.
Sofia handed them both a cold beer from her cool bag.
‘Down in one first!’
‘Sof, why is it good that no one’s here?’
‘Because this is the point at which I reveal you don’t need your swimming stuff at all. It’s a nudist beach!’
