‘For the time being.’ Kitty had no intention of being anything other than alone, but there was no harm in letting Nick think she had a man waiting in the wings.
‘Bit of a weird time to start at a school, isn’t it?’
Her last comment must have done the trick, given the level of disinterest in the question, as if he was only asking to be polite.
‘A job came up, and I went for it,’ said Kitty.
‘Right.’
An awkward silence stretched between them.
‘Sorry,’ said Alice, rushing up to the table and spilling some of her pint as she set it down. ‘There was a queue at the bar. Everything alright here?’
‘Fine,’ said Kitty and Nick in unison.
Alice winked at Kitty, then raised an eyebrow. ‘Have you been up to the school yet, Kitty?’
‘No, not yet. I’m hoping to get my classroom set up in the next couple of days.’
‘You’re teaching the little ones, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, the babies of the school. Teaching Early years is my passion.’
Nick shook his head in wonder. ‘I don’t know how you can stand to be around little kids all day.’
‘You’re not a fan of small children?’ asked Kitty, frowning at him over her glass of merlot.
‘Let me see.’ Nick put down his pint and counted his fingers. ‘They’re noisy, rude, dirty, annoying…’
‘Yeah, we get it,’ said Alice. ‘It’s lucky not everyone thinks like you though, Nick, or humanity would soon die out.’
‘Hey,’ said Luke, arriving at the table and pulling out his phone. ‘The sky is amazing tonight. Let’s get a photo of us all, shall we? A memory of your first week in Saffron Bay, Kitty.’
Fear flooded Kitty’s body. ‘I’d rather not,’ she snapped. She forced her face into a smile, gave a little shrug, and in the most normal voice she could muster added, ‘I’m not a fan of having my photo taken.’
‘Oh, OK, sorry,’ said Luke. ‘I didn’t realise.’
‘It’s fine,’ said Kitty, trying to slow her heart rate. There was nothing wrong with his suggestion, but a photo wasn’t merely a photo these days. Inevitably, it would end up on social media, which could land her in trouble so great she couldn’t bear to contemplate the consequences.
Alice gave Kitty a sideways glance then changed the subject, and the rest of the evening was pleasant enough. Despite a few more half-hearted attempts at chivalry and charm from Nick, Kitty made it through unscathed. She’d accepted his jacket when it grew cold, making sure to be clear she wasn’t about to accept anything else, especially not his attention. Kitty congratulated herself on handling the evening as best she could. She’dmanaged to smile a few times, and there had been moments when she’d felt like her old self.
But it was a relief to return to the silence of the cottage, and close the door on the world. At least once the term started, she’d have plenty of excuses to avoid another night out with the locals. Once was more than enough, especially where Nick was concerned.
Chapter 6
Nick groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, wishing uselessly that whoever was at the door would give up. The bell rang again, followed by sharp, insistent knocking. He grabbed his phone and checked the time. Eight a.m.? Who the hell was ringing his doorbell at eight in the morning? Surely Margot wasn’t back so soon. He clicked open the security app and blinked at the image on screen. A woman stood there, jabbing at the bell, her face half-hidden by a shock of tight curls. Something about her tugged at his memory.
With a sigh, he climbed out of bed, grabbed a robe from the ensuite and, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, went to open the door.
‘Nick Andrews?’ She fixed him with a stare so intense he couldn’t help but squirm.
Nick squinted and rubbed his eyes again. ‘Who’s asking?’
‘My name’s Carla, you might remember me from your partying days in Plymouth. We were part of the same crowd for a while,’ she said. Then, pointing to a little girl hiding behind her legs, she added, ‘This is Emily.’
Nick’s brain was too foggy to bother with pleasantries. ‘You look familiar-ish, I suppose.’
Carla shook her head. ‘Familiar-ish? You don’t remember me, do you?’ she said, already stepping past him. ‘Do you have somewhere Emily can sit? Maybe a TV?’
