‘You don’t need to thank me,’ said Nick. ‘I need to thank you.’
Kitty looked down at her lap. ‘Nick, I can’t ask you to wait for me. I need to figure out what to do next alone. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, no, sort of…’ said Nick. ‘I respect your wishes. Just…’ He leaned forward and kissed her again, his heart breaking as he wondered if it would be for the last time.
Kitty pulled back, gave Nick a longing glance, then stood and walked away.
Nick leaned back against the sofa, his heart plummeting as he heard the gentle clunk of the front door closing. The sky glittered above him, the air filled with the sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore and the beginnings of the dawn chorus. What should have been a perfect beginning to a new day had been destroyed by the spectre of Kitty’s ex.
This James person had better not turn up in Saffron Bay. Nick wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from doing something stupid if their paths crossed.
Chapter 50
The school fair was in full swing, and Kitty was carrying another tray of cakes across the sun-filled field towards her table when she stopped in her tracks. Nick caught her eye and grinned. He was in the stocks, with a long line of children queuing up to throw sopping wet sponges at his face. He freed himself for a moment, stood, and waved to Kitty.
Her breath caught at the way his sodden cotton shirt clung to the outline of his body. Despite truly believing she’d done the right thing by putting a stop to their passion a few days earlier, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since. Seeing him like this was doing nothing to help her focus on the task at hand.
‘Hurry up, Kitty!’ yelled Sam, pointing to the huddle of children growing ever more impatient as they waited for the cakes to arrive.
Kitty tore her eyes away from Nick and pressed on towards her stand.
‘Sorry,’ she said, dumping the tray on the table and swapping fairy cakes and chocolate muffins for children’s coins.
‘I don’t blame you for getting distracted.’ Sam nudged Kitty. ‘I’d bet my life every woman with her heart beating in Saffron Bay has her mouth open and tongue hanging out.’
‘Stop it, Sam,’ whispered Kitty, turning her attention to the children. ‘I can’t believe we’re getting through so many cakes,’ she said, popping a muffin into a paper bag and handing it over.
‘Margot’s baking is legendary,’ said Sam, ‘and these cakes are a bargain. We could have charged four times as much and still sold out.’
‘Maybe, although that’s hardly in the spirit of things, is it?’ said Kitty, bending down to retrieve more change from the bag by her feet.
‘Sorry, sir,’ said Sam above Kitty’s stooped form. ‘What can I get for you?’
‘Truth be told, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. What I’d like is a word with your friend.’
Kitty’s insides turned to ice. She stood slowly, every muscle tightening, every bone clicking. Her stomach lurched, and she swallowed down nausea.
‘Kitty, are you all right?’ asked Sam. ‘You’ve gone white.’
Kitty ignored Sam and stared at James. ‘What are you doing here?’ Her voice came out small, caught in her throat by a mixture of fear and shock.
‘I came to see what all the fuss was about,’ said James. ‘What’s so special about this place that you left London to be here?’ He gazed over Kitty’s head towards the beach. ‘I suppose it has some perks,’ he said, pointing to the view. ‘Hardly the Costa del Sol, is it?’
Kitty swallowed.
Sam glanced from Kitty to James. ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ she said briskly. ‘We’re very busy, and if you’re not wanting to buy a cake, could I ask you to please wait elsewhere?’
James scoffed and raised an eyebrow. He kept his focus on Kitty. ‘We need to talk.’
‘Not now,’ snapped Kitty. Her voice had strengthened, buoyed by Sam’s interference.
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ said James, in that laconic manner he had.
Panic bubbled in Kitty’s chest. She struggled to pull in a breath. ‘Wait for me at The Ship Inn,’ she said. ‘I’ll meet you there in an hour, when we’re finished here.’
‘It would be preferable if we spoke in private,’ said James.
Kitty shook her head. No way was she letting him into her home. ‘It’s The Ship or nothing,’ she said, praying she sounded more confident than she felt.
