I wonder if April is his only reason for stopping surfing. I imagine Nicki’s death stole all of the fun out of his life, too. For a good long while, at least. It’s a sobering thought.
‘Are you set on Heligan today?’ Charlie asks casually as we make our way out of the café after breakfast. He has a big black rucksack slung over his shoulder and Adam is carrying April up ahead. He’s slightly taller than Charlie, slightly longer and lankier. ‘I have to take my brother home and collect the tent, but I could take you to Tintagel on our way back through. I wouldn’t mind visiting that beach.’
‘Driftwood?’ I ask as we spill out onto the busy pavement.
‘Yeah, and April could do with some fresh air. She was cooped up inside all day yesterday.’
I think about the offer as he takes April from Adam and moves out of the way of passing people. He lowers her into the backpack and clips her into a harness, then glances up at me, his hair falling into his eyes as he awaits my answer. ‘What do you think?’ he asks, straightening up and swinging the baby carrier – and April – onto his back. He slides his arms into the armholes, his biceps flexing as he adjusts the weight on his broad shoulders. ‘Would save you having to get your campervan out.’
‘What’s this?’ Adam asks, interrupting.
‘Just wondering if Bridget wants to do Tintagel today instead of Heligan. I could take her there on my way back from yours.’
‘Guilt trip,’ Adam says under his breath.
‘Seriously can’t believe I missed you,’ Charlie replies, deadpan.
I decide to go along with the plan because, well, why not? So we walk back to Charlie’s place together. While he heads indoors to change April’s nappy, Adam carries his bags out of the house and puts them into Charlie’s silver pickup.
‘You sit in the front. I’ll go in the back with my niece,’ Adam urges, opening the front passenger door for me. ‘I don’t get to see her enough.’
We sit and chat about India until Charlie emerges.
‘You’d better not keep her awake,’ Charlie warns his brother as he buckles April into her car seat.
‘I won’t,’ Adam replies chirpily, tickling April’s ribs and making her giggle.
Charlie sighs and climbs into the driver’s seat while I smile to myself, enjoying their banter.
‘Do you mind if we swing by the campsite so I can grab my camera?’ I ask. I always try to photograph anything that I might need to reference later.
‘Sure,’ Charlie replies.
‘So tell me about this boyfriend from Bude,’ Adam says cheekily, dangling over my seat when we’re well into our journey, zooming along the A39. April is fast asleep.
‘Can you put your seatbelt back on?’ Charlie asks impertinently.
‘All right, Dad,’ Adam mutters, buckling himself back up.
‘What do you want to know?’ I swivel to face him.
‘What’s his name, how old is he, when did you meet him?’
‘Jesus, am I onBlind Date?’
‘Dear old Cilla,’ he says affectionately.
‘His name is Beau, he was twenty-five when we went out and that was six years ago. I was twenty-eight,’ I add.
He grins widely. ‘You like younger men?’
‘She has a boyfriend,’ Charlie interjects wearily.
Adam leans forwards and gently cuffs his brother over the head. Charlie bats him away, smirking. Adam looks out the side window, tapping his fingers on the doorframe. I suspect he’s one of those people who have so much energy they can’t keep still.
‘I had a girlfriend once who dumped me for a guy called Beau,’ Adam says thoughtfully.
‘Who?’ Charlie asks him, looking at him in the rear-view mirror.
