The other woman surreptitiously wiped away her tears and her face brightened. ‘And having you here will be a big help. Another pair of capable hands is just what we need.’
Rebecca shook her head and swallowed. ‘Not me. I don’t want the job.’
Every cell in her body was urging her to look at the damn job description but she knew that would be a disaster. If she didn’t look, she wouldn’t regret turning it down. She couldn’t stay here.
‘Don’t beridícula!’ snapped Inês. ‘It is a good job. You wouldn’t have to service the rooms anymore. And the pay would be much better. It’s perfect for you. You’re organised, methodical and good with the guests. I can’t see why you wouldn’t want it.’
‘Probably not, but that’s my decision,’ said Rebecca more than a little tartly because she so did not want to be having this conversation. She was too busy tamping down the urge to run away and burst into tears.
‘You never struck me as the sort of girl who would let a man stop her doing something she wants to.’ Trust Inês to speak as she found it, when Rebecca’s nerves were already frayed beyond bearing. Was this her way of getting back at Rebecca for letting her know how much Felipe had been doing to carry the family?
‘I’m not,’ she said indignantly.
‘Well, you’re either not taking the job because of Will, because you think you should be going home with him– which isestúpidabecause I know you want this job– or you’re not taking it because of Felipe, because you don’t want to be around him. I’m assuming if that’s the case, it’s because you’ve been stupid enough to fall in love with him.’
Rebecca stared at her, horrified by her astute assessment of things.
‘I’m not blind, you know. I’ve seen you hiding behind that computer the last few days, like you can bury your emotions in work. Forget about the men. Think aboutyouwant. Please think about it. Properly. The job is yours if you want it.’
Nonplussed, Rebecca met her candid gaze.
‘Why are you being nice to me?’
‘Because I’m a mother. I have daughters. I always want them to be the best they can. You are the sort of woman I want them to grow up to be. Independent and able to stand their ground.’ She paused. ‘At least, that’s who I thought you were.’
Rebecca buried her bare feet in the soft sand. She rested her chin on her knees and listened to the ocean. She had to squint into the sunshine that sparkled on the sea like a spray of diamonds scattered across the surface as the waves raced into shore. Apart from a few people walking in the shallows, she had the place virtually to herself. She was glad that Will hadn’t responded to her text telling him she was going down to the beach.
Her forlorn sigh annoyed her, as did the way she was toying with her water bottle, screwing and unscrewing the lid. She had choices. Nothing was set in stone. She tilted her head backwards and breathed in the salted air, focusing on the fragrance of the sea and the scent of the pines on the clifftop behind her. Feeling sorry for herself was a wasted emotion. She gazed around at the earthy umber and ochre shades of the cliffs tumbling down to the sea. She loved this place. It would be hard to leave.
‘Hey, I thought I’d find you here.’ She shaded her eyes to find Will standing over her. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Thinking,’ she said, taking a sip of water.
‘I guess there’s lots to think about,’ he said, plopping down next to her in a flurry of sand, his legs sprawling untidily in front of him. ‘Perhaps we should make a list. I was thinking you probably ought to give notice on your flat now, as what have you got? A month’s notice? And won’t you need to inform loads of people like banks and things?’
All the reservations that had been whispering at the back of her mind leaked out.
‘And I guess we’re going to have to tell your parents. That’s going to be fun.’ Will winced. ‘Your brothers gave me a hard time in the pub after you left.’
‘Did they?’ Rebecca stalled halfway through taking another drink of her water and almost choked.
Will thumped her on the back.
‘Didn’t really want to rake it all up again,’ he said with a blithe shrug, which hurt a little when she thought again of how the whole village had been witness to her humiliation. ‘Anyway. I was thinking. What are they going to do, if you just leave?’
‘What?’
‘The hotel. Your boss. It’s not like they can do anything. We could book flights for next week and go. There’s nothing keeping you here, is there?’
‘I can’t just leave. I made a commitment. I’m supposed to stay until the end of September.’
‘Come on, they can easily replace you. And they don’t have to have a Pilates teacher. People will understand that you need to go home. September’s only two months away.’
‘But what if I want to stay until then?’ She took a deep breath. ‘The thing is, Will, I’m not sure I want to go back at all.’
The words dropped like stones down a well, irretrievable, and judging from Will’s appalled face, the damage was irreversible.
‘What do you mean? You can’t stay here. This is just an extended holiday. You can’t live here.’
