“That’s good. Does that mean he’ll eventually come back to work?”
“I don’t think so. He was aiming for that but today he almost admitted that he’s enjoying living life at a slower pace.”
“So what does that mean for you?”
“I guess it means I’ll be hanging around here for the foreseeable future,” he said. “How about you? Now that you’re no longer undercover, does this mean you’re going back? You won’t be staying for the whole summer?”
There was a strange feeling inside her. That was another thing she hadn’t allowed herself to consider, but sooner or later she was going to have to.
“I assume so. My mother sent me here for a specific purpose and that’s no longer needed, so yes—I’ll be going back.”
There was a long pause.
“And how do you feel about that?” It was a good question.
She felt as if she was balanced between two versions of her life. Until a few weeks ago she hadn’t even known there was another version. She hadn’t had the wit to imagine it, and yet here she was not only imagining it but living it.
She could go back, shewouldgo back, but that didn’t mean things would be the same. Things would never be the same. It was as if someone had cut her strings, the strings that had tethered her to the life she was living and now she was floating free.
“I don’t want to leave, that’s the truth. But I have a whole life there, and this was only ever supposed to be for the summer season.”
“Summer is great here, but winter is even better. More locals. We’re a tight-knit community. Wild cliff walks, hot chocolate in front of a roaring log fire.”
“Stop! We’re in the middle of a heatwave and I can’t think about log fires and hot chocolate.” But she felt a yearning inside her that she didn’t fully understand. “But you’ll be staying? I thought you couldn’t wait to get away?”
“I thought the same thing, but now I don’t.” He stared across the beach. In the far distance a dog hurtled after a ball, came to a skidding halt and then raced back to its owner. “I suppose sometimes what we want changes. Life changes, and we change with it. It’s logical if you think about it. We don’t stay the same, so how can what we want stay the same?”
“Good point.” She definitely felt different. She wasn’t sure how that was possible after just a few weeks, but it was true. Her whole future had been mapped out, but now that future seemed blurry. She couldn’t distinguish between what was expected and what she wanted.
He rubbed sand from his leg. “Just in case you feel it’s time for a change, there’s a vacancy here for a part-time piano player if you’re interested.”
Her heart bumped against her chest. She turned to look at him.
“Is the pay good, or are you going to pay in wine?”
“I couldn’t afford to pay you in wine. The pub would go out of business in a week.”
She laughed. “That was a one-off. You’d have yourself a bargain if you paid me in wine. I’m a one-glass-only person, remember?”
“I only remember the three-glass person, probably because she was a lot of fun. But seriously—if you wanted to stay, you could.”
It was a tempting thought, but it wasn’t real. She knew it wasn’t possible. It was all too complicated. She was her mother’s successor. They had their weekly meetings. She was the one who knew everything about the company, including her mother’s plans for the future. She was part of that.
“The hotel is Evie’s domain. And she’s good at it. Better than I would ever be. Let’s not think about it now.” For now, she wanted to stay in the present. Enjoy this moment with the sky turning orange and this man by her side. “Where will you live if you stay?”
“I’m pretty settled in the apartment above the pub. I might choose to move out one day, but for now it works. It’s convenient, cosy and my commute to work is a few flights of stairs.”
“I’ve never seen your apartment.”
“It’s nothing fancy. Probably nothing like your place in Boston.”
“You’re doing it again. Making judgements.” She thought about her apartment in Boston with its acres of glass and views over the water. Her mother had suggested she live in Back Bay, but she’d chosen a modern apartment near the waterfront. “Does your apartment have a bed?”
“A bed?” He frowned. “Of course it has a bed. Why?”
“Just checking.”
“Well, now you’re making me doubt myself.” He stood up and dragged her to her feet.
