Pippa shook her head. ‘No, it’s fine. You have excellent recall with Jess.’ She looked back over her shoulder and saw Ginger trotting triumphantly towards them with the driftwood between his jaws and his tail wagging. She quickly attached his lead to his collar and took the driftwood from him, stroking his head before tucking it under her arm. ‘Good boy. Here’s a new friend, Ginger.’
She watched closely as the dogs eyed each other, touching noses to sniff one another before their tails started wagging as they circled each other, sniffing more of each other.
Oliver’s face broke into a smile. ‘I knew it. They are destined for each other.’
Pippa’s eyebrows shot up as Oliver looked up from the dogs to her face. ‘Well, I’m not sure about that, but there is certainly a budding friendship building.’
‘Is there?’ The look in his eyes along with his question gave Pippa a strong reason to suspect he wasn’t just referring to their pets.
She licked her lips. His penetrating stare was making her mouth dry and her palms wet. She nodded enthusiastically as she pointed to the dogs, wanting Oliver’s intense glare to be anywhere but on her. ‘Just look at them. It’s adorable. I think we should walk awhile with them on their leads and then let them off. What do you say?’
‘Perfect. Shall we head for the cove?’
Pippa gasped. ‘I love the cove. It’s my favourite part of this beach.’
Oliver’s grin took up his entire face. ‘Me too. I really missed it when I was in America. I have such fond memories of it. Catching miniature crabs there as a child, then smooching with you in my teens.’
Pippa could feel the weight of his stare on her profile, as if he was waiting for her reply, but she purposely chose to keep quiet aboutthat. She’d thought of nothing else since she’d been on the beach that morning, but what good was talking about something that would never happen again?
They walked side by side in silence, watching their pets frolic with each other. It was Oliver who broke it. ‘So, how has life been treating you since we last saw each other?’
Pippa turned her head to look at Oliver with a frown. ‘Well, not that much has happened. I took a shower and went to bed.’
Oliver sunk his face into his hand and chuckled. ‘Sorry. No. I meant since we last saw each other before I went to live in America. We’ve barely had a chance to speak, let alone catch up on each other’s lives.’
His American drawl was on form this morning and it made Pippa’s heart flutter. ‘Oh right. Well, as you might have guessed by my profession, I studied marketing at university. Then when I graduated, I took a year out to travel around Europe with a friend from my student dorm. After that, I landed a position in a prominent firm where I stayed for six years, before deciding to go it alone. I started my own small business and became self-employed.’
Oliver glanced keenly her way as she spoke, nodding. ‘And, erm, boyfriends?’
Pippa scoffed. ‘Not much chance of that when one is trying to conquer a man’s world at work by having to apply more effort to get the same acknowledgment as my male counterparts.’
Oliver blew out from expanded cheeks. ‘I didn’t realise sexism was still so prominent in this day and age.’
‘How could you? You are a man.’
Oliver stopped walking and bowed. ‘Let me extend my apologies on behalf of all my fellow misogynistic male counterparts.’
Pippa giggled. ‘I accept the apology.’ Oliver straightened with a grin. ‘Besides, all that needing to constantly prove myself made me better at what I do. What about you?’
Oliver pointed down at their pets. ‘Shall we chance letting them off before I regale my life’s story?’
Pippa nodded. ‘Yes, sure.’
They unclipped their pet’s leads and watched in astonishment as they ran off side by side along the edge of the surf. When Pippa turned back from watching the dogs to look at Oliver, she was surprised to see he’d been studying her again and not their pets as she had been.
‘My parent’s divorce was a shock. It came from nowhere. As far as I knew, they were happily married. In fact, it was a shock to both sets of grandparents too, as it was the first divorce in both families’ histories.’ Pippa’s mouth dropped open. ‘It was tough. Especially when I was suddenly uprooted and made to live halfway around the world, away from my mother, grandparents and friends.’
Pippa’s hand flew to her open mouth. ‘I’m so sorry that happened to you.’
Oliver shook his head. ‘It was okay in the end. I soon found my feet. It’s either sink or swim in America. Only the fittest survive. I focused on my academic work and did my best in college, graduating with honours. Then, like you, I challenged myself to become the best in my working environment and chosen career. I set up my own company, and it’s been growing ever since.’
Pippa nibbled on her bottom lip, suddenly shy to ask what was on the tip of her tongue. ‘And relationships? Did you ever marry?’
She watched closely at how Oliver’s eyes looked to the side, as if remembering a particular woman. ‘There was someone...but it didn’t work out. We were too similar.’
Pippa’s stomach clenched and her chest tightened on hearing her childhood sweetheart had loved someone other than her.
The dogs barked in the distance, drawing both of their attentions. They were being petted by someone. Pippa glanced at Oliver. ‘We’d better save that poor soul from getting slobbered to death.’
