A Perfect Cornish Escape

by Phillipa Ashley

  He hesitated. ‘Thanks for the invitation but I’m sure I’d be no use to you in this situation.’

  ‘Actually, with your background and experience, I think you’d be exactly what we’re looking for.’

  ‘Thanks, but I’m not sure what my plans are yet.’ He checked his watch, unnecessarily as there was a huge clock on the wall. ‘Sorry, I have to be off. I’ve a meeting with Aaron before dinner.’

  Marina knew she’d cast the net too soon.

  ‘OK. Well, you know where we are if you change your mind.’

  He smiled. ‘I’m afraid I’m not likely to … forgive my bluntness, but I’d rather be honest with you now. Thanks for your faith in me all the same. I’m flattered.’

  ‘I didn’t intend to flatter you,’ she said.

  She was answered with another smile that could be covering any emotion from irritation to pleasure.

  She’d no idea what he was thinking but one thing was certain: he was eager to be out of her way. It was a shame, after they’d talked for so long. She’d enjoyed his company, his physical presence and the strange sensation that he was a kindred spirit, though that was entirely based on her gut feeling.

  ‘You know, there’s a fundraising day in aid of the lookout station and the local lifeboats a week on Saturday,’ she said. ‘If you fancy coming along with Aaron, we’d love to see you? His parents are helping out and there’ll be an auction at the end. You could bid on a Christmas turkey, if you like.’

  He laughed. ‘A turkey? Wow. That’s … tempting. In that case, I’ll see what I can do.’ He checked his watch again. ‘Now, I must be going. Thanks again for the tour.’

  ‘See you around, I expect, now we’re neighbours,’ she said,

  ‘Aye, I expect you will,’ was the simple answer before he strode out of the door. He seemed to be a mercurial man and despite what he’d said, she had an inkling he wanted to join in community life, but something was holding him back.

  He left Marina wondering about him even more, to the point, in fact, that she was finding it hard to focus on the job: keeping people safe.

  With dusk starting to fall, and clouds making the evening gloomy, she locked up the station and threaded her way through the gorse to the cottage.

  Lachlan was on her mind all the while, which she found a pleasant distraction from the drizzle that had moved in from the Atlantic. OK, so he was simply the ‘new kid in town’ and like every attractive fresh arrival in Porthmellow, he was bound to hold an exotic mystique, if you could call the Scottish Highlands ‘exotic’. And yes, he was single, according to Evie, although that was one nugget of info she obviously hadn’t let on to him.

  She was single too, she supposed, as her mother and friends had reminded her lately – but that didn’t mean ‘unattached’.

  She was still attached to Nate’s memory, even now seven years after they’d been ripped apart. Despite what she’d heard on the grapevine, even if there was no ‘significant other’, Lachlan McKinnon might be attached to someone too. He hadn’t given any reasons for leaving his Highland life for Cornwall. He didn’t seem much older than her, so he couldn’t have retired … maybe the ‘accident’ had been the reason behind his move.

  She might be imagining it, but she thought they had a connection – or was that simply her reading too much into a visitor’s polite interest, after a solo shift in the remote station? After a lonely few years, isolated in her grief and recovery?

  Whatever had caused his scars, she had a feeling they weren’t much different from the ones she still carried inside from losing Nate. They had that much in common … and she wondered, could there be more? He had agreed to come to the fundraiser, or more accurately he hadn’t said he wouldn’t come. After his firm ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to joining the Wave Watchers, she’d have expected a refusal if there was no chance of him turning up at all.

  Even on their brief acquaintance, she had a feeling he wasn’t one for soft-soap or flannel even if it was to save someone’s feelings … and he certainly wasn’t a charmer or joker, as Nate had been.

  Musing on some happier memories of Nate – the good days when they’d laughed and had fun together – she let herself in and hung her damp coat on the peg in the cottage hallway. On finding Tiff pacing around the sitting room with her phone clutched in her hand, her focus switched immediately to her cousin.

  Tiff stabbed off her phone and tossed it on the armchair. ‘Sh-shi—!’ She bit off the expletive on seeing Marina.

  ‘What’s up? Are you OK?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?’ Tiff retrieved her phone from the side of the chair cushion.

  ‘No reason … you just seem a little bit stressed out?’

  ‘I’m fine.’ Tiff grinned. ‘Apart from haring around the county. I need a weekend off. Now, how was your shift at the lookout? I thought you’d be tired and I made a spag bol. Well, actually, it’s only the bol that’s done. I waited for you before I put the spag on.’

  ‘Aren’t you hungry?’ Marina asked, pleased she didn’t have to prepare a meal.

  ‘Not really. I went to a pasty factory at lunchtime and I’m afraid I rather over indulged at the tasting session.’ She rubbed her stomach. ‘I’ll be the size of a trawler by the time I go back to London.’

  ‘Thanks. I’m ravenous.’

  A little while later, she tucked into her dinner, while Tiff toyed with her spaghetti before pushing her plate away.

  Marina cleaned her plate and considered finishing Tiff’s leftovers but it seemed rude.

  ‘Busy day?’

  ‘Yes. I’m knackered. I’d never realised how exhausting it is, having to be nice to people.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t afford to upset the magazine’s customers but if I have to feign interest about another conservatory manufacturer or handmade soap company, I might go mad.’

  Marina laughed. ‘I’m sure no one can tell you’re anything less than fascinated about their products. Talking of the advertisers, I’m going to a meeting about the fundraiser tomorrow night. We’re finalising the list of auction lots so we can advertise them online and whip up interest. I don’t want to hassle you but how are you getting on with potential prizes? Any luck with your London contacts yet?’

  ‘Oh, fine. It’s all in hand.’ Tiff waved airily. ‘I’m waiting for a few people to get back to me, that’s all.’

  ‘Great. It’s wonderful that you managed to get the fishing trip and bikini wax, but if you could find something that would create more of a buzz, that would be amazing.’

  ‘Like I say, it’s all sorted.’ Tiff’s smile was confident.

  ‘I’m sure it is. In fact, Dirk told me you had the situation in hand.’

  Tiff’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Dirk? When? What exactly did he say?’

  ‘Not a lot …’ Judging by Tiff’s shocked expression, Marina wished she hadn’t mentioned her fleeting chat with Dirk outside the lifeboat station earlier that day.

  ‘Well, he obviously said something.’ Tiff’s voice turned silky, putting Marina on her guard. She’d seen her cousin in defensive mode, like a cobra about to strike. She was glad she’d never been on the receiving end of a Tiff Trescott exposé.

  ‘I can’t recall his exact words,’ Marina said carefully. ‘And I wasn’t recording them,’ she quipped, trying to lighten the atmosphere, but Tiff had folded her arms in expectation. ‘I mentioned the meeting and he said: “Oh good, I’m looking forward to hearing about the amazing auction lots. I hear Tiff is all over them.” Or something like that.’

  Tiff let out a snort. ‘I bet he is.’

  ‘Look,’ Marina said soothingly. ‘If you’re worried about letting us down, you won’t be. We’re already very grateful for the prizes you’ve got. If there’s anything else you can do, well, that’s a bonus. Don’t let Dirk wind you up—’

  ‘Ha! Wind me up? I don’t care what he thinks.’

  Marina felt bad about mentioning the prizes again but she did have to report back to the committee so th
ey could add the big lot to the web page and programme. There was plenty of time, of course, it would only take minutes to add the items to the social media, but the sooner the better in terms of getting the word out. She had wondered what Tiff was working on … a signed cricket bat from the World Cup winning team, perhaps? Tiff had said she’d interviewed one of their wives the previous year and they got on like a house on fire. Or a signed copy of JK Rowling’s new novel? Tiff had contacts in publishing … Or maybe a London theatre weekend? Tiff had been to premieres in the past.

  Hmm. Maybe those were all a step too far. It wasn’t fair of her to hope for so much. She resolved to manage the organisers’ expectations that evening, and have a discreet word with Dirk, if she could do it without Tiff getting to hear about it. Otherwise, her life wouldn’t be worth living. One thing was for sure, there was definitely an ‘atmosphere’ between her cousin and Dirk. Marina wondered if those two had bumped into each other more often than Tiff let on.

  Tiff made a pot of tea and joined Marina in the sitting room. She was amused to find that instead of her usual mug of builder’s, Tiff brought a tray with china cup and saucers, and a plate with a slice of lemon on it. She felt she’d gone to tea with the queen and that brought a smile to her face.

  Tiff poured the tea into the cups, which Marina and Nate had received as a wedding present from his great aunt. ‘Erm, I hope it’s OK for me to mention this, but how are you feeling about the anniversary of Nate’s disappearance coming up this summer?’

  ‘Mm, mixed feelings really. It still hurts, but I’ve prepared myself for this for a long time now and it does mean I can get a lot of legal ends tied up. Actually, my solicitor has been in touch and asked if I’m ready to set in motion the legal process to declare him legally dead.’ Marina could say the word out loud now. She’d made herself say it out loud if only to inoculate herself against the impact of the word.

  ‘I think that’s very brave. And very sensible.’

  ‘I admit that I couldn’t bear to face up to the finality of it until a couple of years ago but now I want it all over. Things weren’t perfect between Nate and me, I can recognise that.’

  ‘No …’ Tiff murmured before taking refuge in her tea. She didn’t contradict Marina so Marina assumed she was being tactful. ‘I’m here if you want to talk – or scream or cry.’

  Marina smiled. ‘I think I’ve done enough of that over the years. I want to have – that horrible word – “closure” and move on.’ Unexpectedly, Lachlan slipped into her thoughts again; his silhouette staring out over the sea … Why, when she’d known other local men for years, had she been so struck by one who’d only been in the village for a few weeks? ‘This tea is lovely, by the way,’ she said brightly.

  ‘You think so? It was a free sample from one of the companies I visited near Truro. They actually grow it here – can you believe it? They gave me a taster pack and I have to admit, it’s delicious. There are some perks to the job. Hmm, maybe I can wangle some more for the auction.’

  ‘Great,’ Marina replied. She and Tiff continued to chat about her ‘duties’ at the fundraiser, but, however much she tried to concentrate on the tombola and bric-a-brac stalls, she couldn’t help wondering if Lachlan would actually put in an appearance.

  Marina didn’t have to wonder when she might see Lachlan again for long. She finished work early on the Wednesday and had been to post some documents back to her solicitor when she saw him with Aaron and Evie Carman outside the newsagents on the harbourside.

  Evie beckoned her over and Marina needed no extra encouragement. It was a fine afternoon, with a gentle breeze blowing. Both the guys were in shorts and T-shirts, and Marina couldn’t help discreetly admiring Lachlan’s physique.

  ‘Afternoon, Evie,’ Marina said cheerfully, adding a friendly, ‘Hello,’ for the boys.

  Evie kissed her cheek. ‘Afternoon, sweetheart.’ She turned to Lachlan. ‘I expect you two know each other?’

  ‘We’ve met a couple of times.’ Lachlan shared a look with Marina as if he wanted their encounter in the cove and station kept between them. Evie was lovely and a stalwart of the village but perhaps a full-on introduction to the centre of village life wasn’t what he needed when he was new and obviously liked to keep himself to himself. Marina felt a bit sorry for him.

  Evie rolled her eyes. ‘I should hope so when you two live virtually next door. Be getting to know one another a lot more from now on too.’

  ‘Mum!’ Spotting Aaron cringing behind his mum’s back, Marina smiled broadly. Evie was known for her good-natured matchmaking.

  ‘I’m sure we will,’ she said.

  ‘Now that Lachlan’s joined Aaron in his security business, they’ll make a great pair. He needs the help because he’ll be busy now that there’s a little Aaron on the way.’ Tiny Evie puffed with pride. ‘Have you heard that Ellie’s expecting?’

  ‘No … no, wow … congratulations to you both!’ she said to Aaron. The news that Aaron’s partner, Ellie Latham, was pregnant came as a surprise.

  ‘It’s early days. She’s only twelve weeks,’ Aaron said. ‘So, we haven’t told many people, have we, Mum?’

  Evie patted her son’s arm. ‘She’ll be fine.’

  ‘I won’t share the news, if you don’t want me to,’ Marina said, delighted for Ellie and Aaron, who seemed madly in love. Yet there was a corner of her heart that was thinking ‘what if …’ She definitely wanted children of her own one day.

  ‘It’s OK. Everyone will know, sooner or later.’ Aaron shook his head and put his arm around his mum. ‘And it is wonderful news.’

  Marina could see him swell with pride himself, and he was a huge man to start with. Lachlan stood quietly by, a half smile on his face.

  ‘You’ll come to the fundraiser, Lachlan?’ Evie said brightly. ‘Everyone will be there.’

  Lachlan’s lips parted. Marina could tell he wasn’t sure and wondered if it might be a step too far to expect Lachlan to join a big community event so soon.

  Aaron stepped in to rescue him. ‘It might not be Lachlan’s kind of thing, Mum. Give him a break, he’s only been here a couple of weeks.’

  ‘Long enough,’ Evie said. ‘It’ll help you settle in. I’ll introduce you to everyone. They’ll all be at the fundraiser.’

  ‘Mum,’ Aaron pleaded.

  ‘It’s fine, Aaron,’ Lachlan said. ‘Thanks for the invitation, Mrs Carman. I’ll try to drop by if I possibly can,’ he said, sharing a glance with Marina.

  ‘Great. I knew you’d want to join in! And do call me Evie, for goodness’ sake, Mrs Carman makes me feel so bloomin’ ancient! I can’t believe I’m mum to this strapping fella.’ She hung onto Aaron’s arm and he smiled sheepishly before kissing her cheek. ‘He’s my big handsome boy and now I’m going to be a nanna again.’

  Aaron grimaced but it was clear he adored his mum.

  Marina laughed and caught the eye of Lachlan who had a smile tugging his own lips. It suited him, making his eyes crinkle as he exchanged a glance with her. He was obviously as amused – and perhaps touched – as Marina was by Evie’s love of Aaron and his embarrassment.

  ‘Come on, Mum. We’ll be late for Gem’s tea party,’ Aaron said, adding, ‘It’s my niece’s birthday.’

  ‘Say hello to Gemma from me,’ Marina said, knowing Aaron’s sister from her school days.

  ‘And you must come round for one of my shrimp creoles soon,’ Evie said, finally releasing Aaron.

  ‘I’d like that,’ said Lachlan, and Marina wasn’t sure whether he was only being polite or not.

  Evie turned to her. ‘That goes for you too, Marina. We haven’t had chance to catch up for ages. It’s about time we had a good old get together.’

  ‘Thanks, Evie,’ Marina replied, feeling a little awkward that she’d been included in the invitation. It was a vague offer, however, so it might not happen.

  Evie went off, on Aaron’s arm, leaving Marina and Lachlan alone together.

  ‘Evie is lovely. She a
nd Troy are both wonderful people who do so much for the town,’ she said.

  ‘So I hear.’ He smiled. ‘Evie loves her boy.’

  ‘Yes. His face was priceless when she called him handsome.’

  He laughed. ‘Aye. He knows I’ll not let him forget that when we’re back in the office together.’

  Marina smiled, heartened by his sense of humour. ‘I can imagine … so, will you come to the fundraiser?’ she ventured.

  He shrugged. ‘I hope so. I’ll see how busy I am.’

  A little deflated by his response, she pushed on anyway. She’d grown used to not taking no for an answer since she’d had to find funds for the Wave Watchers. ‘I’ll be looking after a stall and helping with the auction. Evie’s our auctioneer, you know, and believe me, you do not want to miss that,’ she said.

  He smiled again, so she pressed further. ‘You could drop by quietly on your own, you know? A small place like Porthmellow can be a bit much if you’re new and everyone knows each other and their business. I can see it might not be the most attractive proposition but the fundraiser might be a way of getting the introductions over with in one go.’

  ‘You mean like a baptism of fire?’ he asked.

  He did that thing again. Looking at her intently and listening as if it was a technique to make the other person say more than they wanted or needed to. She gambled on him being unable to resist her throwing down the gauntlet. ‘I mean, yes, it probably would be a baptism of fire, but if you’re up for the challenge, why not?’

  ‘OK, you’ve persuaded me.’ He smiled, with a piercing look that went straight to her core. ‘I never shy away from a challenge.’

  Chapter Seven

  ‘Roll up, roll up! Welcome to the Search and Rescue Fundraiser! Come on, folks, make sure you visit all the stalls, buy lots of tickets for the raffle and don’t forget to stay for the highlight of the day: our auction!’