Winter at Wishington Bay

by Maxine Morrey

  ‘Where’s Bryan?’ I asked, frowning.

  ‘I don’t really like dogs,’ Corinne answered before Nate got a chance.

  ‘So?’ I replied.

  She let out an impatient sigh, clearly annoyed at having to spell out to me what she felt should be obvious. ‘So, I don’t want dog hair all over me. I don’t get why people go so mad over them to be honest. They’re such a tie and just ruin your clothes.’

  I felt my blood rising and Nate stepped in front of me, the little elephant in his hand.

  ‘So you just left him on his own for the evening? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come and got him if it was too much trouble to take him on your date!’

  Nate’s features hardened but I didn’t care. Poor Bryan! Having to miss out on a walk and all the fun sniffs and sounds this evening would have offered, not to mention all the socialising, just because Corinne demanded it.

  ‘Flora, I’m going to go and get Bryan. I’ll be back in—’

  ‘He’s not at home.’

  ‘What?’

  Nate fixed me with a look that was as chilly as the temperature outside. ‘I didn’t leave him at home. I wouldn’t do that.’

  ‘So where is he?’

  ‘With Ned and Carrie.’ He tipped his wrist up, glancing at the face of another extremely pricey watch. Corinne caught the movement and I saw her eyes widen slightly as she took in the brand. Nate was toast.

  ‘See?’ Corinne said, coming back to stand by him. ‘No need for all the drama. Honestly, Sophia, it’s just a dog.’

  It? It?

  I opened my mouth to reply but Nate beat me to it, turning to face Corinne. ‘Bryan is a he, not an it, Corinne.’

  She gave him a pouty smile.

  ‘All right. There’s no need to be so tetchy,’ she said, leaning into him. He leant back and she mis-stepped, a look of surprise on her face.

  ‘I’m not tetchy, Corinne. I just don’t appreciate you speaking about him that way.’

  Corinne looked away and rolled her eyes. ‘Honestly, Nate. I think you’re taking it all a bit seriously.’

  Nate looked at the back of her head for a moment, before giving a small shake of his own. He switched his gaze to me. I met it coolly.

  ‘Carrie was missing him and called me earlier to ask if they could have him this evening. Their little one is full of a cold so Ned was going to give Bry a quick walk so he can say hello to everyone and then have a cosy evening in. I’m going to collect him after the lights thing.’

  ‘I thought we were going to dinner?’ Corinne protested in a tone that had a distinct edge of whine to it.

  A flicker crossed Nate’s face.

  ‘Do you think Holly would like this?’ he asked, placing the little elephant down on the desk in front of me. ‘You know her better than me.’

  I hesitated for a moment, catching the annoyance on Corinne’s face as Nate ignored her question.

  ‘I… um… yes. I think she would. I know she’s bought incense sticks from here before, hasn’t she, Flora?’

  My friend picked up the thread. ‘She has,’ she said, coming to stand next to me as we both became aware of the daggers I was now receiving from Corinne. ‘I think she’d love it, Nate. That’s very thoughtful of you.’ She smiled, giving the hand he’d rested on the counter, taut with tension, a tender pat.

  Nate looked up, smiling for the first time since he’d entered the shop.

  ‘I’ll take it then, please.’

  ‘Nate, can we go now? I want to get a good spot to see Zane Hudson turn the lights on.’

  He frowned and a small sigh escaped. ‘Who’s Zane Hudson?’

  ‘Oh my God, really?’

  He looked round at her exasperated tone and shrugged.

  ‘He’s a massive soap star and had a best-selling album earlier this year and did a world tour, including Australia. You must have heard of him.’

  ‘Nope,’ Nate said quietly, handing over a note to pay for the gift.

  ‘We’re really going to have to bring you up to speed, sweetie,’ she purred, back at his side now.

  ‘Actually, I’m quite happy with my current speed,’ he replied, concentrating on receiving the change I handed him. Corinne’s perfectly painted mouth dropped open a little.

  Beside me, Flora suddenly found something interesting to faff with just below the desk. I slid my eyes to her and tried not to catch her giggles.

  ‘Are we done here? We’re never going to be able to get a good place otherwise. I’m dying to see him!’

  ‘Well then, perhaps you should go. I’m not quite ready.’ Nate’s voice was even and he kept his eyes lowered, focusing instead on my hands as they wrapped the little elephant in a pretty package ready to give to Holly.

  ‘So, we’re not going to dinner? You said you’d take me to dinner!’ The whining tone was now in full flow.

  Nate lifted his head and turned. ‘No, Corinne. I didn’t. You said did I want to come along this evening so you could show me round a little more, and that you were meeting friends. Somehow that seems to have become a dinner date for just the two of us, which I told you at the time, as tactfully as I could, wasn’t something I was interested in.’

  Corinne by now had an expression as black as the sky outside.

  ‘Well, how would you even know if you don’t try?’ she snapped. ‘You’re never going to meet anyone if you just hole yourself up every day with that dog. Especially not someone like me!’

  A muscle flickered in Nate’s jaw.

  ‘As I said before, I’m not interested in meeting anyone.’

  Corinne made a show of adjusting her scarf. ‘I see. Well, I’ll leave you to it then.’ Her eyes switched for a moment between Nate and me. By this point, George had wandered off to the pub and Flora was busy still finding things to sort under the desk, her eyes widening with intrigue at the exchange going on above her. I returned Corinne’s look, keeping my expression disinterested before moving away from the desk to tidy one of the nearby shelves. ‘You don’t know what you’re missing.’

  I sneaked a glance at Nate as he gave a small, conciliatory nod. ‘I’m sure that’s the case, Corinne.’

  She seemed to perk up at the thought that Nate realised he might be a fool, passing up the opportunity of dating her. Tilting her chin up, she turned on her four-inch spiked heel and strutted out of the shop. Nate let out a long, audible sigh as Flora bustled over to him.

  ‘You all right, love?’

  ‘Yeah, sure. I feel like kind of a sh—’ He stopped himself and Flora grinned.

  ‘No need to mind your language on my account. I’ve heard it all before, and probably used a good deal of it too. These angelic looks hide a multitude of sins.’ She gave him a devilish wink, bringing a smile at last to his tense features. ‘And you shouldn’t. If she tried to make it all into something it wasn’t, then that’s her look out.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘No maybe about it, is there, Soph?’ Flora looked over to me.

  ‘No,’ I said, struggling to put a lot of effort into my reply.

  Nate shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘Somehow I don’t think Sophia believes that.’

  I remained silent. Flora flapped her hand.

  ‘Of course she does. We all know what a flirt Corinne is and having you on her arm to parade round the village would be right up her street. You’re not the first she’s set her sights on and won’t be the last.’

  ‘I did try to make it clear to her I wasn’t looking for anything… romantic.’ He gave a shrug with one broad shoulder as if he wasn’t sure that was the right description. I wasn’t sure that was the right description for what Corinne was usually after either, but I remained silent. ‘I thought she understood that.’

  Flora patted his arm. ‘You can’t blame a girl for trying. Gorgeous chap like you swanning in and causing ripples in the village.’

  ‘Hardly,’ he smiled, giving a small head shake.

  I echoed the gesture to myself, but for a d
ifferent reason.

  ‘What was that for?’ The question was quiet and calm but I could feel the undercurrent of tension, and I was pretty sure Nate could too.

  I turned to face him. ‘What?’

  ‘That headshake. Clearly you have something to say so perhaps it would be best if you just said it.’ He held his body tense, its language defensive.

  I gave a shrug, denying all knowledge of what he was talking about. He shifted his weight and held my gaze, not buying it in the slightest, his eyes remaining fixed on me.

  ‘OK, if you really want to know, I can see how Corinne got the wrong idea.’

  ‘Oh, you can?’ Again, the voice was calm, but I could see the fire building in his eyes.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And just how do you figure that?’

  I gave a small head tilt, accompanying it with another shrug. ‘Just in the restaurant the last few times. You haven’t exactly seemed averse to her attentions.’

  ‘Yes, she’s always been very friendly in there. I don’t really know what else I’m supposed to do as no one else seems to want to wait on me. Would you have me ignore her all the time when she’s serving me?’

  ‘Not at all, but you can’t flirt and laugh and then be surprised when she expects more.’

  ‘I was not flirting!’

  ‘Really,’ I said, flatly, disbelief lacing my tone.

  ‘Yes, really,’ he fired back. ‘She suggested something at the beginning of the meal that time and I told her, as gently as I could, I really wasn’t interested. She laughed it off and said I’d got the wrong end of the stick and that she’d just been inviting me out to this thing tonight as one of a group. I have to say I was relieved. After that she was just really casual and friendly so I let it go and thought maybe getting out like that would be a good thing. Especially as you’d been such an advocate of it.’

  He had me there. Bugger. Hoist with my own petard!

  ‘Anyway, as it turned out, that was obviously not what she had in mind at all but I didn’t know how to extricate myself without upsetting her.’

  ‘Maybe you should have just gone along with it,’ I shrugged. ‘You might have enjoyed it after all.’

  ‘I wouldn’t. And I wasn’t. Been there, done that.’

  ‘Done what?’ Flora asked, intrigued.

  We both turned, having momentarily forgotten Flora was there.

  ‘Oh…’ Nate adjusted the beanie on his head. ‘Just…’ he looked round, but the shop was empty of customers.

  ‘Sorry, I’m a bit nosy at times,’ Flora smiled, giving his arm a squeeze. ‘George is always telling me off about it.’ She grinned sheepishly.

  ‘No, it’s fine.’ Nate smiled down at her. ‘Actually you remind me of my mum a bit. She’d like you.’

  Seeing a chink, Flora pursued her question. ‘So, what did you mean? Been there done that?’

  He smiled a little wider and looked over at me. ‘She’s persistent, isn’t she?’

  I couldn’t help but return it. ‘That she is.’

  ‘I just meant the whole spoilt princess thing. That probably sounds bad and I’m sure Corinne is a lovely girl.’

  Flora gave a small cough.

  ‘But I don’t think I could go through all that again. Initially I enjoyed trying to make my wife happy but in the end, when nothing was good enough, it just got exhausting.’

  Flora studied him for a moment, then reached up and gave him a big hug which he returned. Pulling back, she rested a hand on his cheek.

  ‘There’s someone out there who’s right for you, love. Someone who knows love is a two-way street.’

  Nate pulled a face. ‘Maybe, maybe not. Right now I’m just enjoying taking things as they come, and spending some quality time with Bryan.’ He rubbed a hand across his forehead. ‘I should never have said yes to coming out with Corinne.’

  ‘Oh, you weren’t to know what she was up to. And in the meantime,’ Flora glanced up at the clock on the wall, ‘It’s nearly time for the big switch on. Let’s lock up, go unearth George from the pub and then find a good spot to watch from. What do you say?’

  He nodded. ‘Sounds good to me.’

  Flora waved me over. ‘Come on, Soph.’ I picked up my coat from the hook and shoved my arms in as Flora dashed to the back room to get her own.

  ‘Are you still annoyed with me?’

  I looked up at his question. ‘I’m not annoyed.’

  ‘See, your mouth is saying that, but your face is saying something else entirely.’ There was a hint of smile at the corner of his lips which, irritatingly, made it quite hard to be annoyed with him. He had explained and really it was none of my business anyway. I should just be pleased he’d been able to laugh and relax, even if it was with Corinne, especially as, remembering the strain his face had shown when I’d first met him, it hadn’t seemed like he’d done much of either for a long time.

  ‘I’m not. Really,’ I said, feeling myself relax.

  He studied me for a moment before accepting. ‘Good. I don’t want to fall out with you, Sophia.’ His voice was soft and low, both of us aware of Flora bustling about in the next room.

  ‘No, me neither.’

  His smile widened a little and I felt myself respond in kind.

  ‘Just so you know, it’s not that no one else wants to wait on you at the restaurant – it’s more that none of us get the chance these days.’

  ‘Ah. I see. Well, somehow I can’t see her being in a rush to serve me again after tonight.’

  I shrugged. ‘Who knows with Corinne.’

  ‘So…’ he looked round again before his gaze dropped and met my eyes. ‘I maybe thought you might be here with someone tonight.’

  I frowned up at him.

  ‘The guy from the photo. I saw you with him the other day and thought that, maybe…’

  ‘No,’ I replied simply, as Nate’s question tailed off into silence.

  ‘Busy?’

  I shook my head. ‘No. My choice.’

  ‘Oh.’

  I felt the corners of my mouth turning up. ‘Whatever it is, just say it, or ask it as you look about as comfortable as someone with a hedgehog rambling about in his trouser leg.’

  ‘Ouch.’

  ‘Quite. So what is it?’

  ‘Your gardener,’ he held up a hand. ‘Sorry. The gardener. I just… I guess I thought you and he were… an item. Maybe.’

  ‘We just went for coffee, Nate. People here do love a gossip. You shouldn’t listen to it.’

  ‘I haven’t listened to anything. I’m just going by the way he was looking at you at the restaurant.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t think he—’

  ‘He definitely was.’ Nate’s voice was soft but didn’t invite argument.

  I looked up.

  ‘Billy’s lovely but… he’s not for me.’

  Nate let out a breath and for a moment it looked as though he was about to say something but just then Flora came back through, now bundled up. Efficiently, she hurried us out of the shop, and towards the pub to find George. As we walked, Flora tucked her arm round Nate’s. He tilted his other elbow, the hand stuffed in the pocket, so that I could do the same. I hesitated a moment before catching Flora’s eye. She gave the tiniest head shake and then nodded at Nate’s arm. I tucked my arm through and we went off in search of George and the big switch on.

  21

  ‘So, this Victorian fayre thing? Worth a visit?’ Nate said, looking up from the laptop screen and stretching.

  ‘Definitely. If you can spare the time,’ I said, nodding at the keyboard as I wrestled the vacuum back into place in the cupboard under the stairs.

  ‘All work and no play makes Nate a dull boy,’ he said, as he came to stand beside me and leant in to the cupboard, rearranging the space a little in order to make it easier for me to replace the appliance. ‘At least so I was told.’

  I looked up. ‘That’s not exactly what I said.’ I thought back to when I’d first met him. I remembered suggestin
g that he get out and see some of the area but that was it. Wasn’t it?

  He shook his head, closing the door on the cupboard. ‘No, you didn’t. Not in so many words.’

  I felt the hint of a blush.

  ‘Oh, I didn’t mean… I was… it obviously came out a bit wrong. It was just that I didn’t think…’ I stopped as I looked up again to see a wide smile on Nate’s face. Frankly, that smile was enough to make anyone stumble in their tracks, but right now, still close to him, able to smell the soap of his early morning shower, and feel the warmth of his inconveniently sexy body next to mine, my sensible, ordered thoughts weren’t flowing quite as easily as they ordinarily did.

  ‘What are you grinning for?’ Not that I was complaining, which was probably evident by the smile on my own face.

  ‘Well, for one thing, I’ve found it’s actually a lot more fun than being a miserable sod all day.’

  ‘I’m not going to argue with that.’

  ‘So you agree I was?’

  ‘That’s not what I said, and you know it,’ I replied, poking him in the chest.

  ‘Not in so many words.’

  ‘Not in any words,’ I laughed, giving him another prod.

  He tilted his head down. ‘You have excessively bony fingers.’

  I pulled my hand back. ‘I do not have bony fingers.’ I held my hand up. ‘I have regal, elegant hands.’

  ‘Regal?’

  I shrugged. ‘Maybe.’ Actually, that was closer to the mark than he knew, but now wasn’t quite the time to divulge that information.

  ‘And I didn’t say they weren’t elegant. But they’re still bony.’

  ‘Perhaps you just need a bit more meat on you.’

  He raised an eyebrow. ‘Was that the thinking behind you stocking the fridge and cupboards with irresistible food? My brother thinks I needed feeding up or something?’ He looked down and poked his tummy.

  ‘Oh, pfftt, there’s nothing there.’

  ‘There would be if it hadn’t been for this little mutt.’ Nate inclined his head to where Bryan was lying with his feet in the air, the paws moving rapidly as he chased something or someone in his dreams.