His mother released a long sigh. ‘Okay, Nate. Thank you. To be honest, I’m not sure if he would listen to me alone. Believe me, I’ve tried, but it’s like he doesn’t want to tell me the full extent of things.’
‘Give me the tray and we’ll have a chat with him now.’
Paula nodded. ‘I love you, Nate.’
‘I love you too, Mum, and I’ll always be here for you.’ His mum’s eyes glistened and she pressed a hand to her lips. ‘But, Mum?’
‘Yes, Nate.’
‘Please don’t ever call me Nathaniel Theodore in public, will you? I’m not sure my reputation could stand it.’
He smiled to show he was joking and his mum smiled too, and it was the best thing he’d seen all day, because he knew that her smile held a glimmer of hope that her son would be able to help her out of the mess she had found herself in.
And for Nate, that was what family was all about.
Chapter 13
Nate opened the door to Riding the Wave and went in. The owner, Lucinda Norris, smiled at him then gestured at the phone she was holding between her chin and shoulder.
Nate nodded and had a browse around the shop while he waited. Riding the Wave was like an Aladdin’s cave, full of treasures that he could spend hours looking through. From surfboards, paddleboards and foam boards, to wetsuits, rash vests, board shorts and more, the shop had everything he could want for a day in the sea. He read the labels of the range of surf wax: Mrs Palmer’s Ultra Sticky Surf Wax, SexWax Dream Cream Surf Wax Gold and Matuna’s Organic Surf Wax. There was a whole industry dedicated to surfing, and more and more brands kept popping up all the time. The clothes in the shop were fantastic; there was so much choice. As he moved around, he came across some women’s kaftans, and a white and indigo one caught his eye. It was tie-dyed with loose, cropped sleeves and would fall to mid-thigh. He ran a finger over the soft and silky material. It would look amazing on Zoe and he could imagine her wearing it at the beach.
‘Nate?’ Lucinda to called him as she walked over and kissed his cheeks. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘Hi, Lucinda.’
Nate took in her wavy blonde bob, tanned skin and weathered face. Hours spent in the sun had etched deep lines around her eyes and mouth and she had a jagged scar on her jaw where she’d sliced her face open on a surfboard fin. Nate knew from previous conversations that she also had several scars on her back where she’d had a collision with a reef in Australia when she surfed professionally. Her green eyes twinkled as she smiled at him and he relaxed instantly; she was warm and friendly and their shared love of surfing meant that he felt a certain affinity with her. There was no pressure to conform to anything around Lucinda; he could be himself.
‘I wanted to update you on progress for Surf for Sighthounds. I’ve secured the dates with Luna Bay council, so we’re good to go there, and Conwenna’s on board too. Have you managed to rope anyone in?’
Lucinda’s smile widened. ‘I have, you’ll be pleased to know. I have three professional surfers keen to be involved and one of them is quite a celebrity, so he should draw the crowds. Let me show you.’ She led him around the counter and opened her laptop, then fired it up. ‘Here’s the list.’
Nate’s jaw dropped as he read it. ‘Wow! How’d you manage that?’
‘Oh, you know… I called in a few favours and, lucky for us, these guys happen to be in the UK that weekend in August.’
‘You’re fabulous, Lucinda, you know that?’
She shrugged then laughed. ‘Happy to help, sweetie. And it’s good for the dogs and for tourism, which we all need to survive, right?’
‘Indeed we do.’
‘How are things with you, anyway? Have you thought any more about that trip you mentioned?’
‘Well, I haven’t firmed up my plans yet as I’ve been busy working and organizing Surf for Sighthounds, but I am hoping to head off in August.’
‘Good for you. You only live once and life’s not a rehearsal.’
Nate nodded. ‘So true.’
‘Do you want a coffee? We can go through what I’ve got lined up as a prize from Riding the Wave.’
Nate checked his watch. ‘Sure. I have half an hour of my lunch break left, so as long as I get back to the cafe by three, it’ll be fine.’
Lucinda went through to the back to switch the kettle on, and Nate gazed at the screen of her laptop in awe. She’d really excelled this time by getting not just one but three of the surfing industry’s big names involved, and he knew for certain now that Surf for Sighthounds was going to be even better than before.
* * *
Zoe checked her reflection in the mirror on the diner wall for the hundredth time that hour. She couldn’t believe she was doing what she was, but she needed to see him again, and soon. Preferably alone.
That morning, she had sent Nate a text to ask him to come to the diner after closing. She’d told him she had a surprise for him, and his reply had been one that could have been interpreted as bordering on flirty, especially because of the winking emoji at the end, along with a kiss. Speaking to Grace on Sunday had helped Zoe to work through some of her thoughts and feelings, and she felt better for it. Whatever happened now, she knew she had to put her big girl pants on and face her past, in whatever form that was, and she also knew where she had to start. But first, she wanted to see Nate and to do something nice for him because he’d been nothing but nice to her. Zoe knew she’d been a bit up and down with him, probably confusing him with her softening towards him, followed by pulling away then softening again, but she was so confused herself that it had been hard to be direct with him. If only he wasn’t going away… but then if he’d been staying around, she might be in trouble.
She heard a knock at the front door so she went to open it. The diner was dark except for the lights behind the counter, as she’d closed two hours ago and it was now eight-thirty. The shadows outside were lengthening as dusk was beginning to fall outside.
Zoe smiled as she met Nate’s gaze.
‘Evening.’
‘Good evening to you. What’s all this about, then?’
She breathed in his scent, savouring his sandalwood aftershave that made her stomach flip. Wearing washed-out jeans and a black T-shirt that clung to his sculpted frame, he looked good enough to eat.
‘I have something to show you.’
‘Well, I have something to show you too. Come out here for a moment.’
Nate took her hand and led her outside the diner and down to the harbour rail.
‘Look.’
‘It’s breathtaking.’
They gazed out at the horizon where pinky-purple streaks were set on a canvas of orange. It was utterly beautiful. The air was filled with the heady fragrance of flowers from the baskets attached to the rail and the heavy stone planters that were set at intervals along the front.
‘It is, right?’
Nate was still holding her hand and his fingers were warm, his body so close she could have leant against him had she wanted to. And she did want to. But she was trying to control her impulses.
‘When it’s this lovely, I don’t think I want to be anywhere else.’
‘Me, neither.’
‘Will you stay here now, Zoe? For ever?’
‘I guess so. As long as I can, anyway. I feel a sense of peace here. Not all the time, you know, but most of it, and I’ve never had that anywhere else. Of course, lately it’s been a bit different but it’ll settle down again.’
‘Why has it been different?’
‘Well… because of you.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be.’
‘But I didn’t want to steal away your peace of mind.’
‘It’s not just you, Nate. It’s losing Raven, my past repeatedly creeping into my dreams, and the range of emotions I’ve experienced as I’ve got to know you. So… you are partly responsible but not totally to blame.’
He smiled, then raised her hand and pressed it to his l
ips.
‘If only life was simpler, right?’
‘But then it probably wouldn’t be so much fun.’
‘There is fun to be had, I have to agree with that. So what did you want to show me?’
‘Come inside.’
Zoe led him into the diner then locked the door behind them and gestured at the counter.
‘Wow! Did you make these?’
‘With some help.’
‘What, from one of your chefs?’
‘No, from Simon. He was here all afternoon, baking.’
‘They’re amazing. Great way to spend a Wednesday!’
Zoe watched as Nate took in all the details of the cakes she and Simon had made. There were cupcakes in different flavours with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Each one was decorated with a swirl of buttercream, then on top were marzipan decorations that Zoe and Simon had created. Some were greyhounds in different colours and sizes, while others were tiny surfboarders riding on the top of waves. They were intricately detailed and had taken hours, but Zoe had wanted to practise them and ensure that they were perfect, and with Simon’s help she’d been able to do that.
‘It was a trial run ready for Surf for Sighthounds. We’ll make a load of them for the event and sell them to raise money.’
Nate was shaking his head as he stared at the cakes, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
‘Nate, are you okay? I didn’t do the wrong thing, did I?’
‘No, Zoe… I’m really grateful. These are fantastic. You are incredibly talented.’
‘I didn’t just invite you here to see the cakes, though.’
‘You didn’t?’
As he turned to her, her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his gaze.
‘No. I… Nate, I like you so much and I…’ Her heart thundered and heat flooded her face. ‘This is a bit harder to say than I’d imagined.’
‘Say it. There’s no judging here.’
‘I… I’ve reached a point in my life where I know that I have some things to sort out. I’m carrying a lot of baggage from my past and I need to try to put it behind me. Until I do, I won’t be able to move on.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
She worried her bottom lip. ‘Not yet. I’m still working through it – but soon. Once I’ve addressed some issues…’
‘Do those issues include other people?’
She nodded.
His eyes roamed her face and he raised his hand as if he was going to touch her, but just before his fingers met her cheek, he lowered his hand and tucked it into his jeans pocket. Her heart squeezed because she ached to touch him, to hold him and to surrender to her feelings for him, but she knew why he was holding back. He was being sensible and strong and that was good. They needed to be strong, because whatever it was that was growing between them couldn’t go anywhere right now. Not until everything was sorted and maybe not at all. Perhaps he would return to Conwenna Cove after he’d been travelling and they would have the possibility of a future, but she thought that unlikely and didn’t like to hope. Instead, she would take each day as it came and try to find peace of mind. It was a good starting point.
‘Try one.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Try a cupcake and I’ll get us a drink.’
‘Oh… okay.’
Zoe broke away from the tension that had pinned her mere inches away from Nate and went behind the counter to make some milkshakes. A brandy would have been better but she knew that alcohol would weaken her and probably make it far more likely that she’d throw herself at Nate. Better to have a sweet, creamy milkshake and to keep the counter between them; better to avoid letting her longing overpower her as it was threatening to do.
She made the milkshakes then sprayed whipped cream onto them, knowing that this would be the only sensual delight she’d be enjoying this evening. But at least she’d done something nice for Nate, and that could only help to assuage her guilt at creating so much turmoil for them both, and for pushing him away when all she really wanted was to hold him close.
* * *
The next day, Zoe had arranged for her chefs and her waiting staff to run the diner, as she prepared to try to deal with some of the issues that were haunting her. The only way to deal with them was to face them head on, so she needed to see the woman who had caused some of the issues in the first place, and that meant returning to her home town of Brixham in Devon.
She spent the car journey thinking about the diner and what she would like to add to the autumn menu. She’d discuss it with her chefs, obviously, but also liked to think about what local seasonal produce could be brought into the food they offered the customers. It was easier to think about the diner and food than to think about her past or about her present. She did this whenever she needed to let her subconscious mull something over, and it had proved to be quite effective when emotion threatened to overwhelm her.
With it being a Thursday, the traffic wasn’t too bad. When she reached her destination, following three hours of travelling – which included two comfort breaks along the way – her stomach clenched. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea, but then what else could she do? She didn’t even know if either of the people she wanted to see would be there – highly doubted that he would be – and wondered again at her wisdom in coming back.
But she was here now, so she’d just as well stretch her legs and see what happened. She found a space in the car park then strolled down to the harbour. It was strange coming back after so long. She’d moved around a lot in her previous life, the one she’d led before settling in Conwenna, and the only place she’d had roots before Conwenna Cove was in Brixham. But now that was like a dream she’d once had.
Zoe wandered along the harbour, taking in the familiar views that also seemed so different. The day was warm and the sun now high in the sky, shining down on the numerous fishing boats at the quayside where she knew locals would be selling their daily catch caught on their trawlers and day boats. She glanced behind her at the town, admiring the colourful houses that cascaded down either side of the harbour, the mixture of old and new architecture. This had once been her home, she had grown up here; now she was like a stranger in a place full of ghosts.
She hugged herself, suddenly cold in her white T-shirt, jeans and sandals. She’d left her cardigan in the car and could go back to get it but she worried that if she did, she might drive straight back to Cornwall. No, she was here, and she would do this. If she left now, she’d regret it and she was getting tired of regrets.
All along the front sat shops and cafes. Zoe wandered past pink and blue buildings, moving aside to let tourists by, until she reached the small gift shop that she’d once known so well. She paused and gazed through the window. The interior of the shop was dark and she knew that inside it would be cool and smell of old paper, varnish and peppermint. That familiar smell had been one that she’d loved in her childhood and adolescence. Then everything had changed, and she hadn’t been able to return there.
She pushed open the door. The familiar tinkle of the bell that she was expecting had been replaced with an electronic noise that made her start. But things change and she should expect that. She didn’t know if the shop had changed owners, after all.
The shelves groaned with knick-knacks, from ornaments featuring the harbour to snowglobes filled with mermaids and glitter. She picked one up and shook it, filled with a strange melancholy as the mermaid was surrounded by a whirlwind of multicoloured glitter, her blue eyes staring out unseeing, her tail fixed to the rock she sat on. Zoe put the globe back then picked up a model of the iconic Golden Hind, Sir Francis Drake’s ship from the 1500s, a replica of which sat in the harbour and was a big tourist attraction. Zoe had always liked the stories of Drake her teachers had told her as a child, enjoying how adventurous he had seemed, setting off on his ship with his crew, not knowing if they’d ever return. Some of them didn’t. Sometimes, you just had to squash your fears and doubts and sail off into the sunset
. But Zoe had done that once and look where it had got her. Subconsciously, she touched her fringe, feeling the scar that lay beneath her soft hair. Sometimes, taking a risk backfired and led to heartbreak.
‘Hello? Are you looking for anything in particular?’
Zoe turned to meet the friendly grey eyes of a man who was about her height, with short ginger hair and lots of freckles. His T-shirt was baggy but it didn’t hide the fact that he had a slight paunch, and his jeans were baggy and stained.
‘Excuse the state of me.’ He smiled, then pulled at his T-shirt. ‘We’re in the middle of painting the flat upstairs.’
‘Oh! You live there?’
He nodded.
‘I uh… I came here looking for someone I used to know but I guess they’ve gone now. Do you own the shop?’
‘No. Well, yes, actually. I keep forgetting.’ He offered her that friendly smile again and she realized he looked familiar. Her mind tried to place him but it was a hazy memory. She suspected he could have been at her high school but was someone she hadn’t known well.
‘Do you know the previous owners?’
‘Yes, very well, actually. Pat and Geoffrey don’t live above the shop any more as they moved into Pat’s mother’s bungalow along the way.’ He pointed behind him as if the streets were visible. ‘But Amelia is still here. In fact, she’s my—’
‘Wife.’
Zoe gasped as her old friend stepped into view behind the counter; she must have been in the shadows of the corridor that led off the shop and to the stairway up to the flat.
‘Amelia?’
‘You two know each other?’ the man asked.
‘We do.’ Amelia’s tone was flat, cold, unwelcoming. ‘Pete, this is Zoe. Zoe, meet my husband, Pete. You probably don’t remember him, but he was two years above us at school.’
‘I thought you looked familiar.’
Zoe stepped forward and held out her hand and Pete took it, but not before glancing at his wife as if seeking her approval.
Forever at Conwenna Cove Page 12