She took a deep breath then released it. ‘Okay. Here goes.’
* * *
Nate listened to Zoe without taking his eyes from her face for a second. His heart ached for her as she spoke and he longed to pull her into his arms, but he knew she needed the space to tell her story. So he pushed his hands into his pockets and listened.
‘Look at me, Nate. Really look at me for a moment.’ She pushed her fringe aside and waited. ‘Horrendous, right?’
He shook his head. ‘You’re beautiful, Zoe.’
‘With this?’ She pointed at the raised scar on her forehead that was silvery in the moonlight.
‘Yes, of course. You think a scar would put me off you? It’s not ugly, Zoe, it’s part of you.’
She shook her head. ‘I hate it.’
‘Zoe, there’s no need. We all have scars.’
‘But this one represents all that was wrong in my past. I know I’ve told you some of the details and spoken to your mum about them—’
‘Mum never repeats what she’s told in confidence, Zoe.’
‘Well… I just want you to understand that I’m afraid. I trusted Finn and that was a mistake and I know you’re different but… I couldn’t bear to lose everything again. You’re lucky in that you have your mum and June and Kevin, but I have no one else to fall back on.’
‘Zoe, Finn was an idiot. He made mistakes that I would never make.’
‘He made me feel worthless,’ she whispered.
Nate’s hands curled into fists in his pockets as he watched the pain that crossed Zoe’s beautiful face. Even though it was dark, the glow of the moon meant that he could see every nuance of her features and he was fighting the urge to hug her hard. How anyone could fail to love her, he didn’t know.
‘No one has the right to do that to you and no one ever will do again.’
‘Nate… you need to know that because of what happened when I was knocked off my surfboard… I can’t even go into the sea up to my waist. What kind of companion would I be to travel with? I can’t swim with you, surf with you or any of that. You deserve someone who’ll be able to jump off cliffs into the sea, who’ll scuba dive and surf and… and…’
‘Zoe, do you think this changes how I feel about you?’
‘Well, doesn’t it? Don’t you need things in common to be with someone? I forced myself to like these things for Finn and look what happened. I tried to be something I wasn’t.’
‘You’re amazing, Zoe. You’re so many wonderful things and you don’t even know it. I hate that Finn and your parents didn’t make you feel like the incredible woman you are but it’s their loss. You have so much ahead of you now and I promise you, life will be better.’
‘The diner was the first thing I’ve had in my life that made me start to believe in myself. I’m still not exactly confident about me… but as a businesswoman my confidence is growing.’
‘So it should, but so should your belief in yourself as a wonderful human being.’
‘Nate, you’re too good to be true.’
She smiled and it lit up her whole face.
Nate stepped forwards and opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. He lifted her and gazed into her pretty eyes then they kissed, softly at first, before the kiss deepened. The weeks of need and passion and doubt and fear emerged in that kiss, leaving them both breathless and longing for more.
‘I wish you could come back to the cottage with me.’
Nate gave a husky laugh. ‘Me, too. But not with Mum there. I couldn’t… you know…’
‘Nor me.’
‘And besides, you still need to make your decision.’
‘As long as you want me I think I already know.’
He shook his head then kissed her softly. ‘Sleep on it. Be certain.’
He buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply, savouring her scent and the softness of her skin. Her arms were tight around his neck and her body was pressed against his and he wished they could stay that way for ever.
When he gently released her, she slid down to her feet and he took her hands.
‘I’ll be leaving at six in the morning to make my flight.’
‘Okay.’
He reached around to his back pocket and pulled out a white envelope that he handed to her. ‘This is for you. Whatever you decide to do will be for the best. But remember that you’re amazing and that you’re going to be all right from now on.’
‘But, Nate, I—’
‘No need to say more. I’m going to go now to give you some space.’ He released her hands then turned to go, but there was one more thing he needed to say.
‘Zoe…’
‘Yes?’
‘I love you.’
Then he forced himself to leave her standing there on the cliff top, his white envelope glowing in her hand in the light of the moon and his heart placed in her hands. Whatever she decided to do now, Nate would accept.
But as for his heart, that would always be hers.
* * *
Zoe watched Nate walk away then turned over the envelope he’d given her in her hands. It was sealed. If she opened it, her life could change right then and there. If not, she’d never know.
Nate loved her. He’d said as much. The way he held her and kissed her made her feel loved. It was up to her now. Was she prepared to take the chance?
She shivered and realized that she was suddenly very tired. Her bones ached and her head throbbed and she wanted to close her eyes and rest, just for a bit. The gin she’d drunk was probably wearing off and leaving her a bit dehydrated and in need of some water. She’d go home and get a drink then open the envelope.
Back at the cottage she opened the door, wondering if she’d need to explain to Paula where she’d been, but the older woman had left her a note on the coffee table. Nate had told her that Zoe had gone for walk so she’d made herself a cup of tea and gone up to bed.
She ran the tap and filled a glass then took it through to the lounge and sat on the sofa. She drank some of the water then she picked up the envelope and pressed it to her chest as she lay back on the soft cushions. She closed her eyes for a moment, waiting for the throbbing in her head to subside, and ran her fingers over the smooth paper of the envelope.
Nate had written her name on the front – she could feel the impression that his pen had made. Whatever was inside could determine her destiny. She’d take a look in a moment.
She simply needed her head to clear so she could better absorb the information…
* * *
‘Zoe?’
Zoe emerged from the dream in which she’d been paddling in the sea, deciding whether to go in further, deeper, or if it was too much of a risk. Nate had been calling her from a boat out on the water, waving her towards him and promising that she’d be safe with him, that he wouldn’t let anything hurt her. She’d wanted to go, knowing that he would protect her from harm, but something had been holding her back.
‘Zoe?’
She opened her eyes and blinked, then sat bolt upright and stared at Paula.
‘What time is it?’
‘Ten past five. I just came down to get some water. I thought you might want to go up to bed.’
‘Five in the morning?’ Zoe gasped as she realized that it was dawn’s grey light seeping through the curtains.
‘Shit!’ She’d fallen asleep. She scrabbled around looking for the envelope from Nate, and found it under a cushion. ‘I only closed my eyes to wait for the headache to go. I was going to open this.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s from Nate.’
‘Oh… right. You haven’t looked inside then?’
‘No.’
‘Are you going to?’
‘Yes.’
Zoe’s heart pounded as she tore the seal then looked inside. There was a brief note and what appeared to be a plane ticket.
‘Oh…’ She held them out.
‘Read it.’
‘It says, “Zoe, I did
n’t want to make you feel obliged to come with me but seeing as how Mum offered to help out at the diner, I thought you might want this. I bought it a while ago when I was hopeful that there was a possibility of you deciding to accompany me.”’ She gasped. ‘This must have cost him a fortune!’
‘Never mind that! What else does it say?’ Paula’s eyes were wide.
‘“If you’ve decided not to come away, then that’s fine. As long as you are happy, that’s all I want. However, if you want to come, I’ll be leaving the cafe at six in the morning.”’
‘What are you going to do?’ Paula asked.
‘I’m going. But I haven’t packed. And my passport… I renewed it last year, just in case I needed it, but it’s buried in my cupboard upstairs and… and…’
‘Jump in the shower and I’ll help you pack. Come on! You can make it!’
Zoe paused for a moment, overwhelmed by the emotions flooding through her and making her tremble. ‘But the diner?’
‘I’ve got it, love. I’ll treat it like it’s my own until you come back.’
‘But the books and the banking and—’
‘You showed me how you do it all, remember? And what I don’t know now, I soon will do. You have a competent staff there, you know. And I’m only a phone call, email or video call away, Zoe. The world is much smaller these days.’
‘But it would feel huge if I wasn’t with Nate.’
‘Exactly, so go shower!’
Thirty-five minutes later, Zoe had managed to drink a mug of tea that Paula had made for her and packed everything she thought she might need into her old backpacking rucksack that she’d used when touring the country with Finn. She’d thrown on jeans and a loose grey top over a vest and pulled on her trainers. She didn’t exactly look glamorous but was ready to travel.
‘Okay, I think I have everything.’
‘Except the ticket.’ Paula handed her the envelope she’d left on the coffee table.
‘Paula, you’re an angel. And you’ll stay here with Richard when he comes to the village? Look after my cottage?’
‘I would love to. I’ll treat it as I would my daughter’s home. If we find somewhere suitable to move into while you’re away, I’ll still keep an eye on this place, though, I promise. So don’t worry about a thing.’
Zoe blinked hard.
‘Come here.’ Paula hugged Zoe hard and when she released her, her eyes were glistening. ‘Now, let’s get you down there.’
They hurried out of the cottage and down the main street with Zoe giggling nervously. She couldn’t believe what she was doing, that she was actually leaving to travel with Nate. This was crazy, impulsive and… it felt so good!
They reached the cafe and she saw that the door was open. Inside, June was sitting at a table drinking coffee.
‘Hi!’ Zoe waved, hopping from one foot to the other.
‘Hi, Zoe. Hi, Paula.’ June stood up. ‘Everything all right?’
‘I’m meeting Nate here.’
June frowned.
Zoe turned to Paula and the older woman shook her head in confusion.
‘I’m so sorry, Zoe, he’s already gone.’ June walked towards her. ‘He left five minutes ago. Said he had to make a stop first. Kevin’s driving him to the airport.’
The cafe seemed to swirl around Zoe and she grabbed the back of the closest chair. He was gone? Already? But his note had said six. He hadn’t waited… He was gone.
Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces…
‘Zoe!’
She turned to the cafe doorway.
‘Nate?’
‘You came!’
‘I did.’
He crossed the cafe in two strides and she threw herself into his arms. ‘I thought you’d gone.’ Her cheeks were wet with tears. ‘June said you were stopping off on the way so you left early.’
‘I was. I stopped at your cottage. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye, in spite of my intention to leave and not look back. Kevin’s car was parked at the harbour so we walked down to pick it up then went straight to your cottage. When there was no answer, I guessed you might have come here. I’m so glad you did!’
Zoe couldn’t speak. Her throat was tight with emotion and she held on tightly to him, knowing that she’d have been devastated if he’d left without her.
‘It’s okay. I’m here, and I’m never going to leave you.’
Zoe nodded, keeping her eyes on his handsome face as if she feared he’d disappear if she looked anywhere else.
‘I love you, Zoe, and from here on out, it only gets better.’
Epilogue
Life didn’t always work out as you planned. Zoe knew that before she left Conwenna Cove to travel with Nate. Plans, hopes and dreams were things you wanted to happen, things you strove for, but nothing was guaranteed. Leaving with Nate had been a risk in that she didn’t know how things would develop between them, and she had left her diner in Paula’s care. However, the diner had thrived and Paula had done as she’d promised, keeping in touch with regular updates, and even videos and photographs.
Zoe had enjoyed a wonderful few months travelling with Nate. They’d been to Australia, Hawaii and San Francisco, travelling where their mood had taken them, using the open tickets that Nate had bought. It had been magical and they’d laughed a lot, kissed even more and got to know each other very well.
But about nine weeks into the trip, Zoe had started to feel unwell. She’d been queasy and tired and had assumed she’d picked up a bug at one of their stops. When she hadn’t improved, Nate had insisted on taking her to see a doctor and what they’d found out had floored them both.
So they’d decided to return to Conwenna Cove earlier than planned. It was, they thought, the best course of action considering the circumstances, and it would be better for Zoe to be at home so she could rest.
* * *
‘Shall we do this?’ Nate asked, as he held out his hand.
‘Best way to see in the new year if we can’t do it in New York, Paris or Sydney.’
‘Not this time, perhaps, but we’ll have other chances…’
Zoe nodded, grateful for Nate’s warmth and his reassuring presence. Even after fourteen weeks of being constantly together, they hadn’t grown tired of each other and were closer than ever. Zoe loved him, she had no doubt in her mind now, and with every day that he cared for her, loved her and treated her so well, her defences lowered a bit more. She knew it would take a while longer for them to completely disappear, as she’d taken a long time building them, but she was convinced that Nate would soon clear them away for ever.
They stood outside the cafe and peered through the glass. Only four months ago, they’d been right there, wondering what their future held.
Now they knew.
‘Let’s go in.’
Nate pushed open the door and the warmth from inside enveloped them.
‘Nate! Zoe!’ Paula squealed as she rushed towards them and hugged them both in turn. ‘I’m so happy you’re home!’
‘Good to see you both.’ Richard smiled at them from under a golden party crown. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘Please,’ Nate said.
Richard went to the counter where Kevin and June were serving drinks and returned with two flutes of champagne.
‘Nate!’ June spotted them and hurried over, hugging them with as much gusto as Paula had. ‘Oh, my darling, I had no idea you were coming home yet!’
‘Well, we thought we’d come back and surprise you all, seeing as how… well, we wanted to come home.’
‘We were ready,’ Zoe added, squeezing his hand.
‘Did you know they were coming back?’ June asked Paula.
‘Only yesterday. They let me know because of the cottage and the diner, but they asked me to keep it quiet so they could surprise everyone.’
‘We weren’t certain until last weekend, anyway,’ Nate explained, ‘and we thought it would be a nice surprise.’
‘Well, that it is!’
June clinked her glass against theirs. ‘And just in time to see in the new year.’
An hour later, after many hugs and well wishes from friends and family, Nate and Zoe accompanied everyone who’d been at the cafe down to the beach. They took several coolers filled with bottles of champagne, plastic flutes, battery-powered lanterns and plenty of blankets.
On the way there, they stopped at the new bench on the cliff top. It was in the exact spot where Zoe had sat with Raven and where she’d sat that day when she’d watched Nate surfing and worried that he’d hurt himself when he’d fallen off his board. So much had happened since then and her life was very different now. On the back of the bench was a brass plaque. Zoe leant closer and read the inscription:
This bench is dedicated to the rescue greyhounds of Conwenna Cove.
You leave your pawprints on our hearts.
Zoe ran her finger over the words and whispered, ‘Love you, Raven.’
‘You all right, Zoe?’ Nate asked, his arm around her waist.
‘I am and this is wonderful. Did you arrange it?’
‘What Zoe wants, Zoe gets.’ He smiled. ‘You said that a bench would be a good idea to remember all the greyhounds that have passed through Conwenna, so I asked Neil to take care of it while we were away. We can come and sit here anytime we like.’
‘Thank you. You really understand me, don’t you?’
Down on the beach, Kevin counted down to midnight using his mobile phone and all the locals cheered.
When everyone had hugged and clinked plastic flutes and celebrations were well under way, Nate took Zoe’s hand and led her away from the others, to a quieter spot on the sand.
‘I’m sorry we had to cut our travels short,’ Zoe said, as she gazed into his eyes, their depths illuminated by the moonlight.
‘I’m not.’
‘Honestly?’
‘I had a great time, Zoe, but only because I was with you.’
‘But don’t you wish you were still out there, seeing all the wonderful sites the world has to offer.’
‘I can see everything I’ve ever wanted right here in front of me. Besides… who are we to deny our destiny.’
Forever at Conwenna Cove Page 23