by Nicola May
‘Keep quiet and hopefully they will play amongst themselves until we get up.’ Just as Jess said this, the bedroom door was flung wide open.
‘Mummy, Dad,’ the girls said in unison. ‘Can we go to the beach now?’
Jess and Dan smiled at each other. ‘OK, now you two go and get dressed. We will have some breakfast then make a plan for the day,’ Jess replied sensibly.
‘I want to go on a boat,’ Freya shouted as they approached the bustling harbour.
‘Evie?’ Dan questioned.
‘Yeah, what fun!’ Evie exclaimed.
‘Well we have the option of a glass-bottomed boat, which doesn’t leave for another hour, or there is a fishing boat, which means we would be out for half a day, which leaves soon,’ Jess stated.
‘I want to go now,’ Freya cried.
Jess smiled. ‘Up to you, Dan, it is such a beautiful day, I’m happy to come along and get a suntan if you want to fish with the girls.’
‘Come on then the lot of you,’ Dan said as they all clambered aboard.
Jess sat on the bench seat at the back of the boat and tipped her head back towards the sun. She fleetingly thought of Sam and how he would have loved this. She did try and remain positive in her memory of him, but, every time a good thought hit her mind, it was immediately replaced by a dark one. She imagined him with all those other women, which made her feel felt physically sick. She also thought of his ready dismissal of Evie, even before she was born, and this too upset her greatly. Freya had been surprisingly resilient and rarely got upset. Just asking Jess occasionally what she thought her daddy was doing with the angels. ‘Just playing around I expect,’ Jess would reply, tongue in cheek.
A flock of gulls flew overhead as they left Looe Harbour. It was if they were crying out for the boat to hurry back soon with its tasty bounty. The boat made its way out to sea. ‘This is such fun,’ Evie cried as she ran up to Jess.
‘Hey, be careful running,’ Jess said. ‘I bet you used to love living on the boat with your dad didn’t you?’
‘I don’t remember much about it really, we moved off of it when I was four.How did you know about our boat anyway?’ Evie quizzed.
‘I used to be friends with your daddy a long time ago.’
‘What, boyfriend and girlfriend type of friends?’
Jess wished she hadn’t started this conversation. Evie continued her interrogation.
‘So why did you not stay friends with Dad then?’
‘I guess sometimes people just drift apart, but it’s great we are friends again don’t you think?’
Evie put her hand on Jess’s arm. ‘I’d like it if you stayed friends with my dad for a long, long time.’
Jess welled up. ‘I think we can manage that,’ she replied..
Archie, who was skippering the boat, scurried around making sure the children put on life jackets. ‘Up to you if you want one, my lovely,’ he said to Jess in his thick Cornish accent. ‘Wouldn’t want to ruin your suntan now would we? He was tubby with a white whiskery beard and a ruddy complexion. ‘It’s so still out there today, you should be fine. If you have any questions just ask for me grandson Adam up there. He pointed to a dark haired lad at the front of the boat. He must be about twenty-four, Jess thought. She looked at him and he seemed so young. She actually found it hard to believe that when she had been forty, she had been dating a man as young as him. Mind you, Dan had always looked that bit older and she had always acted much younger.
Jess looked across at Dan. He was a good looking man. She studied him in his trunks. She had always adored his back and manly chest, even his slight beer belly was an added cuddly attraction. She squirmed on her seat as she thought about last night. It had been gorgeous. Gone was the hard furious sex they used to have when they were younger, replaced by pure meaningful lovemaking. She was comforted to know that she was the only woman he wanted and, unlike Sam, she knew that he would always be honest with her. That was a major quality of Dan: his honesty. Even ten years ago, despite breaking her heart in two, he had at least been honest in his reasons for leaving her. She felt quite sick that now it was her who had to keep the biggest secret from him.
Jess shouted down the boat to Evie and Freya who were midway through helping Dan put bait on his hook. ‘When you’ve finished that come down here and I’ll put some sun cream on you both.’
‘OK,’ they shouted in unison. The girls dutifully went to Jess who administered their sun cream.
Dan cast his line over the side of the boat. He was in a row with three older looking guys, who all seemed to be taking the whole experience very seriously. On the other side of the boat a couple of young lads were messing around. Dan, with line now hanging over the edge of the boat, sat down and turned his head to the sun. He was already on tenterhooks about his proposal. Special plans had been laid to make sure that everything was perfect. The antique ring that Jess had marveled at, in the window of a jeweler in Prague, was hidden in his case. He’d even pre-arranged for Phoebe and Glen to come down and take the girls away for the night so that they could be alone. In five days he thought, I am going to be engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world.
They’d been fishing for an hour when the sun went in and it suddenly started to get a little windy. Big black clouds appeared on the horizon. ‘Boo, we could do without rain,’ Jess stated to Archie as he walked to the back of the boat.
‘Aye, we could that,’ Archie replied then went to the front to chat with Adam. He then put his hands on his hips and shouted, ‘Ladies and gentleman, looks like a storm maybe brewing over yonder. We didn’t expect this at all. I’m afraid we are going to have to head back early, we don’t want you all getting too wet now do we?’ Just as he finished his sentence a large flash of lightning filled the now blackening sky, followed by a giant clap of thunder.
‘Please can you all put on your life jackets,’ Adam instructed. ‘We have sou’westers and wellies too if anyone wants them.’
Large drops of rain began to slowly fall, making a clanking sound on the deck as they did so. Freya and Evie huddled next to Jess, and Dan came over to sit with them. There was nowhere to escape from the rain and the boat began to rock from side to side as the wind started to build.
‘I’m frightened,’ Freya said.
‘It’s fine darling, it’s just a little storm. It will be over before we know it,’ Jess said. As she said this Jess looked at Dan with concern, as a streak of lightning fell out of the sky, proceeded by an even louder clap of thunder than the previous one. Evie screamed.
‘It’s OK, Evie,’ Dan reassured her. ‘Jess is right. It’ll be over in no time.’
The rain began lashing down and the wind became stronger. The boat was now listing quite heavily from side to side and Jess began to feel sick. She knew she had to remain strong for the children, but then couldn’t hold it in any longer and threw up over the side.
‘Mummy!’ Freya wailed.
Dan held her to him while trying to stroke Jess’s back.
‘My darling girls, hold on to me.’
‘Are you OK, angel?’ he asked Jess as she stood back upright.
‘No,’ she replied and leant back over the boat again. She was green.
They struggled to keep their footing. The younger lads who had been messing around were now silent. Two of the three older guys also had their heads over the side of the boat being sick.
‘Sit down everyone and hold on,’ Archie instructed. ‘We’re in the eye of it now, my lovelies, just hang in there.’
The wind was getting stronger by the minute. The rain was pelting down so hard it stung everyone’s faces. Thunder and lightning were now persistent. All of a sudden a huge wave lifted the boat and almost tipped it on its side.
‘Evie,’ Jess screamed. The force of the wave, made her lose grip of her and the young girl was thrown right to the other side of the boat, bashing herself hard as she landed against the side.
‘Help me,’ Evie screamed to Dan, she was now so
bbing her eyes out.
Everybody held on to each other as tightly as they could, spray was covering them every time the boat bashed down again. Dan, in rushing up to help Evie, who was now hanging on to a rope at the side of the boat, was knocked over himself by the force of yet another wave. He crawled to her and just as he reached her feet, was thrown back over the other side again. Jess, aghast at what was happening, knew that she should just hold on to Freya with all her might. Archie couldn’t leave the helm so Adam jumped up to help get Evie on her feet. Just as he did so another huge wave covered the boat and filled it with at least a foot of water.
‘Evie,’ Dan screamed. ‘Oh my God, Evie, she’s gone over. I can’t swim. Quick somebody do something.’
Jess was already in the water. She choked as the raging swirl hit the back of her throat, and was terrified as she was lifted by the torrid waves. She talked herself into not panicking. She could see Evie, all she had to do was swim to her.
‘Help me, help me,’ Evie screamed.
‘I’m here, darling, I’m here,’ Jess croaked.
Every time Jess took two strokes the strong waves pushed her one back, exhausted she eventually reached Evie who clung to her for dear life. Adam had now joined them in the water with two life rings. Archie and one of the older guys helped drag them all up the side of the boat. A now ashen-faced Dan clung on to the sobbing Freya with all his might.
‘Hold her please,’ Dan instructed one of the young lads to look after Freya. He ran over to Evie and Jess.
Jess, now sitting on the deck, was promptly sick into a fish bucket. Evie was crying and her cheek was bleeding from her initial fall against the boat. The wind suddenly dropped but the pelting rain was still persistent. Adam made a makeshift bed out of tarpaulin in the little bit of cover there was at the helm and helped Evie and Jess shakily up, so that they could lie down out of the lashing rain. Dan rushed to their side.
‘Oh my god, are you both alright?’ He was shaking.
‘Dad, it’s OK I’m fine,’ Evie bravely replied.
Freya clung to her mother’s legs. Dan reached for Jess’s hand and held it tenderly. She was weak from her swim and was shivering from the cold. Her wet hair streaked her face and she started to cry from the shock. He leant down to kiss her and felt a sudden surge of love for her stronger than he had ever felt before. Without hesitation he looked right into her eyes and asked. ‘Jessica Ann Morley, will you marry me?’
Jess could barely speak, but through her tears she managed to smile weakly and reply. ‘Yes, Daniel Harris, I will marry you.’ She then added, ‘As long as you learn to bloody swim.’
Chapter Thirty-four
The coastguard had received a distress signal from the fishing boat and an ambulance was already at the harbour. The storm had now subsided and a crowd had gathered awaiting the vessel. Dan, holding Freya’s hand tightly, helped Evie off the boat, while Adam guided Jess up the harbour wall steps. The paramedics then led her to the back of the ambulance.
‘Jess, you better get checked out,’ Dan said caringly, then to Evie. ‘And you, little lady, better get your face cleaned up.’
Jess had swallowed a lot of water and was still feeling sick. She lay in the back of the ambulance as they checked her blood pressure and asked her a series of questions.
They cleaned up Evie’s face and put a butterfly plaster on her cheek, luckily she did not need stitches. Once the paramedics were happy that they were OK they drove all four of them back up to the cottage.
‘Jess are you sure you are OK to come back to the cottage?’ Dan asked.
‘Of course I am,’ she replied weakly. ‘Just want to get in my own bed.’
It was early evening when they actually got back to the cottage. Despite it being mid-summer Dan turned on the heating, made them all hot drinks and ran a hot bath. Jess insisted that Evie and Freya got in first. Evie winced as the hot water stung the cuts and bruises on her legs, Freya delighted in playing nurses tending to her with a flannel. The children then moved to the comfort of the sofa while Dan ran another bath for Jess, who had just gone to lay straight on their bed.
He pushed open the bedroom door slowly and lay down next to her. He cuddled her gently and pushed her soaking wet hair back off of her face.
‘How’s my heroine doing then?’
‘Not too good actually, Dan, I feel a bit shaky.’
‘Probably shock darling,’ he replied. ‘I can never ever repay you for what you did, Jess, you saved my daughter’s life.’
‘Anyone would have done it,’ she said modestly. ‘Now don’t worry about me, how are those girls of ours?’
‘OK actually. Freya is relaying it all as a big adventure now. Evie is a bit sore but she’s in good spirits.’
‘Now come on you, let’s get you in the bath to warm you up.’ Dan helped Jess off the bed. Just has she had lain back in the warm soothing bubbles and closed her eyes, Dan bounded back into the bathroom. He got down on one knee and propped himself on the edge of the bath.
‘Just to make sure.’ He laughed. ‘Jessica Morley, will you do me the honor of being my wife?’ He produced a ring from behind his back. Jess looked at him with a deadpan face.
‘Jess?’ A look of panic went across Dan’s face. Then, just like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, ducked her head back right under the water then emerged with a huge grin on her face.
‘Of course I will, Daniel Harris!’
They both laughed and Dan kissed her gently on her forehead.
‘Oh my God, Dan, the ring, it’s the one from Prague, I can’t believe you did that! It is beautiful.’
‘Well you know, only the best for the future Mrs. Harris,’ he said modestly.
Just then Jess heard her mobile ringing in the bedroom. ‘Can you get that please, baby?’
Ten minutes later Dan came running into the bathroom, pulled down the toilet seat and sat on it. ‘It was Hope. I told her what had happened. She had some news for you, was going to wait and tell you herself, but thought you might need cheering up. She and Jack-the-Lad are tying the knot too.’
Jess managed a smile. ‘Good old Hope she never disappoints me. Husband number four. She vowed she’d never do it again! Have they set a date yet?’
‘Next month!’ Dan replied.
‘No! How funny. That is just so Hope though, I bet she wants to snare him before he gets a chance to run away.’
‘Jess?’ Dan said softly.
‘Yeeeesss,’ Jess said wondering what was coming now.
‘I did plan a proper romantic proposal and everything. I wanted it to be really special.’
‘Just asking me was special enough, Daniel Harris.’ Jess replied matter of factly. ‘Now, dear husband to be, do you want my bath water or not?’
‘And who said romance was dead eh?’ Dan smiled and replied. Jess threw a sponge at his head and they both laughed heartily.
Chapter Thirty-five
‘ Hiya mate,’ Matt greeted Dan at the door. He had baby sick on his shoulder and looked very tired.
‘And how are you today, madam?’ he asked Evie.
‘Fine ta, Uncle Matt, where are the twins?
‘Upstairs with Auntie Sara, go on up.’
Evie ran upstairs.
‘Can of Stella?’
‘Cheers, mate.’
‘Long time no see,’ Matt stated.
‘Yeah, sorry, mate. We’ve been away with Jess and the girls to her cottage in Cornwall.’
‘Very nice.’
Dan looked a little embarrassed. ‘I’ve got something to ask you actually.’
‘Fire away, Danny boy.’
‘Well I’m getting married to the lovely Jessica Morley, and I would really love it if you could be my best man.’
‘Hey you’re a bloody dark horse, Harris. Congratulations though, mate. And of course I’d be honored to be your best man.’
‘Great, thanks, mate.’
‘I can’t wait for my speech already.’ He smirked and continu
ed. ‘Must get my geriatric jokes up to scratch.’
Dan laughed. ‘I know, I know, who’d have thought it eh?’
‘You were adamant she wasn’t the one for you and I tended to agree all those years ago. Funny how time changes everything.’
Dan nodded. ‘I really love her, mate, always did I think. Just couldn’t see it at the time.’
‘I’m genuinely really pleased for you. Sara will be delighted as well. She was just saying she needed a good night out. We are both run ragged looking after the twins. Never realised quite just how hard work it would be.’
‘Anyway, have you set a date yet?’ Matt asked.
‘No not yet, I only asked her a few days ago, we need to sit down and talk about it.’
‘And how has Evie taken the news?’
‘She absolutely adores Jess, and gets on so well with her little one, Freya, so it’s all worked out perfectly.’
‘Chuffed for you, mate. And dare I ask about Charlie, is she OK about the news?’
‘I’m leaving that one to Jess.’ Dan laughed. ‘But I’m sure she’ll be cool about it.’
‘Hiya, Dan,’ Sarah shouted down the stairs. ‘I’ll be down in a minute. Matt, stop gassing and get that chicken in the oven now, or we’ll all be having roast dinner at midnight.’
‘OK, my love,’ Matt replied and laughed to Dan. ‘Oh the sweet joy of matrimony!’
Chapter Thirty-six
‘Darling girl!’ Hope greeted Jess at her front door in miniscule shorts and a boob tube. She ushered her straight through to the garden.
‘No Freya today then?’
‘No, she’s spending the weekend with Charlie.’
‘Wine?’ Hope offered.
‘It would be rude not to.’ Jess winked as they settled at the garden table. ‘Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, Ms Adams. I’m not even going to ask if you’re sure after such a short time. Bloody impressive rock though.’
Hope waved her hand in the air so that her huge diamond engagement ring sparkled in the sunshine. ‘Darling, you know I don’t work in time, but in carats!’ Hope took a slug of wine and continued. ‘Seriously though, he is such a sweetheart, Jess. I can actually see me staying with this one. Surely, there are only so many men a girl can sleep with and I’m running out of options.’