by Hannah Ellis
It was fun to watch the bustle for a while but soon Elizabeth felt drawn back to the peace and quiet of her cottage. She left the beach at lunchtime, after grabbing a drink and sandwich at the popular Beachside Café. The café was busy so she opted to take her food away, and ate sitting on the first bench she found, which looked out over the bay.
Back at the cottage, she made herself comfortable on the sun lounger and for a while she heard the low hum of Max and Conor chatting, but then they went quiet.
“Pssst!”
She jumped when Conor appeared at the gap in the hedge.
“I’ll let you in on a secret…” He spoke in a stage whisper while looking around dramatically. “I don’t reckon the windows are going to get finished today.” He grimaced comically and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“No way!” she replied with an equal amount of drama. She walked over and peered past him at the house. The window frames were stripped to the wood, but the door still had the old paint on. “Where’s Max?”
“Working on the front,” he said, then paused. “Any chance you can throw?”
She screwed her nose up. “What?”
“There’s a cricket set in the shed,” he said, heading in that direction. He didn’t wait for an answer but returned a minute later with a bat and ball. “Throw a couple for me?”
“What about the windows?”
He gave her a cheeky grin. “I’ll aim in the other direction.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Conor waved a hand. “It’s fine. Come on. Max won’t even notice I’ve gone.”
“All right,” she said, following him down the garden.
Once again she was taken aback by the view as they stepped through the doorway in the hedge. There was something so magical about it. She wondered how long it would be before it no longer took her breath away.
It was breezy on the beach, and seagulls circled high overhead, squawking occasionally. Elizabeth kicked off her shoes and took up position opposite Conor, who waited for her throw. The bat and ball connected with a crack. The ball flew past Elizabeth and she chased it along the beach. She returned a moment later, breathless, her cheeks pink from the exertion and the whip of the wind. She felt exhilarated.
“Come on,” Conor prompted cheerfully, waiting to take another swing at the ball. This time he chased it himself.
Max arrived at the beach half an hour later. Elizabeth was paddling in the sea. Instinctively she turned to find him watching her from the top of the beach. He broke into a smile and walked towards her. She wondered how long he’d been there. Conor lay on the sand, his hands behind his head and his face tilted up to the dazzling sunshine.
“Conor found a cricket set,” Elizabeth confessed when Max reached her. The wind caught her hair, blowing strands onto her cheeks, and she pushed them back.
“I should’ve known you were trouble when I found you trespassing in my house. Now you’re leading my nephew astray!”
“Cricket was his idea,” she insisted.
“Sure it was! How’s the water?”
“Beautiful. I might grab my swimsuit and have a dip later.”
“I forgot my swimming shorts,” he said. “But it’s very tempting.”
“If you feel like skinny dipping, don’t let me stop you,” she said. “I’ve already seen you naked, after all!”
Woah! Where had that come from? Seriously, Elizabeth, boundaries!
His mouth twitched. He glanced at the water and then back at Elizabeth before pulling his T-shirt off and throwing it at her.
“I was joking,” she said, panicking that he was about to strip off.
He undid his jeans and stepped out of them. Standing in his boxer shorts, he looked squarely at Elizabeth. “That’s as much of me as you’re going to see today. I know how you like to ogle.”
“I never ogled!” she insisted, embarrassed.
“You ogled.” He smirked as he walked into the water. “I saw you.”
As he dived under the water, Elizabeth sank onto the sand, a silly grin on her face. Without thinking, she raised Max’s T-shirt to her face. The scent of him filled her senses and made her insides flutter. Feeling foolish, she laid the T-shirt beside her on the sand and watched Max’s strong, graceful strokes cut a path through the water.
She resisted the temptation to join him.
Chapter 12
Conor was sitting beside Elizabeth when Max returned. He stood over them, dripping wet, and glared at Conor. “Painting almost done, is it?” he asked.
“I think you’ll easily get it finished tomorrow,” Conor said with a boyish grin.
Max raised an eyebrow. “I think I recall you saying you’d ring in sick if we didn’t get it finished today.”
Conor looked horrified. “I can’t do that. Dad would kill me. You know what it’s like … you can’t ring in sick to a place where illness isn’t an acceptable excuse for not being at work. I’d at least need to be missing a limb, then I might be able to take a day!”
“Where do you work?” Elizabeth asked.
“I’ve been working at the law firm where my dad works for the summer. It’s the place fun goes to die. Seriously, one day I lost some important document. It was like the end of the world. I thought Dad was going to disown me.”
“What happened?” Max asked as he sat beside Conor.
“I’d left it on the photocopier! Crisis averted. It was a major drama, though. They’ll probably be talking about it for years to come.”
“If it’s so bad, why are you so worried about ringing in sick?” Max asked.
“I’ve only got a few weeks left,” Conor said, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Max.
“Exactly. What are they going to do? Fire you? It’s only a summer job.”
“That’s mature advice, Uncle Max. Aren’t you supposed to set an example? Teach me about responsibility and reliability and all that?”
Max kept quiet, searching Conor’s face.
“Fine!” Conor said. “If I work the whole summer I get a small gift from Dad.” He put air quotes around the word ‘gift’.
Max smiled knowingly. “He’s buying you a new car, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Conor said sheepishly. He looked from Max to Elizabeth. “Don’t judge me. I’ve earned it!”
“I guess I’ll be painting alone then,” Max said.
“How long are you here for?” Elizabeth asked.
He shrugged. “Until the windows are finished.” He pulled a face at Conor before turning back to Elizabeth. “I don’t need to be in work this week so I’m pretty flexible.”
“What do you do?” she asked.
“He used to be a hot-shot lawyer,” Conor answered for Max, a teasing glint in his eyes. “But he gave it all up to work on a make-up counter! And apparently no one notices whether he turns up for work or not.”
Max laughed. He seemed to be used to this kind of teasing. “That’s not true. I work for a cosmetics company and everyone thinks it’s a big joke.”
“But you used to be a lawyer?” Elizabeth asked, trying to keep up.
“Yes,” Conor said. “He and Dad worked together at the same firm. Two hot-shot lawyers taking over the world! Then one day Max walked out and went to work on a make-up counter—”
“I’m still a lawyer!” Max said. “I just work for a cosmetics company.”
“Whatever. Stop ruining my story,” Conor said, waving him away and leaning closer to Elizabeth. “He brought shame on the family. He’s such an embarrassment. It’s hard for me to even acknowledge him as my uncle.” He grinned mischievously at Max. “If you weren’t marrying money, we’d have to disown you completely.”
“I’m not marrying money!”
“She drives a Porsche,” Conor said, winking at Elizabeth.
“Which she worked hard for,” Max argued.
“Yeah, right. It’s all Daddy’s money!”
“Don’t you need to go and sand some window frames or something?”<
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Conor stood and squeezed Max’s shoulder. “You know I like you better as a make-up artist, don’t you?” He took off up the beach at a run.
Max chuckled. “I’m not a make-up artist.”
“Shame,” Elizabeth said. “I thought you might give me a makeover!”
“You really wouldn’t want that.” He shook his head in amusement. “I need to get back to work. Have a good afternoon.”
“Thanks,” she called after him. The silence felt strange for a moment after they’d left. Max and Conor were good company, and Elizabeth enjoyed the easy banter between them. Feeling restless, she made her way back to the house. She called Phil and was disappointed when he didn’t answer.
Out in the back garden, laughter drifted from Seaside Cottage and she peered through the hedge. She couldn’t see Max and Conor; they must be working on the front of the house. Picking up her phone again, she stared at the screen and then wondered why she’d picked the thing up. Checking her work email was an automatic reaction. She grumbled to herself and set it aside again.
Without thinking any more about it, she walked purposefully through the gap in the hedge to Seaside Cottage and then around to the front of the house.
“Hi,” she said, suddenly feeling awkward.
Conor and Max stopped mid-conversation.
“Hi,” Max said.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “I’m probably going to sound a bit weird … but I wondered if I might help you.”
Max gave her a puzzled smile. “You don’t need to do that – you’re on holiday.”
“Yeah,” she said, wondering what she could say to sound like less of a weirdo. What was she doing? She’d felt the sudden need for company and was now offering her services for painting and decorating. Had she completely lost her mind?
Conor shoved a wad of sandpaper at her. “Most of the paint comes off easily,” he said. “But you get some stubborn little flecks that just don’t want to budge. And the door has panels with little grooves that are really awkward.” He pointed, and gave her a playful shove in that direction.
Max intercepted her, taking back the sandpaper. “You really don’t need to help us. I was only joking about not getting it done. I’m here all week. It’s fine.”
“I know,” she said, feeling suddenly emotional. “I was supposed to be here with my fiancé, but he had to work. And now I’m not sure what to do with myself.” It wasn’t exactly true; so far she’d been surprised by how easy it was being alone – and how enjoyable. It was more that she felt like company, and Conor and Max were very easy to be around.
There was an uncomfortable silence before Conor spoke. “What an idiot.”
“I had a few choice words to say about it myself,” she said. “But what could I do? I either came alone or not at all.”
“Well, I’m glad you came,” Conor said.
“Me too,” Max said, handing back the sandpaper. “We need all the help we can get.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, and got to work.
She soon found that Conor was right: the majority of the paint came away easily, but it was a tough job removing the tiny flecks.
“I’ll be honest,” Conor said, holding the ladder for Max, who was doing the upstairs windows. “I thought it’d be easier.”
“I did try to tell you,” Max shouted down.
“I’m sure we’ll get it all done,” Conor replied, but pulled a face at Elizabeth, shaking his head.
A couple of hours later, Elizabeth was tired and aching and wondering why on earth she was spending the afternoon stripping paint and sanding down window frames. It was turning out to be a very strange holiday. When all the window frames were stripped and sanded, they stood together, admiring their handiwork. Despite the aches and blisters, Elizabeth felt a real sense of achievement.
“I’m in desperate need of a shower,” she said, smiling at the men and moving in the direction of her cottage. “Thanks for keeping me entertained.”
“We’re having a barbecue on the beach before I head off,” Conor said. “You should join us.”
“I’ve intruded enough. But thanks for the offer.”
“You’re not intruding,” Max said. “There’s plenty of food, and we owe you for helping out.”
She began to protest again, but Conor jumped in. “Stop arguing! Go and have a shower, then meet us on the beach.”
“Okay,” she said, giving Conor a quick salute before hurrying away.
Chapter 13
Elizabeth’s phone was ringing when she got out of the shower. She answered it to hear Phil’s voice.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Er… It’s all okay. I can’t complain.” She’d had some vague ideas about making him feel guilty about ditching her for a little longer, but it suddenly seemed petty. “The sun’s shining, the beach is fab. You’re missing out.”
“I’d like to be there,” he said defensively. “I’m not happy about having to work either.”
“I know, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m stressed. I could really do with a break.”
“We’ll be on our honeymoon before we know it,” she said brightly. They were going to Italy for ten days and had planned a mix of lazy beach days and sightseeing.
“I can’t wait,” he replied. “What have you been doing today?”
“Not a lot, really,” she said hesitantly. It was difficult to explain that she’d spent the afternoon stripping paint with Max and Conor. What would Phil think? “I’ve been lazing in the garden and on the beach.”
“It’s good that you’re relaxing and getting a proper break.”
“I haven’t checked my work emails once,” she said proudly.
“It’s still the weekend,” he reminded her. “Let’s talk again tomorrow and see if you’ve still been able to resist.”
“I’m taking a complete break from work.”
“There’s no way you can manage the whole week without checking in.”
“I can,” she said. “I’m not sure why everyone thinks it’s an impossible task. Karen didn’t believe I could do it either.”
“We’ll see,” he said lightly.
“I’m going to have dinner,” she said. “I’m starving. Call me tomorrow?”
“Will do,” he said, and told her he loved her before ending the call.
She felt a pang of guilt for not telling him about her dinner plans. He’d think it odd that she’d made friends with the neighbours and was going to have a barbecue with them. Of course, she would have told him if she was having dinner with two women. Phil definitely wouldn’t like it if he knew she’d made friends with two men. It was only dinner, she reasoned, and if Phil hadn’t cancelled on her, she’d wouldn’t have had to make friends with the neighbours, so basically it was all his fault.
She got dressed quickly and clipped her hair up. When she sat down to put on make-up, she paused, wondering why she was bothering. The sun had given her a healthy glow and she was only going to be sitting on the beach. She’d give it a miss, she decided, and felt good about it.
By the time she made her way down to the beach, it was early evening. Conor was standing over a disposable barbecue. Max handed Elizabeth a beer when she sat down on the sand beside him.
“Do you need any help?” Max asked Conor.
“Nope.”
“You sure? I don’t want food poisoning.”
Conor shot Max a weary look. “I can manage to light a barbecue, thanks.”
“Just checking!”
Conor’s phone rang then, and he frowned when he pulled it from his pocket. “It’s Dad,” he said, glancing at Max. “He’ll be checking up on me, wanting to know when I’ll be home and reminding me I have to work tomorrow – as if I could forget!”
“Answer it,” Max said. “He’ll only call me otherwise.”
Conor moved away from them to take the call. All they could hear was the odd muffled word.
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“I take it your brother’s quite a bit older than you?” Elizabeth asked.
Max nodded. “James is twelve years older than me.”
“And you don’t get on?”
“No. But not because of the age difference.” His voice went from serious to amused. “Because he’s a stuck-up prick!”
She smiled back at him. “Conor seems like a good kid.”
“He’s great. His dad’s too hard on him. Conor won’t want anything to do with him soon.”
“That’s a shame.”
“It is. My big brother has a tendency to see the worst in people.” He paused. “Sorry. Family issues.”
“All families have issues,” she said. “I have a little sister – she’s eight years younger than me – and we don’t get on either. She’s definitely not stuck-up, though. Josie is wild and crazy. She drives me mad.”
“She sounds fun,” Max said. His gaze lingered on her a fraction too long.
Elizabeth laughed. “I always think of her as my polar opposite so I don’t know what that says about me!”
“You seem pretty easy-going yourself,” Max said. “You make friends easily enough…”
“I’m just overly polite,” she said. “Whenever I accidentally break into someone’s house I try to be nice to them. Stops me getting in too much trouble.”
“So this is a regular occurrence, is it?” he said. “Are you some sort of high-end squatter?”
“My secret’s out,” she said, chuckling.
Conor returned then, with a face like thunder. “He’s so annoying,” he grumbled, putting burgers on the barbecue. “He gave me a lecture about being punctual. I don’t know why. I haven’t been late to work once. I can’t wait until I’m finished there. Just a few more weeks, and then I get my freedom back.”
“So you’re not going to pursue a career in law?” Elizabeth asked.
“God, no,” Conor said. “I’ve got a bar job lined up and I’ll figure out what I do after that. I want to do something fun.”