The Secret Cove in Croatia

by Julie Caplin

  She completed a couple of aimless circuits of the piazza before she found herself in the little park just by the harbour and sat down beneath one of the palm trees. Opposite her on another bench were two women with toddlers running back and forth along the path and on a nearby seat a backpacker, her rucksack propped against her legs, held a FaceTime conversation on her phone. Maddie had never felt so alone in her life. She picked up her phone. Nina. Her mum. Her sister. She couldn’t phone any of them. Her fingers strayed to Instagram. Unable to help herself, she gave into morbid curiosity and searched for Tara’s feed.

  #Engagementjoy #Justgotengaged #Foundtheone

  Maddie stared at the picture. Tara’s shining eyes gazing up at Nick’s, her mouth parted. It felt as if a hand was squeezing her heart. The pressure in her chest hurt so much it was hard to breathe.

  Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. How on earth could she have possibly believed that Nick would choose her over Tara? Look at the woman, for God’s sake. It was pitiful.

  Needing the cold facts to drum some sense into her, she clicked on a link to one of the newspaper websites and another bigger picture of Tara and Nick.

  Tara Lloyd-Jones, twenty-seven has bagged her very own man of mystery, Nick Hadley, who, it’s rumoured, is in the running for the next Bond film. Tara commented, ‘We’re thrilled to announce our engagement. It’s been a whirlwind romance but I knew straight away Nick was the man for me. I hope that people will leave us alone to enjoy the rest of our holiday cruising on the Dalmatian coast.’

  Maddie looked around, goose bumps covering her arms. She’d lost track of how long she’d been here. The mums had scooped up the toddlers and were long gone and the FaceTime girl had shouldered up her backpack and trudged away towards the piazza, where the crowds had thinned and lights were beginning to wink out.

  Wearily she rose to her feet, walking with slow reluctant steps along the front. She had nowhere else to go. The normally busy promenade was quiet now and there’d been a new arrival, a huge gin palace of a boat. As Maddie neared she saw the name. Never Say Never Again.

  A small sad smile lifted her mouth. Bill was in town. Cory and Tara would be besides themselves. She scanned the boat for signs of life but the yacht was closed down tight for the night. Not a single chink of light showed anywhere. Maybe they’d all decamped to some posh party somewhere or a private villa.

  With relief she pushed open the door to her cabin, having made it back on board without seeing anyone.

  As she walked in, someone stood up from where they’d been sitting on her bed.

  ‘Holy shit!’ She froze in the doorway but Nick stepped forward, pulled her in and shut the door behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

  ‘What are you doing in here?’ she snarled, wrenching herself free. Shit, she couldn’t do this. If he touched her again she might break and she had her pride. She was not going to let him see what he’d done to her.

  ‘Maddie –’ his eyes were confused and so they damn well should be ‘– this is all a terrible mess and it’s not what it seems at all.’

  ‘Just go,’ she said, terrified she was going to cry in front of him.

  ‘I can’t. I need to explain.’

  He’d chosen Tara; what was there to explain? ‘Don’t worry. I get it and I really don’t want to talk to you.’

  He stepped towards her, putting out his hands.

  She put her arms up so that he missed her. ‘Don’t touch me,’ she ground out through her gritted teeth.

  ‘Maddie, this is all a mistake. I can explain.’ He raked his fingers through his hair, which stuck up in tufts as if he’d been doing that non-stop, and she had to admit the purple shadows under each eye were back. But then guilt did that to a man.

  ‘Oh, dear lord, have you any idea how clichéd that sounds,’ she sniffed with contempt or what she hoped conveyed contempt, giving him the evil eye. ‘Look, you don’t have to explain. We had a few days’ fun. You were on the rebound. We’re consenting adults. You realised you’d made a mistake.’

  ‘That’s rubbish and you know it.’ Nick’s face flushed with dull anger.

  ‘Oh, come on, Nick. You said yourself, you want to live a little. Experience life. You came back, saw her and realised that she’s the better bet. Her or dull old Maddie? Not exactly a difficult choice.’

  ‘What?’ Nick’s eyes flashed and he took a step back. A small part of her relished the feeling of scoring a direct hit. ‘That’s what you think of me? That I’m so shallow? Really? You think that I would sleep with one person one day and go off with another the next?’

  ‘Er, hello,’ she said with hollow triumph that tasted bitter on her tongue. ‘Isn’t that what you did? Bye-bye, Tara. Hello, Maddie.’

  He flinched and she clenched her hands to stop the natural instinct to reach out towards him. Instead she let her anger and disappointment take hold, enjoying the rush of adrenaline pouring through, a welcome relief to the hollow emptiness. ‘Didn’t take much to move onto me when she left the boat, did it?

  ‘So yeah. I think you’re shallow. Pretty much.’ She felt sick as she said the words, with the realisation that that was exactly how it had been. She’d been hoping she was wrong but … it was everything she’d feared. No sooner had Tara gone … he’d suddenly been interested in her. It hurt. Really hurt. More than she could have imagined it would. She threw up her head and with a sneering glare added, ‘And, to be honest, it suited me. I fancied you. Fancied a shag. A holiday fling.’ Tossing the words at him like vicious pebbles, she ran a contemptuous look down his body. ‘You’re quite hot.’ She shrugged. ‘Who wouldn’t?’

  A red flush darkened his cheekbones and she watched his Adam’s apple bob several times.

  ‘Is that really what you think of me?’ he asked, his voice so low she had to strain to hear it.

  The lump stuck in her throat was impossible to swallow. He deserved this. He’d hurt her; he deserved to hurt back. She nodded.

  Nick’s face was expressionless as he turned and walked out without saying another word.

  She waited until the door closed behind him and burst into tears.

  Chapter 30

  Her gritty, swollen eyes were probably going to be an asset, thought Maddie as she approached the Never Say Never Again, her footsteps slow and heavy with reluctance. She hated asking for help but she couldn’t think of another option. It was only six o’clock but she could already see signs of life. Her eyes might score an early morning sympathy vote and, let’s face it, she didn’t have much to lose.

  She was exhausted. That was what not sleeping all night did for you. She’d tossed and turned until, at four-thirty, she’d officially declared insomnia the winner and packed some of her things.

  Now, with the air of an abandoned orphan, she stood looking up at the top deck, her suitcase in one hand. Creeping nervously out of the Avanturista, she’d felt like a grubby thief but it had been a massive relief that no one had spotted her.

  ‘Hey, Maddie, what are you doing up at this godforsaken hour?’ Max, looking as handsome as ever, grinned at her, lurking down on the jetty.

  ‘Hi. I don’t suppose Bill is up yet?’

  ‘You’re in luck; he’s on the top deck having breakfast.’

  Maddie twisted her fingers together, taking in a hurried now-or-never breath. ‘W-would you mind asking if I could … er … erm … speak to him for a minute?’

  Max’s gentle face stilled and he gave her a cautious smile. ‘Come on board. Bring your case.’

  He waited for her as she climbed the stairs to reach where he was standing and he pushed his mop aside. ‘You in trouble or something?’

  ‘Or something.’ Maddie gave him a bleak look. It went against the grain asking for help but she didn’t know where to turn. There wasn’t a flight home for several days and this was a huge boat; there must be some work she could do. Perhaps give one of the other crew a bit of a break.

  ‘I’m hoping Bill might give me a job for a couple of days.’ She just
needed a breathing space.

  He shot her a sympathetic look as he led her up towards the top deck. A split second of déjà vu assailed Maddie, except this time there was no Nick to make her feel slightly less intimidated by the wealth on display. With him at her side she hadn’t felt like Little Orphan Annie.

  Maddie didn’t have the courage to phone Ivan; instead she sent him a text, explaining that, due to personal circumstances, she needed a couple of days off but that she’d be back in time for them to take the boat back to Split. His response brought a watery smile before she flopped back onto the plush stateroom bed.

  Siri and Douglas have explained the situation. Take the time you need. See you on Wednesday. Want me to punch him for you? Just to let you know, we’ll be leaving the mooring tomorrow. We’ll be anchored ten minutes out at the Pakleni islands. Otok Jerolim. In the bay facing Hvar, any water taxi will find us. Ivan.

  She stared around the luxurious room, deliberately blocking the memory of being here with Nick. Instead she replayed her conversation with Bill over breakfast earlier that day.

  He’d been his usual blunt self, after insisting she had breakfast with him, and she had to admit she’d got quite a taste for Eggs Benedict, although after this week she might never have them again. Real life was looming.

  ‘You can stay as long as you like. I’m getting free labour. I need more storyboards.’

  ‘I only need a couple of days until my flight home. As I said, things got a bit uncomfortable on the boat and I need some breathing space.’ When she’d asked if she might work for him for a few days, he’d calmly accepted her story that there’d been a personal dispute on board that was making it difficult for her to stay. If it had come to it, she would have explained that she’d fallen in love with a guest, but she was grateful that Bill had been more interested in acquiring her drawing skills than why she was there.

  ‘Not a problem. You can have the cabin you had last time.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got anything smaller?’ ventured Maddie. ‘I don’t want to be a guest.’

  Bill roared with laughter. ‘If I had Benson here, he’d be in a stateroom with champagne on tap and I’d be paying him. If you want to stay, you’re a guest.’ His eyes brightened. ‘But don’t worry; I’ll work you hard. And we’ve got a party coming up; it’ll be all hands to the deck that night. Glo’s been detained on the mainland, she’s shopping, so I’ll need some help sorting the last-minute party stuff out. You can be my PA on that one.’

  As she lay back on the plus bed in the stateroom, her tired eyes drooping, her phone beeped again.

  You OK? Atmosphere here is toxic. If I didn’t want to abandon Douglas, I’d ask to join you. Let me know you’re safe. Not been press-ganged into the Croatian Navy or run off with a millionaire. Siri xxx

  At least Siri knew that Douglas was hers. She bet that there was a fair amount of sneaking down the corridor to his new room after dark. Her stomach clenched, remembering Nick sitting waiting for her on her bed last night, and she pressed her fingertips onto her forehead, the harsh words she’d thrown at him haunting her. Why hadn’t she let him explain? But what could he possibly say? He’d made a mistake and realised that Tara was the one for him, after all? The thought of him saying the words out loud made her wince. He was so stupid. Nearly as stupid as she was for falling in love with the great oaf. He was stupid for allowing himself to be manipulated by Tara and going back to her. Why couldn’t he see that the only person Tara would ever love was herself?

  And she was even more stupid for believing that he’d ever have chosen her over Tara.

  Giving into the headache pressing at her temples, she closed her eyes and curled up in a ball, clutching her knees as if that might keep the rest of the world at bay.

  ‘Bill, I’m supposed to be working for you,’ protested Maddie several hours later, with a determined brave face.

  ‘Aaron and Max work for me; they’re coming too.’

  ‘They are also related to you,’ she pointed out.

  Bill waved a hand as if he were swatting a bee. ‘You have to eat; I’d be paying for it either way. Boys, you ready?’

  Max and Aaron, in their matching polo shirts and chinos, grinned at Maddie.

  ‘He always gets his way,’ said Aaron, taking her arm. ‘You might as well cave now. I’m starving and I don’t want to be hanging around waiting for you dudes to duke it out.’

  ‘Besides, it’ll do my reputation no harm being seen with a beautiful young lady.’

  Maddie snorted. ‘You’re scraping the barrel here, mate.’ She pressed at the bags under her eyes and pushed her tangled curls away from her face.

  Bill stared at her. ‘Maddie, I see plenty of beautiful women on a daily basis. Hell, I’m surrounded by them, hounded by them, and I’m telling you, from a man who knows, you’ve got it all going on. Looks, brains and charm. All the assets you need.

  ‘Now are we going or not?’

  Maddie gave a shrug, grateful that she’d chosen to put on Siri’s shift dress this morning, determined to leave with her head held high if she’d bumped into anyone, and fell into step alongside Aaron as Max and Bill walked ahead, stopping frequently to assess the other boats on the front. She looked fixedly forward, not looking around at anyone in case she spotted anyone from the Avanturista, and was grateful when they finally arrived at a restaurant tucked away in one of the side alleys.

  Oh, dear God, no! Maddie bit back a groan as she smiled at the waitress taking her order. There at the entrance of the restaurant were Cory and Tara, nudging each other and whispering. She ducked her head. They’d recognised Bill, but thankfully hadn’t spotted her – yet. The two of them began to talk with extra-loud voices, lots of animation and a considerable amount of posing.

  And then, just at exactly the wrong moment, Maddie looked up. Cory stared before mouthing Oh my God and then frantically tugging at Tara’s shirt. Their shocked faces were a classic cartoon moment as they looked from Bill to her and back to Bill. It took all of ten seconds for the two of them to capitalise on the heaven-sent opportunity.

  Maddie might have found it amusing if she hadn’t caught sight of Nick’s grim face, his mouth one tight slash across his face. Her stomach tightened and she swallowed hard. His eyes bored into hers but she wasn’t going to look at him. Instead she glanced at Douglas, who gave her a brief nod, a touch of concern obvious in his kind eyes, while Siri flashed her a broad smile, clearly amused by the two models’ dilemma.

  ‘Maddie,’ gushed Tara, coming straight over to their table, ploughing through the other diners without a care. ‘Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?’

  Knowing that Bill was more than able to handle himself, she allowed herself a small inward smile.

  ‘Bill,’ she said gravely, although her eyes danced with amusement, ‘let me introduce you to Tara and Cory. They’re models, you know.’

  Bill’s eyes twinkled as they met hers. ‘I guessed that. And how do you know Maddie?’ he asked, all joviality.

  Tara tossed her beautiful hair over her shoulder, ‘Well, she’s been crewing for us but, to be honest … well, she’s more of a friend. You know what it’s like, living in close proximity on a yacht. You all get to know each other terribly well and all pitch in, don’t you?’

  Maddie turned her snort into a cough, catching Max’s eye, and he had to turn away. He’d obviously recognised Tara’s hair and knew exactly who she was.

  ‘Well, that’s just dandy. I’m really grateful that you’ve been able to spare Maddie while she works on a little project for me.’

  Tara shot her a suspicious glance and Maddie amazed herself by managing to adopt a pleasant bland expression.

  ‘Of course we can spare you,’ Tara said as if dispensing great largesse, before adding, ‘Perhaps you could do with some more help too.’

  Cory let out a small outraged gasp and nudged Tara sharply in the ribs.

  Bill knitted his brows together, as if giving it great thought,
but Maddie could see he was amusing himself at Tara’s expense.

  ‘Hmm, thing is … well –’ he turned his head left and right, as if checking for unseen spies ‘– I’m working on a new film.’ He tapped his nose in a hackneyed gesture that almost had Maddie snorting again. ‘Hush-hush. Maddie’s one of my trusted circle.’

  Tara’s eyes almost popped out of her head.

  ‘And … er … um, how do you know Maddie?’

  Bill beamed and then, as if he hadn’t seen Nick all along, suddenly turned his head. ‘Nick. How are you?’ Maddie winced, remembering that Nick had told Bill he was her boyfriend.

  ‘Fine,’ said Nick with a curt nod, not making any attempt to butter up Bill. His eyes were still narrowed on Maddie, which of course Bill hadn’t missed. Maddie knew she was going to have to do some explaining.

  Tara’s head whipped around to look at Nick so fast she could have given herself whiplash. ‘You know him?’ she snapped.

  Nick shrugged.

  Douglas stepped forward and held out a hand to Bill. ‘I’m Douglas, I chartered the boat and Maddie’s been a real asset.’ He winked at her. ‘She’s worked jolly hard looking after us; she deserves some time off.’

  Bill beamed at Douglas, clearly liking what he saw.

  ‘Nice to meet you all.’ There was an awkward, what-happens-next? moment as the group loitered and it was obvious that neither Tara nor Cory had any intention of moving. Bill, not the least bit fazed by it, gave a surreptitious wink to Aaron, Max and Maddie.

  ‘I’m throwing a party; why don’t you guys pop along? Cocktails on deck from six tomorrow evening. The Never Say Never Again. I’ll get Maddie to add your names to the guest list.’

  Maddie saw Tara clasp her hands together and Cory do a funny little shudder.

  She watched as Bill said with deliberate mischievous casualness, ‘I’m hoping Barbara will pop by.’