Page 84 of The Seaside Supper Club

The late-August sky was now deepening, with trails of mauves and peach, gold and orange, settling in molten layers against a backdrop of dusky-ultramarine blue. Smells of salt and a hint of seaweed drifted on the fresh coastal air. Cath and Will had strolled down to the beach to take in the view just as the sun was about to set, armed with creamy hot chocolates – laced with a tipple of Baileys for good measure; they were celebrating after all.

Back on the sands, nestled together on their blanket, they chinked mugs.

‘Cheers!’ said Will.

‘Cheers. To good health,’ replied Cath.

‘And happiness,’ he added.

‘Absolutely.’ And she could feel that happiness running through her veins like warm Northumberland honey.

‘And, Cath …’ He turned, his dark-hazel eyes now set on hers. ‘Thanks for everything … for being there with me every step of the way. It’s been a rough road these past months.’

‘Oh, Will, I was so very glad to help, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.’

‘Perhaps we could have cut out the grumpy bastard bit,’ he added wryly.

‘Yeah, definitely.’ Cath raised a smile. Being able to joke about it together, made them feel like the team they were.

He took her free hand. ‘Will you stay … be with me … a bit longer? I don’t want to go back down that lonely road again. Oh dammit, I’m not saying this very well. What I mean is that I love you, Cath … and I want us to have a future together.’

‘I think you said that perfectly, actually.’ She grinned. ‘And, I love you too. I’d love to start a new road, and a new journey with you. Side by side.’

Epilogue

The sound of a cork popping echoed along the beach. The Prosecco they’d kept from the Tilldale Afternoon Tea had been nicely chilled in the new fridge – whoop! – that Nikki’s Kev had installed at the beach hut last week, after having fitted a solar panel on the roof to provide electricity.

It was early evening, the week after Cath and Will’s – rather sensual and a touch spicy as it turned out – sleepover by the sea, and the beach had virtually emptied.

Nikki and Lily held several glasses aloft, and Cath shared the bottle between them. The group were soon sipping the refreshingly decadent pale-gold liquid, the bubbles fizzing in their mouths.

‘Delicious,’ said Nikki.

‘Cheers,’ said Lily.

‘Cheers,’ echoed Cath.

‘Good health, everyone,’ added Kev.

‘Abso-bloody-lutely,’ Will responded giving a thumbs up.

‘Well then, before we have too much of this, I reckon we should take a dip,’ suggested Dan.

‘Whey-hay, time for some wild swimming.’ Andreas was tearing off his T-shirt as he spoke.

‘Yay, let’s take a swim in the sea!’ Lily was up for it.

‘Come on, folks,’ Dan encouraged. ‘All for one and one for all.’

Andreas’s shorts were now off. He was showing a rather toned chest and was down to his fitted Y-fronts. It wasn’t a bad sight at all, his abs weren’t that far off those of his village stores’ apron, but, oh my … his hands were reaching for the waistband.

‘Hang on, what are you proposing here?’ asked Cath, at the risk of sounding prudish.

‘Let’s let it all hang out, why not. We’re all friends. There’s no one else around,’ he suggested flamboyantly, after scanning the beach.

‘Woah.’ Nikki was putting on the brakes, too. ‘I’m up for a swim but honestly, we don’t need to see you naked, hun.’

‘True, I have enough of that at home,’ added Dan wryly.