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“This is fun.”
“For you. For me it’s an exercise in self-control and sexual frustration. When we’ve delivered Kathleen and found out what she wants to do, I thought we could take a drive down Highway One. I’ll show you California. The Big Sur. Monterey. Cliffs. Redwood forest.”
Her heart flew. She felt as if she’d won the lottery. “Don’t you have to get back to work?”
“I should. And if you say no, it’s true that I’ll probably revert to my old workaholic ways.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“It’s negotiation.”
“And what excuse will you give to your boss for not going back?”
“I’ll tell him I met a girl...” He scooped her up so that she was lying on top of him, and smoothed his hands down her back. “So what do you say? Do you have to get back?”
To what? She needed to make a plan, but that could wait. It could all wait.
“Well, I feel a certain responsibility for making sure you don’t slip back into your old, serious ways—so yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Totally.”
She’d never been more certain of a decision in her life.
22
LIZA
Sean sprinted across the sand to Liza, dripping with water from a final early morning swim. “Invigorating.” Shivering, he reached for a towel. “Despite all the exciting things that lie ahead, I confess I don’t want to leave. I’d forgotten how much I love it here. When we come we don’t use the time for relaxation. It’s always about doing jobs.”
Liza felt a twinge of guilt. “That’s my fault. I always prioritize other things over having fun. That’s going to change, I promise. Fun is going to be at the top from now on.”
“For both of us.” He sprawled down next to her on the picnic blanket, droplets of water clinging to his leg. “It’s so easy to get into a routine, and never question an alternative. I’m picturing what life could be like if we lived here. I’d finish work and instead of sitting in commuter traffic and getting home late and tired, we’d go for an evening swim. In the winter we’d take wild, blowy walks on an empty beach and grab something to eat at the Tide Shack.”
They’d talked about it, but was he really considering it?
“You have a thriving business. In London.”
“Mmm. The way I see it, there are two options. One is for me to keep that business as it is and commute from here a few days a week. Delegate more.”
“You’d be on the road the whole time and pulled between two places.”
“I could make it work. I’d go up to London Monday night and be there Tuesday through to Thursday night or something.”
She reached out and swept droplets of water from his cheek with her thumb. “Then we’d have to keep the London house and we can’t afford both.”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. “You’re putting up obstacles.”
“I’m being practical. That’s what I do.”
“Well, don’t do what you do.” He sat up. “Alternatively, I talk to my partners and explore the idea of opening an office down here, focusing on coastal properties. Plenty of people want to reimagine the space they’re living in and I’m good at that side of things.”
She thought about how he’d transformed their small terraced house in London into a light-filled space. “Yes, you are.”
“I’d still have to do the occasional trip to London, but the bulk of my work would be here.”
She thought about what her life could be like living here. She’d have the beach. She’d be able to focus more on her art. She’d be able to see more of her mother, and also Angie.
