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“I look forward to it.” She gave him her mobile phone number and waved goodbye. He promised to send her the address, and they agreed to meet at eight a.m. It was Saturday, so he didn’t have to be at school.
As he walked back to join his students, her heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t a date—they were two adults, old friends who wanted to catch up. There was nothing more to it than that. She really needed to stop reading romance novels. Nothing ever worked out so perfectly in real life. Her own marriage was evidence enough of that.
Eight
The next daystarted much the same way as the previous one had. Bea took a walk on the beach, but this time with Fudge, who’d made the trip to the island in his usual happy style. He’d sniffed out every single corner of the house and had run up and down the beach until he was utterly exhausted.
This time, there was no sign of Aidan, but there were a few swimmers in wetsuits doing freestyle along the shoreline. The waves on Coral Island never got much bigger than thigh height, and most of the time were knee height since all the Whitsunday Islands were protected by the Great Barrier Reef. Which meant surfing wasn’t a sport that flourished on the island.
The lack of waves, plus the presence of deadly jellyfish for much of the year and the proliferation of reef sharks, was enough to dissuade even the most enthusiastic surfer. The mainland also had to contend with saltwater crocodiles, which thankfully weren’t a problem on the island. The waters of northern Queensland had plenty of dangers to keep residents and tourists on their toes.
While Dad and Dani ate breakfast, Bea borrowed her father’s old station wagon again and set up the GPS on her phone, then drove to Point Prospect. Butterflies buzzed in her stomach as the car inched along the road Aidan had given her as his address. It was silly to be nervous over seeing an old friend. Still, she was curious to know why he’d asked her over for coffee. Perhaps he was being friendly—neighbourly, even. After all, she had gone on and on about her coffee obsession.
She’d had a headache two days in a row and was looking forward to drinking a real espresso, maybe even a lah-tey. She chuckled at the memory of the exchange in the café the day before as she parked her car on the opposite side of the road to Aidan’s mailbox.
His house was beachfront, located down a driveway that sloped away from the road to the right. She followed the drive and found a stylish and modern house built from aged timber with several different levels and artistically placed windows at the end of the drive. The house was surrounded by coastal gums, hibiscus trees, native orchids and various types of seagrass.
The entire garden was brand new, complete with perfectly white and round stones in the bed. There were no curtains or blinds on any of the windows. The sunlight shone right through and into the bare, white-walled house. The external walls were painted grey, and the roof was a charcoal corrugated iron. Bea smoothed down her skirt with both hands, drew a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
Aidan answered the door in a pair of board shorts, a long-sleeved cotton top, and with freshly washed hair, still slightly damp. He kissed her cheek and ushered her into the house.
“Welcome, come on in. What do you think?”
“It’s amazing. I love everything about it. And look at that view!” She walked to the back of the house, where a kitchen and dining area led out to an enormous deck with a perfect view of the beach.
“I bought the land just for the view,” he said, following her onto the deck. “I’ve wanted to live somewhere I could hear the ocean from my living room ever since I left home and moved to the city. I spent over twenty years listening to traffic instead of waves. And now I can hear the ocean all the time.”
“I’m completely jealous,” she said, leaning on the railing to stare out over the sparkling waters and golden sand.
“I don’t know—your dad’s place is pretty fantastic. There’s nowhere else on the island like it.”
“True, but it’s not mine. It’s his.”
“Will you get something of your own?”
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Once Dani and I renovate the old cottage, maybe she’ll live there, maybe I will, maybe we’ll both stay there together. It’s hard to say. She’s going through a bit of a life crisis, trying to figure out what she wants to do with herself. And I’m going through a divorce.”
He leaned next to her, his forearms on the porch railing. “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know you were having marriage problems.”
“It’s recent,” she admitted. “He met someone else. They’re engaged and have a baby. And I don’t fit into the picture anymore.” Saying the words that way made her heart feel heavy. Sadness ached in her throat.
“He’s an idiot.”
“I won’t argue with that.” She laughed.
“How about some coffee?”
She sighed. “That would be perfect.”
They chatted while Aidan prepared the coffee. The coffee maker, cups and spoons were the only things set up in the brand-new kitchen. It sported grey marble bench tops, white cabinets and a large rectangular window that looked out across the sand dunes above a round natural timber table. The floor was light caramel-coloured timber that blended beautifully with the coastal style of the house.
They carried their mugs onto the porch and sat side by side looking out over the ocean. They talked about their hopes and dreams, families and favourite travel destinations. The conversation was easy and comfortable. It brought everything back in a rush of memories, emotions and affection all wrapped up as one.
Bea recalled why she’d fallen for him all those years ago. There was a spark of chemistry between them that was difficult to ignore. And even though talking had always been something the two of them had no trouble with, she’d wondered if the physical connection would still be there. She couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d grown into a very handsome man.
He was fit and strong, tanned and tall. She was pale and a little dumpy. Her fitness came and went depending on the season and how motivated she felt. Lately, she’d done nothing more than take walks in the morning, and not every day. She felt very much like a middle-aged mum, while he was a glamorous former footballer.
The discrepancies between their life experience were a chasm she couldn’t push aside. He wasn’t interested in her as anything more than an old friend. He wanted to catch up, and she was glad. She’d missed him and all of her friends on the island.
