AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Patch things up, with Bad Granny? Mum told me they fell out over Dad’s will. I found a letter from her saying as much when I packed up Mum’s house. I wonder if the Jersey family convinced themselves Mum and Dad were never married, so they could rationalise cutting Mum off.
‘I’ve got your number now – you wrote it in the card – we’ll make a plan for Sunday,’ Monica shouts as she reverses down the drive. ‘I’ll make us a Swiss log, everyone likes Swiss log – except for psychopaths. You’re not a psychopath, are you, Laura?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Excellent.’
Then the green Škoda, hedgehog stickers lining the rear window, shoots off up the road. The whole encounter leaves me feeling completely bemused. I don’t know what I’d expected Aunt Monica to be like, what I’d expected her to say, but it wasn’t that. I’m not having much success on any fronts today. There’s still no word from J. Le Maistre, and Maude hasn’t called me back.
I check my phone again, hopeful for a message, but the screen is blank, the battery gone. Oh no, what if they’ve tried to call? My watch says it’s five past two – and I realise I’m now late to meet Ted. Running back down the road to the car park, I see his cab, but he’s not inside. I rush down to the Plémont beach café, looking to see if he’s waiting for me, but there’s no sign of him. Maybe he nipped to the loo, he can’t have gone far. While I’m waiting for him to appear, I walk around the café to the top of the steep steps that lead down onto the beach. The stairs look as though they’ve been rebuilt many times over the years, a constant battle to stave off the destructive power of the sea. I can see why Ted warned me about the tides now – the waves are lapping against the bottom of the steps and they are the only way off this beach.
As I’m watching the shallow water dance against the rocks, a figure emerges from the sea and strides up the small strip of sand that’s still accessible. As I blink in confusion at what this sea creature might be, I realise it is a fully dressed Ted. What on earth? Has he gone for a spontaneous swim in his clothes? He looks like some kind of plane crash survivor, with his wild hair and wet clothes clinging to him, his dark blue jeans and maroon T-shirt slick against his body. He looks up and sees me at the top of the steps, and I wave – his face looks relieved to see me and then furious.
‘Where have you been?’ he shouts up to me.
‘Here! Sorry, I got caught up visiting my great-aunt,’ I yell back down.
He charges up the rest of the stairs and is breathing heavily by the time he gets to me.
‘I was worried you’d stayed too long in the cave – that you’d got stuck,’ he says, glaring down at me.
I slap a hand over my mouth.
‘Oh no, you didn’t go in the sea looking for me?’
‘I thought you might have hurt yourself, or you couldn’t get back.’
He closes his eyes. I’m touched he was so concerned about me, but I was only fifteen minutes late – it feels like a slight overreaction.
‘I didn’t even make it to the cave in the end.’
‘And I tried calling you.’
‘My phone died. Ted, I—’ I can’t help laughing. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t get over the image of him leaping in the sea to look for me like some kind of primordial David Hasselhoff.
When he sees me laughing, he charges past me, back to the car, and I hurry after him. ‘Ted, I’m sorry, but I was only fifteen minutes late. I didn’t know you’d launch a one-man, fully clothed rescue mission.’
He doesn’t turn around until we get to the car. Wordlessly, he opens the boot and pulls off his sopping wet shirt. I can’t help but look at his bare chest as he wraps a towel around himself – he has an incredible physique for a middle-aged man. He’s got these defined pectoral muscles and a slim, toned stomach, tanned with a light smattering of brown hair. He catches me looking at his body, and I quickly avert my eyes. I was only staring because I’m surprised he looks like that – I didn’t have Beardy McCastaway down as the gym bod type.
‘You don’t mess around with the tides here, Laura,’ Ted says tersely. ‘People get into trouble on this beach all the time. You have to respect the sea.’
‘I do, I do respect the sea,’ I say, composing my face. ‘Do you want to borrow some dry clothes from the suitcase?’
‘I do not want to wear your stolen clothes. Besides, you seem to be wearing half of them already.’ His voice is now a quiet growl.
He walks around to the driver’s seat, takes the towel from around his shoulders, and folds it into a square to sit on. Now he’s sitting there topless, his hair still dripping wet and his jeans clinging tightly to his firm thigh muscles.
‘I’ll need to go back to my place to get some clothes.’
‘Is your dad alright?’ I ask gently, willing him not to be cross with me.
He blinks his eyes closed, exhaling slowly.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m sorry that I was late, Ted.’
‘It’s fine. You just have no idea how fast the tide comes in here – I wouldn’t want to be responsible for anything happening to you.’ His voice has a serious, earnest quality.
‘I really appreciate you looking out for me,’ I say, reaching out to touch his arm. His skin is surprisingly warm considering he’s been in the cold water. He looks down at my fingers, and I take back my hand – conscious the gesture feels overly familiar when the man is sitting there half-naked. My eyes drop to his hand, to his wedding ring.
‘Your wife will be wondering why you’re flinging yourself in the sea after strange women.’ I say it with wide eyes. I mean it as a joke, something to break the tension, but Ted doesn’t smile.
‘No, she won’t,’ he says flatly. I feel stupid then, as though I’ve implied there’s something between us and he’s telling me, in no uncertain terms, that there is not.
