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“Can I have an ice cream?” Ellie asked, tugging on Beth’s arm.
“Maybe. If you’re good while we do the shopping.”
“Can we go on the train?”
“No, we have to go shopping. Besides, the train will already have left.” She’d timed it that way, since she was now slightly embarrassed by how often they’d been on the train. “Look! Here it comes. We can wave!”
“Maybe Kit will stop and let us on,” Ellie suggested excitedly.
“He can’t do that. And we have to go shopping, remember?”
“But I want to go on the train.” As she waved at Kit, she hopped up and down in excitement.
“Just a quick stop here,” Kit announced to the passengers as he slowed the train. He pulled his headset off so he was no longer broadcasting. “Do you want to hop on?” He leaned over and opened the door, then patted the seat beside him.
“We were just on our way to the supermarket …” Beth trailed off as Ellie climbed aboard. Maybe they were going for a ride after all, since she’d now have to deal with a massive tantrum in front of a train full of people if they didn’t.
“I can take the little lady, if you want?” Kit said. “That way you can do your shopping in peace.”
“Oh, thank you, but it’s fine. You need to concentrate. She’d be in your way.”
“No, she won’t.” He grinned at Ellie. “We don’t need Mummy, do we?”
“No.”
“See you back at the beach in an hour?” Kit said, leaning across Ellie to close the door while Beth did an impressive imitation of a goldfish.
“Are you sure?” she asked, to which Kit replied with a smile and a nod. The train was already setting off again, and Ellie leaned out to wave enthusiastically until Kit pulled her back onto the seat.
“We’ll see you later!” he called out.
“Thank you …” It took Beth a couple of minutes to process what had just happened, and the fact that she had an hour to herself. When she came to her senses, she realised she was wasting precious time. She had one hour and there was no way she was going shopping.
* * *
When Beth stood at the little train stop by Porthcressa Beach an hour later she felt utterly refreshed. She pulled out her phone to message Dee and gush about her surprise hour alone, then remembered she had Trystan’s number and opened a messaging chat with him instead.
I think I might be a little bit in love with your brother,she typed out quickly and pressed send. As she read the message back she slapped a hand over her mouth. Surely he’d read it as a joke. In her head it had been very jokey, but written down the humour could be missed. The ticks turned blue to say the message had been read and she held her breath as dots ran across the screen to show he was writing a reply.
Which brother?he asked.
She smiled as she tapped on the phone.Kit.
Fair enough,he replied immediately.He has youth on his side.
Her phone rang a second later and she answered the call from Trystan with a wide smile on her face.
“I feel as though I should warn you that this is a very gossipy island,” he said without preamble. “There’ll be whispers about the age difference between you and Kit. You do realise you’re old enough to be—”
“Stop! Please don’t say it. Oh my god. You’re right, though. I’m ancient.”
She could hear the amusement in his voice. “What’s Kit done to win your affections?”
“He took Ellie on the train. Without me! I’ve had an hour to myself and it was absolute bliss.”
“What did you do with your hour to yourself?”
“I sat in a cafe and drank a coffee and ate cake without having to share it. I watched the world go by and didn’t have to answer incessant questions. I just sat in peace and did nothing.”
