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“If he wasn’t up to the job, I’d have heard about it from Kevin. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll meet him soon. He lives in the house just outside the gates. I think his granddaughter lives there with him. She certainly used to.”
“Daisy. She seems like a good worker.”
“Kevin only ever has good things to say about her and she always seems to be working hard when I visit. But then they all do.”
Allie nodded. “Apart from a couple of minor issues, I suspect this is one of the most efficiently run clubs in the country that you’ve sent me to spy on.”
“In which case, you just get a holiday.”
The wind rushed through Allie’s hair, and she turned to brush the strands from her face while she wrapped up the call and told her dad she’d speak to him again soon.
She’d just pushed her phone into her pocket when a low voice said “hello”, startling her. Her hand shot to her chest and she yelped at the figure, who seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
“Sorry.” Hugh held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you doing creeping up on me?” she asked, her tone not overly polite. “How long have you been standing there?” She tried to think of the last things she’d been saying to her dad, contemplating what he might have overheard.
“Oh, no … I haven’t … I mean I wasn’t …” His cheeks pinked as he stammered. “I just walked up to you. I wasn’t loitering or anything.”
She took a deep breath. “I didn’t hear you coming.”
“That’s the trouble with sand.” His lips pulled into an awkward smile. “I really wasn’t trying to creep up on you.”
Allie relaxed as her heart rate began to settle. “Your daughter seems very sweet.”
“Yeah. She is.” He twisted his lips and glanced along the beach. “I was wondering if you want to go out for a drink sometime?”
Completely taken aback, it took Allie a moment to register what he’d said. She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again when no words came. “A drink?” she finally managed.
“Yeah.”
For a simple question, she was really struggling with it. “Like a date?” Surely he wasn’t asking her on a date when she’d witnessed him crash and burn on his last date.
“Maybe.” Uncertainty wrinkled his brow. “I thought since you’re new around here and you probably don’t know many people …” He winced and shook his head. “Not just that. I enjoyed talking to you the other night … so I thought it would be nice to hang out again. As a date, or as friends … whatever you’d prefer.”
“I just moved here,” she said. “I’m really not looking to date anyone.” There wasn’t any point since she wasn’t intending to be there for long, but even if she was planning on hanging around, Hugh wasn’t her type. Though given her dating history, perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
“Just a drink then?” His voice was tinged with a combination of desperation and hope that was entirely unappealing. “I’m not suggesting a meal or anything crazy like that,” he added lightly. “I’ve learned my lesson there.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Okay,” she said, deciding it couldn’t do much harm. Especially given that all she had on her agenda was a few shifts at the restaurant. Having something on her social calendar wasn’t the worst thing. As long as she was clear about her expectations. “A drink. As friends. That’s all.”
“Great. When are you free?”
“I have nothing planned for this evening …”
He looked vaguely thoughtful before he nodded. “Tonight’s good.”
“What’s the Anchor Inn like?” She tipped her head towards the local pub. It had tempted her when she passed earlier, but she hadn’t been keen to sit alone.
“It’s nice. The staff are friendly and there’s a good vibe.”
“How about I meet you there at 8pm?”
Laughter lines appeared around his eyes when he smiled, making Allie briefly wonder how old he was. “Perfect.”
As she said goodbye and walked away, she hoped she’d made it clear it wasn’t a date.
She didn’t have space in her life for romantic entanglements. Not even a holiday romance.
