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“So it really wasn’t an excuse,” she said, reaching the end of the long message. “And she wants to see you again.”
“Yeah.” Hugh took the phone back. “How do I reply to that?”
Allie spat out a laugh. “Really? You’re on a date with me, asking how you should respond to another woman who wants to date you?”
He winced. “Obviously I’ll tell her I can’t see her … I was just wondering how exactly I would do that, but I also wasn’t asking your advice, just thinking aloud.”
“You’re not interested in seeing her again?” Allie chastised herself for being so insecure. They’d been on a few dates, that was all. The thought of him going out with Rebecca again really shouldn’t affect her so much.
“No.” Hugh tossed his phone aside and leaned back on his hand, angling his body to Allie. “I know some people enjoy dating multiple people at once, but I have no interest in that.”
“Good to know.” Allie did a poor job of trying to contain her smile.
“What about you?” he asked. “Are you dating anyone else?”
“No.”
“Are you planning to?”
“No.” She beamed. “But then again, I wasn’t planning on dating anyone at all.”
“I see.” Hugh’s eyebrows rose slowly upwards. “So if someone crops up and entices you with the promise of fun, you might be tempted.”
“Maybe,” she said, then laughed at his comically wounded expression. Tilting her head, she draped an arm around his shoulders. “On second thoughts I think I’ll just stick to having fun with you.”
“Good,” he whispered before their lips met.
CHAPTER 23
On Friday, Allie got straight out of bed and went for an early morning stroll along the clifftops. She’d done the same the previous day and had concluded it was the perfect way to start the day. This time she stopped on a deserted beach to sit and stare at the waves for an hour, then consulted her phone to find the closest cafe for lunch.
There was nothing on her schedule for the day apart from dinner with Hugh that evening. He was cooking for her at his place, and she felt a flutter of anticipation every time she thought about it.
Exiting the cafe, she set off back in the vague direction of the golf course, while pulling out her phone and scrolling to her cousin’s number. It took Bella a while to answer. Long enough that Allie was almost ready to give up on her.
“Hi,” she said wearily.
“Hi.” Allie slowed her pace. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. How’s everything there?”
“Really good, actually.” She emphasised her words and expected an enthusiastic response from Bella, but all she got was silence for a moment.
“Not ready to come home yet, then?”
“I’m not in any rush,” Allie said, trying to decipher Bella’s sombre tone. “Are you sure you’re okay? You sound stressed or something.”
“I’m surprised you’re not dying to get home, that’s all.” The solemn note to her voice wasn’t like Bella at all.
“I like it here,” Allie said. “Also, I suspect Dad might have been right about me keeping my identity a secret at the club. I think there’s something odd going on.”
Bella snorted a humourless laugh. “I doubt it.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t think you really believed Uncle Richard’s excuse about the club profits. He just wanted you to go back and revisit the place.”
Allie paused before crossing the road, hoping she was going in the right direction for the coastal path. “You’ve changed your tune. I thought you were on Dad’s side before. Encouraging me to go.”
