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‘It’s only our first date, so it’s super early still.’
‘I know, I know, but it’s still exciting and I’ve got a good feeling about this.’ Diane nodded.
‘Thank you.’ Brooke passed the bag across the counter to her customer before turning back to Tammy. ‘Diane’s right. I wondered if there was something between you two last night.’
‘Really?’ Tammy frowned. They’d ignored each other most of the evening.
‘Yep, really. You both seemed super awkward during dinner, but then after you’d tidied everything away together you both seemed more relaxed. Happy.’
Tammy nodded. She hadn’t realised it had been quite that obvious. Had anyone else noticed?
‘Talking of him. Here he is.’ Brooke placed her hand over Tammy’s. ‘Have a great time.’
‘Yes, enjoy.’ Diane grinned before turning to the next customer.
Turning around, Tammy smiled as she watched Josh walk in and hold the door open for a man pushing a buggy before walking across to him. ‘Hi.’
‘Hey. Are you ready?’
‘Absolutely.’ She stepped out onto the cobbles as he closed the door behind them.
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‘ICAN’T BELIEVE WE’REgoing on a boat!’ Tammy gripped Josh’s hand as she stepped into the rowing boat. ‘I’ve not been rowing since I was a child.’ She frowned. Had she ever actually been rowing? Maybe. She remembered a boating lake at the fairground her parents used to take her to by the beach, but whether she’d actually ever ventured out on one she couldn’t remember. If she had, she must have been young.
‘But you’re happy to have a go? We can do something else if you’d prefer?’ Josh paused on the small jetty at the edge of the lake, his hand still holding hers as she lowered herself onto the wooden bench in the boat.
‘Oh, I’m more than happy to. Although half of me wishes you’d warned me so I could have brought a change of clothes.’ She laughed.
‘Oi! I do use a rowing boat to get to and from the lighthouse at high tide, I’ll have you know. So, I’m a bit of an expert.’ Chuckling, he stepped in, the wooden boat moving from side to side with his movement.
‘Haha, I had forgotten. Does that mean we’re likely to stay in the boat rather than being tipped into the lake then?’
‘That’s the plan.’ Steadying himself, he lowered himself down opposite her and picked up the oars.
‘I like that plan.’ Grinning, she looked around. Being in the heart of the nature reserve, the lake was surrounded by trees and the only noise was the chirping of the birds flying from branch to branch. This was perfect.
‘Good.’ Pushing them away from the jetty with the tip of an oar, Josh then began to row.
Tammy watched as the wood of the oars sliced through the surface of the water, the boat floating along with each stroke. ‘So, tell me something about yourself.’
‘What like?’ He glanced at her before pushing the oars back into the water. ‘What would you like to know?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Anything really.’ She relaxed a little. ‘What made you choose to be a lighthouse keeper?’
‘My school career’s advisor suggested it.’
‘Really?’
‘No, not really.’ He smiled. ‘Nah. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the ocean. It made me feel free, you know?’
She nodded. She felt the same.
‘I just felt at home. Every time we visited, I felt as though that was where I was supposed to be and knew that one day I wanted to be living near the ocean. Then one day as a teenager, my dad took me around a lighthouse, and everything just clicked. I realised being a lighthouse keeper would be the perfect job for me. How about you? How did you decide to do your job? Sorry, your old job?’
‘I studied horticulture at college and have always been fascinated with nature and then the job at the garden centre came up, so I applied.’ She shrugged. It really had been as simple as that. ‘I always loved growing things. My parents gave me a patch of garden to do with how I pleased when I was about five, six, I think. And I grew things. I used to plant bulbs and seeds and draw all these little pictures to record how they grew.’
‘This place is perfect for you then?’ Josh used an oar to indicate the banks of the lake, the nature reserve.
