Forever at Conwenna Cove Read online

  ‘Hello, Zoe!’ The two girls and one boy at his side greeted her.

  ‘Let me guess… New York?’

  ‘New Jersey.’ The man smiled, flashing perfectly white teeth.

  ‘I’m from New York but I moved to New Jersey to be with Ted, many moons ago.’ The woman at Ted’s side offered Zoe a smile as dazzling as her husband’s. ‘Isn’t this a quaint little place!’ She waved her hands at the interior and Zoe looked around, as if remembering what she’d done to make the diner as pleasant a place to eat as possible.

  The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a wonderful view of the harbour and, if diners sat at the front tables, they could feel as though they were actually on the water. The lighting was low, to create a relaxed atmosphere. The seats were red and chrome, and there was a black and white checked floor. The jukebox played a stream of Fifties hits, and right then Sinatra was crooning rather appropriately about New York.

  ‘Well, thank you for choosing to eat at Zoe’s today. Let me show you to a booth.’

  When Ted and his family had settled, Zoe took their drinks order and then handed them menus. ‘I’ll be back with your drinks shortly.’

  She went behind the counter, which had an open window to the kitchen, and made a start on the drinks order. Conwenna Cove attracted people from all over the world, and she wasn’t at all surprised. It was such a beautiful location and although small, it offered tourists the opportunity to soak up the wonderful Cornish experience. Zoe knew she was lucky to live in the village and to have a business there. After what had happened, she’d needed a safe place to flee to and Conwenna had been that haven. Now she never wanted to leave. It was as if she could escape the real world and harsh reality if she just stayed at the cove.

  She carried the tray of drinks back to the booth and handed them to the family.

  ‘Are you ready to order yet?’

  She wrote the orders in her notebook, looking at each family member in turn. When she got to the older girl, she couldn’t help noticing how she played with a stud in her tongue as she spoke, and the eternity symbol tattoo under the girl’s right ear.

  ‘And Zoe, we’ll have an extra side of fries with that, please.’ Ted tapped his menu.

  ‘Sure thing. Anything else?’ Zoe scanned the family again and when she met the older girl’s eyes, she caught her knowing smile then followed the girl’s gaze down to her left arm that was exposed as she held the notebook up. The girl had spotted her own tattoo – that of a rolling wave that she’d had etched on the inside of her wrist. Zoe returned the girl’s smile, but as she walked away, her hand crept to her fringe and she patted it across her forehead to check that it was still in place. There were some marks from her past that she wouldn’t try to hide but there were others that she didn’t want anyone else to see, because she didn’t even want to see them herself.

  * * *

  ‘So what do you think, Oli?’ Nate sipped his pint of lager as he waited for the vet to reply.

  Oli nodded. ‘I think it would be a great idea to have another Surf for Sighthounds this summer, but have you got time to organize it?’

  ‘I think so.’ Nate nodded. ‘I’d like to do something to help the dogs out.’

  Before I go away.

  ‘We could always do it a bit later on,’ Jack suggested. ‘Perhaps September time.’

  Nate shook his head. ‘It has to be August.’

  Jack and Oli stared at him and he realized he needed to say something.

  ‘Look, uh, don’t say anything about this to anyone yet, as I haven’t told my aunt and uncle, but I’ve decided to go away soon. Probably the second week of August.’

  Guilt flashed through him as he thought about how good his aunt and uncle had been to him. He probably should stay until the summer was over to help out at the cafe but he was worried that if he didn’t go soon, he wouldn’t go at all.

  Jack frowned. ‘Is this your bucket list trip?’

  ‘I told you about it before, huh?’ Nate asked.

  ‘One night when we’d had a few, yes. But I thought it was just one of those things.’

  ‘Well, I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot lately and I’m not getting any younger. Plus I’m single, footloose and fancy-free as they say, so I figured why not this year? I’ve saved enough to go, so why not now?’

  ‘What’s this?’ Oli asked. ‘I must’ve missed that night out.’

  ‘I’ve always wanted to travel a bit, for six months, possibly longer. You know, buy the plane tickets but wing the rest. I didn’t know if I’d ever do it but it feels like the time is right.’

  ‘Good for you.’ Oli raised his glass. ‘To foreign adventures.’

  The three men clinked their glasses then drank.

  Nate glanced around the Conwenna Arms, the pub where he’d spent so many nights and eaten so many meals with friends, in particular female friends. With its cosy corners and circular bar, as well as a separate dining area, it was perfect for the small village, and Nate knew it did a roaring trade in home-cooked pub meals during peak season.

  ‘Where are you thinking of heading?’

  ‘Well, I always wanted to catch the surf in Australia.’

  He caught the knowing look that passed between Jack and Oli.

  ‘I’d also like to visit Hawaii and California. It doesn’t have to be just a surf trip but I do want it to be the main focus. Obviously, I need to plan it a bit better but I’ve only recently decided that this is the year I’ll do it. I’m thirty-four now so perhaps I could spend my thirty-fifth birthday on an Australian beach.’

  ‘Sounds amazing.’ Jack smiled. ‘But you’d like to run Surf for Sighthounds before you go?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  ‘Well, I’m happy to help with the planning.’

  ‘Me, too.’ Oli drained his glass. ‘As long as you’re happy to help with my engagement party.’

  Nate laughed. ‘Exactly how big is this party going to be?’

  ‘Not that big. But if you could help with the food, then that would be fabulous.’

  ‘No problem at all.’

  ‘You could get some of the local businesses involved in Surf for Sighthounds,’ Jack said. ‘I’m sure they’d be happy to help.’

  ‘There’s Catch of the Day, Sugar and Spice, A Pretty Picture, Pebbles and, of course, the Conwenna Cafe.’ Oli ticked the names off on his fingers.

  ‘There’s also Riding the Wave.’ Jack referred to the local surf shop.

  ‘Lucinda was a great help last time.’ Nate referred to the owner of the surf shop. ‘She put up a board and a wetsuit, as well as a course of lessons.’

  ‘What about Zoe’s Diner, too?’ Oli asked. ‘I’m sure Zoe will sponsor the event. She lost her own greyhound, Raven, not that long ago, but she loved that dog.’

  Nate nodded, although the thought of approaching Zoe made him slightly apprehensive. Zoe Russell was a quiet woman who kept very much to herself. Whenever he’d seen her she was polite enough, but he sensed that she was holding something back, almost as if she didn’t trust people and didn’t want them to get to know her properly. He’d been his usual self with her whenever she came into the cafe, teasing and joking and flirting a bit, but she had a veneer that he’d been unable to penetrate. It was as if she didn’t approve of his openness for some reason, and because of that he’d felt awkward around her, and a bit foolish.

  Not that it mattered, of course. He couldn’t be friends with everyone and Zoe was not his type at all; she was far too quiet, reserved and aloof. Although, having said that, the fact that she was so seemingly unreachable did make him curious about her. Why was she so quiet? Why didn’t she ever seem to go on dates? She was certainly quite attractive, so he was sure she could have had plenty of attention, but then not everyone liked to play the field. After all, even Nate was getting tired of it. Perhaps Zoe had tired of dating a long time ago and…

  He shook his head. Why was he thinking about her at all? It was none of his business.

&nb
sp; ‘I’ll go round the village next week and start asking people if they’ll help out.’ Nate finished his drink. ‘Right, who wants another one?’

  ‘Go on then, one more, seeing as how I just got a text from Grace saying she’s looking at bridal magazines with Eve now.’

  ‘Bridal magazines?’ Nate chuckled.

  ‘Yeah, well, we’re thinking about next summer or possibly the Christmas. We might go away somewhere with the children and our parents and get married there.’

  ‘If you went to Hawaii you could get married on the beach and have a swim in the sea afterwards.’ Nate had always thought this would be a lovely way to celebrate getting married.

  ‘Sounds amazing.’ Oli nodded. ‘I’ll suggest it to Grace. Although how her father will get the huge cake he’s talked about making onto a plane will be something we need to consider. Make sure you stay in touch while you’re away so that I can keep you posted. After all, if we decide to get married here in Conwenna, you could come back for the wedding. Or if we hop on a plane… which I doubt, but I can dream, right… then you could meet up with us somewhere.’

  ‘I don’t want to miss your wedding, Oli, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Are you definitely going to come back then? Once you’ve travelled?’ Jack asked, as he stood up and picked up their glasses.

  ‘I think so. I mean, I love Conwenna. My aunt and uncle live here and my mother isn’t far away, so I don’t want to go for good. However, if I meet a beautiful Australian woman then I can’t promise to return.’

  ‘You have to see where life takes you,’ Jack said. ‘I really believe that.’

  ‘I know.’ Nate nodded, but he wondered if it was easier for Jack to say that because he was in love. Oli was also at a different stage in his life to Nate, but after all Oli had been through – losing his first wife to cancer – Nate was delighted to see him and Grace so happy.

  Nate hadn’t ever been in love and he didn’t think he ever would be. He couldn’t imagine giving his heart to someone, because he didn’t know how. However, he was happy to do as Jack had suggested. He would enjoy the summer, then head off into the world and see what happened.

  Chapter 3

  Nate walked along the main street early on Monday morning with a smile on his face. It was going to be a beautiful day. The air was warm and a gentle breeze blew in from the sea, gently caressing the bright pink and purple geraniums growing in the window boxes outside the cafe and toying with the lavender stems, causing their sharp, sweet scent to rise. He loved this time of year. It always made him feel as if anything was possible, which was probably a good thing this morning, seeing as how he was going to be asking local business people to help fund Surf for Sighthounds. He decided to go down to the harbour first, then work his way back up the main street.

  When he reached the harbour, he took a few moments to stand in front of the rail to savour the beautiful view. The tide was in and small white boats bobbed on the water, their windows glinting in the sunlight. From further out at sea, he could hear the whine of an engine, presumably someone either heading out or returning from a fishing trip. He rested his hand on the railing; the metal was cold and damp with dew as the sun hadn’t yet had time to warm it.

  Nate loved the sea. He was more at home on the water than he was on solid ground. When he was swimming or on a surfboard, he experienced a freedom that he didn’t feel on land. He’d been that way for as long as he could remember. As a child, he’d been quiet and reserved; in high school he was teased for his shyness and even beaten up a few times when he refused to get involved with some of the shenanigans that other teenage boys thought made them appear daring and brave. But he had always loved to swim. His father took him when he was very young then, when he was old enough, he’d go to the local leisure centre in Newquay to swim early in the morning before it became busy. In the water, as he swam, he was alone with his thoughts and his breathing, able to escape from other people and their demands and assumptions. He could just be himself. All the swimming paid off and he grew strong and fit and, coupled with a growth spurt, he was soon tall and stocky enough to take care of himself. When he tried body boarding, then surfing, in his early teens, it became an obsession for him. Days, weeks and months spent in the surf made his skin tanned and bleached his hair. Before he knew it, Nate was one of the guys and the shy, quiet boy he’d been was replaced with a popular, outgoing young man.

  Nate might not have been the brightest in his school year – he was never going to be a doctor or an accountant – but he passed his exams and left school as soon as he was old enough. He spent two years at college studying for A levels but his lack of dedication and interest, combined with his desire to spend all his free time at the beach, meant that he hadn’t achieved pleasing grades in further education. But he hadn’t minded. He’d worked at different jobs, from helping out at a garage to teaching surfing to holidaymakers and pouring pints at several different pubs, as well as working as a lifeguard. He had got by over the years, and he’d been content.

  It was just that now he was starting to wonder if he’d actually done anything worthwhile with his life. He didn’t have a career – he enjoyed surfing and had entered competitions but had never made it as a professional (the competition was fierce) – and he had never been in love. He’d thought that it was okay to drift along during his twenties but at six years off forty, he needed to do something meaningful at some point soon. He had organized Surf for Sighthounds two years ago but it had been a relatively small affair, and he was hoping that this time it would be bigger and raise more money.

  The clinking of glass dragged him from his thoughts and he glanced over at the wine bar on the edge of the harbour. One of the employees was putting out the recycling. That was one thing with busy summers: there was far more recycling to be sorted then, than in the winter months.

  He checked his mobile and was surprised to see that it was eight-thirty. He must have been day dreaming for over twenty minutes. It was so easy to lose time when he got lost in his thoughts. He turned around and spotted Zoe Russell in the window of her diner, wiping the glass with a yellow cloth. Seeing that she was there, he thought he might as well go and speak to her first.

  Nate ran a hand through his hair then made his way over to the diner, a strange fluttering in his belly making him take a few deep breaths.

  As he walked towards her, Nate saw Zoe stop cleaning and looked beyond whatever it was that she could see on the glass. She frowned, it seemed, when she realized he was approaching the diner. He took another deep breath before knocking on the door, suddenly worried that this wasn’t going to be easy at all.

  ‘Hello.’ Zoe stepped into view, the frown replaced by an expression of interest.

  ‘Morning, Zoe. I was wondering… could I come in and talk to you for five minutes?’

  ‘Oh!’ She folded the yellow cloth several times before replying. ‘I guess so. But I don’t have long. This place needs a blitz before I open today, and I have to pop up to Foxglove Farm to collect my ice cream order.’

  ‘I thought they delivered.’

  ‘They do, but… I like to make an effort to visit the greyhounds.’

  Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she was a bit embarrassed about admitting this to him and revealing her softer side.

  ‘I do the same.’ He smiled. ‘I always offer to go and get the order for the cafe.’

  Zoe nodded. ‘You walk the dogs too, don’t you?’

  ‘How d’you know that?’

  ‘I’ve seen you.’ Her blush deepened. ‘I mean… I saw you… When I was up there last week. You had two of the dogs and were taking them to the field.’

  ‘Ah, right. Yes, I took them for a run around. I like to help out when I can. Actually, that’s why I’m here.’

  ‘About the dogs?’ She smiled briefly and Nate saw something in her expression – a softening that made her prettier. Not that she wasn’t pretty, because he could see that she was, but with her brown bob and willowy figure, sh
e wasn’t as in-your-face attractive as the women Nate usually dated.

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘Come on in, then.’

  Nate followed her into the diner, taking in the Fifties decor and the scent of lemon that he suspected came from whatever cleaning products she’d used that morning.

  ‘Would you like a drink?’

  ‘That would be great, thanks.’

  ‘Milkshake or coffee?’

  ‘Ooh! I’ll have a milkshake, please.’

  ‘Flavour?’

  ‘Surprise me.’

  A flicker of something crossed Zoe’s face and he wondered if she ever surprised anyone with anything. She seemed so… quiet and serious. He couldn’t imagine her laughing, and didn’t recall ever seeing her smile until today.

  Nate took a seat at the counter, fighting the temptation to spin around on the high circular stool to see how fast he could go. There was something about the stools that made him want to do that, but he didn’t think it would go down well with Zoe. He could imagine her frown of disapproval and he shivered. Instead, he rested his feet on the floor then leaned forwards so his elbows were on the counter. He watched Zoe as she moved around; everything she did was purposeful and efficient. Soon she placed a frothy banana milkshake in front of him.

  ‘The ice cream from Foxglove makes for extra-special milkshakes.’

  Nate drew on the straw she’d tucked in the glass, and creamy banana milk filled his mouth.

  ‘This is amazing.’

  Zoe nodded, clearly accustomed to receiving compliments about her milkshakes all the time.

  ‘So, you wanted to talk about the dogs?’

  ‘That’s right. Well, the thing is, I’m hoping to run a Surf for Sighthounds event in a few weeks, but I need the support of local businesses.’

  He sipped his milkshake again, almost draining the glass. When he glanced up, Zoe was staring at him with what seemed like a look of utter horror. She’d gone as white as the counter and was repeatedly flattening one side of her fringe with her palm.

  ‘Zoe? Are you all right?’