Forever at Conwenna Cove Read online

  ‘That sounds wonderful.’ June plonked herself down on his sofa. ‘Your uncle will be up shortly. He was locking up the cafe, then thought he’d left his wallet in the kitchen.’

  ‘Do you want a drink?’ Nate asked, gesturing at the table where beads of condensation now coated the bottle of white wine.

  ‘Twist my arm.’ June laughed, the familiar throaty noise that always made Nate feel happy and secure. June was like that; she was such a warm and happy person that she lifted his spirits whenever he was in the same room as her. When Nate had come to Conwenna Cove following the death of his father, he’d been sad, confused and angry. All he’d known was that he needed to get away from Newquay, away from the places where he’d grown up and the places that reminded him constantly of his father. His father’s death had been sudden. He was apparently a fit and healthy fifty-five year old, but it turned out that he’d had heart disease, the silent killer. Nate had been broken when his father passed so suddenly, but being in Conwenna had helped, as had his loving aunt and his Uncle Kevin, who happened to be the image of his father. This could have made Nate’s grief harder to deal with, but Nate actually found it comforting to be around his uncle. It was as if, in some way, his father was still there.

  Nate poured two glasses of wine then handed one to June and sat next to her.

  ‘Oooh! This is delicious, Nate.’ June nodded her approval of the wine. ‘I could get squiffy drinking this stuff. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on?’

  ‘Can’t I invite my wonderful aunt and uncle to dinner?’

  June smiled. ‘You know I like my food, Nate’ – she patted her ample belly – ‘but since you’ve been in this flat, you’ve cooked for us about… three times. If that.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘No, love, don’t be! I’m not. We love having you round to ours and wouldn’t expect to be invited here. You have your own life and are entitled to your privacy. My point was basically that something must be up. So do you want to tell me now, or wait until Kevin gets here?’

  ‘We can wait until he arrives but before I forget, you haven’t heard anything of my mum, have you?’

  June shook her head. ‘Not this week. We usually chat once a week but sometimes if we’re particularly busy in the cafe, like in the summer months, it can lapse to once a fortnight. Why, love, are you worried about something?’

  Nate shook his head. ‘Not really worried, but I tried her at the weekend, then yesterday, and couldn’t get through. She sent a text message to say everything was fine but I don’t know… I like to hear her voice, too. But that’s probably because I miss her.’

  ‘I’m sure she’s fine, Nate. Probably just busy. I’ll try to ring her tomorrow.’

  ‘I’m here!’ Kevin said, as he entered the flat, his huge frame filling the doorway. ‘Found my damned wallet in the fridge.’ He scratched his thinning blond hair. ‘Have no idea how it got in there, but it’s been one of those days.’

  ‘Wine?’ Nate asked.

  ‘Please.’

  Nate fetched the wine bottle and the third glass, then filled it before giving it to Kevin.

  ‘I was just saying to Nate that we know he has something to tell us.’

  ‘Yes, son. Everything all right, is it?’ Kevin sat in the armchair and Nate sat next to June again. He glanced around the small flat he’d called home for the past few years, then shook his head.

  ‘Nothing’s wrong. In fact, everything is right and that’s why it’s a good time for me to do this.’

  ‘Do what, love?’ June asked.

  ‘Well, you know I always said that one day I wanted to travel around? To see more of the world when I had the chance?’

  Nate met his aunt’s hazel eyes and saw understanding fill them.

  ‘Nate, we knew this day would come and I’m surprised it hasn’t come before. So you’ve decided to head off on your travels, have you?’

  He nodded. ‘Probably the second weekend in August. I’m going to ensure that Surf for Sighthounds goes with a bang, then jet off.’

  ‘Well, good for you, Nate, though we will miss you.’ June patted his arm.

  ‘Do you have enough money saved, Nate?’ Kevin asked.

  ‘I have some, yes. I’ve been putting most of my wages into an account, as obviously expenses have been minimal here. You’ve been so good to me.’ Nate looked at his aunt and uncle in turn.

  ‘It’s been our pleasure, son.’ Kevin shrugged off the praise from his nephew. He had such a kind heart but emotion and gratitude always embarrassed him. That was another way that he reminded Nate of his father. The two brothers had been similar in appearance and personality and Nate knew that losing his brother, Kyle, had hit Kevin hard too. With only two years between them, they’d been the best of friends throughout their lives, and Kyle had always looked out for his younger brother… sort of how Kevin looked out for Nate now.

  ‘Well, love, we have a little something put aside for you that we saved for a time like this. It would have been there for you if you’d needed to put a down payment on a mortgage or towards a wedding, but this is just as good a cause.’

  ‘I don’t want your money. Really, there’s no need—’

  Kevin cleared his throat. ‘June is right. We’ve saved money for you, Nate. It might be enough for you to travel and put money on a mortgage when… if… you return. I’m not saying you have to come back and live in Conwenna, but the money’s there for you to use wherever you want to settle.’

  ‘I will come back. I don’t like the thought of being gone forever, but I thought that if I don’t do this soon then I probably never will.’

  ‘Well, this bit of cash will help you along then.’

  ‘I don’t know what to say, other than… thank you so much.’

  ‘Who else would we give the money to, Nate? We don’t have any children of our own and we don’t want for anything at all. You’re as good as a son to us and we love you.’ June raised her glass. ‘So here’s to you and your travels, and to the future. May you always be happy and loved.’

  Nate clinked his glass against his aunt and uncle’s, then swallowed the cold fruity wine. Kevin and June had always been kind to him but this showed exactly how much they thought of him. They’d actually been saving money for him, as if he was their own son. He wondered how long they’d been putting cash away, how long they’d been planning for him, possibly hoping that he’d marry or buy a house in Conwenna. He hoped that they weren’t disappointed that this was his chosen path. Their act of selflessness further confirmed to him that, although he was looking forward to broadening his horizons, he would return to the cove; he couldn’t imagine life any other way.

  ‘Anyway, Nate, is dinner ready? I’m famished and it smells incredible.’

  ‘It is. Bring your wine to the table and I’ll dish up.’

  Nate went through to the kitchen area and lifted the chicken onto a serving plate, then got the potatoes from the oven. As he scooped creamy, garlicky potatoes from the ovenproof dish, he had a flashback to Zoe telling him she was going to the farm to get her ice cream order. He’d got the cream for this dish from there too. He wondered what Zoe was doing that night for dinner and whether she ate alone every night. As far as he knew, she didn’t have anyone in her life; he’d never seen her with anyone, at least.

  And he realized that if he did return to Conwenna Cove, he’d be able to see Zoe again too, and that thought warmed him. It was probably foolish but the idea of leaving and never seeing her again suddenly seemed unpleasant. How hadn’t he noticed her all this time with her soft brown hair and warm brown eyes? He’d barely even looked her way and yet there she was, the opposite of everything Nate had ever looked for in a woman. She was beautiful, yes, but it was her manner and her aloofness that had made him discount her as a possible date, or more. And yet… she intrigued him, which was something he’d suppressed in the past, and he’d been unable to get her out of his mind since he’d spoken to her on Monday. What was with that? What w
as up with him?

  He shook his head. Perhaps it was just because he’d made the decision to go and, possibly, his subconscious was trying to find a reason to stay. Perhaps he was secretly scared about leaving and Zoe seemed like someone worth sticking around for. Nate was tired of the women who simply wanted to fool around and tired of the lifestyle he’d been living. He’d never felt a true connection to a woman and something about Zoe’s quiet, serious nature made him think that she was a woman with whom he could develop a connection, if he put in the effort to get to know her, to penetrate that veneer he suspected she had created to protect herself from others. In terms of timing, it was a damned nuisance that this had happened now, that he’d spoken to her and seen more to her than ever before. But Nate knew from experience that life often threw curveballs, sometimes ones that cut you to the core – like losing his dad – and sometimes ones that made you see people in a whole new light. Perhaps he hadn’t seen Zoe in this way before because he wasn’t in the right place mentally or emotionally; perhaps he was finally growing up…

  Whatever it was, he knew he had to get his head sorted, and soon. He had mere weeks until he left and no woman, however smart, sweet and fascinating, was going to put a halt to his plans. Not that he thought Zoe Russell would have any intention of doing that. She’d barely shown a flicker of interest in him.

  And that could be why she suddenly intrigued him. Zoe appeared to be completely oblivious to the fact that he was even a man. He smiled as he carried the plates to the table. He was looking forward to seeing her again, purely to assess his own feeling towards her, of course, and to try to work out what the hell had changed to spark his attraction to her now.

  Chapter 5

  The next day, Zoe walked through the village enjoying the late afternoon breeze. It was just gone four pm and the sun’s heat had waned with the day. The diner was in the capable hands of her employees, so she’d decided to take an hour to stretch her legs and enjoy a coffee.

  The sweet scents of flowers in pots, window boxes and hanging baskets teased her nostrils and she experienced that glimmer of hope that summer always roused in her. Everything was in bloom and there were weeks of sunshine and busy days ahead, which meant less time alone at home. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her own company, because to a certain extent she did, but winter evenings in front of the fire weren’t as much fun without someone to snuggle with, and this year she wouldn’t even have Raven to hug.

  She took a deep breath. She had to be more positive. Raven had been happy in the short time she’d been with her and, when she was ready, Zoe would open her home to another dog. But the time had to be right. As for opening her heart to anything else, well… she doubted that was going to happen.

  She found herself outside the Conwenna Cafe, and peered through the glass. Inside, Nate was behind the counter, his cheeks flushed with the heat and his blond hair so messy it looked as if he’d just fallen out of bed. Or from the sky… She grimaced. Where on earth had that cheesy thought come from? Zoe was not one to lapse into soppy daydreams about men, no matter how blue their eyes or broad their shoulders. It simply wasn’t her style. Not that she’d never allowed herself to indulge in a fantasy or two, but she didn’t any more. Not since what had happened. She self-consciously touched her fringe and fluffed it up a bit, then ran her hands through the rest of her bob. Of course, it didn’t matter what she looked like because Nate certainly wouldn’t look at her in that way. She was as far removed from the type of woman Nate fancied as she was from being the next prime minister. Which was fine, good even, because Nate was never going to be Zoe’s type…

  Nate looked up and caught her staring. Heat filled her cheeks and she turned quickly, her instincts telling her to run away, but she’d forgotten about the hanging basket under the cafe sign and she smacked her head on it. As she wobbled, she reached out and her hands clawed at the air until they found something solid, but that gave way under her touch and she found herself face down on the pavement.

  ‘Zoe!’ Nate was at her side. ‘Bloody hell, are you all right? Are you hurt?’

  He gently helped her up and scanned her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes then back again, until he met her eyes. She was conscious of his roaming gaze and felt it like the heat of a torch.

  ‘I’m fine.’ She tried to laugh but it came out as a croak, and she wished the ground would swallow her whole. ‘You should put that hanging basket up higher, though. It’s a hazard there.’

  ‘My uncle was in the process of watering the flowers but went inside to refill the watering can. See, it does go up higher.’ He pointed at a hook higher up the cafe wall. ‘He just hung it on there for a moment. God, Zoe, you could have been really hurt.’

  Zoe rubbed her eyes then her face. Everything seemed fine.

  ‘And now you need a wash.’

  ‘What?’

  Nate took her hands in his and heat shot through her at the tenderness of his touch.

  ‘See.’

  Zoe met his eyes and felt as if she could tumble into their azure depths.

  ‘Mmmm?’

  ‘Your hands.’

  ‘Oh!’

  She looked down and found that her hands were caked in mud from the window box she’d grabbed at as she went down – and had unfortunately emptied over the ground.

  ‘I’m so sorry. I’m not usually this accident prone.’

  ‘No?’

  He reached out and ran his finger over the scar on her forehead. She winced then pushed his hand away and tried to brush her fringe back into place with her fingers.

  ‘How’d you get that?’

  ‘I fell.’

  ‘So, you are accident prone, then?’

  Zoe shrugged. ‘Not all the time. Anyway, that’s from a long time ago.’

  ‘Perhaps you’ll feel like telling me about it some time.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she replied, although she doubted it.

  ‘Come inside and let me get you something so you can clean yourself up, then make you a cuppa. You look like you need it.’

  ‘I think I’d better try to tidy up that window box first. The poor flowers.’ Zoe stared in dismay at the scattered pansies and geraniums that had been uprooted by her fall.

  ‘It’s okay, I’ll help my uncle to sort it out in a moment. I want to make sure you’re okay first.’

  Zoe allowed him to guide her into the cafe, then she went through to the customer toilets. In the artificial light of the small space, she washed her hands thoroughly with liquid soap that smelt of violets, then faced herself in the mirror. She had streaks of mud up her cheeks and crumbs of dirt in her hair. She rubbed at the mud with her wet hands then grabbed a paper towel and dried them, before getting her brush from her small handbag and using it to clear the compost debris from her hair. What must Nate think of her? Let alone the customers in the cafe who’d watched the whole debacle, then eyed her from behind their mugs as she’d entered the cafe. She’d been so distracted by gazing at Nate, then horrified when he caught her staring, that she’d forgotten to look where she was going and had ended up walking into the hanging basket then face planted into the contents of the window box. Luckily, little more than her pride was hurt but then, in comparison to what she’d been through in the past, what was a little hurt pride?

  Zoe dried her hands then checked her fringe one last time. She gave it a squirt of the mini hairspray she kept in her bag. Nate had actually touched her scar – the ugly, silver-red mark that dominated one side of her forehead – as if it was something to admire. And it wasn’t. Zoe hated it because of all it represented about how life had been, and because of all it reminded her of: her failure to keep her friend and the man she loved close.

  Pain pierced her heart like a dagger and she sucked in a breath.

  Zoe knew the fault lay with them for what they’d done but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t believe that she was blameless in it all. If she’d been prettier, thinner, funnier, more alluring. If she�
��d been a better surfer, earned more money, been more exciting in bed… so many things she could have done and been for him – but would it really have made a difference? She had to admit that she didn’t know, and she suspected that she never would. People would do what they wanted to do and sometimes nothing could stop them or change their minds, not even love and friendship. Sometimes they counted for nothing at all.

  Caring about people was dangerous.

  * * *

  Nate carried a mug of tea over to the table in the corner, sitting down to wait for Zoe. She’d given him a fright when she’d bumped into the hanging basket then fallen over. He’d been busy making a ham and cheese ciabatta when he’d sensed that someone was watching him. Looking up, he’d spotted Zoe outside and been about to wave when she’d turned on her heel and gone face first into the flowers. It had been like slow motion as she’d bounced off the hanging basket then grappled for something to stop herself falling and managed to drag the window box down with her. The window boxes were secured in wooden frames that his uncle had constructed but, somehow, the very slender Zoe had managed to pull the one box out of its frame.

  Right now, Kevin was outside repairing the damage. He’d agreed with Nate that he needed to ensure that he never left the hanging baskets unattended again when they were lowered for watering, and said he’d buy a bigger watering can or a sturdy ladder so he wouldn’t need to bring the baskets to head height.

  Zoe could have been seriously injured.

  Nate swallowed. That thought was awful. The idea of anyone being injured was terrible but thinking of Zoe being hurt made his gut churn. He had an urge to protect her and that was not something Nate was accustomed to feeling. The women he dated were strong and independent, and so was Zoe as far as he knew, but there was also something about her that was… vulnerable. Soft. Gentle.

  He shook himself. Her big brown eyes were playing havoc with his sensibilities and that was all it was. She reminded him of a taller Natalie Portman with her slim frame and fathomless eyes, and although he’d always made a point of dating blondes, he had nursed a secret crush on the beautiful actress for a while. In fact, it was probably why he was drawn to Zoe. She resembled his crush and nothing more, and it was highly likely that he was imagining things, possibly projecting his ideal onto her. And yet…