The Cornish Beach Hut Café

Chapter 39

39

On the beach at Cockle Shell Castle, Comet Cove

Cosy corners and sleepy heads

Tuesday

K it crosses his ankles and sits back against the dune. ‘A string quartet in the castle gardens, gin cocktails and canapés on the lawn – maybe we should be there rather than watching from the sidelines?’

Cockle Shell Castle at Comet Cove is Mum and David’s destination for this evening, and as we often come this way for walks, we’ve brought Shadow along the beach with us, and now we’re lounging on the dry sand up above the tideline. Cockle Shell Castle claims to be the world’s cosiest castle and as it’s also where the famous gin is distilled. It has lots going for it.

I laugh. ‘It all looks pretty starchy and upmarket. I’m not sure how Mum and David would feel about us being on the guest list.’ I’m not sure I could handle meeting them face-to-face socially either.

The castle facade has a monumental nailed front door at the centre, symmetrical turrets to each side and lawns that run down to the shingle behind us. From where we’re sitting, we can see the guests milling beyond the shrubbery, sipping their drinks next to white painted chairs arranged across the grass.

Kit gives a shrug. ‘I’m not sure what Rye’s expecting, but it doesn’t look the kind of do where anyone’s going to get their face snogged off.’ He frowns into the distance at the ladies wafting around in their heels and impeccably ironed tea dresses, and gives me a sideways glance. ‘Would that be your kind of evening? You do wear nice dresses.’

It’s funny that he has to ask. ‘Cocktails would be cool if they’re made from alcohol-free gin.’ I hope I’m not sounding too picky. ‘If they swapped the quartet for dance anthems, I’d be up for that!’

He laughs. ‘I personally feel that classical strings are best enjoyed drifting on the breeze.’

I’m with him on that. ‘Ideally from a distance of at least a hundred yards, which means we’re very well placed here.’ I rest my chin on my hand as I stare out to sea. ‘The funny thing is, if you’d asked me, I’d have said my mum was the same as us. And suddenly there she is, listening to Air on a bloody G string, and tilting her head like she’s savouring every last note.’ I can’t actually see her, I just know it’s what she’ll be doing. And she’s the woman who sands woodwork to Adele and rolls paint onto her walls to Queen’s greatest hits.

Kit grins at me. ‘You like dancing then?’

I nod. ‘Doesn’t everybody?’ That was a stupid answer. Not that I’d ever compare, but Dillon always left the dancing to the women, while he hugged the bar with the guys.

He twitches his mouth. ‘I was thinking how great it would be to have an evening of dancing on the harbourside after the sponsored jump.’ His eyes are sparkling as he speaks. ‘I’m not dumping this on you, but we could get Rye to bring along the hotel sound system. If we sorted out string lights and bunting, a bar and some burgers, we could dance the night away and get more cash rolling in too.’

It sounds perfect. ‘Sponsored by Love2Love Atelier. You’re on!’

‘That’s a date then!’

As it could be weeks away, I have to say, ‘It’s a long time ahead for people taking things an hour at a time.’

He grins. ‘Luckily for us, you already talked me into taking an optimistic view.’

I’m thinking back to what Sophie said about not getting hurt. ‘Summer’s the best time for fun without a future.’ I’m picking up a doubtful shadow passing across his face, and it sets off the doubts in me. ‘You do still like it?’

His lips twist into a smile. ‘Hell, yes.’

‘Even though we haven’t even gone all the way yet… You’re still okay with that?’

He grins at me. ‘There are no complaints from my side.’

Now we’ve got this far into this discussion, it seems like a good time to check. ‘And if we did decide to stop the sleeping together, we’d still be okay to carry on working together and waving at each other across the dune?’

He raises his eyebrows. ‘That’s what no-ties fun is all about. It’s completely separate from the rest of our life.’

I nod. ‘The emotion box stays completely closed, so whatever happens, there’s no drama or big deals.’ Sophie would be proud that we’ve covered every aspect there. I laugh. ‘Sorry for making this sound like more than it is. We can go back to the job we’re doing now.’

‘All good, Flossie Flapjack-face.’ He laughs and pulls me towards him and into a very sweet but sexy kiss. ‘I’m assuming Rye is hoping we’ll catch a glimpse of the couple as they’re leaving the venue. The next question, is what shall we do in the meantime?’

I rest my head on his shoulder. ‘We could lie and watch for the stars to come out, then watch for shooting stars once it’s darker.’

‘How many of those have we seen so far?’

I stifle a yawn. ‘That’s why it’ll be magical when we do see one. It’s my mission of the summer, to see a shooting star.’

‘Are you sleepy?’

‘It’s more that your shoulder is really comfy.’ The truth is, since our first stargazing adventure on the dunes we’ve had every night together, and with the late nights and early mornings, I’m dead on my feet.

‘If you need a little snooze, Shadow and I can chat amongst ourselves.’

I’m easing back and the worn denim of his shirt is soft against my face. ‘Five minutes? Wake me up if I snore.’

The last thing I hear is the rumble of his voice under my ear saying. ‘I will.’

When I next open my eyes, I know it must be a long time later, because the sky is inky blue. I say the first thing that comes into my head. ‘Where are the stars?’

Kit stirs beside me. ‘Welcome back! The stars are only showing in the gaps between the rather big clouds and the moon’s gone in too.’

I’m rubbing my eyes and the only sound I can hear is the waves rushing up the sand. ‘How long was I asleep? What happened to the music?’

He looks at his watch. ‘I’m afraid you missed the performance. Most people left quite a while ago.’

I’m kicking myself for another total fail. ‘Did you see Mum and David?’

‘They were with a group who wandered back along the shore together. The moon was brighter then so I got a good view of everyone chatting and picking up shells. So, still nothing definite to report to Rye.’

I let out a long sigh. ‘We’re all thinking the worst and panicking, but maybe there’s nothing going on after all. Mum’s still going back to hers after dates as far as I know.’ If it was anyone other than David B she was seeing, we wouldn’t even be thinking about it, let alone running around St Aidan after her.

Kit laughs. ‘She wouldn’t want to share David’s uber-healthy breakfasts. He’s all about the protein shakes and chia seeds.’ He scratches his head. ‘Thinking back, when your mum hurried off from our singles evening, it could have been David she was trying to avoid.’

‘In which case, apologies to Shadow, but we might have been barking up the wrong tree all along. Rye thinking my mum’s here to seduce his dad is nothing short of bonkers.’

Kit gets to his feet. ‘Do you need me to call us a taxi back?’

I smile. ‘Thanks, but it’s not too far to walk and the wind off the sea should wake me up.’

Kit offers me his hand and pulls me onto my feet. ‘Tonight we should definitely catch up on our sleep.’

There’s a twang of disappointment in my chest as he hands me Shadow’s lead. ‘Separately?’

His mouth twists into a smile in the half light. ‘I’d prefer together – if you would?’

Relief floods through me. ‘So a quick walk back to mine, and hot chocolate before bed?’ Shadow looks up at me as he hears the word chocolate. ‘There will be custard creams, Shadow.’

Our eyes are used to the dark, and thanks to the light of Kit’s phone the worst we trip over is a couple of clumps of seaweed, and we can soon see the lights of the High Tides hotel spreading out across the sand.

Shortly before the marram grass scrub runs out to super-neat lawns, Kit guides me to the right. ‘We’ll take Rye’s shortcut. It loops round the back of the hotel and comes out behind the Latitudes huts.’

I ease Shadow away from the beach and follow Kit off the sand and onto a neat gravel path hugging close to the buildings. We pass the backs of some rooms, and then I recognise the familiar circular shape of the next building with the repeating vertical windows with a pale glow coming out from inside.

‘Is that the Pleasure Dome?’

Kit’s nodding. ‘And beyond it is your favourite swimming pool, Shadow. We can stop off for a quick dip if you’d like?’

I look down at Shadow. ‘Like there’s time to swim when there’s a full pack of biscuits waiting at home!’

‘Another short cut.’ As Kit guides us onto another terrace and past a set of large doors the pale blue pool beyond the glass is luminous in the soft light inside.

As a movement beyond the water’s edge catches my eye I stop and whisper, ‘There’s someone in there.’

Kit pauses alongside me and whispers back. ‘Are you sure? It’s closed to guests after dinner.’ He looks again, then he lets out a choking sound. ‘Shit. It’s David and your mum.’

As I watch them running around the poolside, towards the deep end, then leaping high into the air, and catapulting into the water with a splash explosive enough to empty half the pool, it’s one of those situations where I’m hating what I’m seeing, but I’m glued to the spot and I can’t look away.

‘Jeez!’ I stifle a shriek and as the feeling comes back into my legs I break into a run and drag Kit off the far end of the terrace and only stop to gasp when we get into the shadows. ‘Of all the things, I didn’t expect that.’

Kit lets out a low laugh. ‘Naked swimming at midnight! Good on you , Florence Flapjack-face’s mum!’

I let out a groan. ‘Whatever I do, I can’t ever un-see that!’ I’m blinking and rubbing my eyes, still questioning it was real. ‘Please tell me this is Nell organising an over-sixties costume-free moonlight swim event?’

Kit shakes his head. ‘I’m afraid this is a breakaway party of two, heady after an evening of gin and Vivaldi.’

I blow out a breath. ‘If they’re leaping nude into the deep end, they’ve definitely taken their relationship to the next level.’ Not that I’m comparing, but this makes the night I jumped Kit in our underwear look like a nursery school outing. ‘It was pure joy and abandon!’

Kit coughs. ‘With no thought at all for the security system.’

My hearts skips a beat. ‘There are cameras?’

Kit squeezes my shoulder. ‘That’s how everyone knew about our swim with Shadow, but we were a lot more dressed than these two.’

My blood is running cold. ‘Are you saying there was proper film of me pashing your face off?’

He laughs. ‘There might have been.’

I’m hopping about on the spot. ‘Stuff that! Did you delete it?’

He sounds more serious again. ‘I wiped it from the system, but it was too cute not to save. I mean, what if we go the distance and end up with grandchildren? You’d want me to keep it to show them the night it all began?’

And this is exactly what I meant when I told Sophie that proper dating was too complicated. Two minutes of random conversation, and I’m so far out of my depth I can’t even see the bottom let alone reach it. Sometimes you have to go straight in and say it like it is.

‘We’re never having grandchildren, Kit.’

His lips are twisting into a smile. ‘Okay. Anything else I need to know?’

‘We’re supposed to be taking things a second at a time. Even if you’re teasing, you’re assuming way too much.’

He’s biting his lip. ‘I spend all day pretending I believe in love. My romantic side has a habit of leaking out. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.’

‘And you’ll show me the film when we get back?’

He nods. ‘So long as you promise to let me keep it.’

I let out a groan. ‘Whatever happened to snatching a fleeting moment? We’re supposed to be here and gone, not stored on your iCloud for the rest of time.’

He’s nodding. ‘I know. I agree. It’s just some things are too good to lose – viewed in my professional capacity.’

I’ve always believed you have to pick your battles. When it’s one in the morning, given the choice between this and a hot chocolate, I’m giving up on the argument and going for the cocoa hit.

‘What are we going to tell Rye?’

Kit sighs. ‘I’ll call him when we get back and he can delete the pool footage straight away.’

I just hope for Mum’s sake no one finds it too cute or engaging, or she may end up on someone’s iCloud too. But she’s a big girl. I just hope she can look after herself.