Chapter 26
Three weeks on from breaking his foot, Alex was beginning to feel a few small signs of recovery.
He could now walk slowly without any crutches, for which he was grateful.
He found that he missed running and using his body so easily as he had done before the accident.
The need to keep up his physical well-being, as well as his heart rate, was still quite strong after all the years of training.
But he was pleased to be feeling stronger at last after a frustrating couple of weeks.
He briefly thought about the conversation with his dad before forcing his mind onto something else. He had spoken his mind and said what was long overdue, as far as he was concerned. He just hoped that he and his dad could repair their relationship in time.
But he also was pleased to have found a different type of exercise which he intended to keep up for the duration of his recuperation. Each morning before breakfast, and after taking Tiny out for a walk, he would go for a swim in the lake whilst Tiny lay on the beach watching him with sleepy eyes.
‘Best rehabilitation I know,’ Walter had said to him one evening.
And Alex was now inclined to agree.
Swimming had always been part of the triathlon to him, the first stage in a race. So to discover that he actually enjoyed the tranquillity of the water by himself was a surprise. After his swim, he always felt better, calmer and happier.
Twice Dotty had joined him and Alex was pleased that she too was enjoying swimming in the lake, even at eighty years of age, and yet he was worried as well. He voiced his concerns to Ben late one morning.
‘I was thinking that we need to order some safety equipment for the lake,’ he said to Ben and Walter.
‘Health and safety gone mad,’ muttered Walter, shaking his head.
For once, Alex felt the need to disagree with him. ‘I worry that if anyone gets into trouble out there, there aren’t even any lifebuoys, let alone a lifeguard out there to keep an eye on people.’
‘A lifeguard?’ Even Ben’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
‘If you’re serious about wanting to open up the lake for paddleboarders then you’ll need to be safe,’ Alex told him.
Ben leant back in his chair, nodding thoughtfully. ‘I see.’
‘If Dodgy Del ever comes through with the paddleboards,’ Walter reminded him.
Ben rolled his eyes. ‘Summer might be over by then,’ he said, with a grimace. He then turned to look at his friend. ‘You really think we should be thinking about this?’
‘I do,’ said Alex. ‘I’ve seen experienced triathletes get cramp in the water, as well as other difficulties like getting tangled in the reeds, for example. Even if it’s only for hotel guests and your grandmother, then I’d be far happier if they were safe.’
‘Agreed,’ said Ben, with a nod. ‘So you know about the kind of things we need?’
‘I can get everything ordered for you, if you like,’ replied Alex.
‘Great,’ said Ben, standing up. ‘Better to be safe than sorry. We’re responsible for everyone whilst they stay here so that should cover everywhere, including the lake.’
So when Alex went out the following morning for his swim, he made a note whilst he was out in the middle of the water as to where the shallows were, as well as suitable places for lifebuoys.
In fact, he was out in the water for so long that by the time he joined Tiny on the beach after his swim, Hannah had joined him, looking concerned.
‘You were out there much longer than usual,’ she told him, holding out his towel.
‘Thanks,’ he said, taking it from her outstretched hand.
‘Are you back training again?’ she asked.
He shook his head. ‘Just rehabilitation,’ he said, wincing a little as he briefly put his weight on his foot before sitting on one of the three deck chairs that Walter had put out for Dotty on the sand.
To his surprise but pleasure, Hannah sat down next to him. Tiny, delighted to have double company, wagged his tail and immediately rolled over, waiting for someone lucky enough to rub his furry tummy.
Hannah smiled at the dog and reached forward to oblige. ‘You’ve always been so focused,’ she said. ‘I wish I had even a tiny bit of that self-confidence.’
He looked at her. ‘I’m not so sure about that,’ he told her. ‘It was certainly easier to feel that certainty about everything when I was training.’
‘How so?’ she asked.
He thought for a moment, trying to find the words to explain.
‘I guess it was all about the preparation for the next race. I had to be meticulous in training, otherwise I’d just be making up numbers.
’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘It was hard work but it did make me feel energised. Enjoying what you do helps.’
His frown caused Hannah to look at him in concern. ‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘The trouble is I didn’t really enjoy it these last couple of years,’ he told her. ‘It went from enjoyment to pure ambition to win a medal. That sole dream clouded everything else in my life.’
‘But you’re an athlete,’ she reminded him. ‘It’s easier for you.’
He sighed, trusting her with the truth. ‘Do you want to know a secret?’
She waited patiently for him to carry on.
‘Tiny did me a favour,’ he told her. ‘I was tired, done. I was competing for Dad, not for myself. I put his goals way above my own. I want to be selfish for a while.’
She smiled at that. ‘You’re the least selfish person I’ve ever met,’ she told him.
He was glad of the compliment but felt the need to correct her. ‘Thanks, but I still want the same things that most people want.’
‘Like what?’
‘I want to settle somewhere,’ he replied.
‘Well, there’s worse places,’ she told him, laughing before looking over at the boathouse nearby. ‘I wish I could bottle your confidence and take it with me. I’m dreading running a café, to be honest.’
‘You don’t want to have your own place?’ he asked.
She bit her lip. ‘Actually, yes, I do,’ she said softly. ‘I’m just not sure that I’m ready for it.’
‘You need to be single-minded and focused on what you really want,’ he told her. ‘If that’s the café then be brave and go for it.’
‘And what about you?’ she asked. ‘What do you want right now?’
The silence stretched out as he looked at her. Now was his chance. To tell her how he felt. To even ask her out on a date.
But in his hesitation, they were both distracted by Tiny suddenly leaping up to greet Lily as she came down the path towards them. And as Hannah got up to chase after the dog, Alex realised that he had missed his moment once again.