Chapter 22
22
Her aunt and uncle’s house was in darkness apart from a muted glow behind the curtains of one of the upstairs bedrooms. Anya quietly eased the side gate open and closed as she let herself into the garden. Her stealthy route to the summer house was somewhat ruined when she triggered the security light and the entire rear of the house and garden were lit up. She hurried down the path to find Chloe already waiting with the summer house door open. ‘Hello, did you have a nice time?’
‘Yes, it was lovely, thank you. Any problems here?’
Chloe shook her head as she stepped aside to let her in. ‘Nope. Freya went to bed about an hour and a half ago and I haven’t heard a peep from her. I looked in not long ago and she was crashed out.’
‘Thank you again for looking after her.’
Her cousin beamed. ‘It was my pleasure. Really, I had an absolute blast. Any time you want me to sit for you, just say the word.’
‘Thanks, well, we’ll see how it goes. ’
Chloe narrowed her eyes. ‘That doesn’t sound very promising. I thought you said you’d had a lovely time with Rick.’
‘I did, it’s just…’ Anya shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Okay, let me put the kettle on, because this sounds like it might take a while.’
Anya would’ve preferred a bit of time to process the evening on her own, but Chloe had done her a favour and there was no polite way to get out of it. A few minutes later they were settled side by side on the sofa, each holding a steaming mug of tea. Chloe faced her, one arm resting on the back of the seat cushions, her cheek propped on her fist. ‘So what happened?’
Anya blew the steam on her mug, trying to find the words to describe the confusion inside her. ‘Rick didn’t want to sleep with me.’
‘Oh my God!’ Chloe blurted.
‘Shh! Don’t wake Freya.’
‘Oh my God,’ Chloe repeated in a stage whisper. ‘You guys certainly didn’t waste any time. I know you said when we were chatting the other night that you wanted to make sure the two of you were compatible, but I didn’t think you’d try and jump his bones on your first date!’
‘We didn’t even get as far as that.’ With a sigh, Anya slumped back and closed her eyes. ‘It’s my fault. We were having such a nice evening and it was just so good to feel something again, to have someone look at me with desire in their eyes.’ To have Rick look at her that way.
‘And Rick rejected your advances?’ Chloe’s brows drew down. ‘I find that hard to believe.’
Anya rolled her head to the side to meet Chloe’s eyes. ‘Even though I wanted us to take things further I, uh, I was really nervous and I think perhaps he sensed that. ’
‘Ah, that makes more sense.’ Chloe sipped her tea. ‘So where did you guys leave things?’
‘He wants to take me for lunch next week.’
‘That sounds nice?’
‘Oh it is! Don’t get me wrong, Rick was incredibly kind and understanding and he said he’s happy to wait until I’m ready.’
Chloe nudged Anya with her knee. ‘But…’
‘I don’t know. Is there a but, or am I just making more of this than there needs to be? It’s been so long since I felt anything like this, I don’t know if I can trust myself to know when the time’s right.’
With a laugh, Chloe pushed to her feet and then drained her mug. ‘I think you just need to go with the flow, Anya, enjoy the moment and not fret too much about the future. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.’
Anya frowned up at her. ‘Is that it? That’s the best pearl of wisdom you can manage?’
Laughing, Chloe set her empty mug on the coffee table. ‘What do you want from me? Did you miss the bit where I’ve been single since before they built the pyramids?’ Bending down, she gave Anya a hug. ‘All jokes aside. If you can’t trust yourself right now, trust Rick.’
Anya hugged her back. ‘Maybe you’re better at this advice thing than you realise.’
She’d been a bit nervous about meeting Rick for lunch the following Monday, but he never made any reference to their conversation, and any doubts she’d had about him being put off by her blowing hot and cold were dispelled when he’d produced a gorgeous hamper of food from the boot of his car. She had no idea when he’d found the time to put it together, but knowing he’d gone to the effort gave her the confidence to follow Chloe’s advice and just enjoy the moment.
That was the last time they’d managed to see each other before the regatta the following weekend, but they’d messaged or spoken most evenings, even if it was just a quick call to wish each other goodnight.
As she and the rest of the family made their way towards the beach on Saturday morning, Anya found herself taking a firm grip on Freya’s hand. There were cars everywhere and the path along the sea wall was crowded. Anya was grateful to Matt for scooping Freya up and onto his shoulders, out of harm’s way, when she was almost knocked over by someone trying to push past. ‘Is it always like this?’
Chloe tutted and rolled her eyes as she was shoulder barged by someone else. ‘It’s one of the most popular events of the year. Hopefully things will be better when we get down on the beach.’
They reached the top of the steps and Anya wasn’t the only one who stopped to survey the crowded sand with dismay. ‘Or maybe not.’
‘Come on,’ Ryan said as he started down. ‘Jago messaged me earlier and said they’d staked a claim near where Rick normally has his gear set out.’
Anya wasn’t sure they’d ever find them in the chaos below but she fell into line between Matt and Chloe and did her best to walk in her uncle’s footsteps as much as possible. Somehow they made it through the noisy crowds to find Jago, Rachel, Harry and Ed guarding the corners of the space they’d claimed near the lifeguard’s hut and lookout point .
‘You made it!’ Rachel jumped to her feet and reached up to lift Freya down from Matt’s shoulders. ‘Hello, poppet! Don’t you look nice?’
Anya bit her lip and thanked God Rick’s mum was a kind soul, because Freya had chosen a pair of thick bottle-green dungarees with a Peppa Pig patch on one knee where Anya had covered up a hole caused when Freya had fallen over in the park. Underneath them she was wearing a red and white polka dot swimsuit and she had a pair of black trainers with rhinestones covering the toes. A pink bucket hat completed the ensemble. She got their towels laid out and then, as casually as she could manage, she asked Ed, ‘Is Rick not with you guys?’
The moment she’d asked him she regretted it because a huge grin spread across his face as he turned and pointed.
‘Lover boy’s over there with the rest of the do-gooders.’ His smile vanished as Chloe gave him a sharp jab in the side and leaned over to hiss something in his ear. Eyes wide, Ed turned to look at Anya and mouthed, ‘Sorry!’
Anya narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t say anything; after all, it was her own fault for asking. Thankfully Freya was busy chatting to Rachel and Jago about something and hadn’t heard what he’d said. Deciding it would be a good idea to change the subject completely, she said, ‘I haven’t been to a regatta weekend before, how does it work?’
Aunt Helen wrinkled her brow. ‘Have you really not been to one?’ She paused as though thinking about it. ‘I suppose you and Lisa always visited a bit later in the school holidays. There’s all the boat races, of course.’ She leaned closer to Anya and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Between you and me, I find them impossible to follow and I just clap when everyone else does. ’
Anya grinned. ‘Thanks for the tip.’
Helen winked. ‘Anyway, as well as all that, there’s lots of events for the kids – sandcastle building, hoop tosses, foot and swimming races for various age groups. You should sign Freya up for something.’
Anya glanced around at the crowds. ‘I’m not sure about that, it’s very busy.’
Helen pointed to a small section of the sea very close to the shore that was clearly roped and marked with bright red buoys. ‘That area is for the little ones to play in. It’s always well supervised, so she’ll be safe there if you want to take her paddling.’
Raising a hand to shade her eyes, Anya surveyed the area. It was a little less busy than the rest of the shallows and there were lots of parents with children, from toddlers to a few years older than Freya. ‘That’s a good idea; she needs kids her own age to play with. Freya?’ she called out. ‘Do you want to go swimming?’
Though she was covered from head to toe in sunscreen, Anya still made Freya pop a T-shirt on over her swimsuit to protect her shoulders and back. ‘Hold tight to my hand, darling, until we get to the water, okay?’
‘Yes, Mummy.’
They trooped down to the children’s zone, Chloe, Helen and Rachel with them carrying various toys and a set of armbands for Freya. Anya winced as the cold water lapped at her toes.
‘Oh that’s, umm, refreshing!’ Rachel gasped as she waded out until she was knee-deep in the water.
Knowing it was better to just get on with it, Anya and the others followed her into the shallows. ‘Hold Freya for a sec will you, Chloe?’ Anya requested.
‘Sure.’ Chloe came and braced a hand on Freya’s shoulder .
‘Arms up. Let’s get these on and then you can go and play.’ With a bit of wriggling and silent swearing, Anya got the armbands on her daughter. The moment Freya was released she launched herself into the water, sending up a huge splash, which soaked the front of Anya’s floral cover-up she’d pulled on over her swimsuit, making her shriek.
Freya’s giggles were a dead giveaway that she’d done it on purpose, and Anya scooped up a handful of water and splashed her right back.
‘Not fair, Mummy!’ she protested, her attempts to plant her hands on her hips somewhat hampered by the water wings.
‘Lesson learned, huh?’ Bending down, Anya picked Freya up and spun her around in a circle just to hear her laugh again.
Having set her down, the five of them began to play catch with the ball they’d brought with them. After a few minutes, Anya noticed a little girl watching from nearby. ‘If it’s okay with your mum, you can come and play,’ she offered, making sure she addressed the comment equally to the blonde woman standing next to the girl.
The woman smiled. ‘That sounds like fun, don’t you think?’
They moved outwards to expand the circle and accept the pair into the game. The ball flew past Rachel’s shoulder and was grabbed by a little boy nearby. Before they knew it, the circle had expanded to over a couple of dozen people and multiple balls were being tossed around. Freya was in her element, and she and the little blonde girl who’d first joined in were holding hands as they chased around trying to catch one of the balls. ‘Having fun?’ a deep, familiar voice asked at Anya’s shoulder.
She turned to find Rick grinning down at her, his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. He was wearing a sleeveless baggy vest over a pair of knee-length shorts, the muscular curve of his arms emphasised by the way they were folded across his broad chest. God, he was enough to make a woman weak at the knees. ‘Do you want to play?’
It was only when the curve of his mouth turned wicked that Anya realised there was a much less innocent interpretation to her question. ‘I’m heading over to my storage shed to fetch some life jackets for the group of teens I’m supervising; you could give me a hand if you like?’
She glanced over to where Freya was playing. ‘I can’t leave her.’
Rick’s fingers touched the inside of her arm, a featherlight caress gone almost before she felt it. ‘Five minutes. Mum’s here and Helen and Chloe.’
Her heart pounded. It had been almost a week since they’d seen each other and every inch of her skin felt alive at the prospect of a few stolen moments together. ‘Chloe? Can you keep an eye on Freya, please?’
Chloe glanced over and Anya could tell the moment she clocked Rick’s presence by the way her eyes widened. ‘Sure.’
‘I’m going to help Rick fetch some life jackets for his youth group.’
‘ Sure .’ Chloe waved her hand. ‘Take your time, we’ll be fine.’
She wondered about letting Freya know, but she was happy and it would take longer to explain than to get to where the life jackets were. Plus there was the risk Freya would get upset at her going or want to come with them. Five minutes . With one final quick check that her daughter was fine, Anya turned to Rick. ‘Let’s go.’
The inside of the shed was dark and cool and quiet compared to the bright, hot noise of the beach. She barely had time to adjust to the difference before she was in Rick’s arms and she forgot about everything else beyond the sweet, heady warmth of his embrace. ‘I missed you,’ Rick murmured when they finally broke for air.
His lips teased across her cheek, and she sank her fingers into his thick hair as she leaned into him. ‘I missed you too.’ She wanted time to stand still, to forget about everything beyond the door of the shed and focus only on him. Turning her head, she stole another kiss, and another. Enough . Anya cursed her conscience but still shifted her hands to Rick’s shoulders and applied the faintest of pressure.
The moment he felt her pushing him away, Rick made space between them. ‘We should get back.’
Regret and understanding shone in his eyes. And something darker, something so very tempting. Laughing, Anya raised a hand and blocked the upper part of his face. ‘Don’t look at me like that; you’ll make me forget myself.’
Rick grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss against her palm. ‘I like it when you forget yourself.’
Snatching her hand away, Anya ducked underneath his arm. ‘Rick Penrose, you are a very bad man!’ His deep, rich, wicked laugh followed her across the shed to where the shelves were filled with stacks of neatly organised equipment. ‘Are these the life jackets we need?’
‘That’s the ones,’ he said, coming over to lift a stack down and hand it to her before loading himself up with another pile.
They stepped outside and a wall of heat and light made Anya’s eyes water behind the lenses of her sunglasses. She rested her back against the wall of the shed while Rick set down his jackets and locked up. ‘Okay?’ he asked once he was ready to go.
He was turning her world upside down and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be simply okay ever again. ‘I’ll speak to Chloe and see if she’ll sit for us again. ’
Rick glanced around to make sure no one was watching then bent his head to press one last hot, swift kiss to her mouth. ‘That sounds like a very good idea.’
They were almost back at the paddling zone when Rick swore low and harsh beneath his breath. ‘What the hell are they playing at?’ Before Anya knew what was happening, the life jackets he’d been carrying thudded at her feet and Rick was running full pelt into the water, his arms waving above his head as he shouted, ‘Hey! Hey! Get back beyond the flags!’
She tracked his movements and spotted what he must’ve already noticed: a couple of lads whizzing around the bay on a jet ski. They were zooming in circles, their speed churning up the water. A wave they’d created hit Rick, almost covering his chest, and her brain finally processed the danger as the first high-pitched scream sounded and then she was running for the water too.
Chaos. It was chaos as the unexpected waves ripped through the paddling zone, catching everyone by surprise. Several children disappeared beneath the water, the force knocking them off their feet. Anya’s entire focus narrowed down to Freya’s pink bucket hat as she ploughed through water that felt thicker and heavier than liquid concrete. A woman carrying a little girl cut in front of her, blocking Anya’s view, and another wave hit, causing more shouts of fear and anger. She scrambled around the woman and Freya was further away, the rush of water carrying her out of reach of Rachel. Thank God she had her water wings on because they were the only thing keeping her afloat.
‘Mummy!’
‘I’m here!’ Anya pressed on and had almost reached Freya when Rick got there first, scooping the little girl up into the safety of his arms .
‘I’ve got you, I’ve got you,’ Anya heard him say as she waded over, her breath coming in panicked gasps.
‘Is she okay?’
‘She’s fine. She’s fine, just a little frightened.’ Rick’s big hand was rubbing circles over Freya’s back, her face buried in his neck, her arms clinging to him like a limpet.
The adrenaline began to fade, leaving Anya exhausted as the others waded over. ‘Who was that idiot?’ Helen demanded, a furious scowl twisting her face.
Rick shook his head. ‘A couple of stupid kids who don’t know any better. The lifeguards chased them off.’
Anya was about to say they’d better make sure they chased them all the way out of the village when she heard someone crying and turned to find a little boy standing on his own about twenty feet away. His face was red and Anya looked around to see who he was with. Realising he was alone, and knowing Freya was safe in Rick’s arms, she waded over to him and bent at the waist. ‘Hello? Where’s your mummy?’
The little boy sniffed and knuckled his cheeks. ‘Dunno.’
‘Shall we see if we can find her?’ Anya held out her hand and he grabbed for her like he would a lifeline. Her heart went out to him and she leaned down and scooped him up onto her hip. ‘There we go, it’s okay, we’ll find her.’ There was something vaguely familiar about him but she couldn’t place him. ‘What’s your name, darling?’
More sniffles. ‘Leo.’
Anya gave him a reassuring smile. ‘Hi Leo, I’m Anya. Come on, let’s find your mummy.’
She was about to ask him what his mother looked like when a piercing scream came from the beach. ‘Leo? Where’s Leo?’
Anya turned and her stomach gave a little lurch as she spotted a distraught-looking Shelly Dean scanning the water as she tried to hold onto two squirming babies. Bracing herself for another confrontation, Anya secured her hold on Leo and hurried towards the beach as quickly as the water would allow. ‘Shelly! Shelly!’ she called out. ‘I’ve got him.’
Shelly’s head snapped towards them. ‘Leo!’
‘He’s fine, he’s fine.’
They met on the edge of the sand. ‘He wanted to play and I thought it would be okay because there were loads of adults in the group.’
‘It’s okay, it’s not your fault.’ Even as she tried to reassure Shelly, guilt gnawed at Anya’s belly. She’d thought Freya would be okay too, had put her own selfish needs first.
She glanced behind to see Rick and the others approaching, Freya still clinging to him like a little monkey. ‘Chloe, give us a hand,’ she called. Her cousin splashed up. ‘Grab one of the babies, will you?’ Anya nodded towards Shelly.
They did a bit of juggling and soon both she and Chloe had an armful of smiling, plump, oblivious baby each while Shelly clung onto Leo, who had burst into tears the moment he was safe in her arms.
‘Thank you, thank you,’ Shelly repeated over and over.
‘It’s fine, he’s fine.’ Any hurt she’d felt at the way the other woman had spoken to her when they’d met previously vanished in the face of her obvious distress.
Her aunt Helen placed a hand on Shelly’s back. ‘Come on, let’s all go and sit down.’
They settled on their towels and Rick immediately set Freya down in Anya’s lap. ‘I’m going to speak to the lifeguards, find out if they caught up with those idiots.’ His hand settled on her shoulder. ‘You okay?’
‘Yes, thanks to you. ’
His fingers flexed against her skin for a second before he removed them. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Freya snuggled close, curling up like a kitten, and Anya wrapped a spare towel around her and rocked gently. ‘I couldn’t find you, Mummy.’
Hot guilt lanced through her once again. ‘I’m sorry, darling. I’m here now.’