One Cornish Summer With You

Chapter One

Surely, he had to be a bit mad?

Why else would he be sitting on the sea wall in a dark suit and tie, his shiny-shoed feet dangling over the edge? Wasn’t he sweltering in the sun that had arrived so unexpectedly in Cornwall for the late May bank holiday weekend?

The hot spell had taken almost everyone in Porthmellow by surprise, apart from Tammy, who ignored the forecasts and relied on her own knowledge of the Cornish coast gleaned from thirty-two years of living and working in the county.

Perhaps she should cut the man some slack.

After all, she’d been working hard on her design and her body was glowing with the effort of scraping the rake over the firm sand.

In contrast, Mr Suited and Booted was exposed to the keen edge of the Atlantic breeze.

He might not be as hardy as Tammy, who was used to anything the Cornish climate might hurl at her.

She’d already decided he wasn’t from Porthmellow with his formal clothes and his light brown hair cut in a rather severe short style.

He’d first come to her attention about half an hour ago when she was midway through her creation.

Normally, she was so caught up in her work that she didn’t notice anyone, which was what she should be doing now: focusing on finishing the design before the tide turned.

Even so, she risked one more glance and caught him staring out beyond the artwork to the waves that had started to roll back up the beach.

Unexpectedly, he switched his gaze to meet hers and seemed to smile, but Tammy turned away and dropped her eyes to the tribute she was creating to mark the fifth anniversary of her father, Neil’s, passing.

She’d been mulling over the design for weeks and still hadn’t made up her mind until she’d woken that morning.

The rays streaming in through the window of her flat had warmed her face and helped her decide.

The rising sun represented hope and a fresh start after all she and her family had been through.

She stepped back and laid her rake on the sand, satisfied that another mark would spoil the design and curious to get a closer look at the man who seemed as fascinated by her art as she was with him.