Chapter 25
TASHA
Callum turned into the road leading to the parking area on the headland.
Once parked, they walked along a path until they reached the top of the steps leading down to the beach.
Despite what she had said, she was anxious about going down the steps.
She had always been nervous of heights and it wasn’t only that but the thought of having to come back up to the top of the cliffs again.
Callum seemed to sense her concerns because he reached out to her. ‘Here, take my hand. These steps can be a bit precarious and I know they’re not to everyone’s liking when it comes to ways to get down to a beach.’
She grimaced. ‘I have to admit they worry me a bit. I can be rather clumsy.’ She put her hand in his.
She was relieved that Callum took their descent very slowly, allowing her to relax slightly.
She realised she was also enjoying being able to hold his hand and was touched that he chatted to her about the view, stopping every so often for them to take in the blueness of the sea that seemed to merge with the sky.
‘It is yet another stunning place on this pretty island of yours.’
‘Look at the colours of the sea,’ she said, noticing and pointing with her free hand.
She looked up at him, happy to see him smiling.
She loved being in his company and it gave her a warm fuzzy feeling to know he had chosen to spend more time with her.
Continuing, she added, ‘The colours are amazing and range from the deepest navy to the most amazing turquoise I’ve only ever really seen in photos my parents took of a trip they made to the Caribbean years ago. ’
‘Not bad, is it?’
She sighed. ‘It’s stunningly beautiful and very inviting.’
‘I love that you like it here,’ he said, giving her a thoughtful look she couldn’t decipher.
She loved feeling so comfortable in Callum’s company. She didn’t think she had felt this connected to a man for a long time.
‘You all right?’ he asked.
She snapped out of her reverie and nodded. ‘I was just thinking of something I mustn’t forget, that’s all,’ she fibbed, too embarrassed to voice her thoughts. Wanting to spend as much time with him as possible, she said, ‘Maybe we could go for a drink or ice cream after the beach. My treat.’
‘After walking up all those steps you mean,’ he said as they finally reached the sand. ‘I think we’ll probably need it.’
Happy with the thought, she took off her trainers and waited for him to do the same.
She sighed happily. ‘I’m so glad I left them to sort things out in the cottage and came across you on my walk to nowhere.’
Callum smiled. ‘So am I.’
The sea wasn’t far out at all and Tasha loved that it only took a couple of minutes for them to be able to cool their feet in the rippling waves.
‘It’s wonderfully warm,’ she said, dreamily holding her trainers in her right hand. ‘This is bliss.’ She lifted her face to the sun and, closing her eyes, held her arms out wide. ‘You did well bringing us here, Callum.’
She sensed he was watching her and opened her eyes to find him staring at her, a gentle smile on his face.
‘What?’
He shrugged. ‘I was just thinking that the way the sun is shining on you made you look as if you had a halo around you. I was trying to imprint the vision in my memory.’
She was taken aback for a moment and couldn’t speak, simply gazing at him.
They stood in silence, their eyes locked.
She wondered if he was about to kiss her and hoped he might.
She was just about to slip her arms around his neck and kiss him, when a child shrieked, distracting her.
Tasha opened her eyes and looked for the child, relieved to see she was squealing happily.
She let her arms drop back to her sides.
She turned her back to the sun and it took a moment for her eyes to recover from the brightness.
When they did she saw Callum bend to pick something up.
‘What’s that?’
He rubbed his thumb over it and handed it to her.
‘It’s a piece of pottery.’ He held it out and Tasha took it from his palm.
She studied the white glazed pottery with tiny blue painted flowers. ‘It must have come from a beautiful piece.’ She wished she could see the whole plate, or whatever it had originally been part of. Tasha liked the thought of keeping a reminder from such a special day. ‘Do you think I can keep it?’
‘I don’t see why not.’
Happy, she dropped the piece into her pocket.
As they passed several rock pools, Tasha felt the urge to step into one. It was warmed by the sun and she took a moment to wiggle her toes and relish the new sensations she was enjoying.
She went to speak when a ball slammed into the rock pool, splashing her up to her face. Shocked, Tasha shrieked.
‘Sorry, miss.’ A little boy ran up to her as she took Callum’s outreached hand and stepped out onto the sand. The child stood a short distance away, and Tasha sensed he wasn’t sure whether to approach the ball or not.
‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘You can come and fetch it.’
‘Are you OK?’ Callum asked.
She laughed, seeing the funny side. ‘I must have looked silly standing there covered in sea spray!’
He grinned. ‘I think he got a fright when he saw how big the splash was that his ball made.’
‘Good,’ she said, amused. ‘Maybe he’ll be a little less enthusiastic with his kicks in future.’
‘Shall we see the cave?’
She nodded and let him lead her further into it, enjoying the feeling of her hand in his.
Tasha went to remark that they were still holding hands, then it occurred to her that if she did Callum would probably let go or worry that she wasn’t comfortable walking with their hands together, which wasn’t the case.
So she kept quiet and decided it was another thing to keep for her memories when she was back at home in England and missing this place. And him.
‘This is magical.’
He sighed. ‘I’m glad you think so.’
She looked at Callum as he seemed to study first her eyes, then her mouth. His gaze didn’t move for a few seconds and she hoped he was going to kiss her. Then he seemed to think better of it and, looking into her eyes again, smiled. ‘Shall we go on?’
She presumed he meant with their exploring and nodded.
As she walked slightly behind him, their hands still in each other’s, Tasha wished she’d had the courage to kiss him.
Then again, she mused, to do so would only be starting something neither one of them could take forward.
After all, whatever each of them thought of the other, she would soon be leaving the island and not coming back for months.
If at all.
Even if Riley did return to film a second series, the way she felt about him right now she probably wouldn’t still be his assistant, if she managed to find another job working for someone less demanding.
‘Everything all right?’
She gave Callum a reassuring smile. ‘I was thinking about leaving Riley,’ she admitted, wanting Callum to know why she was thoughtful at such a perfect time.
He stopped walking. ‘You’re really going to do it?’
She shrugged. ‘I’m not a hundred per cent sure, but I’m considering it more and more now. His dramas take up too much of my emotion and I’m sure I can find work elsewhere that isn’t quite so draining.’
He looked serious. ‘Or maybe working for someone who doesn’t expect you to be on call twenty-four-seven.’
She smiled. ‘Being on call goes hand in hand with this job really. Especially at times like these when he’s on location and we’re staying in the same place.
It’s the problems he manages to create that affect me most, really.
’ She thought how Callum might be feeling about the newspaper photos and Brooke’s arrival on the island. ‘I hope Erin is doing OK.’
‘I think she is and, I admit, she was a little upset.’ He groaned.
‘Horrified, really, that she had been kissing someone who was still in a relationship with someone she thought was his ex.’ He frowned.
‘I have a nagging feeling she likes Riley rather more than she imagined she might.’ He raised an eyebrow.
Tasha felt sorry for the woman who clearly had little experience of being connected to a well-known actor.
‘I worry what might happen when his fans take to social media about her. Even if he and Brooke were separated while he got together with Erin, but Brooke has her own fan base and if she intimates that she’s been betrayed, or let down by him, then heaven only knows how they’ll go for Erin. ’
‘What do you mean?’ Callum asked, aghast. ‘Is Erin’s safety a concern?’
Tasha grimaced. Why had she spoken without thinking things through first?
Now she had gone and worried Callum and ruined their wonderful outing.
She wished she had kept her concerns to herself.
‘I’m sure she’ll be fine,’ she said, hoping to reassure him.
‘She has me to speak to and I’ll do my best to regulate Riley’s social media accounts.
If Erin has any concerns at all, she really must contact me about them. ’
‘But what about the fans?’
His hand slipped from hers and he rubbed his chin, and Tasha felt the loss of his touch instantly.
‘I really shouldn’t have said anything. Look, I’ll sit with Riley and Brooke, or Dale will speak to the pair of them, and Brooke’s manager. Together they’ll come up with a narrative that saves everyone’s pride.’
‘But who will speak for my sister?’
‘I promise you I’ll ensure no one forgets Erin in all of this.’
‘She has a business she’s passionate about.’ He shook his head. ‘She’s worked hard building up her clientele and would be devastated if a couple of kisses one evening at a party ruined everything she’s worked so hard to build up.’
Seeing he was getting more upset by the minute, Tasha took his hands in hers.
‘Callum, I promise you I will keep Erin in the forefront of my mind.’ She wasn’t sure whether to add her next thought but seeing the worried look still obvious on his face decided she should.
‘I suspect Riley likes Erin quite a lot, if you know what I mean.’
Callum looked doubtful. ‘He does?’
She nodded. ‘He won’t want her to suffer because of his mistake.’
‘How can you be so sure?’
She thought of the Riley she often saw when he was on his best behaviour and also the man who could at times be very thoughtful.
Like the time she had gone down with flu a couple of years before when they were in Cannes and she had to stay in her room at the hotel and leave another assistant to accompany Riley.
She had worried he would be furious at the inconvenience, but instead he had sent out for medications, called for a doctor to keep checking on her and made sure the hotel kept Tasha supplied with tempting snacks and plenty of healthy smoothies.
‘Because I know Riley quite well and below all his vanity and bluster lies an occasionally thoughtful and caring man. And he does like Erin, so he will do all he can to make sure she isn’t hurt by this drama Dale has caused.’
Callum went to respond but her phone rang.
‘Sorry,’ she said, taking her phone from her pocket and seeing who was calling. ‘I need to take this.’
After she ended the call she said, ‘Sorry, that was Dale.’ She wished she didn’t have to take her phone with her everywhere. ‘He’s sent over some paperwork I need to go through with Riley. I’m afraid I have to go back to the cottage.’
‘That’s a shame.’
She sighed. ‘I agree. I’ve enjoyed myself very much.’
His face brightened. ‘That makes me very happy.’
They put their trainers back on, then Callum stared pointedly at the steps. ‘I suppose we’d better navigate these things.’ He reached out his hand to her and once she had taken it they began the slow climb up from the beach to the car.
As they walked, Tasha wondered what would greet her when she arrived back at the cottage.