Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
SCARLETT
S carlett’s face was still warm from the kitchen incident as she made her way down to the beach with the rest of the swimmers. She wasn’t quite sure why she’d brushed the whole thing off so easily. If anyone else had walked in on her half-dressed, she’d have been mortified for days, but somehow, with Pete, it hadn’t felt like such a disaster.
Maybe it was the look of absolute horror on his face when he’d realised what he’d done—like a schoolboy caught with his hand in the biscuit tin. Or maybe it was the way he’d stammered through his apology afterwards, his tanned face turning an impressive shade of crimson. Either way, she found herself more amused than embarrassed.
Pete had dashed away to join the rest of the lifeguards, and Scarlett scanned the crowd for Lou and the rest of the Chilly Dippers. The beach was a hive of activity. Swimmers milled about on the sand, some stretching, others chatting excitedly.
A few brave souls were already wading around in the shallows, splashing themselves with water and testing the temperature while they waited for things to kick off.
‘Scarlett! Over here!’
Scarlett turned, only to find Lou standing with the rest of the Seabury contingent, waving her over with enthusiasm.
‘There you are!’ Lou exclaimed. ‘I thought you’d abandoned us for your new café career.’
‘Just helping out,’ Scarlett replied, slipping off her cardigan and folding it carefully. ‘They were swamped.’
‘Mmm-hmm,’ Lou hummed, that knowing look back in her eyes. ‘Hey… have you got suncream on?’
‘Yep, why?’ said Scarlett, surprised.
‘Because you’re bright pink,’ said Lou, looking concerned.
‘It was hot in the café,’ said Scarlett. There was no way she was going to tell her blabbermouth friend it was probably residual blush left over from Pete wandering in and finding her half naked.
‘Not that hot…’ said Lou, raising an eyebrow.
Scarlett opened her mouth to point out that Lou hadn’t just made about a hundred coffees on the trot, but her attention was caught by a familiar figure striding purposefully towards the water’s edge.
Pete had changed into a wetsuit. The black neoprene was hugging his body in a way that left very little to the imagination. Far from being unflattering, his lean frame wore the wetsuit like it was tailor-made for him. There wasn’t an ounce of extra flesh on him—he was all toned muscle and long limbs.
Scarlett swallowed, suddenly thirsty. For a brief, wildly inappropriate moment, she wondered what it would be like to help him back out of that wetsuit.
‘Someone’s got it bad,’ Lou murmured in her ear, making Scarlett jump.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she replied, far too quickly to be convincing.
Lou just laughed. ‘Sure you don’t. That’s why you’re staring at Surfer Boy without blinking.’
‘I was just… observing the water conditions,’ said Scarlett.
‘Is that what we’re calling it now?’ Lou grinned. ‘Well, the “water conditions” certainly look fine from here.’
Before Scarlett could come up with a suitably withering response, a loud klaxon blared across the beach. Mick had just given the signal for the swim to begin.
What followed could only be described as cheerful chaos. Dozens of people surged towards the sea in a mass of flailing limbs and excited shouts. The Chilly Dippers, not wanting to be outdone by the locals, let out a group war cry and charged, with Lou sprinting down the beach to join them.
Scarlett found herself caught up in the stampede, running alongside strangers who had suddenly become comrades in this mad dash into the waves.
The first touch of the sea on her toes was bracing, to say the least. By the time the water reached her knees, Scarlett started to question all her life choices. When the first wave splashed up over her waist, she couldn’t help but let out a high-pitched yelp that matched the chorus of screams around her.
‘Cold?’ laughed a stranger to her left, a middle-aged woman whose blue swimming cap marked her as a Crumbleton Sands local.
‘Just a bit!’ Scarlett gasped, teeth already beginning to chatter.
‘Only one way to deal with that,’ the woman advised cheerfully. ‘Get it over with quickly!’
With that pearl of wisdom, the woman dived forward, disappearing completely beneath the surface before emerging a moment later with a whoop of triumph.
Scarlett hesitated, peering around her. The swimmers seemed to be divided into two camps. The first lot was taking the plunge, diving right under the waves and re-emerging with a splash. The second lot—less brave or more sensible, depending on your perspective—inched deeper, grimacing as each new sliver of skin met the chilly water.
Do it quickly. Like pulling off a plaster.
Taking a deep breath, Scarlett ducked down, disappearing under the waves. The cold hit her like a physical force as the water closed over her head, driving the air from her lungs and sending shockwaves through her body.
For one disorienting moment, she couldn’t tell which way was up. Then her feet found the sandy bottom, and she pushed herself back to the surface, breaking through with a gasp that turned into a whoop of pure joy.
‘That’s the spirit!’ called the blue-capped woman, now treading water a few metres further out.
Scarlett grinned, surprised to find herself enjoying the shock of the cold. After the initial impact, it wasn’t so bad. Invigorating, even. She’d never been much of a sea swimmer, preferring the controlled environment of a warm pool, but there was something undeniably exhilarating about being in the open water, feeling the push and pull of the waves.
All around her, people were splashing and laughing, some swimming proper strokes while others were content to bob around in the shallows.
The flags Pete and his team had set up marked a clear boundary, and Scarlett could see the lifeguards positioned strategically around the group, their yellow vests standing out against the sea.
Despite the joyful chaos surrounding her, Scarlett found her eyes drawn back to Pete. He was all business now, his gaze constantly scanning the water, alert for any signs of trouble.
There was something undeniably attractive about his quiet focus. It was a far cry from the slightly grumpy, crumpled man who’d opened the van door to her last night.
‘Earth to Scarlett!’ Lou’s voice broke through her thoughts. Her friend had swum up beside her, water streaming from her cap. ‘Having fun?’
‘Actually, yes,’ Scarlett admitted, surprised to find it was true. ‘Once you get past the initial shock, it’s quite nice.’
‘Told you,’ said Lou, smugly. ‘Us Chilly Dippers know what we’re talking about. Though I suspect the scenery might be contributing to your enjoyment?’ She nodded meaningfully in Pete’s direction.
Scarlett rolled her eyes but didn’t bother denying it.
‘Well, I can’t say I blame you,’ said Lou. ‘He is very easy on the eyes.’
Scarlett splashed water at her friend, who dodged with practised ease.
‘Don’t you have someone else to annoy?’ laughed Scarlett.
‘Probably,’ Lou conceded cheerfully. ‘But my focus is firmly on you while I’ve got the pleasure of your company! Come on, let’s swim out a bit further.’
Scarlett hesitated, suddenly aware of how far out of her comfort zone she already was. Bath was a fair few miles from the sea, and her swimming was limited to a few occasional lengths of the pool at the local leisure centre. The idea of heading into deeper water, where her feet wouldn’t touch the bottom, was mildly terrifying.
Lou gave her an encouraging smile. ‘I’ll be right beside you the whole time. And we’ve got Mr Cutie-Bum watching over us anyway.’
Scarlett glanced over at Pete again, who happened to be looking in their direction. Their eyes met briefly, and he gave her a little wave. If it was meant to be reassuring, it had the opposite effect, kicking up a flock of butterflies in her stomach.
‘Okay,’ she said, surprising herself. ‘But not too far out.’
They swam further away from the shore, staying within the flagged area but venturing just deep enough that Scarlett had to tread water rather than stand. Lou was a strong swimmer, cutting through the water with confident strokes, but to start with, she kept pace with Scarlett, never straying more than an arm’s length away.
The water felt different out here—more powerful, more alive. Scarlett could feel the subtle pull of currents beneath the surface, the rise and fall of swells that hadn’t yet broken into waves. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.
‘This is amazing!’ she called to Lou, who beamed back at her.
‘See? Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is exactly what you need,’ said Lou, flipping over and executing a perfect backstroke that Scarlett could only envy. Her friend’s strong arms cut through the water, propelling her away at speed.
Scarlett was about to give chase when she felt something brush against her leg—something soft and slippery. She let out a startled yelp, instinctively jerking away and losing her rhythm in the water. For one heart-stopping moment, she felt herself slipping under the surface, water closing over her head.
Panic seized her as her mouth filled with salty water that instantly burned her throat. She flailed wildly, arms and legs thrashing. Her lungs began to burn, and this time, she really couldn’t tell which way was up.
Just as her lungs felt like they were going to implode, strong hands wrapped around her arms, and she was being pulled upwards. Scarlett’s head broke the surface, and she gasped in precious air, coughing as water streamed from her nose and mouth.
‘I’ve got you,’ said a calm, steady voice in her ear. ‘You’re okay. Just breathe.’
Pete. Of course it was Pete.
Scarlett clung to him, her heart hammering, embarrassment warring with residual panic as she gulped in breath after breath.
‘Something touched my leg,’ she managed to gasp once she’d caught her breath.
‘Probably seaweed,’ Pete said, his voice matter-of-fact but not unkind, ‘or a curious fish.’
‘Scarlett! Are you okay?’ Lou was back at her side, staring at her in horror.
‘I’m fine,’ Scarlett assured her, though she made no move to disentangle herself from Pete’s steadying grip. ‘Just got a bit spooked.’
‘I’m so sorry!’ said Lou. ‘I shouldn’t have left you…’
‘Don’t be daft!’ said Scarlett, before coughing up more water. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Let’s get you back to shallower water,’ Pete suggested. ‘You’ll probably feel better with your feet under you.’
Scarlett nodded gratefully.
Pete kept one arm around her as he helped her swim back towards the shore, his strong kicks propelling them both with an ease that would have been impressive if Scarlett hadn’t been so mortified by the whole situation. Lou bobbed along beside them, throwing concerned looks at her.
When they reached a depth where Scarlett could comfortably stand, Pete released her, though he remained close by, watching her with careful eyes.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry for overreacting.’
‘No such thing as overreacting,’ said Pete. ‘You feeling okay?’
‘Fine,’ said Scarlett.
‘Breathing okay?’
Scarlett nodded again. Sure, her breath was coming faster than normal, but that had more to do with being pressed against Pete’s chest while she coughed and spluttered all over him.
‘Do you want to get out?’ said Lou.
Scarlett shook her head. ‘I think I’ll stick to the shallows for now, though.’
‘Good plan,’ said Pete. ‘No shame in having a quick breather. Don’t let this put you off, though. You were doing great before you got spooked.’
‘Thanks Pete,’ she said with a sheepish grin. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘Nothing to apologise for, seriously,’ he said. ‘If you start feeling unwell, go straight over to Dylan at the first aid tent.’
‘I’ll be fine,’ said Scarlett.
‘Right, well, I should get back to...’ He gestured vaguely behind him at the sea full of happy swimmers.
‘Of course,’ Scarlett said quickly.
With a final nod, Pete turned and waded back out into deeper water, his movements as smooth and confident as ever. Scarlett couldn’t help but watch him go, admiring the way he seemed so completely in his element.
‘He’s right, you know,’ said Lou, splashing around next to her. ‘You were a natural out there. Until nature decided to say hello.’
Scarlett laughed, relief making her light-headed. ‘I wouldn’t go that far, but thanks for the vote of confidence.’
‘Well,’ Lou said with a significant look, ‘it was certainly one way to get his attention.’
‘I didn’t do it on purpose!’ Scarlett protested.
‘No,’ said Lou, ‘but you can’t deny it worked out rather nicely. He practically flew through the water to get to you.’
Scarlett splashed her friend again, but she couldn’t quite hide her smile. Something told her she wasn’t going to forget the feeling of Pete’s strong arms wrapped around her in a hurry!