Chapter 25
MAE
I’d barely opened the door to him the next morning before he had me against the wall, his mouth on mine, his hand around my waist pulling me in towards him. Not that I was complaining. It was a better way to start the day than my usual alarm clock.
‘I’ve been fantasizing about doing that since I left you,’ he said when we finally broke apart for breath.
‘But last night, you said…’
‘Last night was hours ago, and I’ve done a lot of brooding since then.’ He pouted. ‘Because of you, I had to take a cold shower at three in the morning.’
I smirked, feeling smug. Any last traces I’d had of self-doubt since he’d pulled the brakes the night before right as things were starting to get hot and heavy, disappeared. ‘Serves you right. I didn’t exactly sleep all that well myself.’
‘Good.’ He pushed off the wall behind me and looked me up and down. ‘Hey, you’re already dressed.’
‘Told you, I couldn’t sleep. Been up since five. Even took a walk along the beach hoping the cold would wake me up. It worked.’ I pulled a face. ‘Well, that and the two coffees I’ve already had.’
‘Yeah, I stopped in at the Café on Main on my way here and got a cup of the strongest coffee they sell too. Have you been there yet?’
I shook my head.
‘Damn. As your official Pine Harbor tour guide, I’m slacking. For a meal or a drink, you can’t beat The Cozy Catch. But for breakfast or brunch, Café on Main is the place to go. Remind me to take you there for breakfast one day. Their blueberry pancakes are the best in the whole of Maine.’
‘That’s a pretty big claim. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my, admittedly, relatively short time here, it’s that Mainers tend to take their blueberry pancakes pretty seriously.’
He clicked his tongue. ‘Sure do. Almost as seriously as their whoopie pies.’
‘Haven’t tried one of those before.’
He clutched his chest and reeled back in horror. ‘You’re joking, right?’
‘No.’
‘Never?’
‘Not that I can remember. Maybe when I was a kid. I’m more of a chocolate dessert kind of girl now. Or fresh fruit.’
‘We must rectify this as soon as possible. Otherwise they might run you out of town.’
‘That’s a tad dramatic, don’t you think?’
‘I told you, they take these things pretty seriously around here.’
‘Fine. Why don’t we go there for lunch today?’
He shook his head. ‘I have other plans for today.’
‘What plans?’
He shrugged, his expression vague. ‘Just stuff and things.’
‘What sort of “stuff and things”?’
‘Why do you insist on asking?’
I put my hands on my hips. ‘Why do you insist on keeping everything a secret?’
‘Call me selfish, but I liked seeing the look of surprise on your face when I took you to the frozen waterfall. I want to see you look like that again.’
I smiled. ‘That is a little bit selfish. But it’s also kind of sweet, so I’ll forgive you.’
‘Good, because I think you’re going to like what I have planned.’ He checked the large black watch on his tanned wrist. ‘Are you ready to get going?’
‘Ah, about that.’ I pulled an apologetic face. ‘I have some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?’
‘Neither.’
‘That’s not how this works.’
He sighed. ‘Fine. I’ll take the good then, I guess.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked, enjoying being the one who had him in the dark for once.
‘No, but hit me with it.’
‘OK, well the good news is that we still get to spend most of the day together.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Most?’
‘I have to make a quick stop first.’
‘What sort of stop?’
‘A work one.’
‘I thought you had today off.’
‘I did. I do. It’s just one quick stop, shouldn’t take too long. An elderly man. My boss called this morning and said they’re short-staffed, so asked me to check in on him. A couple of the other nurses are out with influenza B. She was very apologetic, and I couldn’t say no. I’m sorry.’
He smiled. ‘It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. What’s the name of the old man? Or are you not allowed to say.’
‘Well you’ll have to come with me, so I don’t see why not.’ I checked my phone for the job details that Cheryl, my boss, had messaged through. ‘His name is Ray.’
He groaned slightly.
‘What?’
‘I don’t even need to ask you for a surname. I know exactly who you’re talking about.’
‘Should I be worried?’
He appeared to deliberate his next words carefully.
‘Not worried, so much as prepared. Ray is an old career fisherman, and like many of the old fisherman who only retired because their bodies physically couldn’t take the long, hard days any more, and because no insurance company would continue to touch them, he spent a great deal of his life at sea, alone, so he can be…
let’s just say a little tetchy, sometimes. ’
‘Consider me warned.’
‘He’s also a bit of a hypochondriac, from what I’ve heard.’
I scooped up my keys and scarf, wrapping it around my neck. ‘That’s not uncommon among the elderly. A lot of them are just lonely and want company.’
‘Not Ray. He’s not exactly what you’d call a people person.’ He grinned at me as we exited the cottage and I locked the door behind us. ‘You’ll see.’