He shrugged. ‘I can’t say that the thought didn’t occur to me. But I couldn’t have stopped her from taking risks. That was in her nature and you can’t change the people you love.’
‘You reckon not?’ Blake should have taken note of that. He’d spent an appreciable amount of time suggesting clothes that would suit her and pointing out what she shouldn’t say or do. It had all been a terrible waste, though, because he hadn’t really wanted her because she was beautiful or charming. She had just been someone who had ideas that could be turned into hard cash.
‘I’m not sure I could ever change who I am. Could you?’
Caro swallowed hard. ‘No. I don’t think so.’ It seemed like an admission of failure. Drew made her wish that she was beautiful and charming.
‘I guess we’ll just have to be what we are...’ He quirked his lips downwards as if he didn’t really want to think about that. ‘Would you like to come for a walk? We have a beach, and some woodlands...’
Suddenly she didn’t want to be near Drew any more. He’d never once criticised her, but she couldn’t stop the things that Blake had said from echoing in her mind.
‘No, thanks, but... I should be getting back. The tide...’
‘Yes, of course. I’m running late too, I’ll have to hurry home if I’m going to catch the last of this afternoon’s TV.’
Caro breathed a sigh of relief. She’d be home soon, in her workshop, where she didn’t have to think about any of this. ‘I’m told it does you a lot of good.’
‘Whoever told you that?’ Drew smirked at her, getting to his feet.
* * *
What? What had that all been about? Drew let himself into his cottage on the outskirts of the tiny village of Dolphin Cove, scarcely having time for the thought before Phoenix came hurtling towards him.
‘Hey, there, girl.’ He bent down to stroke the puppy, lifting her up into his arms. ‘You missed me, then?’
The answer was unequivocal. Phoenix started to lick his neck, and Drew couldn’t help smiling. She was the most uncomplicated part of his life at the moment.
Caro, on the other hand...
He’d known her for two days. And found himself spilling things he’d kept from people he’d known his whole life. It was puzzling, and a little outrageous, and maybe just the result of her blunt honesty. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Caro somehow got him in a way that most other people didn’t.
It was almost as if she knew him, right down to his bones, the way that Ellie did. But Ellie’s knowing was the result of them having grown up with each other. Brother and sister. Caro’s knowing was warm and wild and confronting, and he couldn’t seem to get enough of it. It had followed him home, digging into his heart, like a sharp longing for what he couldn’t have.
And he couldn’t have it. He couldn’t change Caro, any more than he could have changed Luna. His parents had argued their way through his teens, both trying to change each other. The divorce had been a long time coming, postponed until he and his brothers had all left home, and it had probably been the best thing that had ever happened to his parents. Finally, they’d learned how to be friends, and they got on together much better than when they’d been married.
Man’s best friend was still making an excited fuss of him. He scratched behind Phoenix’s ears, and the puppy wriggled with pleasure.
‘Sorry to leave you for so long. When you’ve had your final round of shots, you can come to the clinic while I’m working.’
Phoenix didn’t seem to care about anything other than this moment, she was just happy that he was home now. And maybe looking just a few moments ahead, in anticipation of some dog treats. He set her down, and she trotted ahead of him as he made his way into the kitchen.
* * *
Caro had been staring at her computer screen for tw
o hours, ever since Drew had replied to her text, confirming that he’d be coming to see her later on today. He’d clearly forgotten all about the tide, because he’d said he’d be there at noon, and he’d replied to Caro’s reminder with a thumbs-up emoji. Whatever that meant. Thumbs up for the tide? Or for not arriving until later in the afternoon?
In the meantime, though, she was safe from visitors. That was the whole point of living up here, but at the moment it seemed an annoyance. She stared out of the window of her workshop at the sea, following the movement of a small rowing boat that was making its way around the peninsula.
Whoever that was must be mad. Wherever they needed to get to it couldn’t be more than five minutes’ drive, and pitching yourself out into the water just for the sake of it seemed perverse. Maybe she should go outside, just to make sure that the small craft didn’t capsize while it was traversing her small slice of the horizon.
She may as well. She wasn’t getting anything done here, and perhaps the breeze that continually danced across her small island would clear her head a little. Caro pulled on the sweater that was draped over the back of her chair and squeezed past the printer, unlocking the door.
Whoever it was was pulling strongly on the oars. Caro narrowed her eyes at the splash of red at the prow of the boat. Was it two people...?
She let out a little yelp of surprise. It was a small dog, wearing a bright red lifejacket. And the man pulling at the oars was Drew.
That put a different complexion on the whole thing. Now the raw power in his shoulders made her heart beat a little faster. And the desperate foolhardiness of the venture became a little more personal. Caro ran to the edge of the cliff that dropped down towards the sea and shouted.