Page 73 of One Golden Summer

This was what she needed. To shout and scream. It was a cheap therapy, but it worked wonders.

“Kirsty?”

Kirsty turned, then did a double take. Walking towards her was her dad. Dressed in hiking gear with those Nordic poles that were proving so popular with pensioners. However, this was the first Kirsty knew of her dad using them.

“What are you doing here?”

“Same as you, getting some air on this gorgeous day. If I want to eat cakes and pastries, your mother insists on it.” He patted his belly, then gave her a hug. “Did you hear that screaming? I was looking around, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from.” He regarded his daughter. “It wasn’t you, was it?”

Kirsty shook her head. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Her dad frowned. “Whatever it was, it sounded wounded.”

Kirsty was not going to fess up. Even though Dad was spot-on.

“You walking back?”

Kirsty checked her watch. She’d already been gone nearly half an hour.

“I’ll buy you a coffee and a cake, my treat,” he added.

That sealed the deal. Kirsty fell into step beside him as they clumped down the hill.

“Everything okay? You seem preoccupied.” Dad glanced her way. “Nothing to do with a certain movie star, is it?”

He always had been able to read her like a book. “Might be. Could be.” Kirsty shook her head. “Is.” A sigh. “It’s just, she’s gone back to London to talk to her agent about her next film. She doesn’t want to do it, but she doesn’t know if she might have to.”

“Doesn’t she have a say? It’s her life, after all.”

“Apparently, it’s not that easy. Plus, she’s going to be in the same room as her co-star. Who she had a thing with.” Kirsty’s chest tightened again.

“Everyone’s got a past.” Dad gave her a look. “You’ve seen Anna since you split up.”

“But I haven’t been contemplating working with her again. That would be a nightmare.”

“She might have gone to London to get out of it. I imagine that might take a few meetings.”

Kirsty kicked a stone with her foot. “I know.”

He put a hand on her arm and they stopped walking. “You know what they say. If you love someone, set them free. If it’s meant to be, she’ll come back.”

Kirsty bit her lip, then nodded.

“You’re just going to have to trust her on this. And if it doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be.” He took her hand and squeezed. “Come on. I’ll get you two cakes with your coffee. You look like you need it.”

Chapter 24

Saffron dashed from her flat after a rushed shower; her run to clear her mind had taken longer than she intended. Her London lunchtime attire, which would be absolutely out of place at the Poseidon Inn, but was necessary for the poshest restaurant in Soho, felt like a betrayal to who Saffron wanted to be.

Stepping out of the black cab, she checked her reflection in the glass, adjusting a wisp of hair before entering.

Pearl, with phone in hand, stalked the inside like a shark trying to pick up the scent of blood. “Don’t you look good enough to eat.”

Saffron offered her a tight-lipped smile, not trusting herself to speak.

“Echo’s running late, so let’s start in the bar.” Pearl gave a shrug that she probably hoped implied rolling with the punches, when Saffron suspected Echo was the one person who intimidated the agent.

Saffron wasn’t surprised at all Echo was running late. The woman was entirely convinced the sun revolved around her and no one could survive without her commanding presence.