Page 72 of Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea

‘Don’t worry about it.’ Rosie looked at Liam’s sopping wet T-shirt and started to laugh. He’d never heard her properly laugh before and the sound of it lifted his spirits. ‘You’d better stretch out on the sand to dry off. You’re absolutely soaked.’

Liam sank down onto the warm sand and leaned back on his elbows. Rosie sat down next to him, pulled up her knees and locked her arms around them. ‘Billy is quite a character.’

‘That’s one word for him,’ said Liam, tutting at his ridiculous dog. Billy was now rolling around on the beach and his fur was stiff with sand. ‘I’ll be hosing him down in the yard when I get back.’

‘He won’t much like that.’

‘I don’t suppose he will.’

Rosie lowered her cheek onto her knees, with her face towards the sea. Liam watched her hair dance in the breeze for a moment. She seemed so worn out, so bowed down by life and its secrets.

‘So you’ll still be here tomorrow, then,’ he said.

‘I will. Why?’

‘There’s an eighties disco in the village hall tomorrow night. Belinda and her committee put on dances there quite regularly. Why don’t you come and switch off for a couple of hours?’

Rosie raised her head. ‘Do you go?’

‘Always.’ That was a lie. He hadn’t been to one in ages.

‘I bet you’re a good dancer on the quiet.’

‘You saw me dance at school discos so you know full well thatStrictly’sgot nothing on my moves.’

When Rosie turned her head towards him, he realised that his mouth was very close to hers. She really did have the most beautiful skin and her teeth were so white against her golden tan. A fair curl of hair had tumbled onto her shoulder and, without properly thinking it through, he pushed it back behind her ear, his hand brushing against her cheek.

Rosie stared at him, her eyes the colour of the autumn leaves that blew across his farm. Neither of them moved as seagulls wheeled overhead and children ran past them to the sea.

Liam, the ladies’ man, would have rested his hand on the back of her neck and gently pulled her towards him until their lips met. But that wasn’t who he was any more. Globe-trotting Rosie already had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested in a failing farmer from Heaven’s Cove anyway.

He’d just dropped his hand when a long, dark shadow loomed over them. Shielding his eyes, he looked up into the sun.

‘Oh!’ Rosie was scrambling to her feet, shaking sand all over him. ‘You came! You didn’t tell me.’

She threw her arms around the neck of the man standing in front of them while Liam got to his feet and wiped away the sand sticking to his damp T-shirt.

‘Been for a swim?’ asked the man, staring at Liam over Rosie’s shoulder. He was sporting a tidy moustache and goatee, and his arm around her waist was the same colour as Rosie’s skin.

‘We were walking and Billy, Liam’s dog, shook water everywhere.’ Rosie grinned. ‘I can’t believe you’re here, Matt.’

‘You didn’t think I’d be happy letting you cope with all this on your own, did you?’

Matt hugged Rosie tightly to him while Liam raised an eyebrow. It seemed to him that Matt had been perfectly content to let Rosie cope with ‘all this’ on her own up until now.

‘Let me introduce you properly.’ Rosie disentangled herself from his embrace. ‘This is Liam, who I’ve known for ages. He’s the person who’s been helping me with the painting.’

‘I’m Matt, the boyfriend. It’s kind of you to help Rosie out, Liam.’ Matt’s beady grey eyes bored into Liam’s. He didn’t smile.

‘It’s not a problem.’

‘So how do you two know each other?’

‘We went to school together.’

‘Really? Rosie’s never mentioned you before. Mind you, she rarely mentions Heaven’s Cove. She’s far too busy with our life in Spain.’ He grabbed her hand and pushed his fingers between hers.

She folded her fingers over his. ‘How come you’re in Heaven’s Cove, Matt, and how did you know I was on the beach?’