Page 35 of The Wedding Proposal

Trying to push Elle from his mind, Lucas brought his attention to the woman by his side. ‘Give me a moment to grab my wallet and then we can get a beer or something.’

But Kayleigh just pulled him down beside her on the seat. ‘We don’t need to go rushing off. I bet you’ve got a cold beer here for a hot visitor?’

‘You know me so well.’ He fetched a couple of cold bottles from the fridge.

When he sat back down, Kayleigh hooked an arm companionably through his, asking about the quality of Maltese beer, chatting about her trip, her work. He understood her well enough to know that she’d parked herself on board the Shady Lady for a reason.

As if on cue, Elle reappeared, making to brush past with cheery goodbyes.

Kayleigh pulled her up short. ‘I think your little friend’s doubled back to hide out in the park.’

Elle braked to a stop. This time, she didn’t swing around and gaze into the shadows. Instead, she sighed. ‘Really? I was hoping he’d go home. He attends the centre where I’m volunteering and I think he’s taken a shine to me.’

Kayleigh nodded. ‘I work in a children’s hospice and I recognise the signs. He’s becoming attached to you. It’s hard when that happens because your heart goes out to him but you can’t play favourites. And you have to be careful not to do anything that can be construed as inappropriate.’

Elle looked agonised. ‘Exactly. And I’m a real novice — I’ve only been volunteering a week.’

‘Be friendly but aware of the pitfalls, is my advice. Maybe mention the situation to someone at the centre.’ Kayleigh took a swig from her bottle. ‘If it was me, I’d pretend I didn’t know he was back in the gardens and go about my business.’

‘Good plan, thanks.’ With a wave, Elle left the boat and hurried up the quayside.

‘Very cool lady,’ repeated Kayleigh. ‘Got a good heart and doing her bit by volunteering. So tell me how it feels to be sharing the boat with her.’

Lucas groaned. ‘Give me a break, Kay.’

‘Nope.’ She shook her head. ‘You can’t phone me to casually mention that you’re sharing a boat with the girl who mashed your heart and expect me just to say, “Oh, that’s nice,” and talk about the weather. I know how you used to feel about her.’

‘OK.’ Lucas sighed. ‘It was a hell of a shock when she turned up here. For both of us. We flared up at each other and then we both flared up at Simon for coming up with the masterful plan of arranging for us to be here at the same time.’

Kayleigh watched him. ‘It seems wayward, even for Simon.’

He took a reflective pull of his beer. ‘Yes, considering that there are a lot of hurt feelings still stabbing at us both.’

‘Unresolved issues?’

He laughed, humourlessly. ‘Not kidding.’ Suddenly the beer bottle was empty in his hand and he realised that he’d hardly been aware of tipping the contents down his throat. He gazed at the froth running down inside the glass as if it held answers.

‘It sounds as if your shared history’s eating at you. You need to sort it out.’

Lucas shifted restlessly. ‘Do we have to do this, Kay? It’s great you’re here but can’t we just enjoy that, without analysing things that are best ignored?’

She sighed, gazing along the quay in the direction Elle had gone. ‘What’s ignoring it going to resolve, Lucas?’ Then she squeezed his arm. ‘Love you, hon, but you’re not the easiest, you know.’

* * *

On the Seadancer Elle found Loz and Davie nursing hangovers in the shade on the foredeck.

Loz’s hand seemed permanently stuck to her forehead. ‘As the sea got up, last night, Davie remembered hurricanes, the cocktails we used to drink in New Orleans. So he got out the rum, fruit juice and grenadine.’

‘Lovely red colour, grenadine,’ Davie put in. ‘But lies a bit heavy on the stomach.’ He rubbed his paunch.

Loz looked at him severely over her sunglasses, her round cheeks quite pasty. ‘After champagne, red wine and port it does. And you made those cocktails much too strong, because I didn’t drink many and I feel atrocious.’

‘So I’ll just finish clearing up from the party, shall I?’ Elle wasn’t in the mood to referee a discussion on where the blame lay for their hangovers. Also, the sea was still lively enough to make her wish not to hear any unfortunate hangover symptoms involving bright red cocktails.

‘If you don’t mind,’ said Loz weakly. ‘And can you put the coffee on?’

In neither saloon nor galley did Elle find signs of any clearing up having taken place since her departure last night. Glasses and coffee cups clung stickily to surfaces, crumbs speckled the carpet, plates and balled up napkins lay in wait behind curtains or on the floor.

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