Page 20 of Dead in the Water

Sorry. Have to work late, after all. Rain check?

Disappointment hit her in a rush, along with a jolt of anger that was entirely unwarranted. It was hardly his fault he had to work late.

She waited a few minutes to reply, saying it was fine and that she’d talk to him tomorrow. The short, breezy message was entirely at odds with her internal state.

He was a police officer and dedicated to his job. It really wasn’t as though he’d stood her up.

That didn’t stop her from feeling as though that was exactly what had happened.

Chapter Ten

The walkacross the island did nothing to ease Flynn’s guilt. Unable to sit around at home, he’d set off for Jago Treneary’s place, hoping a beer and a chat might help.

“What are you doing here?” Jago asked, his features scrunched in surprise when he answered the door.

Flynn frowned. “Nice to see you, too.”

“Sorry. I thought you were on a date with Lily.”

“How the heck do you know about that?” Flynn stepped inside just as Sylvie began descending the stairs dressed in sports clothes.

“I thought you had a date with Lily,” she remarked as she greeted Flynn with a kiss on the cheek.

“That was the plan.” His gaze bounced between the two of them. “Was it announced in your family’s group messages, by any chance?”

Sylvie nodded. “We were excited for you. What happened?”

“It’s been postponed.”

“Oh.” Sylvie patted his shoulder. “I’m off to yoga class, so I’ll leave you to it.” She gave Jago a peck, scooped up her yoga mat and called a cheerful goodbye.

In the kitchen, Flynn accepted a beer and stepped out onto the patio with Jago.

“So what happened?” Jago asked.

“I had to work late.”

“Because of the guy who drowned in the harbour? Was it a rough day?”

“It was okay.” Flynn sank down in his chair. “Not overly pleasant, but I’ve had worse days.”

“I heard he knocked himself out on the harbour steps and landed in the water.”

Flynn nodded. “I think I go into autopilot when dealing with corpses. It’s talking with the friends and family that’s emotionally draining.” He gave a quick shake of the head. “Anyway, I’m fine. And I didn’t have to work late. That was just my excuse for postponing the date.”

“What was the real reason?”

“The real reason is I’m going back to London in eight weeks, so getting into a relationship with Lily feels like a colossal mistake.”

“Couldn’t you figure something out? Because you two seem to be made for each other.”

“I thought I might be able to make my job here more permanent, but this afternoon the sergeant told me there’s no chance of that happening. He’s looked into it.”

“Ah,” Jago said sympathetically.

“It’s frustrating…” Flynn paused and took a sip of his beer. “In the last couple of months I’ve enjoyed being here. I got used to working in a small community and the slower pace of life, and I enjoy it. But I hadn’t fully considered if I wanted to stay here. Even when I started thinking about it in the last couple of weeks, I really couldn’t decide if it was something I wanted.”

“Until the sergeant said you couldn’t?”

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