Page 64 of A Summer Scandal

Slowly, she started to nod. ‘I’m still worried about the weather,’ she said. ‘But go on then.’

Beau planted a big kiss on her cheek and gave her a bone-crushing bear hug. ‘You’re a star,’ he said.

‘Don’t make me regret it,’ she said, and he shook his head, raising his eyebrows as if to say,What could possibly go wrong?

Vi sighed, alone again, praying she hadn’t just made a humungous mistake.

‘I’m going away for a couple of weeks.’

Violet looked at Cal impassively and shrugged. ‘Have a wonderful holiday.’

She’d gone to great pains to avoid being alone with him, but everyone else had already left the pier for the evening on Thursday when he came and leaned against the doorframe to her room.

‘It’s not like that,’ he said, looking at the floor.

‘You don’t need to explain yourself to me.’

‘I want to,’ he said.

She crossed her arms. She’d caught the occasional glimpse of Ursula coming and going over the last week and had steered well clear of them both.

‘Go on then.’

He fell silent, wrong-footed to be granted an audience after she’d repeatedly shut him down since Ursula’s arrival.

‘I want to say sorry,’ he said.

‘For what?’

Cal rubbed the space between his eyes as if he had a migraine, and Vi didn’t rush in to help him out.

‘I never expected Ursula to come back,’ he said. ‘Please believe that.’

‘I believe you.’ Violet held herself perfectly still, her chin raised. ‘There, you’re off the hook. Go and pack your suitcases.’

A pulse flickered in his cheek and his eyes blazed. ‘I’m not trying to get off the hook. That’s not fair, Violet.’

She hated that the sound of her name on his lips made her resolve tremble.

‘What do you want from me, Cal? A no-hard-feelings pat on the back, a shake of hands, an agreement not to say anything to your wife?’ Vi couldn’t hide the sharp edge from her voice. ‘Fine. Your secret’s safe with me – I’m not exactly proud about what happened either, for the record.’

‘I didn’t say any of those things,’ he said softly.

‘But there’s no denying that everything has changed now she’s back, is there?’

He looked down, his jaw clenched. ‘I didn’t think she was ever coming home.’

Home.And there it was, the nub of it. Swallow Beach was Ursula’s home. Keris had filled her in on the colourful history of the town, including how four generations of Ursula’s family had lived there cheek by jowl with the Dearheart clan, always dueling to hold the prized mayoral office. Ursula and Cal were sons and daughters of Swallow Beach, and Violet was an interloper. She’d never felt more like a third wheel in her life, and it seethed in her gut, a hot mess of hurt and anger and frustration.

‘So this is what, a second honeymoon?’

He shook his head, looking out to sea. ‘Of course it fucking isn’t.’

‘But she’s going with you?’

Cal scrubbed his hands over his face. ‘I have to try, Violet. I don’t know what the hell’s going on, and a big part of me wishes she’d just stayed the hell away, but she’s here and I have to deal with it.’ He looked at her, agonised. ‘I didn’t want to lie to you, or lead you on.’

Shame washed red hot over her cheeks at the idea that he felt pity for her.

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