Page 20 of The Big Dip in Crumbleton
Scarlett stood with her back to him, dressed only in the bottom half of a navy blue swimming costume. She was in the process of pulling the top half up over her shoulders, and at the sound of his voice, she spun around, eyes wide with shock.
Pete froze.
‘Well don’t look!’ squeaked Scarlett, hastily crossing her arms over her chest.
Pete’s brain short-circuited, and for a moment, he stood completely still, his eyes taking in the gentle curve of her waist and—oh God—even more curves a bit higher up as she hastily turned her back on him again.
‘Sorry!’ he yelped, suddenly unfreezing and executing the fastest U-turn of his life as he practically threw himself back through the swing doors.
His heart was pounding, his face burning with embarrassment.
Libby appeared at his elbow, eyebrows raised.
‘You could have warned me she was changing!’ Pete hissed, too mortified to look his sister in the eye.
‘I did try!’ said Libby. ‘You just marched in there anyway. What happened?’
‘Libby!’ Pete groaned, running a hand through his hair. ‘That’s not— I didn’t— You can’t just?—’
He was saved from further spluttering by the kitchen doors swinging open again. Scarlett emerged, now fully dressed in her swimming costume with her huge cardigan thrown over the top. She looked a bit flushed, but otherwise pretty calm.
Pete, on the other hand, felt like his entire circulatory system had relocated to his face.
‘Scarlett, I am so, so sorry,’ he began, the words tumbling out in a rush. ‘I had no idea you were changing in there, I should have knocked! I didn’t see anything... well, I mean, I did, but not really, and?—’
‘For the record, Ididtry to stop him!’ said Libby, shooting her an apologetic look.
‘It’s fine,’ laughed Scarlett. ‘Really. No harm done. You just gave me a surprise, that’s all!’
‘Still, I’m really sorry,’ Pete insisted, wishing the café floor would open up and swallow him whole.
Scarlett’s lips twitched, and for a horrible moment, Pete was worried the laughter was just a front, and she was going to burst into tears instead.
‘Honestly, it’s okay,’ said Scarlett, grin still firmly in place as she shrugged. ‘These things happen.’
‘Right,’ said Pete. ‘Well, um, sorry. Um… so… everything’s set up outside. We’re about to start.’
‘Great,’ Scarlett said, pulling her cardigan more tightly around her. ‘I’ll just grab my towel and goggles.’
As she moved past him to collect her things, Pete caught a whiff of her light, floral scent, and his mind immediately flashed back to what he’d just seen in the kitchen. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the image. This was not the time. He was about to spend the next hour or more in the sea in charge of more than a hundred mad swimmers. He needed to focus!
‘Everyone ready?’ he called, raising his voice to be heard over the chatter. ‘We’re about to get started. You can leave your belongings here if you’d like—Libby’s going to lock the door while you’re in the water, and she’ll be here when you get out.’
There was a general murmur of gratitude as a few people dumped heavy bags and shoes onto the floor before making their way towards the door.
As the swimmers filed out, Pete found himself standing next to Scarlett once more.
‘I really am sorry,’ he said quietly, unable to let it go.
Scarlett looked up at him, her eyes softening. ‘And I really am fine about it,’ she assured him. ‘Though maybe knock first next time?’
Pete nodded, unable to keep a smile off his face. Was it his imagination, or was there something about the words “next time” that held a hint of a promise?
CHAPTER8
SCARLETT
Scarlett’s face was still warm from the kitchen incident as she made her way down to the beach with the rest of the swimmers. She wasn’t quite sure why she’d brushed the whole thing off so easily. If anyone else had walked in on her half-dressed, she’d have been mortified for days, but somehow, with Pete, it hadn’t felt like such a disaster.
