Page 16 of Fit for Love
Piper was only teasing, but Cora’s expression shut down. I knew she hadn’t written anything since she’d arrived in Westbourne Water; that was one thing she had been prepared to share with me.
There was an uncomfortable silence until Mal broke it.
“It’s probably not going to be too long before I’m heading out on tour again,” he said, as he tucked into the chicken Piper had cooked. “The new stuff is nearly ready to record and I’ll need to put it out there.”
I thought I saw Piper’s face fall, but she didn’t say anything. “Really? I thought you’d be staying home a lot longer.”
Mal shook his head. “Boyd seems to think we need to strike while the iron’s hot. Get people to remember why they like me in the first place.”
In between jobs, when I’d been in the house, I’d heard some of Mal’s new material. There were times when I had to remind myself that my best friend was a well-known rock star. He wasn’t just the bloke I’d hung around with since we were teenagers. Although in the past it had stood me in good stead when it came to hooking up with his cast-offs.
My gaze drifted to Cora. Was that what she was? One of Mal’s cast-offs? I certainly didn’t see her like that. And the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to know about her. Whether it was due to my current state of mind, or the fact that the view from the dining table at Bayview House was romantic and inspiring, I wasn’t sure. But the words slipped out before I realised.
“Cora, I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything tomorrow, would you like to spend the day with me?”
Three other people around the table froze, forks poised close to their mouths. Three pairs of eyes fixed me with various expressions: shock, surprise and bewilderment.
“Like a date?” Piper’s voice was high, verging on a squeal. She stared at Cora, trying to telegraph something with her eyes.
I shrugged. “Yeah, if you want to call it a date.”
Cora placed her fork back deliberately on her plate. She still hadn’t spoken or even looked at me, so I was expecting the worst. I almost struggled to hear her when she did finally respond.
“That sounds good. Yes, Ethan, I’d love to.”
The following morning, I ended up sleeping later than I wanted to. I had everything planned out; I knew Cora wouldn’t really want to go somewhere where she might get recognised and thankfully, the weather was playing ball. I knew of a deserted cove which we could walk to, then have a picnic on the rocks.
First thing, I headed out to one of the local farm shops which had the best selection of vegan and gluten-free food in the area. I couldn’t resist adding some sliced meats for me, but I promised myself I would sample the things I bought for Cora.
When I got back, Cora was already waiting in the kitchen. She was dressed casually in faded blue jeans, a tight-fitting, white T-shirt, with a cherry-red cardigan over the top and sensible boots for walking. Her blond hair was pulled up into a bun on the top of her head. She looked absolutely gorgeous. If only her expression would match it.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “Not having second thoughts?” I began packing the food into my rucksack, hoping she hadn’t changed her mind.
“It’s just…oh, I’m probably being silly.” She forced a smile. “Let’s go out and have some fun. Can I help carry anything? You seem to have bought rather a lot there.”
I looked at the pile of cardboard boxes and paper bags. “We’ll probably work up an appetite walking over. I know I’ll be hungry by the time we get there.”
“Why? How far away is it?”
“A couple of miles or so—you’ll be fine. You’re fit.”
A flush crept over Cora’s cheeks. I had meant ‘fit’ in the sense of the athletic meaning. Maybe she had taken it to mean something else. Which she definitely should. She was fit in all senses of the word. And I was noticing it more and more.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Cora slung a cross-body bag over her shoulder and tied a rain jacket around her waist. As she went down the stairs ahead of me, she looked every inch the country girl. It hadn’t taken her long to get into that mode.
I led the way, and we walked up and down the winding roads that took us deeper into the Westbourne Water countryside. As we walked, I pointed out various landmarks, such as the castle, and the place where they’d filmed a popular BBC series in the early nineties.
“I had no idea that Westbourne Water was so near the coast,” admitted Cora, as I called attention to a fishing boat that was on its way back inland. “Then again, Mal and I didn’t really go out that much when I visited him.”
“La la la, not listening.” I mimed sticking my fingers in my ears. The last thing I wanted to hear Cora rhapsodise about was her past relationship with Mal.
We navigated the final path down to the cove; it was fairly steep and I had to reach for Cora’s hand on a couple of occasions to help her. When our fingers touched, I couldn’t deny that it felt good. I only hoped that she felt the same.
When we reached the shore, we were the only people there—exactly as I had wished. The cove was spectacular, nestled in between the cliffs, with a tiny beach and a view out over the water. With the sun sparkling off the sea, it was almost like summer.
“Wow, that’s gorgeous,” breathed Cora. She reached into her bag and drew out her phone, snapping a couple of pictures.
