Page 15 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
‘Ruby? Your bath’s ready.’
‘Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.’
Smiling, I join him in the bathroom, where he reveals myperfumed bath with lilac-coloured petals floating on top.
He shrugs. ‘It should be rose petals, I know, but I didn’thave any.’
‘You know I love sweet peas. Now, can you help me into thisamazing bath, please?’
I take his hand and sink down into the water, feeling like aprincess. It’s just the right temperature but too full to the brim for both ofus to enjoy it without flooding the entire place. So I lie there, listening toHudson singing in the en-suite shower, getting ready for our romantic picnic.
I’m smiling because soon I’ll be there with him, just thetwo of us alone on that hot, secluded beach...
*****
Finding the secluded cove turns out to be trickier thanwe’d imagined.
Hudson is convinced he knows a shortcut through the woodsthat will save us having to scramble over rocks along the shoreline. So we setoff along a winding path that leads us gradually uphill through pretty woodland,past some of the most amazing trees I’ve ever seen: some gnarled and ancient,twisted into remarkable shapes, and giant oaks reaching to the sky. Parts ofthe wood are newly-planted and pruned, and other areas have been left to growwild, with dense brambles on either side. At one stage, we walk into a little clearingand I realise to my surprise that a pet cemetery has been created here. Wepause a while to walk around, reading the heart-warming tributes to people’s beloveddogs and cats and rabbits, and then we carry on along the path in search of thecove.
‘Are you sure this is the right way?’ I pant, trying to keepup with Hudson, whose legs are much longer than mine, and stumbling as my footgets caught in yet another thorny bramble snaking across the path, almost sendingme headlong. Hudson’s carrying the backpack containing towels and our picnic,plus a bottle of locally-made cider, so I’m trying not to complain. But I’m as flushedand sweaty as a wrestler’s jockstrap and I can’t help thinking a walk along thebreezy shore, with glorious views out to sea, might have been more pleasantthan hacking our way through this jungle!
‘We’re nearly there,’ says Hudson with admirable confidence,although I suspect he hasn’t the foggiest. He stops to let me catch up. ‘Areyou okay?’
‘Just a bit hot,’ I say, flapping my arms like a chicken tryingto take off.
‘Airing your oxters?’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘It’s an old term for underarms.’
‘Right.’ I grin. ‘So... this beach we’regoing to? Do you think there’s any chance we’ll get there by this time nextweek?’
He smiles, tapping the side of his nose and indicating thatI should follow him. Stepping away from the path, we walk into a grassy clearingon our left. And when I join him close to the cliff edge, I let out a gasp atthe view.
Below us is a small cove in the shape of a perfect half-moon.Lace-tipped blue waves are spilling onto the golden sand. The beach isdeserted.
‘Wow,’ I breathe as he wraps an arm around me. ‘It’s so beautiful.I feel like we’re the first explorers to discover it.’
There’s a bench nearby, with a great view of the stunningvista, and I can see that the path we were taking winds steadily downhill fromhere, taking us to the cove below.
We sit on the bench and I rest my head on Hudson’s shoulder.‘I was sure you’d got us lost. I honestly thought we’d end up in Wigan orsomewhere.’
He chuckles. ‘Oh, ye of little faith.’
I fan my face with my sun hat. ‘I’d love to dive into thatsparkling sea right now.’
‘Come on, then.’ He stands up. ‘I’ll race you down there.’
I take his hand with a grin. ‘Er, no. I’ll take it slowly,if you don’t mind. I’d like to still be in one piece when I get to the bottom.’
‘Slowly it is, then,’ he murmurs.
He leans down, his lips brushing my neck, sending a littleshiver of longing through me. And together, we start the winding meander to thecove below.
The sand – when we emerge onto the beach, throwing off ourtrainers – is soft and silky beneath our feet, and the sun hot on our shoulders.
‘Skinny dip?’ Hudson dares me with a grin.
