Page 34 of Love By Sunset

‘Who?’

‘Oh, Jake, you know I can’t say. Anyway, that’s you secure, and all down to Emily and her determination to find that elusive will.Andsticking to the company ethics. Those cars would probably have just been scrapped, you know. We would never have found it. You owe her a lot.’

Jake just stared at him. All the joy and relief he should have felt, now he’d been vindicated, and the will found, was nothing but cold ashes and bitter self-loathing.

He’d heard Gerry Hansard ask for Emily and had put two and two together to make far more than four. He’d over-reacted, and he’d refused to listen when Gerry tried to explain. Even worse, he’d refused to listen to his beautiful Emily, but had judged her and found her wanting, taking no notice of the tender love they’d shared. He’d acted unforgivably and could see no way of retracting his words, no way of apologising, no way of going back.

Dazed, he thanked Robbie, who shook his hand, and left.

He didn’t know what to do.

His heart shattered a second time, not in anger and betrayal as it had earlier, but because he knew he’d lost Emily and didn’t think he’d ever get her back. How could she ever forgive his anger and his complete readiness to think so little of her? How could she ever forgive him for refusing to listen to her?

CHAPTER17

Having decidedwhat she needed to say to Jake, Emily finally fell into a restless sleep at dawn, so it was late when she woke up. Lying in bed, she realised she’d missed breakfast completely, and she needed to make a move. She got up and showered, wishing she hadn’t agreed to meet Annie and the other two for a coffee that afternoon. All she wanted to do was curl up in a small, tight ball of misery.

Feeling indecisive, she stared out of her window, seeing the harbour and the roof of Jake’s cottage, as her fingers tapped restlessly on the sill.

She knew she’d contributed to the cataclysmic downfall of their relationship by never telling him what she did. Communication on her part about the company’s plans for the estate, and their ethics, right from the start, would have built some trust between them. No wonder her behaviour had seemed so suspicious and underhand to him, when Gerry turned up looking for her.

There was no postponing her decision. She had to see him, and tell him now. Unable to face eating, Emily grabbed her down jacket and let herself out into the cold air, driving the few miles to Silver Sands.

Although the car park had a scattering of vehicles, the café looked closed.

Closed? Jake never closed the cafe during business hours. Her body numbed with shock as her heart raced with pain. She’d hurt him horribly, hadn’t she? Was he still furious with her and shut away in the office? Surely, he wouldn’t have stayed there all night? Annie had said he’d rung her, but she’d not mentioned where he was.

Yet… the café was closed. That was concerning.

She saw some dog-walkers and, unbelievably in view of the worsening weather, some surfers. Maybe he was working his temper off by surfing? Searching their forms, Emily’s heart plummeted—none of them had the grace and ability of Jake One of them was running in, dropping off, then swimming back out, but his movements were mechanical, repeating the move almost as if he’d set himself some sort of fitness target.

Not knowing what else to do, she strode off along the hard sand left by the out-going tide. She walked fast, hands thrust in her pockets, hoping to clear her thoughts and her headache, and work out where Jake might be. The glorious weather of the last two weeks had definitely changed. The wind was picking up and whipping up the shallows, and stormy grey clouds were rolling in from the sea. Emily also blamed the wind for the tears which crept into her eyes and slithered unheeded down her cheeks. Standing by the large rock, at the far end of the beach, with the tide now fully out, she stared blindly at the waves, unable to free herself from the misery and whirling thoughts which continued to batter her.

She looked at her watch. If she was to get back to the hotel and repair the damage caused by her walk before heading down to the harbour, then she better get moving. Or maybe, once she was back at the hotel, she’d text and apologise? Kind though the offer was, Emily felt unable to face the three ladies, all of whom would be concerned for her well-being.

It was hard work slogging back along the beach in the icy wind, with the spatters of rain stinging her cheeks, diluting the salt of her tears.

She stopped for one last look at the ocean, foolishly checking again for Jake’s graceful body swooping in on his board, but everyone had gone. The uncertainty of the swell had forced even the surfers to back off. The waves were getting bigger, but the wind made them choppy and confusing, especially when approaching the shore.

No.

Wait.

Therewassomeone left. Emily watched a few moments. It was the person she’d seen when she arrived. The one who seemed to be determined to exhaust himself by his monotonously repeated runs.

But there was a problem, and fear rose inside her. It looked as if the surferhadworn himself out. As he came into shore, he stumbled and fell, just lying there with waves knocking him and washing over him. His board, attached by an ankle strap, was doing its best to pull him back out into deeper water.

Running forward, Emily’s fears grew. Those shoulders. That long riot of hair. Damn him.Damnhim! It wasJake, and he was behaving completely irresponsibly!

Toeing off her boots, Emily waded knee-deep into the mass of water, shocked at how strong it was and how easily it pushed her and made her stagger. She caught hold of Jake’s hand with both of hers. It was mottled blue with cold. She tugged as hard as she could. A wave crashed down, soaking her to the waist, but she used its momentum to shift Jake further towards dry sand, although the drag as it sucked back almost undid the good.

Watching for another wave, Emily saved her strength until it was almost upon her.

Another heave, and he was almost out. Leaving him for a moment, she sloshed through the water to disconnect his board before struggling with it back to shore, the wind almost blowing it out of her hands. She could hear Jake coughing. She turned. He knelt on his hands and knees, vomiting up seawater. Fear choked her, followed closely by rage as she balled her hands into fists and found her voice. ‘You reckless bastard!’ she shouted. ‘Get up.Now. I know you can. Whatever you were trying to do to yourself, you’re thankfully too strong for it to have succeeded.Get up!’

He looked up at her, and a small smile twisted his face. ‘Emily. You trying to save me, or what?’

‘Maybe it should be the or what!Get up. I assume you’ve got the café key somewhere, and I can get you into the shower? You need warming up.’

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