‘It sounds to me like you’re making some brave decisions – and I have to say that smile on your face suits you.’

  ‘I honestly feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now I’ve made that decision. I just know there’s more to life, and there’s something about the fresh air, water and sun … it makes everything seem okay.’

  ‘It does, I love it here.’

  With a lull in customers, they took their mugs of tea and sat outside on a bench. The white cliffs towered behind them and the river was a spectacular sight. Bea burst out laughing and pointed to a cheeky seagull that had swooped down and stolen a man’s sandwich clean from his hand.

  ‘You have to watch those. I left my lunch on the bench once and came back to five seagulls fighting over it.’

  ‘Yes, I can imagine. Has this place really been up and running for over sixty years?’ Bea was looking at one of the posters for the River Festival.

  ‘It originally opened just over sixty years ago but on a much smaller scale. I’m not sure why it then closed down but The Little Blue Boathouse was shut for many years. Flynn bought it around five years ago, refurbished it, bought all new boats, paddleboards, et cetera, and set up the river taxis and excursions. I came across the original signing-in book when I was cleaning the attic room as part of the refurb. It was amongst the books on the shelf. Talking of the attic room, if you want to move in for the time you’re here, I’ll leave you the keys before I go.’

  ‘I love your B&B, but waking up to the view of the river and the mountains…’ Bea placed her hand on her heart. ‘It’s going to be amazing. This just doesn’t feel like work.’

  ‘Those types of jobs are the best jobs,’ said Julia, giving her a warm smile.

  ‘Thank you,’ added Bea.

  They watched the river taxi making its way towards the jetty and Roman waved his cap in the air towards them. Julia saluted. ‘At the River Festival all the boats line up and parade on the water. There’s music, and the firework display is spectacular.’

  ‘It sounds like it’s going to be rock ’n’ roll on the river. I’m glad I’ve made the decision to stay longer.’ Bea’s eyes were fixed firmly on The Hemingway. Her decision definitely had something to do with Nolan being around, which she knew was daft, given that she barely knew the man, but there was something about him that excited her. She wanted to get to know him better.

  ‘I need to nip back to the B&B for a couple of hours. Are you going to be okay on your own? And would you like me to bring you back some lunch?’

  ‘I’m okay on all counts but thank you.’

  Julia took both mugs back to the staff room and returned with a key. ‘For the attic room. You can move your stuff in whenever you want. At one o’clock, lock up the Boathouse for an hour and take your lunch. And here’s my mobile number in case any sudden emergencies or questions arise.’

  It was half an hour until lunch and Bea took another glance towards The Hemingway but there was still no sign of life. She was wondering whether she should have asked Julia to bring her back some lunch or whether Nolan would actually turn up with food. Hearing a loud growl from her stomach she hoped it was the latter.

  Bea breezed through the next hour and, right on time, grabbed the CLOSED sign from underneath the counter and walked towards the open door. Hearing footsteps approaching, she was just about to make her apologies when she was met by a grinning Nolan, causing an immediate flurry of goosebumps across her body. He held up a white paper bag. ‘Lunch!’

  ‘Right on cue! How did you know this was my lunch hour?’

  ‘Call yourself part of Hemingway and Fernsby?’ He rolled his eyes and shook his head in jest.

  ‘Fernsby and Hemingway,’ she corrected, watching him tap the wooden sign next to the door.

  ‘It says “closed between 1pm and 2pm”, and it doesn’t take a detective to know that must be when staff take their lunch hour.’

  ‘You’re very clever,’ she said, grinning and, after putting the sign on the door, pushed him playfully inside the Boathouse. She waggled the key in front of him.

  ‘What’s that, the key to your heart?’ Nolan teased.

  ‘You wish. It’s the key to my new room for the next month.’

  ‘Month? I thought you were only sticking around for two weeks?’ Nolan handed her a paper bag. ‘Sandwich and flapjack.’

  ‘Perfect, thank you,’ she said, leading him through to the back of the shop. ‘Two weeks was my initial plan but Flynn and Julia were feeling the pressure to recruit before the River Festival and it seems daft if I know the ropes to leave them in the lurch.’ Bea knew it was better she tell a little white lie and make out that they had asked her to stay on, rather than admit to Nolan that part of the reason she wanted to stay was him. ‘I’d already made the decision not to go back to the night shift, and this way I’ll have a little more time to work out what I’m doing and get paid in the meantime.’

  ‘It sounds like you have it all worked out.’ Nolan was now looking at the ladder in front of him. ‘You have to climb up there?’

  ‘I do, but wait till you see the view. It’s going to take your breath away.’

  ‘It already has,’ he replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘Ladies first.’

  After handing him her sandwich Bea began to climb the ladder, then looked back over her shoulder. ‘You just wanted to look at my backside!’

  Nolan gave her a lopsided grin. ‘I’m saying nothing, except the view just got better!’

  ‘Don’t be cheeky,’ she ordered, pulling herself into the attic room then reaching down she took the food from Nolan who followed and immediately walked over to the chair positioned by the window. ‘Wow, you can see for miles!’

  ‘There’s everything you could want – the river, the town, the bridge, the castle. I think this is the best view I’ve ever seen, and it’s going to be mine for the next month.’

  ‘You’re one lucky girl,’ he replied, still taking it all in.

  Bea grabbed the wooden chair and its cushion from the little dressing table and placed it next to the armchair in front of the window. They both sat down and tucked into their sandwiches. She took a sideward glance and caught Nolan looking at her.

  ‘What are you looking at?’ she queried, trying to control the hundreds of fireflies that were flying around in her stomach.

  ‘You. So how has your morning gone so far?’

  She waggled her finger in his direction. ‘You’ll be pleased to know that I’ve made you a few quid today. Your paintings garner a lot of attention.’

  ‘That’s good to know. I’ve got another one to finish today. It’s of the river running under the bridge and the castle towering in front of the mountain. It’s such beautiful scenery to paint, but maybe not as good as yesterday’s scenery.’

  Bea bit her lip. She felt a twinge of blush to her cheeks, remembering how confident and sexy she felt, posing whilst he painted her. She knew the feelings that were flooding her body were desire but today she felt shy for some reason. Her feelings towards Nolan were moving way too quickly. How could they not? He was drop dead gorgeous! But she knew that she had to keep hold of her emotions. He’d made it crystal clear they were just living for the moment; this wasn’t something that was going to grow into a love story. She might have bought herself some more time with him but she already knew it was going to be difficult not to get carried away and let her feelings escalate into the first flush of love.

  ‘And what have you done with your morning?’ she asked, thinking about how she’d seen Nolan rowing up the river earlier.

  ‘Just messing about on the river and a quick walk around the village.’

  ‘You haven’t been to the graveyard without me?’

  ‘Of course not. I said you were my right-hand woman. I was hoping you might be free after work?’

  ‘I’m moving out of the B&B and into here, but that shouldn’t take too long. We could go after?’

  ‘Great stuff,’ he replied, finishing his sandwich.

  Suddenly, Bea remembered what Julia had said about the original logbook being on the shelf and she got up to take a look. There it was, a book with a red spine and Bea pulled it from the shelf.

  ‘What do you have there?’ he asked, looking over his shoulder.

  ‘The original signing-in book for The Little Blue Boathouse. If you think Patsy worked here then this might give us some more information.’

  ‘I’m impressed. You’re clearly taking your detective duties seriously.’

  Bea laid the book on the small table and opened the cover. They both hunched over and cast their eyes on the first page.

  ‘There she is. Signing in for her first shift in mid-July.’ Bea stared at Nolan.

  ‘And it was that August she met my grandfather... There’s no surname. There’s just what looks like a swirly G,’ Nolan said, checking out the entry from different angles.

  ‘That matches the letter inside the bottle. Maybe her surname is just G, like G-e-e!’ Bea couldn’t contain her excitement, her pulse beginning to race as she gently tapped the book. ‘But never mind that, can you see what I can see? There’s an address. That’s where she must have lived – in Glensheil. You have a starting point!’ Bea’s eyes widened.

  ‘We have a starting point,’ corrected Nolan. ‘I thought we were in this together. Hemingway and Fernsby, one summer only.’

  ‘Damn right we are.’ Already she was not liking the idea that in four weeks their time together would be over. She gave herself a reality check; why was she allowing this man to consume her thoughts so quickly after such a short time spent together?

  ‘I think our best bet is to check the cemetery first and if there’s nothing there, we can investigate further at this address.’

  ‘It’s exciting, isn’t it? Can you imagine if we find her and deliver the letter? We might make her a very happy woman! I wonder if your grandfather was the one who got away. Or the one who loved her first. I think it’s so romantic. I know your grandfather has passed away but I’m hoping his letter brings Patsy some joy.’ Bea stared into Nolan’s eyes. She had to give herself a little shake because all she could think about was the moment she would have to say goodbye to him. Trying to push that thought from her mind, and realising she didn’t have a clue about his personal life, she blurted, ‘Have you ever been in love?’

  There it was again; Bea was sure she’d seen a flash of sadness in his eyes, but he composed himself quickly. Whatever his story was, it was still painful. He stared at the floor and raked his hand through his hair. Maybe he’d been in a similar situation to her? ‘Sorry, it’s none of my business. I shouldn’t be so nosey.’ Even though she was curious, she saved him from having to answer her question because there was a part of her that didn’t want to know. She didn’t like the thought of him being close to anyone else.

  Standing up, Nolan checked his watch. ‘I best let you get on.’

  Hesitantly, Bea stood up too and wished she’d never asked the question, because it felt like Nolan was running. They walked back towards the ladder and he lingered at the top of the hatch.

  ‘It’s a lovely place you’ve got here for the next few weeks.’ He paused and took both of Bea’s hands. ‘You do know I’ll be leaving after the River Festival? I don’t want you to get your hopes up and—’

  ‘Of course.’ Bea swallowed. ‘I know exactly what the score is here, and just for the record, you’re definitely punching.’ She was trying to make light of the situation but she could feel her heart racing.

  ‘I agree.’ He grinned. ‘And yesterday was a great day. You made me feel special, thank you.’

  Bea wasn’t expecting him to say that. ‘You don’t have to thank me. You’re the one who made me feel like me again, alive and free,’ she admitted.

  They stared into each other’s eyes. ‘I would love to spend some more time with you,’ he said, ‘but I appreciate you have come here to sort out your life, and me hanging around may not be—’

  Bea stood on tiptoe and kissed him in mid-sentence. ‘Shut up,’ she murmured. ‘You can hang around as much as you want. Anyway, we have a case to solve.’

  ‘That we do, and by the way, the necklace suits you.’ Nolan touched the seahorse and turned it over in his hand. ‘This must have been special for a reason.’

  ‘If we find Patsy, we can find out what it was and give it back to her. But in the meantime, I’ll enjoy wearing it.’

  ‘Maybe we should do our own message in the bottle when we sail off in our separate directions,’ suggested Nolan.

  ‘Maybe we should,’ she replied.

  Nolan tilted her face towards him. Bea had never been attracted to anyone in this way. She was experiencing feelings that she’d never had before.

  He checked his watch. ‘Fifteen minutes of your lunch hour left.’

  ‘And I know exactly how to spend that time.’ Taking his hands in hers, she lowered herself onto the bed and pulled him on top of her. She had never wanted anyone so much as she wanted him now. Pressing her body against his she gasped with desire, the electricity sparking between them. Her eyes locked with his as she reached for his belt. Never in her life had she ever done anything like this. Bea was always the one who weighed up both sides and worried about the consequences, but not since arriving in Heartcross. No, now she was living life in the moment and enjoying every second of it. Embracing the tingling pleasure that was flooding through her, she sighed as Nolan kissed her again, stealing the breath from her body.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘How was your lunch hour?’ asked Julia, waltzing back through the door just after 2pm. ‘You look flushed. Are you okay?’

  Bea knew exactly the reason she looked flushed – she’d just spent the last fifteen minutes wrapped in the arms of a drop dead gorgeous man! ‘It must be the weather and the fact I am high on life.’

  ‘I absolutely admire how you’ve pulled yourself around so quickly. I think I would have locked myself away, feeling sorry for myself.’

  ‘But then I had the perfect opportunity fall at my feet when I walked into the B&B. From now on, I’m definitely going to take every opportunity that crosses my path. A change of scenery and being away from my normal routine have already shown me that there’s a whole new world out there.’

  ‘Good for you, girl, and how are you getting on?’

  ‘All of Roman’s excursions are sold out for today. The kayaks are hired for the majority of the afternoon and there’s only a couple of rowing boats still free,’ replied Bea, looking in the book. ‘And I’ve even sold several paintings.’

  ‘You’re Superwoman! Flynn will be pleased his profits are soaring! I’m going to get some paperwork finished and then I’ll show you how to cash up at the end of the day.’

  Julia disappeared inside the staff room and Bea leaned on the open hatch, looking out at the river. She breathed in the fresh air and watched the hustle and bustle all around her. Over at The Hemingway she could see Nolan standing on the deck chatting with a man on the boat next to his. She wondered what they were talking about. On the one hand she wanted to know everything about him but on the other she didn’t want to get too emotionally attached.

  ‘Put on your big girl’s knickers,’ she reminded herself. Nolan had been honest that after the River Festival he would be sailing to his next destination and whatever was going on between them was temporary. This was a here-and-now thing with no future. Just a bit of fun.

  Hearing her phone beep, she checked and saw it was Emmie, asking how her morning had gone.

  ‘All good, really enjoying my shift.’ She took a quick photo of the spectacular scenery in front of her and pinged it across to her sister. ‘No filter needed,’ she quickly added.

  ‘Carl has been to see me’ came the instant reply.

  Reading that text, Bea rolled her eyes. She didn’t want thoughts of him flooding her perfect day. She was surprised by how quickly she was getting over him and moving on with her life.

  Her phone pinged again. ‘He’s sorry for what he’s done and wants you back. If you just come home, you could talk and put this sorry mess behind you.’

  Bea was frustrated. Why didn’t her sister want better for her? She didn’t want to appear rude by telling her to mind her own business but she had to say something.

  ‘I deserve to find somebody who makes me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.’ Bea typed back her reply, knowing that was exactly how Nolan made her feel. ‘I’m at work, can’t talk now.’

  Bea knew that wasn’t strictly true but it was a subject she didn’t want to think about or have a deep conversation about and she wished her sister would take her side for once. Why wasn’t she turning around to Carl and telling him he didn’t deserve her sister? After throwing her phone in the drawer and serving a few more customers she locked up the till and took a walk to the water’s edge to check that everything was okay out on the river. A teenager was pulling himself up on one of the paddleboards. As much as the water looked calm and everywhere everyone was enjoying themselves, Bea understood what a dangerous place the water could be. It still made her feel unsettled that there wasn’t any life rescue in operation. As soon as the teenager was safely back on the paddleboard, Bea wandered back inside, and for the next ten minutes tidied up the wetsuit rail, swept the floor and then took a look through Nolan’s paintings. Without a doubt he had talent, and she could visualise them hanging on a gallery wall in his very own exhibition. There were more paintings stacked in boxes on the ground, and Bea began to take a look through them. They were mainly of landscapes and landmarks, each one telling a story of somewhere Nolan had visited. But one took her a little by surprise. She held it in her hands and felt a stab of jealousy.

  The woman was young and beautiful. She was much the same age as Bea, who suddenly felt a slump in the pit of her stomach. Was this girl like her? Was she someone whom Nolan had met on his travels, and had they too had an affair? Bea gave herself a shake and reminded herself that she’d quite willingly got into the situation with Nolan, knowing that he wasn’t going to stick around. So why was she feeling jealous of the woman in this painting? She stared at it a little longer and breathed a sigh of relief. This girl couldn’t have been just a fling, because she was holding up her hand and there on her finger was a wedding ring. Maybe she was a friend, an old work colleague or even a relative. Placing the painting back in the box, Bea reminded herself to stop overthinking things. Nolan was a free spirit and could do exactly what he wanted … even if Bea didn’t like the thought of him being with anyone else.