‘At least your ankle isn’t broken. It could have been a lot worse,’ Nolan said from where he was sitting at the side of Bea’s bed.

  ‘You’re right, and I’ve been thinking…’

  ‘That’s dangerous,’ Nolan teased.

  ‘Don’t be cheeky! The first thing that Amy said to me when Lucas went missing was “Call the coast guard”. It was also one of the first things I asked Julia about when I arrived at the Boathouse. But there isn’t one. Heartcross has become so popular since the bridge collapsed and it hit the news all those years ago. What with Starcross Manor and The Lakehouse, and celebrity chef Andrew Glossop living and filming his cookery show from Heartcross Castle, this place has become a huge tourist attraction. The river is packed with tourists and we need to make sure the waterways are safe for everyone.’

  ‘It would cost a hell of a lot of money to get a search and rescue operation up and running,’ Nolan said.

  ‘But worth every penny if it saves lives.’

  ‘Yes, you’re right there. But they would need premises and staff. I’m not sure The Little Blue Boathouse is capable of housing rescue boats and a crew of people.’

  ‘I’ve been thinking about that too. What if I can raise enough money for at least one lifeboat to start with and set up a charity? A kind of … Heartcross Rescue. It could be run by the community – driven by our own values of selflessness, courage, dependability and trustworthiness. We could educate, influence, supervise and rescue those at risk from drowning. Surely a building to house a boat, with a living area and kitchen, couldn’t cost that much money.’

  ‘It would take hundreds of thousands.’

  ‘There’s the old lighthouse.’

  ‘That’s a possibility.’

  ‘We have enough influential people in the village who could use their contacts to help raise funds. Felicity managed to raise thousands to build the new bridge by getting the whole community on board so surely this is worth a try. I’m going to call a meeting at The Little Blue Boathouse. This is important.’ Bea could hear the passion in her voice. ‘I’m going to make this happen. Please could you pass me my bag?’

  Nolan looked at her with admiration. ‘You have fire in your belly and this is a worthy cause … but you’re meant to be resting.’ Still, he passed her the bag without hesitation.

  ‘I was reading some old newspaper articles during the storm and I saw that Felicity managed to get the local paper on board, and that brought it to the attention of TV news, at which point the story was picked up nationally. I think I can do this.’ Bea took out her mobile phone. She had a few missed calls including several from Emmie.

  Quickly, she scanned the texts. Eyes wide, she looked up at Nolan. ‘My sister is on her way to Heartcross. I wasn’t picking up my phone, so she called the Boathouse and of course Julia was still there and she told her I was on my way to hospital.’

  ‘It will be nice to see her, surely?’

  ‘The first thing she’ll do is try and convince me to go back home.’ Bea sighed. ‘I love it here. There’s something about this place that is endearing and charming – and calming, apart from the past few days. My sister’s arrival will shatter that tranquillity.’

  ‘You’re right about the weather. I’ve felt sick on The Hemingway, the waters have been so choppy.’

  ‘And where have you been?’

  Nolan paused. ‘I needed some time out after…’

  ‘Our row. I know I must have sounded like a jealous loon and I’m sorry.’ She paused. ‘Actually, I’m not entirely sorry about that.’

  Nolan raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Because it shows you I care. I just didn’t deal with it in the best way. For that I am sorry.’ Bea took a sip of water from the cup on her bedside cabinet. ‘You’ve made it pretty clear where you’ve stood from the start and so I’m going to be truly honest with you. I never expected to feel a real connection with anyone so soon after my break-up. It took me completely by surprise.’ She was putting her heart on her sleeve but why not? She didn’t have anything to lose.

  ‘I want to be honest with you, too – it might explain a few things, such as the reason I prefer to live on the boat and just want to keep moving – but it’s a conversation I’m going to find very difficult to have.’

  Bea noticed that Nolan looked anxious. ‘A problem shared and all that.’ She followed his gaze to his hands and noticed for the first time that he was wearing a wedding ring. ‘You’re married.’ She’d had a hunch but seeing the evidence was a shock. ‘You really didn’t tell me the whole truth, did you?’

  After everything that Bea had been through, how could he do this? However much of a connection there was between them, she would have never crossed that line if she’d known he was married. A small part of her now wished he’d never come back.

  ‘Do you mind…’ He pointed to the jug of water and a spare cup.

  ‘Be my guest.’

  Nolan sipped some water, then took out his wallet and opened it. Inside was a photograph in a clear plastic sleeve. Bea swallowed a lump as Nolan passed it to her. It showed a younger-looking Nolan with his arms around the girl from the painting.

  She risked the question. ‘Is this your wife?’

  ‘I promise you I have not made a fool of you, but yes, this is my wife … was my wife.’

  Bea noted the past tense.

  ‘Hannah passed away four years ago.’ There was a calm to Nolan’s voice that she wasn’t expecting. ‘It was our wedding anniversary two days ago and even now I still don’t know what to do with myself on that day, except hide away.’ His eyes were brimming with tears and he closed them for a moment.

  Bea hadn’t been expecting this and was completely at a loss. ‘I’m so sorry, Nolan. I don’t know what to say, except I’m really sorry.’ She could kick herself for the idiotic way she’d acted over the painting.

  ‘That’s okay.’ He took a breath. ‘I suppose it was partly my continued grief that led me to throw myself into renovating my grandfather’s boat. It was a way to keep my mind off things. A much-needed distraction.’

  Bea could relate to that. She could see his hand slightly shaking as he took another sip.

  ‘And that’s why I prefer to be out on the water. Everyone I have ever got close to leaves me in one way or another, so maybe I thought if I kept moving, I could be the one who leaves, rather than the one who is left alone.’

  Bea reached across and took his hand.

  ‘How did she die?’ she asked tentatively.

  ‘Hannah had just started a new job and had begun to complain of headaches. I just brushed it off as a side-effect of working in a new, stuffy office, with the heating ramped up because it was winter, or the strain of staring at a screen all day. I didn’t even encourage her to go to the doctor.’ Nolan blinked back the tears. ‘Then, a couple of days later, I was in the garden when an ambulance turned up out of the blue at the front gate. I thought they’d got the wrong address ... Hannah had collapsed and somehow managed to alert the emergency services from the upstairs phone. At the hospital, the worst was confirmed. Hannah had an advanced brain tumour and was given six months to live. She only made it to four.’

  There was a sadness bleeding through the room and Bea felt herself well up. There was nothing she could say to make this awful situation any better.

  ‘That was the last time I was in an ambulance before today.’ He paused. ‘I’m not all those things you think I am.’

  ‘It’s okay, you don’t owe me any explanation.’

  They stared at each other. Nolan broke the silence. ‘Like I said, it’s the reason I took to The Hemingway. I decided to embrace being alone and thought that if I kept sailing, no one could hurt me. Not that I’m saying Hannah hurt me… It’s difficult to explain. I was devastated to lose her and it frightens me to put myself in that situation again.

  ‘Bea, you took me by surprise. You were so easy to be around and I was surprised at how happy I felt just to be in your presence. I hadn’t felt that since Hannah. Not with anyone … because despite your assumption that I have a girl in every port, there hasn’t been anyone else besides you since Hannah passed away.’

  Bea knew how difficult it must have been for Nolan to share all that information, and the fact that he’d told her gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. She was also relieved to hear that she hadn’t been one of many, and that Nolan had felt the incredible connection that she had, too.

  Just at that moment, the curtain around her bed was pulled aside and a nurse gave Bea a warm smile. ‘How are you doing? Is the pain manageable in your ankle?’

  Bea was feeling as comfortable as she could be. ‘I’m doing okay,’ she replied.

  ‘If you need anything, just press your buzzer,’ said the nurse to Bea before turning to Nolan. ‘It’s getting late now, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’

  Whilst the nurse checked Bea’s pulse and noted the information down on the chart at the end of the bed, Nolan pulled on his jacket. As soon as the nurse left the room, he moved closer to the side of the bed. ‘They should let you out in the morning. I’ll come back to get you then.’

  ‘You don’t have to.’

  ‘I want to.’

  ‘Can I ask, did you come back to Heartcross because of me?’ Bea knew it was a risk asking the question but she wanted to know the answer.

  ‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’ He gave her a cheeky wink. ‘There’s no Hemingway and Fernsby without Fernsby.’

  ‘Or without Hemingway.’

  Both of them smiled smiles that got bigger and bigger.

  ‘Try to stay out of trouble until the morning,’ said Nolan.

  ‘Don’t you go sailing off into the sunset without a word.’

  ‘I don’t know if it’s escaped your notice but there is a storm out there that would make that impossible, But even if the sun was shining, I wouldn’t be going anywhere.’

  ‘That’s good, because if you leave, you’ll be missed.’ Bea tilted her head and gave him a lopsided grin.

  Nolan disappeared through the curtain with a wave and Bea lay her head back on the pillow. She knew it must have been hard for him to open up to her and she couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him to lose his wife so young in such a tragic way. But despite the sadness of it all, there was one thing that gave her hope – he’d trusted her with all that information when he didn’t have to. Honesty meant the world to Bea. After everything that had happened in the last ten minutes, she felt their connection was growing stronger.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Bea woke the next morning to the sight of a doctor at the side of her bed. The blinds were open at the far end of the ward, showing her that the wind and rain had stopped and the sun was once again trying to break through the clouds.

  ‘You’ll be pleased to know you can go home today, but I need you to keep your weight off that ankle for a couple of days, and you will need to make an appointment with your doctor to take those stitches out of your chin.’

  ‘I will,’ she replied.

  The doctor propped a pair of crutches against the side of the bed. ‘For you.’

  Bea watched as he scrawled something on the chart and turned to the nurse. ‘Bea is ready to be discharged.’

  ‘Is there anyone you’d like me to call to come and pick you up?’ the nurse asked.

  ‘It’s okay, I have my phone, but thank you.’

  Pushing herself up in the bed, Bea phoned Julia. ‘Good news! I’m allowed home but I need a lift.’

  ‘That’s good timing, we were just talking about you.’

  ‘We?’

  ‘Myself and Nolan. Nolan was telling me your idea about setting up Heartcross Rescue. It’s going to take some doing.’

  ‘It is, but I think this really needs to be done.’

  ‘I think it’s a great idea. Last night was a wake-up call and things could have been a lot worse.’

  ‘Agreed. How about Monday night?’ Bea was taking control. She was passionate about this. Her heart had been in her mouth when Lucas had gone missing. Knowing there could be possible back-up help in future situations would give everyone a little more peace of mind.

  ‘Yes, Monday night would be great. I’ll share the details in the community WhatsApp group and the rest I’ll leave in your capable hands.’

  Suddenly Bea felt nervous. She was a temporary newcomer to the village and here she was organising a meeting for the wider community.

  ‘And in other news, Nolan’s taxi has just left! He’s on his way to pick you up. Is there something going on between you both that I need to know about?’

  Bea smiled as she twizzled the seahorse necklace up and down its chain. ‘We’re just very good friends,’ she replied. ‘Nolan will be sailing away on his travels after the River Festival.’

  ‘Mmm, if you say so,’ replied Julia. ‘I’ll see you when you get back.’

  Bea hung up. Even though Julia had been teasing, Bea knew being out on the water, sailing from place to place, was what Nolan needed right now to heal. She understood that, because it was the very reason she’d come to Heartcross.

  Within thirty minutes Nolan appeared in the doorway. ‘Are you ready to hop along?’

  Bea was ready and waiting, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘Born ready,’ she replied.

  With a grin on his face, he helped her to her feet and passed her the crutches. ‘Here you go.’

  ‘These are so difficult to manoeuvre on.’ Bea attempted to walk forward on her good leg, with her swollen ankle bent behind her, but as she put the crutches forward, she wobbled and collapsed on to Nolan. Fortunately, he caught her.

  ‘I’ve been here less than five minutes and you’re falling for me already.’

  ‘You wish,’ she teased, standing up straight and attempting another go.

  Once again, she wobbled and fell straight into Nolan’s arms. ‘This is a lot harder than it looks.’

  ‘Begin your step as though you’re going to use the injured foot, but instead bear all your weight on the crutch,’ Nolan advised.

  With a few more attempts, Bea had the swing of things and was racing up the corridor towards the main entrance. ‘Come on, slow coach,’ she joked, leaving Nolan behind.

  Within twenty minutes the taxi was driving the back way towards the river. The second she set eyes on The Little Blue Boathouse, Bea felt uplifted.

  ‘Home sweet home,’ she murmured.

  Everywhere looked positively gleaming, thoroughly cleaned by the storms of the last few days. Hordes of people were back out on the water taking advantage of the clear blue sky. ‘Heartcross Rescue… I can see it as an extension of this place.’

  Julia and Flynn appeared in the doorway, Bea recognising him from social media.

  ‘Here she is, the hero! It’s great to meet you at last.’ Flynn thrust his hand forward then realised Bea would find it difficult to shake hands. ‘Sorry,’ he immediately apologised. ‘We don’t want you falling over.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you. I’m sorry about this. I take the job and now for a couple of days I’m fit for nothing.’

  ‘You have nothing to apologise for,’ said Julia. ‘If it wasn’t for you, Lucas could have been washed away. That river was rising fast.’

  ‘Anyone would have done the same,’ replied Bea, hobbling inside, where she was greeted by an enormous bouquet of beautiful blooms.

  ‘For you,’ said Julia. ‘They arrived this morning.’

  ‘They are utterly gorgeous.’ Taking in the aroma, Bea sat down in the chair and passed her crutches to Nolan.

  ‘Julia has been filling me in about your ideas surrounding Heartcross Rescue,’ said Flynn. ‘We’ve put it out there for a meeting this Monday and already the majority of the community have confirmed they’re going to be here.’

  ‘That’s brilliant! Thank you for doing that,’ enthused Bea. ‘I’ve been thinking more and more about this. Is there a local carpenter or builder that could help?’

  ‘Eleni, my right-hand woman at the B&B, goes out with Jack, who’s part of a family building business, and he will be coming on Monday.’

  ‘Perfect. Whilst I’m laid up, I’m going to look into potential costs so I can have some figures ready for the meeting.’

  Nolan looked at her proudly. ‘She’s got it all sorted.’

  ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’ Bea crossed her fingers. ‘But I know it’s not going to be easy.’

  ‘I’ll be here on Monday but I have to disappear now as I’ve got a meeting and Julia needs to get back to the B&B,’ said Flynn. ‘But what are you going to do about the attic room? That ladder might prove a little difficult to climb up for a couple of days.’

  All Bea wanted to do was get upstairs, sit back and watch the boats on the river from her armchair, but Flynn was right: for a couple of days it might be a little difficult.

  ‘There’s a room at the B&B available on the ground floor. It’s yours if you want it,’ Julia offered.

  ‘I think that sounds like a plan. Thank you.’

  ‘Are you okay to take over, Nolan?’ asked Julia. ‘With Bea watching over you, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it, and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ll manage.’

  They watched Flynn and Julia walk up the river path before Nolan took his place behind the counter. ‘These are beautiful flowers,’ he said, moving the bouquet to one side. ‘I’ll have a look for a vase.’

  ‘The staff room is that way. The key is in the drawer of the desk.’

  Nolan opened the drawer. ‘This one?’ he asked and Bea nodded.

  ‘And these flowers are gorgeous. Do I have you to thank for them?’

  ‘I wish I could say they were from me, but afraid not. There’s a card though.’ He took the white envelope and passed it to Bea before opening the door to the staff room. ‘Do you fancy a cup of tea?’

  ‘That’ll be good.’ She smiled. ‘Milk, one sugar.’

  Opening up the small white envelope, Bea stared at the words on the card. Her heart began to pound.