‘Have you thought any more about applying for the job with Cooper?’ Pete interrupted her thoughts as he stuck his hand down one of the burrows.

  ‘I’m thinking about it. It’s just⁠—’

  ‘Houses are sellable, and life is what you make it,’ interrupted Pete, as though he could read her thoughts.

  He retracted his arm from the burrow and noted down the number of puffins on the sheet of paper.

  ‘How is it they don’t bite or scratch you?’ she asked, jealous.

  ‘They know me. I’m not called Puffin Pete for nothing, you know. Your turn.’

  Verity lay down on her stomach and reached inside the next burrow. ‘I was thinking about it but now I’m not so sure. I suppose it’s the fear of the unknown.’

  ‘If you get the job, just see how it goes. You’ve got your property rented out and you could use that income to rent somewhere around here.’

  ‘It makes perfect sense but what if the novelty of the island wears off once I’m no longer in holiday mode? What happens then?’

  Pete pointed towards the sea. ‘That’s not a novelty. Waking up and seeing that sea every day is the thing that’s kept me going all these years. Tell me the pros and cons.’

  Verity pulled her arm out of the burrow. ‘I think they’re beginning to like me. No bites that time.’ She smiled.

  ‘Definitely a pro,’ said Pete, drawing a line down the centre of another piece of paper. ‘All the pros?’ He wound his hand around in a circular motion to encourage her to start talking.

  ‘Pros: I’ve made friends in Clemmie and Amelia. And I just love all of this.’ She swept her arm towards the sea and the bay. ‘It’s miles away from my past and no one knows anything about me unless I tell them.’

  ‘Fresh start,’ Pete said as he noted it down.

  ‘I don’t already have a job so I could start work straightaway.’

  ‘Noted.’

  ‘I don’t have any friends in Staffordshire anymore and it would be a relief to move away from my ex. And there’s something about this place. I love that you have a proper community where everyone knows everyone and there’s always someone you can talk to. I guess the bottom line is that I like it here.’

  ‘And the cons?’

  ‘I have a house in Staffordshire.’

  ‘And…’

  ‘I can’t think of anything else.’

  ‘Then it’s a no-brainer. Apply for the job. See what happens.’

  Verity sighed. ‘Actually, there is another con, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.’

  ‘Why, has something happened?’ asked Pete.

  ‘Sam happened. I think I’ve been stupid.’

  ‘Because of last night?’

  Verity nodded. ‘I feel an idiot. My gut feeling is unsettled. I think I made the wrong judgement.’

  ‘Did you have all the facts to make the judgement?’

  ‘Yes, but I went ahead anyway, even knowing it was never going to go any further. And now I have to face him.’

  ‘It’s difficult when feelings are involved.’

  ‘But that’s the thing, I don’t understand how I can even have feelings so soon. They’ve crept up on me and now they’re all I can think about.’

  Last night she’d felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time – sexy, desired – and there was no way Sam hadn’t felt the same connection between them.

  ‘I thought I was in control, but now I feel like I’ve let myself down.’

  The swirling feelings of being sexy and desired had now turned into ones of shame and embarrassment.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because he made it pretty clear it was a one-off and he didn’t want more. I suppose I got caught up in the moment, the romance of it all, and blurred my own boundaries. To be honest, I think I was hoping I could change his mind and he’d wake up this morning telling me he wanted me.’

  ‘There’s no point dwelling on it.’ Pete hesitated. ‘Sam is a good guy. We probably have far more in common than he’ll ever know, which is why I can say with some confidence that he’s likely just protecting his heart.’

  ‘Anything you would like to share?’

  Pete shook his head.

  Verity knew that in Sam’s case it probably had something to do with how things had ended with Alice. As for Pete, she decided against questioning him further. If he didn’t want to talk about his past that was his right.

  ‘Come on, next burrow.’ Pete pointed.

  Four hours later they called it a day. The sun was beating down and they’d covered a lot of ground.

  ‘Not bad, only thirteen bites today,’ Verity said as she looked down at her hand.

  Pete smiled. ‘Not one bite for me.’ They walked back towards Cliff Top Cottage.

  ‘Are you sure you’re okay handing over Jimmy for me?’

  ‘If I’m applying for the job with Cooper and sticking around, I’m going to have to face Sam often. I might as well get the first meeting over and done with sooner rather than later.’

  ‘You’ve made up your mind then?’

  ‘You’ve convinced me that I have nothing to lose. Do I really want to go back to a street where I look out of the window before I venture outside, and I constantly dread bumping into the ex? Absolutely not.’ Verity rolled her eyes.

  ‘You don’t need to feel any dread here,’ said Pete, kindly. ‘You can stand here and look around you for as long as you like.’

  Verity did exactly that, frustrated to find that that feeling of dread had transferred to Sam.

  ‘Do you know what I see?’

  ‘What?’ asked Verity.

  ‘Someone who has triumphed in difficult circumstances. You can now do what you want, when you want, and that includes moving halfway across the country. My guess is that nothing has changed in his life, other than the woman on his arm, but everything has changed in yours, and for the better. Don’t look back, just look forward.’

  ‘You’re right, Pete. Whatever the consequences of last night’s antics, I’m excited about the possibility of staying here. Someone up there has saved me from a mundane, boring life and delivered me new possibilities and choices that I’m actually eager to embrace.’

  ‘Apply for the job. I think you’ve made the right decision.’

  ‘I will, and when I hand over Jimmy, I’m going to hold my head up high and be professional.’

  ‘You’ve got this.’

  ‘In fact, I’ll take my laptop and apply for the job whilst I’m there. Then, later this afternoon, I’m going to call in to the bookshop and see if Amelia would like to do something tonight if she’s not working.’

  Pete smiled. ‘Don’t let the buggers get you down.’ He waved as he headed towards his cottage.

  Talking to Pete had helped. He reminded Verity of her granddad, whose advice she had always valued. Hearing her phone ring in her pocket, she looked at the screen. It was Ava.

  ‘Afternoon!’ Verity answered as she unlocked the van and slid open the door.

  ‘How’s life on Puffin Island? Are you still there, heading to your next destination or heading home? You’ve been quiet.’

  ‘I’m still here.’ She blew out a breath.

  ‘Oooh, it sounds like you have gossip.’

  Verity spilled the beans. ‘A one-night stand has been ticked off the bucket list before I hit thirty.’

  ‘Is this Verity Callaway I’m talking to? Miss Prim and Proper? You’re a dark horse. Finally, you’ve become a modern woman!’

  ‘Don’t, I feel awful about it.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I suppose I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m usually in some sort of relationship before I’ve gone to that stage.’

  ‘The sea air must have addled your brain.’

  ‘It’s not funny, I could cry.’

  ‘And who was this guy?’

  Verity hesitated. ‘Sam.’

  ‘Aww, gorgeous Sam whom you followed to Puffin Island after stalking him at the ferry port? Gorgeous Sam whose cottage you’ve been staying in?’

  ‘I didn’t stalk him!’ she exclaimed, indignantly.

  ‘Mmm, I’d say you got what you wanted, so why not embrace it for what it is? Why could you cry? Was it rubbish sex?’

  ‘The best I’ve ever had. But he’s made it clear he’s not looking for a relationship.’

  ‘So just sit back and enjoy the ride – literally.’ Ava laughed. ‘Have fun whilst you’re on the island. It’s a bit like a holiday romance, then you go home.’

  For a moment Verity was quiet.

  ‘The silence is telling me there may be more,’ prompted Ava.

  ‘Where is home?’

  ‘The Midlands.’

  ‘But what have I got there? Yes, I have a house, but it’s rented out for the next six months so I can’t go back just yet.’

  ‘I know, and that’s my fault, but you could always come and stay in my digs in London. We can still have our adventure. It just won’t be exactly what we had planned.’

  ‘Hmm…the fast-paced city or the soothing island with the perfect view?’

  ‘Are we talking about the sea view or Sam?’

  ‘The sea! There’s an opportunity to apply for a job here on the island as a veterinary assistant. I’ve no idea where I’ll live, but I could maybe book the hotel or the B&B until a house comes up for rent. What do you think?’

  ‘Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I think, what have you got to lose? Go for it!’

  ‘That’s what Pete said.’

  ‘Pete? Sam? Please tell me you aren’t working your way around the island.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous! Pete is the main ranger in charge of the puffin count. He used to be a vet but is selling the surgery to Cooper, who already has a practice in Sea’s End and wants to expand.’

  ‘And this Cooper? You don’t fancy him too, do you? Because it’s never a good idea to mix work and pleasure.’

  ‘I do not fancy Cooper,’ insisted Verity. ‘But what do you really think? Am I just dreaming? I only turned up here because of the postcard.’

  ‘And how is the search for the long lost lover going?’

  ‘The search is over. Mystery solved. Betty, who has lived here on the island all her life, remembers my granny. She came for the summer and stayed with her. It turns out Joe Wilson, aka “W”, was Sam’s granddad and he and Granny were close and possibly had a holiday romance. I think the secret mentioned in the postcard was the fact that my granny was engaged to my granddad while she was on the island, but never told anyone. She came to the island to sort out her feelings for him after he proposed suddenly.’

  ‘Keeping it in the family…’

  ‘Ava! She apparently returned home and chose my granddad over Joe. But I’m not sure of all the ins and outs.’

  ‘And how has the grandfather aged? You’ll be able to see how good Sam’s gene pool is.’

  ‘His grandfather was killed in a tragic accident at sea, just after my grandmother left the island.’

  ‘Gosh, does that mean you have to stay to keep Sam safe? We certainly don’t want history repeating itself.’

  ‘Ava! It’s not something to joke about. It’s been fifty years since his death and there’s a vigil being held in his memory soon.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.’

  ‘You didn’t. It’s just all going on here. There’s the vigil, plus the island’s vote on safety barriers to stop idiots trying to drown themselves on the causeway, and we finish the puffin count tomorrow.’

  ‘That all sounds…actually, it sounds like you’re living your best life, just like me. Which reminds me, I’m due back at work in five. Anyway, tonight I’m off to a wine bar with my new work colleagues.’

  ‘All glam and glitz.’

  ‘And yours sounds…all very wholesome and community-minded.’

  ‘Enjoy your evening.’

  ‘Stay out of trouble.’

  ‘Always.’

  Verity sniffed her armpit and then her hair, and then checked the time. As she had forty minutes until Sam was due to pick up Jimmy, she decided to use the time taking a much-needed shower. After a night of passion and a morning of sliding along the ground she didn’t smell pretty at all. Glancing towards the garage she saw it was shut for lunch, according to the sign swinging outside in the light breeze. She waved at Pete as he drove past her and realised that with Nathan and Pete gone for a while, she would have ample time to use her pet shower in privacy. She simply couldn’t meet Sam smelling and looking like this.

  As soon as the container was full of water, she propped the shower head over a branch of a nearby tree and pumped the container, before slipping into a white bikini and flip-flops. She switched on Spotify on her phone, and the first song on her playlist sounded out. Pressing the nozzle on the shower head, she stepped under the cold water.

  ‘Brrr!’ She shivered, wetting her hair and rubbing shampoo into it. She smiled as a Britney track finished and she immediately thought of Kev. Even though it was only a few days since she’d driven away from her street in the early hours, it felt like a lifetime ago. Standing there, letting the cold water fall over her body, she didn’t feel any desire at all to go back. It was strange, knowing she’d outgrown the place where she was brought up.

  The next song played out. ‘Where you from, you sexy thing?’ she sang at the top of her lungs, jiggling her backside as she lifted her arms above her head and twirled around. Still singing and jigging, she rinsed off the shampoo. As the song came to its end and the water ran out, she squeezed the water from her hair and spun around – only to meet an amused smile. Sam! She nearly jumped out of her skin.

  ‘Woah! Where did you come from?’

  ‘You like Hot Chocolate?’

  ‘Massive fan!’

  ‘You in a bikini singing along to my favourite song was not a sight I was expecting to see in my lunch hour, but it’s very welcome.’

  ‘I aim to please.’ She pointed towards a towel draped over the camping chair.

  As he turned to grab it for her, she admired his attire. He was dressed for work in a crisp white short-sleeved shirt that clung to his torso, and tailored navy trousers. And there it was again, that uncontrollable tingle, the goosebumps and flutters that gathered in her stomach every time she laid eyes on him. He made her nervous, but in a good way.

  Sam handed her the towel. Verity was relieved; things didn’t seem awkward between them at all. Maybe this morning she’d been overthinking the situation. Maybe Sam had started to see things differently.

  ‘A welcome sight, did you say?’ Verity knew she was pushing it but she wanted to gauge his reaction. She pulled the towel around her body.

  ‘It’s the best sight I’ve seen all morning. But, saying that, I’ve spent that morning coming face to face with around two hundred seabass, a hundred lobsters and about the same number of oysters,’ he replied playfully.

  ‘Cheeky! What are you doing here on the cliff top? Have you come to apologise for sneaking out of the van and not waking me this morning?’

  ‘I didn’t sneak anywhere. How you slept through the noise of those puffins is beyond me.’

  Verity smiled as she dried herself. ‘Slept like a baby.’ She pointed towards the van. ‘I’m just going to get changed.’ She stepped inside but didn’t want to the let the conversation drop. ‘Don’t you miss cuddling up to someone at night?’ The van door was slightly ajar and she could see Sam inspecting the shower, which was still hooked over the branch of the tree.

  ‘I did last night.’ She saw him smile.

  ‘But wouldn’t you want more of that?’ She moved away from the crack in the door as he glanced in her direction.

  ‘Like I’ve said, I just enjoy living in the moment. No ties, no commitments.’

  Verity opened the door wide.

  ‘Wow!’ He was unashamedly staring at her.

  She had slipped on an off-the-shoulder maxi dress and a pair of flat sandals, and the appreciative look in his glistening blue eyes was exactly the reaction she had hoped for. She gave him a beatific smile that lit up her face as she swept her wet hair over her shoulders.

  ‘I’m not always in jeans or joggers. Well, actually, ninety per cent of the time I am.’

  ‘You should wear a dress more often. It suits you.’

  ‘I might just do that.’ She pointed towards the surgery. ‘I take it you’re here to collect Jimmy? Even though you’re early.’

  ‘I was hoping Pete was around to hand him back to me as I’ve taken the rest of the day off. I want to get Jimmy settled at home.’

  Verity jangled the keys. ‘Pete’s had to nip to Sea’s End, and he’s left me in charge of the handover. Let me just grab my laptop, as I want to pinch a bit of his power and WiFi this afternoon.’

  They walked side by side towards the surgery. ‘I have to say I was impressed with your singing,’ Sam remarked. ‘Not so sure about the dancing though.’

  ‘I honestly think my singing is worse than my dancing.’ She grinned as she opened the surgery, picked up the post from the floor and placed it on the counter along with her laptop. ‘Jimmy won’t be able to put weight on his leg but he’ll try. It might take him a moment to get his balance, too.’ Verity opened the door to the back room and immediately Jimmy let out a bark.

  ‘There you are.’ Sam was by his side in an instant and opened the crate door.

  As predicted, Jimmy tried to get to his feet but his balance was off and as his bad leg touched the floor he let out a whimper. Sam steadied him. ‘I’m afraid you’re going to have to hop for a while, pal.’

  ‘He’ll soon get used to it,’ said Verity, encouragingly.

  Sam looked at her. ‘I know I said thank you yesterday but I’m very grateful…to you both.’

  ‘It’s my job to assist,’ she said. ‘I believe Pete has already given you the medication?’