Nolan must have noticed her smile slip. ‘Let’s make the most of the time we have together.’ He leaned in again, taking her by surprise. This time, his kiss was long and deep.

  Never in her life had she taken a chance like this or been attracted to anyone in this way. As they kissed she turned the words over in her mind: Live for the moment. Have fun. His kiss was like no other and Bea forced herself to breathe calmly, even though her whole body was trembling.

  He pulled her in closer and instantly Bea pressed herself against him. Still kissing him, she felt an immense tingle and wanted this moment to last for ever. They started to run their hands over each other’s body, and Bea felt truly alive for the first time in ages. It had been a while since she’d touched a man’s body – her ex was always claiming he was tired or it was the wrong time, though now she knew why he’d been so reluctant. And besides, what she’d had with Carl had never felt like this. It felt so good kissing and touching Nolan. He lifted her off her feet and into his arms, then strolled through the water and onto the sand. He laid her gently on the blanket and then lay down next to her, one arm bent at the elbow, his head resting on his hand. The excitement of the situation electrified Bea’s body. Feelings of excitement and trepidation were all rolled into one. Wanting to feel in control, she leaned up and kissed him again, pulling him on top of her. Nolan stopped kissing her for a second and looked at her with adoration. In this moment she wanted him, and despite weighing up the consequences, she embraced the tingling pleasure that flooded her body. All she could think about was having him right now.

  ‘I want this,’ she murmured.

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘I’m sure.’ And then Nolan kissed her again, taking her breath away.

  An hour later, Bea was perched on a rock, posing, while Nolan sat on an upturned wooden barrel that they’d found in the hut. His easel was in front of him and he had a palette of paint and a brush in his hands. He was painting Bea’s portrait while she sipped champagne, enjoying the scenery and the overwhelming feeling of happiness that engulfed her.

  ‘I hope you’re making me look beautiful.’

  ‘I don’t need to make you look beautiful because you are, and your skin is flawless.’

  The feeling of confidence his words gave her surprised her and she glanced down at her body, the red bikini complementing the warm tone of her skin.

  ‘Let me have a look?’ She attempted to move to take a peek but Nolan stopped her in her tracks. ‘Keep still, don’t move.’

  ‘Spoilsport!’

  Nearly twenty minutes later, Nolan declared he was finished. Excited to see the painting, Bea strode towards him, sliding her arms around his waist while she rested her head against his chest and stared at the canvas. She gave a tiny gasp. The painting was beautiful; he’d captured her completely, even down to the freckles dotted across her nose. At the bottom, he had written ‘Castaway Bay’ with the date and his initials, followed by a tiny love heart.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘It looks like me!’

  ‘That’s good then.’ He laughed, swiftly kissing the tip of her nose.

  ‘I love it and will treasure it for ever.’

  ‘A reminder of our time together,’ he said, packing up his paints before washing out his brushes in the shallows. Bea was still staring at the painting, wishing this day could go on for ever but knowing it was drawing to a close. She joined him at the water’s edge, the water lapping around her ankles. The inlet was extremely calm and Bea was astonished to see hundreds of tiny fish swimming around. She bent down and tried to cup them in her hands. She giggled as they squirmed through her fingers. Then something sparkling under the water caught her eye. She felt about and attempted to pull it out of the sand. ‘I’ve found treasure,’ she declared. ‘I think it’s a bottle but it seems to be stuck.’

  Nolan joined her and looked at the water. ‘It is a bottle, but it’s wedged in the sand at the side of that large stone.’ He bent down and began to dig around the bottle with his hands. ‘Yes, definitely a bottle.’

  ‘Probably a broken one. Be careful you don’t cut yourself.’

  He reached for a triangular stone that was lying on the sand, then began to dig around the bottle. ‘It’s getting looser.’ He gave it a tug and finally pulled it out. As he held it in his hands, they could see that the bottle wasn’t broken. Bea’s eyes widened.

  ‘Blooming hell. It’s a message in a bottle! And what’s that with it?’

  Nolan held the bottle up and tipped it to the side. ‘It looks like a necklace.’

  ‘Do you think we should open it?’ asked Bea, taking the bottle from him. ‘How recent do you think it is?’ She couldn’t contain the excitement in her voice. ‘We could have stumbled across another romantic love story.’

  ‘Or a note that says, “I was here”,’ Nolan replied, laughing.

  ‘I’m opting for romance. I want to know what the letter inside says.’

  ‘There’s only one way to find out.’

  Taking the bottle back to the blanket, they knelt and Bea watched as Nolan dried it off. After a couple of attempts, he managed to open it and tipped it upside down. The necklace fell straight on to the blanket but the letter was trapped inside. Nolan scanned the area and pointed to a pile of sticks. ‘Grab me a couple of those long thin sticks, please.’

  Bea was quickly back by his side and, using the sticks like chopsticks, he managed to clutch the letter and carefully pulled it out of the bottle without tearing the paper.

  ‘My heart is beating so fast,’ admitted Bea, turning the necklace over in her hand. ‘And it’s in the shape of a seahorse. It’s beautiful,’ she breathed.

  Nolan had suddenly gone quiet. He clutched the letter in his hand and immediately Bea noticed his face had paled. ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘Are you okay?’

  Wide-eyed, he looked at her. ‘This is from my grandfather.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ she asked.

  ‘Absolutely. I know my grandfather’s writing when I see it – and he’s signed it.’

  ‘Let me see. Show me.’

  Chapter Eight

  His hand trembling slightly, Nolan read the letter out loud.

  ‘To whoever finds this bottle.

  ‘We’ve had the best summer at Castaway Bay and discovered a love like no other. We will be together forever in our hearts and we hope you find a love like ours.

  ‘Always in love,

  ‘Morgan & Patsy’

  ‘How utterly romantic is that?’ added Bea, looking down at the necklace in her hand. ‘I wonder what the relevance of a seahorse is?’

  ‘I’ve no idea.’ Nolan turned the letter over and on the other side was a drawing of a love heart with an arrow and their initials.

  ‘This technically belongs to you,’ said Bea, handing over the necklace. ‘You’re the last living relative of your grandfather.’

  Nolan took the necklace and placed it in the palm of his hand. He was flabbergasted by the discovery of the bottle and the fact that it dated from the day when his grandfather had visited the bay.

  ‘This is unbelievable. This bottle must have been wedged for all these years and we were the ones that found it. What were the chances of that?’ Nolan knew the emotion in his voice communicated itself to Bea. He looked up towards the sky. He knew this was some sort of amazing coincidence, but he couldn’t help wondering if his grandfather was watching over him.

  ‘And we found it. I wonder why they didn’t stay together or carry on their romance?’ Bea mused.

  ‘Because more than likely they had their own lives to return to.’

  ‘But surely if their love was this strong, they would have done anything to stay together and make it work?’

  ‘Maybe they took it for what it was and agreed that it was only for the summer.’ Nolan shrugged. ‘Who knows?’

  ‘A bit like us?’ added Bea, the words leaving her lips before she could stop them.

  ‘Most probably exactly like us.’ Nolan glanced towards her. ‘You’re still okay about today?’ he questioned, suddenly a little unsure whether a line had been crossed.

  ‘Of course. We’re adults, aren’t we? I’ve enjoyed every second of today.’ She leaned across and placed a swift kiss on his cheek.

  ‘Good,’ he replied, looking back down at the necklace in his hand. For a second he couldn’t look Bea in the eye. He’d had a fantastic afternoon, he’d let himself go for the first time in a long time and had experienced feelings that he hadn’t felt in even longer. He’d felt desired in such a way that he’d known he wanted to kiss Bea the second they arrived at Castaway Bay. Full of mixed emotions, Nolan couldn’t shake off the sudden guilt he was feeling. He was a little sad the day was coming to an end.

  Taking her hand, Nolan lay the necklace in her palm. ‘I want you to have this. Finding this bottle is the perfect end to a perfect day and when we go our separate ways you have something to remind you of our special day together.’

  At such a lovely gesture, Bea’s eyes widened. ‘I couldn’t possibly. What if you find Patsy? By rights this should be hers.’

  ‘I’ve not found her yet and if I find her in the next couple of weeks, we can cross that bridge then.’

  ‘In memory of Morgan and Patsy, I’ll look after it until then, and in the meantime, I’ll treasure it. But what do you have to remind you of today?’

  Nolan gave Bea a lopsided grin. ‘The thought of you in that red bikini will be imprinted on my brain for ever!’

  Bea swiped his arm playfully.

  ‘And I have painted you also.’

  They both looked towards the painting balanced on the easel.

  ‘I’m not sure where I’m going to hang that.’ She smiled.

  ‘I’m sure you’ll find somewhere to put it,’ he replied, leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips.

  ‘I actually need to find a house first. The thought of going back to my home town is not enthralling.’

  ‘Don’t think about that now. Keep your thoughts on the here and now.’ That was exactly what Nolan was trying to do because, thinking about the past few years, he knew he would be sailing The Hemingway out of Heartcross sooner rather than later.

  ‘I’m trying,’ Bea replied. ‘Life forty-eight hours ago seemed all dark and hard work and yet now it seems colourful and fun.’

  Nolan knew exactly what Bea meant. He’d woken up this morning after a good night’s sleep and couldn’t wait to begin the day, knowing he would be seeing her. Someone like her hadn’t crossed his path in a long time.

  ‘Why couldn’t I meet someone like you in the real world?’ she murmured, taking his hand. ‘I could stay here for ever.’

  ‘Mmm, have you seen those clouds?’ Nolan pointed to the sky. Even though the air was still warm, there were dark clouds looming above. ‘I think there’s going to be showers tonight so we should probably head back. I’ll leave the cool box in the hut. I can come back for it at another time.’

  ‘Maybe we could come back for it together?’ Bea hoped he’d say yes. In the next two weeks she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

  ‘I’m sure we can make that happen,’ he replied, glancing up at the sky again.

  Just at that moment, the sky opened up. Feeling the large droplets of rain against their bare skin, they were up on their feet and running briskly towards the hut. Grabbing her clothes from her rucksack, Bea quickly pulled them on then placed a towel around her shoulders like a cape. Nolan began to pack everything up and moved the painting and easel inside the hut along with the picnic blanket.

  ‘Are you sure we should leave the painting here?’ asked Bea.

  ‘Yes, it’ll stay dry in the hut.’

  ‘But, what if someone turns up here and they’re greeted by a portrait of a semi-naked woman wearing a red bikini?’

  ‘There’s not a soul in sight and if they do, they will be disappointed. You’re taken for the summer and I’ll be the only one admiring your beauty.’

  Bea smiled. ‘Taken for the summer? I’m only here for the next couple of weeks.’

  Nolan leaned forward and kissed her on the tip of her freckled nose. ‘My guess is two weeks will fly by and you’ll want to stay. What have you got to rush back for anyway?’

  ‘My job,’ Bea answered straightaway.

  Nolan cocked an eyebrow. ‘Really? I thought you were here to make a plan and sort the rest of your life. That, to me, sounds like you’re going to fall straight back into the same routine as before. It might be all you’ve ever known, but even I can see your worth. Be braver.’

  Bea was pensive for a second. ‘I need a steady income.’

  ‘And? There are loads of jobs out there. Ones that have sociable hours and that would put a smile on your face. The smile on your face disappears as soon as you mention that job.’

  ‘It’s not that easy to get a job.’

  ‘Is that the best argument you can come up with? You already have a trial shift lined up at The Little Blue Boathouse tomorrow!’

  ‘You do have a point there.’ She mulled over Nolan’s words as they stood in the doorway of the hut and looked out over Castaway Bay. It was beautiful and calming and that wasn’t the feeling she got back at home.

  ‘I think it won’t be quite the same when you’ve gone.’ She nudged his elbow lightly. ‘Are we going to make a run for it?’ She nodded in the direction of the boat.

  After stuffing the bottle and letter inside the rucksack, they took off from the hut. Thankfully, the rain wasn’t too heavy at the moment and the breeze was slight. Sitting in the boat, Bea held on to the sides as Nolan pushed it into the water and grabbed the oar before jumping aboard.

  As he began to row, he watched Bea closely. This was the first day he’d felt alive again in a very long time and he hoped the next two weeks would be just as happy as today. Maybe things were beginning to change for him.

  ‘What’s the plan about the bottle?’ asked Bea.

  ‘I think my first stop might be the graveyard.’

  She raised an eyebrow. ‘I wasn’t expecting that answer. Why do you say that?’

  ‘Think about it. How old would Patsy be? There’s a good chance she might have passed away.’

  Bea knew that Nolan was possibly right.

  He hesitated and stared straight at her. ‘If she is alive and I track her down, I have something for her.’

  ‘Besides the necklace? Tell me more.’ Bea was intrigued.

  ‘When my grandfather passed away, I began to restore The Hemingway and discovered a small box that was full of memorabilia, items I can only assume were memories from the summer they spent together.’

  ‘Like a memory box, how romantic! What sort of things?’

  ‘From what I remember there was a ticket to the bandstand at Primrose Park—’

  ‘Must have been a band playing,’ interrupted Bea.

  ‘My thoughts exactly. There were also shiny rocks, shells, a small notepad of sketches, postcards of Heartcross, a pack of cards, a small teddy bear, receipts ... but the thing that stood out the most was an unopened letter addressed to Patsy.’

  Bea gave a tiny gasp. ‘And what did it say?’

  ‘I don’t know. I haven’t opened it. It’s not addressed to me.’

  Bea was impressed; curiosity would most probably have gotten the better of her. ‘And do you think your grandfather wrote it after the summer they spent together?’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘And did the letter have her surname on it?’

  Nolan shook his head. ‘But we know Patsy’s surname begins with a G.’

  ‘Do we?’ asked Bea, perplexed. ‘How do we know that?’

  ‘Because of the love heart written on the back of the letter in the bottle – MH & PG.’

  ‘You’re like Sherlock Holmes! I would never have even thought of that. But what are you going to do if you discover a grave with the name Patsy and a surname that begins with a G? Are you going to open the letter then?’

  ‘I’m not sure, but if I discover the grave, I might be able to track down a living relative. Who knows?’

  ‘Who knows indeed. This is all very exciting.’

  ‘I know there’s got to be a churchyard in Heartcross, so that’s my first stop tomorrow.’

  ‘Don’t go without me! We’re in this together now and I want to help to uncover the romantic love story of Morgan and Patsy, and find out what became of her.’ She flapped her hand between the two of them. ‘We need to come up with a name now we’re a brand-new detective duo.’

  ‘How about Nolan and Bea?’

  Bea hooted. ‘Dead original.’

  Nolan grinned. ‘Hemingway and…?’

  ‘Fernsby,’ Bea supplied.

  ‘Hemingway and Fernsby has a great ring to it,’ said Nolan.

  ‘I think Fernsby and Hemingway has a better ring to it.’ She cocked an eyebrow, laughing.

  ‘Whichever way round it is, you can be my right-hand woman.’

  Bea couldn’t stop smiling. She liked the sound of that.

  Chapter Nine

  Bea woke as soon as the alarm sounded. It was 7.30am and she was already excited about her trial at The Little Blue Boathouse. Her shift was to start at 9am and Julia would be showing her the ropes. Bea knew the Little Blue Boathouse was owned by Julia’s partner, Flynn Carter, who was a famous property tycoon and according to the internet was worth millions. Bea wasn’t going to admit to anyone that late last night she’d spent a lot of time googling Heartcross and its residents. Never mind a mini St Tropez with all the boats, it was like a mini Los Angeles with its celebrity residents! Wanting another few minutes in bed, she reached for her phone on the bedside cabinet. There was a message from Emmie asking her to call.

  ‘Good morning, Sis!’ trilled Bea, sitting up in bed and pulling the duvet around her middle.

  ‘Is that you, Bea?’ asked Emmie, sounding a little unsure.

  ‘Of course it’s me, why wouldn’t it be me? Unless my phone has been stolen and the thief is phoning my sister.’