Page 68 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

She shook her head. ‘I just nipped out for some air.’

‘Luckily for me. Will you be captain, or shall I?’

‘It’s your boat.’

‘Damn.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘I knew you were going to say that.’

He put the boat into reverse and they chugged away from the quay and out towards the sea. Patrick was taking it very steadily, but Liz didn’t mind; she wasn’t in any hurry.

It had been years since she’d seen Salcombe at dawn from the water. She’d forgotten how beautiful it was as the sun gradually came into view behind it, and she was filled with a sense of peace and well-being.

‘This was exactly what I needed,’ she said so softly that Patrick had to lean forward to catch her words. ‘What a way to start the day.’

‘It’s definitely more enjoyable with someone to share the experience with.’

Like so many other things in life, she thought, trailing her fingers in the cold water. ‘What changed your mind about getting a boat?’

He hesitated before replying. ‘When Rachel and I moved into the house, we enjoyed the solitude. We’d look across the water at the flocks of people milling through the narrow streets in Salcombe and congratulate ourselves on living where we could enjoy the views but not get tangled up in the crowds. Since she died, the peace can feel mocking, and being remote isn’t quite as idyllic as it once was. Instead of feeling smug about my solitude, I feel isolated. The views are still as beautiful, but now when I see the crowds, it highlights how alone I am. I thought a boat might help me feel more connected.’

Liz nodded thoughtfully; she’d never heard him talk like this. She’d assumed he was happy to be by himself, that his mum and aunt were pushing him to find a new partner against his wishes. But perhaps they knew more than she’d given them credit for.

‘Then I applaud you. Although, in my experience, you can feel lonely even on the Salcombe side,’ she admitted.

‘Now you tell me,’ Patrick said drily, making her smile.

It felt good to cast her worries aside for a while; she was so glad she’d bumped into him.

‘My parents had boats here for years,’ she told him. ‘It was my father’s hobby mainly, but it was great for me when I was a teenager. My friends and I would pile into the boat with fresh pasties and illicit cans of cider and go to the beach for the day. If we forgot something, we just jumped back on board and went home for it.’

‘That explains your prowess at starting the engine. I can see I’ve got some catching up to do.’

‘So, this boat is for social reasons, not because you’ve got an urge to captain your own ship and conquer the high seas,’ she teased.

‘Hardly.’ He chuckled. ‘At the moment, I’d be happy to conquer getting the damn thing to start without assistance. And it’s a bit small for anything other than pottering up and down the estuary.’

‘It doesn’t matter about the size, it’s about how it feels, whether it brings you joy.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Patrick drew his eyebrows together.

‘And my dad’s was small to begin with; he didn’t go up in size until he was more experienced and he knew my mother could handle it.’

‘Considerate of him.’ Patrick spluttered and banged his chest. ‘Excuse me, swallowed a fly.’

Liz cringed inwardly as it suddenly occurred to her what she’d said and why Patrick was making a hash of disguising his mirth. She didn’t know whether to let out the giggle which was threatening to erupt or look away and wait for the moment to pass. Luckily, Patrick came to the rescue.

‘But, to answer your question, it crossed my mind that if I’m to rekindle my—’ He paused to clear his throat. ‘Social life, then I’m unlikely to find a suitable person on my side of the estuary. So this was a pre-emptive move to broaden my horizons. What do you think?’

‘Ah, so the Ecsta-Sea is your babe magnet.’

Patrick slid her a sideways glance. ‘So far, it seems to be working.’

Liz felt a warm glow inside her and remembered the conversation she’d had with Skye about she and him ‘courting’, as his mother had put it. She could do far worse. But was that enough? Look at her and Jonathan. She didn’t want another failed relationship on her hands. And she wasn’t interested in casual hook-ups. Her next romantic encounter needed to be with someone she properly cared about. She and Patrick had joked about internet dating, but so far, her experience had been pretty dire and, if she was honest with herself, it just didn’t suit her.

She drew in a deep breath. ‘About dating—’

‘That conversation we had about—’ he said, in the same moment.

‘Go on,’ she urged, grateful to have been interrupted.