SWNOVELS Love By Moonlight: Chapter 7
The following morning, Claire awoke in her spacious room, tucked away under the roof of the old stables, a skylight providing plenty of light, another window looking over the gardens at the side of the house.
It was through the skylight she could see heaped clouds racing across the sky. The wind, which had come up overnight, was still blowing in from the west, but patches of blue sky gave promise of a fine day. As it was her day off, she wanted to go over to Silver Sands and maybe surf a little. While her surfing was nowhere near as good as Jake’s, he’d patiently taught her the basics, and she could ride a board competently. This was the best weather for it since her return home and starting her new job. It wouldn’t hurt to have lunch at the café, either. She was a great fan of her brother’s cooking!
It didn’t take long to shower and dress, then toast a couple of slices of bread. The one thing she missed in her cute hostel room was the inability to take her breakfast outside. But it was only for the summer. Daniel would have to return to London at some point, and no doubt re-possess his house. She shook her head in puzzlement over that. So strange he couldn’t get into his own home.
Throwing wetsuit and a towel into a bag, Claire tied her hair back into a low ponytail and was ready to go. As she moved towards the door, she noticed a square of paper on the floor. A note? Weird. Why not send a text? Opening it, she saw, scrawled in her brother’s writing, a message. Your artist mate wants to take photos of me standing on a surfboard, so I told him to come over to Silver Sands today and you’d bring him. No good texting—left my phone somewhere yesterday. Come over this morning and then stay for lunch on the house. Let’s give him an uncomplicated day. J xx.
What? When had he arranged this with Daniel, and more to the point, why hadn’t he told her last night?
But she knew why—because she would’ve probably said no after Daniel’d told her to keep away. Especially after that kiss. Now Jake had dropped her into it. She could hardly not turn up if Daniel was expecting her. Her face set in a frown, she ran down the communal stairs and into the courtyard. A buggy was parked up by the kitchen door with a key in the ignition, but there was no sign of Jake’s 4×4, so no good tracking him down and accosting him, telling him to take Daniel to Silver Sands himself. What the hell was her little brother up to?
Yet despite her mental scolding of her brother, the butterflies had started their wild dance inside, the palms of her hands were slightly damp, and her heartbeat was faster than normal. She was determined to hide all this from Daniel. He needed a friend. That was something she certainly could be, as long as she ignored the attraction that hummed insistently in her mind.
Muttering under her breath, she threw her kit into the back, started up the buggy and drove down to the cottage. Slipping through the side gate, she walked round to the patio. Daniel was there, engrossed by his eBook, a cup of coffee on the table beside him. There was also, interestingly, a piece of paper tucked under the mug to stop it from blowing away.
‘You’re keen, sitting out here in this wind,’ Claire said abruptly, hands on hips.
‘And good morning to you, too,’ he replied mildly, closing the cover over the screen and standing up. ‘Look, before we go any further, there’s something I want to say. I shouldn’t have said the things I did on Friday. And I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was inappropriate, and I’m sorry.’
Claire was taken aback. Indeed, the apology was in order but she’d not expected it, and was very pleased to hear him admitting his behaviour had been wrong. Her mind darted, wondering what to say. In the end, she settled on honest simplicity.
‘I appreciate your apology. I maybe also said things I shouldn’t, and assumed too much, so I’m sorry, as well. Let’s forget it, okay?’
He gave her a small smile. ‘Okay. Thanks. Look, I gather you’re my transport over to Silver Sands. I would’ve contacted you to say don’t bother because I can find my own way there, but I don’t have your mobile number, and apparently your brother has, um, conveniently lost his phone. If you can give me five, I’ll collect my stuff.’ Turning, he left her standing on the patio.
Edging nearer the table, Claire looked surreptitiously at the windows of the cottage, then pulled the piece of paper from under the mug and quickly opened it.
Hey, Daniel. This morning would be great for your photos, and I’ve located a board. I asked Claire to bring you down because she said she was coming, anyway. Can’t re-arrange things because I’ve lost my phone and anyway, don’t think you’ve got my number. See you later. J.
The little toad. He’d set them both up.
She folded the paper and slipped it back under the mug. Claire still felt annoyed with Jake and yet couldn’t help smiling at what he’d done. So happy in his own relationship, he’d turned to playing matchmaker. But it was taking a risk, as Daniel hadn’t seemed overjoyed to see her. Still, his apology was a surprise and very welcome. Maybe they could start afresh today.
She turned to look across the beach. The waves were dumping on the shore, the foam creaming up over the sand, and the gulls wheeled and turned over the sea, which at the moment was greyish green rather than blue, with whitecaps dancing over its surface. Not a day for any but the expert. Claire hoped no foolish kids would try going out on an inflatable.
‘Right, I’m ready.’
Claire jumped and turned. She’d been so lost in her thoughts she’d not heard Daniel return. He had a camera bag and a lens bag slung over his shoulder, and by his side a slim leather case which probably contained a sketch pad, some pencils and a small easel. He looked thoroughly sinful, wearing a close-fitting, black sweatshirt and faded denim jeans which moulded the length of his legs to utter perfection, as far as she was concerned. Beautifully packaged, and she couldn’t help think about what was underneath, despite her determination to be more restrained.
Determinedly banishing her lustful thoughts, Claire gestured to his camera. ‘You take your photography seriously, then? I thought maybe you’d just take phone snaps and paint from those?’
‘I need excellent picture quality, so if I can’t get out, I can blow the picture up to see detail. Phone snaps are too grainy for that. It’s a back-up, but I enjoy photography as another art form, anyway. I sometimes get enlarged prints made.’ He followed behind her as she led the way round to the buggy, his tone carefully neutral. ‘Look, why don’t I travel in my car? I don’t suppose you want to go, anyway, and I don’t want to impose on you.’
Oh. Not necessarily a fresh start then. But he hadn’t said he definitely didn’t want to go with her. You could classify it as politeness and not wanting to be a nuisance. She needed to reassure him while keeping it casual and light-hearted. She realised he needed to relax and to view her an unthreatening. Once he accepted her, she hoped they could move forward.
‘Ah, well, that’s where you’re wrong. Jake knew I’d be going this morning. I’ve only been to Silver Sands once since I got home, and I love that beach. And the café. Jake’s offered us lunch on the house.’
‘Jake has? That’s very generous of him.’ The surprise was clear in both his voice and raised eyebrows as he flicked her a glance.
‘Yep. He owns the place.’
‘I thought he owned the hotel?’
They arrived at the car park and Claire grabbed her bag from behind the buggy seat, crossing to a hatchback. Opening the boot, she dropped her kit in and gestured for Daniel to add his camera to the pile. ‘Hop in. Silly to take two cars. Bad for the environment and all that.’
She was pleased to see him put his things alongside hers, accepting the lift with no more protest.
Once seated in the car, Claire answered his earlier question. ‘Henry left the house and café to Jake. He took a shine to him. Substitute son, and maybe not a bad thing, because our dad was very ill for a long time. Sponsored him and got him working in the café as well. Jake gradually moved up and took over. Emily wanted the house for a hotel, and when they took up together, he turned it over to her. I guess they both own it, but Jake’s refused to work there, apart from doing cakes for afternoon teas.’
‘Cakes?’ Daniel looked slightly bemused.
Grinning, Claire shot him a glance. ‘Yeah, I know. He doesn’t come across as a cake-maker, either, does he?’
‘No. No, not at all. I’d had him pinned as a bit of a playboy type with those looks.’
Claire let out a peal of laughter. ‘Oh, great. I love it. No, Jake’s worked damned hard all his life to achieve what he has. Still keeps in training, too. And he’s a fantastic cook. You’ll find out at lunchtime. He has more help these days and spends some of his time at the hotel, but basically he still runs the café.’
The atmosphere between them had warmed from indifferent to tepid, and Daniel relaxed in his seat as she drove from the hotel to the Silver Sands car park and beach.
Once there, she jumped out, looking at the sea. There was a good swell a hundred yards from the shore, which was running sweetly until it reached the shallows. There, it rolled, foamed and heaved itself around, causing shrieks of delight from the people attempting to swim. The lifeguards were on duty and had designated an area for surfers. A few body boarders bobbed fairly close in, sometimes catching the rush of a wave towards the shore and looking triumphant as it swept them in.
‘Plenty of photo opportunities for you here,’ she said over her shoulder. She was buzzing with excitement and sheer joy at being back on her beloved beach and could hardly restrain herself from rushing off to change. ‘Come on. Let’s go find Jake, and I need put my wetsuit on.’
It was pure holiday, with families, windbreaks, kites, frisbees and the sun breaking through, lighting up the waves and the sand. Low cliffs backed the whole beach, and rocks were strewn at the bottom where small caves tempted the explorer.
Claire collected her kit from the car and rushed off to the café, not bothering to wait for Daniel.
‘Jenny!’ Claire almost ran towards a motherly lady who was about to go behind the counter.
At the sound of her name, the lady stopped and turned, a welcoming smile breaking across her face, her arms held wide. ‘Claire! Welcome home. So good to see you.’ She turned slightly towards Daniel, who stood awkwardly behind Claire. ‘Hello, young man. Any friend of Claire’s is welcome. My, my—you’re well kitted out with camera stuff.’
‘Daniel’s an artist, Jenny, staying at the hotel. Well, he’s renting Gardener’s Cottage for the summer, and I’ve gone up to the hostel. He takes photos so he can paint directly from them if the weather doesn’t allow him to get out. Or if the scene is likely to change too quickly, then he can start a painting and finish it from photos taken at the same time. I think?’ Claire turned to Daniel, looking apprehensive.
‘Yeah, you’ve summed it up well.’ He gave her a brief smile, then looked beyond her, his eyebrows going up. When Claire turned, she saw her brother, his hair covered, and a large apron wrapped round his lean torso.
‘Ahhh,’ Claire said. ‘The man himself. You, my lad, have got some explaining to do. But it’ll keep ’til later.’
Jake grinned and unwrapped the apron. ‘Breakfasts are all done, Jenny, and lunches all defrosted. You’ve got Angelina waiting on. Okay if I go let Daniel take some photos? He wants me to pose with a surfboard.’
Claire spun round, her happiness making everyone, even Daniel, smile. ‘I’m going to get changed. See you on the beach in five minutes, okay?’
She left them to it and went round the back of the café where Jake had recently installed some changing facilities, and a couple of showers, as well as updating the toilets. Wriggling into her full-body wetsuit, she left the back-zipper dangling and went to collect a board from the hire ones. Choosing one according to her height, she tucked it under her arm and jogged down the wooden ramp, over the soft sand and across to the surfers’ section of beach.
Jake must have been quick. He was already on the beach, wearing a shorty wetsuit, his hair blowing back in the wind. His board was on the sand, and he was fooling around, striking the silliest of poses and wobbling as Daniel patiently tried to get him to lean forwards or backwards and look natural.
‘Oh enough!’ Claire strode over to them, frowning, and slapped at her brother’s arm. ‘Enough!’ Casting a look of apology at Daniel, she shook her head. ‘Wipe your memory card now. This idiot is wasting your time!’
Daniel was laughing. ‘I’d wondered. It’s clear he’s clowning around. Does he even know what to do with a surf board?’
Where had the gloomy man who had arrived at the hotel a week ago gone? Surely that man, the one who kissed her then snarled at her, would dislike her brother’s idiocy? But Daniel was amused and seemed more sunshine than storm cloud.
Her heart thumped in her chest as he leaned forwards to say something to Jake. He was a changed man when he let go of his misery. Someone she’d very much like to know better.
‘Which would be best for you?’ Claire asked, stepping over to him and laying her hand on his arm, strong and muscled under the thin sweatshirt. ‘Jake on his board here, or Jake surfing?’
Daniel froze, then slowly looked down at her hand and back up, his grey eyes meeting hers in bewilderment. By touching him, she’d breached his armour. And this was the second time she’d done it. Hesitating, she left her hand there just a moment longer before slowly withdrawing it.
Oddly, it felt more significant than the kiss they’d exchanged.
‘What? Surfing out there? Jake can’t…’ His voice trailed off as he looked between brother and sister. ‘Have you two been winding me up?’
‘Not Claire,’ Jake said promptly. ‘It’s me, and I’m sorry. But when you asked me yesterday if I could pose, and you said on a board on the sand, I couldn’t resist.’
Claire almost growled at her brother as she picked up his board and thrust it at him. ‘Go away. Stop messing Daniel around. Let him take his surfer photos, okay?’
Jake took the board and, still grinning, patted Claire soothingly on the shoulder. ‘Yes, miss.’
‘Put your camera on its multi-shot setting,’ she advised Daniel. ‘Take off your trainers and come see.’
He abandoned his trainers and rolled up the legs of his jeans, then she led him down to where the foam crept onto the beach, dragging with it pieces of seaweed torn loose by the storm out at sea.
He fiddled with his menu settings, looked up at the sky and fiddled some more. ‘I hope this is going to be worth my time? I would’ve been more than happy to take his photo on the beach if he’d stood still. It’s easy enough to take photos of any surfer and superimpose Jake’s face and body. Anyway, where the hell has he got to?’
Shading her eyes, Claire stood on tiptoe and watched the heaving swells further out before flinging out an arm and pointing. ‘He’s just taking a wave and standing. Look—can you see him?’
It was a pleasure to watch Daniel’s initial scepticism turn to open-mouthed awe. He stood, without even lifting his camera, as he watched her kid brother in his graceful twists, turning the board effortlessly to take full advantage of the water with a twitch of his hips or flex of his knees. She smiled at his gasp when Jake flipped over in a somersault.
‘He really was winding me up, wasn’t he?’ His voice was accusing, but he was grinning when he turned to her.
‘Bad habit he’s got, winding people up. Next time he makes a run, get your photos. The conditions are pretty good for summer. We can go days with no real surf.’
An hour later, both Bradstocks had finished their surfing, and walked up the beach with Daniel, who was enthusing about the painting he intended to do. Watching him as he talked animatedly with Jake, Claire felt herself melt completely, and her body reacted as she occasionally bumped a shoulder against his, when the wind caught her board and made her stagger a little. Always attractive, now he dazzled with his animated face and hand gestures.
Another gust caught her, and this time he reached out to steady her, his hand firm on her upper arm.
‘You okay?’
‘Hard walking with the board.’
‘Would you like me to take it?’
‘No, all’s good. We’re nearly back. I’ll drop it off in the rack and get changed.’ Claire was looking forward to lunch with this new Daniel very much indeed.
Leaving Jake and Daniel chatting, she slotted her board into the rack, and when she turned back, she was amused to see a lady trying to open her boot and juggle a toddler, a baby, and a pram. Jake had been designated to fold the pushchair, which Claire thought would be a useful learning curve in view of his impending fatherhood. Then the lady turned to Daniel and said something with a grin.
It puzzled Claire to see Daniel step hastily back, his hands lifting, palms out. The classic “not me” gesture. Moving closer, Claire heard the lady speak.
‘Look, your friend is doing a great job with the buggy. Just hold Sam for me a moment while I open the boot, okay? I promise you he doesn’t bite. No teeth, see?’ She let out a peal of laughter.
Daniel looked distraught and Claire was aware Jake was watching him, concern on his face as he grappled with the buggy, now half-folded. She would have offered to take the baby herself, but she was dripping salty water, wearing a cold wetsuit. Daniel, at least, was in dry clothes. About to move forwards, she halted as Daniel reluctantly nodded and allowed the tiny child to be placed in his arms. Still watching, she noticed his face change from agony to wonder, then she saw the moment his smile broke out as he bent his head closer to the baby. A small frown crossed her face. Why had he been so reluctant? Why, more to the point, had Jake looked concerned? Was it simply both were afraid to comply with the request made by the lady because of sheer lack of experience? Or was it something more?