‘Whoa.’
Gabe steadied Sam as she walked down the stairs from the Crow’s Nest.
They emerged into the street that led up to Stippy Stappy Lane. The sky was clear with a few ragged clouds drifting past, playing hide and seek with the moon. It was a perfect summer evening, with the kind of velvet twilight that sometimes lasted all night at this time of year. It brought back memories of kissing Gabe on the beach as the waves gently lapped the shingle.
She stumbled on the cobbles and Gabe steadied her with a hand at her elbow. His fingers were warm on her bare skin. He let go and slowed his pace to match hers as she tottered up the lane. Fresh air hitting her lungs made her a little light-headed but it had been a wonderful evening.
‘Good party,’ said Gabe, echoing her thoughts.
‘Oh, it was. Much more fun than I’d expected, to be honest, but I wish I’d known about Chloe’s family sooner – and her age. My card has forty splashed all over it.’ Sam groaned then giggled. ‘Too late now.’
‘She definitely looks a lot younger,’ said Gabe. ‘But I guess being fifty isn’t her real problem.’
‘I feel so sorry for her to be kept away from her daughter and her baby granddaughter. I know what it’s like to be separated from someone you love. With Ryan, I mean,’ she added hastily, in case Gabe thought she meant him, although she probably did mean him too, by accident.
‘You still miss him a lot,’ Gabe said.
It was a statement as much as a question.
Sam sobered instantly. ‘Of course, I do. Even when I hated him for what he’d done, I missed him. At least I know he’s alive. Or he was a few months ago. I had a birthday card from him, saying not to worry. No contact details though.’
‘I thought Chloe seemed to enjoy herself,’ he said, moving the subject onto safer ground. ‘It seemed to help that she’d told us about her family.’
‘Yeah. I knew there was something not quite right, but she’s good at putting on a front.’
‘So are you.’
‘I’ve had no choice. Zennor needed me. Ryan too in the early days.’
‘I know. Zennor gave me a few looks but I expected that. It can’t have been easy for her to meet me again tonight and I don’t blame her for being pissed off with me for my part in what’s happened to your family.’
Sam had also been worried about Zennor’s reaction at meeting Gabe again but considered things had gone as well as she could expect. ‘It was difficult for her but I asked her to be civil for Chloe’s sake. She worries about me – she needn’t – and she probably hasn’t realised what you and your parents did for us after Mum died, bringing us food and keeping an eye out for her while I worked late. You were a big help until … until it all went wrong with Ryan.’ She stopped talking, realising that she was getting too close to dangerous ground in terms of the past. It had been a lovely evening and she didn’t want to ruin it.
‘I’m—’ Gabe began.
‘Don’t say you’re sorry again.’
‘I was going to say I’m cold,’ said Gabe.
After the warmth of the flat, Sam also shivered. Gabe put his arm around her back but didn’t pull her too close. Sam flinched in surprise, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she left it there, testing herself to see how she might react … was she playing a dangerous game? Did she care? That was the booze talking, she thought dimly, but still didn’t pull away from him.
‘Sam, I wish so much that we could move on from the past,’ he said. ‘At first I thought coming back here was a mistake but lately … We’ve been civil too.’ He smiled and her heart beat faster. ‘More than civil … are we at least on the path to something beyond that?’
His face in the streetlight. Lips parted, eyes intent on her. He held her round the waist.
She nodded. ‘I don’t know but … us continuing to argue, me continuing to blame you. Well, that’s never going to bring Ryan home, is it? Only he can decide he wants to do that.’
Gabe dropped his hands from her waist. The warmth where they’d been evaporated. What had she said to make him let her go? She’d thought it was a major step forward. Crashing disappointment, or was that the booze wearing off?
‘Gabe?’
‘You’re right. Only Ryan can decide.’
‘Wherever he is,’ said Sam, looking out to sea, as if her brother might suddenly materialise from the waves, before refocusing on Gabe’s face, a few inches above hers. ‘I wanted to apologise for snapping at you after you offered to help with the van repairs. I’ve managed my own business for years now and I didn’t – don’t – want you to think for a moment that I’m after you for your money.’
Gabe burst out laughing. ‘After me for my money?’
‘Well, yeah. You know, now you’re kind of – well a bit famous.’
‘Famous?’
‘Yeah. You are and stop laughing at me, you git. It’s true. Lots of people have heard of you and you’re on the telly.’
He wiped tears from his eyes but Sam wasn’t amused. She gave him a little push. ‘It’s not funny!’
He brushed a hand over his face and turned down his mouth in a serious expression that lasted all of a second. ‘I’m sorry, but it feels weird to hear you say that. Or anyone. OK, I have done well, but I’d never think you were after me for my money.’ A cheeky smirk spread over his face and his eyes gleamed wickedly. ‘But you are “after me …”’
Sam groaned. ‘I never said that. I mean, I didn’t mean “after you”, literally.’
He made a little fishing reel motion.
Sam squeaked in indignation. ‘Gabriel Mathias, you are a horrible wind-up merchant and you’ll never change!’
‘Ah but I have changed. That’s the point, but not when it comes to how I feel about you.’ He reached for her hand and pulled her closer. His expression changed into something far from amusement. She’d seen that look before: intense, sexy, full of desire. Desire for her. An electric thrill shot through her from top to toe.
He leaned forward to kiss her. Sam allowed him to support her back with his hand and slide the other under the hair at the nape of her neck. In the moonlight, a shiver of pure lust ran through her and every pore was alive with delicious sensation.
How had this happened? How had she let him get so close? She wasn’t that drunk, she was letting him do this; inviting him … not resisting, wanting the kiss. He moved his hand to her chin and tilted her face upwards. His fingers were warm and every inch of her skin felt as if it was glowing. Every part of her was alive again. She met his mouth with hers. She kissed him and tasted smoky Armagnac.
They weren’t far from the cottage now, and a light popped on in the porch. The door opened and voices cut through the quiet. ‘Nightttt!’
‘Bye!’
It was Ben and Zennor saying goodnight. Ben hadn’t gone home then …
Gabe shook his head and leaned in again, but the moment had passed. The bubble had burst and that was probably just as well. Joking with him, relaxing in his presence, kissing him had felt so enjoyable and natural, she’d forgotten the reasons that had and still kept them apart. The unanswered questions about his betrayal of Ryan: why did he choose to do the ‘right thing’ over his love for Sam?
‘Too soon,’ she murmured, stepping back a little. Gabe said something but it was drowned out by the throaty rev of Ben’s motorbike starting up.
‘OK.’ Gabe caught her hand, raising his voice as Ben roared off down the winding lane. They paused, waiting for the din to fade. ‘Does that mean there will come a time?’
Her pulse skittered. She’d taken a leap forward – or perhaps back – in the past few minutes. She simply couldn’t bring herself to say no. ‘Let’s take it slowly. Get to know each other again first?’ It was a huge cop-out but Gabe’s eyes gleamed with happiness.
‘Take all the time you want,’ he said.
She smiled. ‘I will. Goodnight, Gabe,’ she said as she moved towards the cottage.
‘But hurry up!’ he called after her.
She saw the light in the porch like a beacon of safety. She might be soaring on possibility, but what happened if she came crashing down to earth again? If that happened again, she didn’t think even the festival would save her.