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Skye strode down the hillside, telling herself she’d taken control of serendipity. She grinned at the contradiction in terms. Far above her, dusk spread a deepening blue across the vast sky.
She was close to Marine Parade, when someone rose from a park bench in a small ornamental alcove just off the pavement, stepping in front of her. At first, all she made out against the glare was a guy’s silhouette. Without pausing, she directed her footsteps around him. When he altered his steps too, there was an awkward moment, with each of them stepping the same way. But when she shielded her eyes against the dazzle of sunset, she recognised the amused smile and the deliberate game. Liam Noble.
She hadn’t seen him since the café opening and the weird, intense sort-of-waltz they’d shared that had seemed more like an interrogation.
“Shall we dance?” Liam chuckled. It seemed he hadn’t forgotten either.
But his smile was friendly, and she smiled too as she sidestepped him at last. “Not today,” she said lightly over her shoulder. Never, actually. He was charming and all, but...there was just something about him. To her discomfort, he fell into step beside her.
“On a mission? Want some company?” he offered.
A stab of irritation wiped her smile away. “No. Just getting some air.”
“Did Morgan tell you? I called in to say ‘hi’ to her and Rowena earlier today. Sounds like their café’s going great.”
“Yeah, it is,” she said shortly, a ‘no thanks to you Nobles’ in her tone. At Liam’s silence, her conscience prodded her. Had she been rude? She darted a glance at him, and he raised ironic eyebrows.
“Skye – you really want to go there? The sins of the fathers? If it’s mine against yours... What a pair.” She bristled, a defensive retort springing up, but he drolly continued, “So what would that book title be like? ‘Mean Dad, Crazy Dad’?” He grinned, amused at his own joke, and she smiled wryly. He had a point. And he was sure hard to stay sour around. She could almost see why Morgan had fallen for him. Almost. But there really was something about him... Her smile faded.
“Are you heading for the cafe? Quite a team they’re building there.” he changed the subject. “Shall I come with? I was there earlier today, but I’d be happy to see everyone again.” He watched her closely
Did she imagine a slight emphasis? “‘Everyone’?”
“Yeah – everyone.”
Somehow, she knew exactly which team member Liam was interested in. The memory of Hunter’s hand pressed against his chest rose again. Was he like her, trying to hold himself together? If anyone needed answers about him, it was her. Not Liam Noble.
“I recognised Annie from The Towers,” he continued, “she couldn’t get away from us fast enough I guess.” There was a hardness beneath his easy tone. “I saw her at the opening too. I didn’t know the new guy though.” He waited, expectant. “Hunter. Interesting chap. Friend of yours,” he pressed, “That’s how he got the job, right?”
“He’s not a – a friend of mine.” It took effort to say.
“No? I heard you were, like, close.”
Heard where? She met Liam’s eyes again, noting their intensity. “I’ve only just met him,” she insisted, unsure why it even mattered to Liam, but certain that it did. As he held her gaze, she genuinely wished she could tell him something. He wanted to know about Hunter. What could she tell him? She knew precisely nothing. She shrugged apologetically.
“You really don’t know him?” he frowned a little, stopping. She stopped too.
Under his scrutiny, she had the strangest feeling of...she couldn’t quite place it. But it was almost like she was being, what – led? His interest was...probing. Persuasive. Something inside her stirred, resisting the strange sensation, and her annoyance surged. Her certainty that Liam wasn’t someone she would ever share information with returned. Including information about Hunter. Especially not about Hunter. “Look, Liam – what is it to you, anyway? Why all the interest in him?”
He looked disconcerted. “No reason. Just, you know, small town. Insignificant events are big news. For example, strangers appearing from nowhere.”
Skye wasn’t impressed. “Well, I don’t appreciate the third degree, or the gossip. Aren’t you the one that looks down on the small minds of small towns?”
He seemed to recover his good humour, and smiled, “Whoa, easy Skye! Only making conversation. I heard you were a couple. Can’t blame me for scouting out the competition, right?”
His flirtatious expression was charming. Once again she felt a sense she couldn’t quite put her finger on, like a slight pressure against her emotions. But her annoyance didn’t shift. “Tip? If you’ve got questions about anyone, ask them,” she said curtly, and stalked away, hoping he would take the hint.
He seemed to, as she turned onto Marine Parade alone. Had that been odd, or was it just her? She felt uneasy. Feigning interest in the shops, she turned on the spot, casually looking every which way, around, and up and down the street. The village was much quieter now with the tourist season over, but she still took her time, making sure that for whatever inexplicable reason he might want to, Liam hadn’t lingered to watch her.
Whatever drew her on led towards the sea. And if the pull she followed led her to where...to who she thought it would, she didn’t want Liam seeing where she went. Satisfied she was unobserved, once again she let the tug of need pull her towards the ocean. She crossed the road and descended the stone steps onto Bascath Beach.
