Stranger at the beach house (13 page)

Chapter 13

 
The voice called out again and this time I
recognised it immediately as Sam shot up, adjusting his trousers in an attempt
to disguise his hard on, rolling his eyes as he left the room and strode
towards the kitchen. The door was open and I could hear the conversation unfold
as I desperately tried to right my ruffled appearance. How had he managed to
look so perfect, so unaffected after that when my crinkled clothes and swollen
lips would definitely give me away. As for the hair, it wouldn’t have looked
out of place on a scarecrow I thought, trying desperately to get it under
control.

 
“Hi Mate. I didn’t expect you until later,”
Sam said jovially.

 
“I came down last night and went to see
Charlie in York and called in on Joe this morning. I wanted to get here early
to spend a bit of time with Rose to make sure she’s OK being in the house
without Alice.” I couldn’t help but smile. Bless Harry. That was so sweet of
him.

 
“How is she, Sam?” he asked as I screwed up my
face, realising that I couldn’t get out of this predicament.

 
“You can ask her yourself,” Sam laughed as I
padded sheepishly out of the bedroom, looking only slightly less dishevelled
despite my best efforts and joined them in the kitchen.

Harry’s
eyebrows shot up in surprise as he grinned
at me, pulling me into a hug. “Sorry, I didn’t realise I’d interrupted
something,” he whispered in my ear as my cheeks blazed red.

 
“How are you?” he asked eventually, unable to
wipe the broad smirk that was spread across his face as he glanced between the
two of us.

 
“I’m good thanks, Harry, really good,” I
smiled, moving across to Sam who tucked me protectively under his arm, kissing
the top of my head.
Harry’s
grin was fixed. As
mortifying as the whole thing was, I couldn’t fail to see the funny side.

 
“When I asked you to look after her, Sam, this
is not quite what I meant,” he laughed as Sam threw him a steely glare.

 
“Stop it, Harry,” I giggled, snuggling closer
into Sam.

 
“I’m sorry, Babe, I’m only teasing. I’m really
happy for you both, although I’m not sure I’m looking forward to being the
third wheel tonight. What is it, Sam? Takeaway and an action film or have we
moved onto chick flicks now?” he laughed as Sam flashed a smile at his friend
and turned to me.

 
“Do you want to tell him the plans or shall
I?” he said as Harry looked at me puzzled.

“We’re going out, Harry,” I
beamed, as his jaw dropped open in utter disbelief.

“Christ, what has she done to
you?” he grinned at Sam.

“Dave and Lizzie are up, we’re
going for a Chinese and then into town. Joy’s coming too,” I added quickly,
studying his face for a reaction which satisfyingly seemed to be one of pure
delight.

“Whatever you’ve done, Rose, keep
it up, this is a fantastic breakthrough,” he laughed as Sam rolled his eyes in
good humour.

 
“I’m not sure I did anything, Harry. Sam
volunteered to come out,” I gushed excitedly, still hardly able to believe it
myself.

 
“I thought her friends might want to assess
the new boyfriend,” Sam smiled, kissing me and walking to the coffee machine.

 
“Boyfriend?”
Harry
mouthed mutely, wide eyed as Sam turned his back on us, bringing the hissing
machine to life. I could only shrug as a huge beam split my face and I caught
his reflection in the one way glass. He winked and his smile was as broad as my
own and my heart somersaulted in my chest.

“Why don’t you go into the
lounge.
It looks like you both need to sit down. I’ll bring
the coffee through,” Sam laughed. I beamed at Harry, motioning him through to
the room. Thankfully he took the hint as I walked over to Sam, putting my arms
around his waist and holding him from behind.

 
“Did you mean that?” I whispered, unable to
disguise my delight as he turned around looking slightly bewildered.

 
“Mean what?” he said as my face fell. “Oh you
mean the boyfriend thing,” he laughed, picking me up to kiss me with beautiful
soft lips. “Yes, Sweetheart,” he whispered against my mouth. “I can’t wait to
get you alone to seal the deal. I’m not sure how long I can hold this,” he
groaned, moving my hand to the swelling in his jeans as I laughed heartily.

“Fuck, Rose, this is news,” Harry
laughed as I joined him on the sofa. “I can’t remember him ever having a
girlfriend,” he said, drawing out the word as I stared in complete disbelief.

“Oh come on, Harry, he must have
had hundreds,” I gasped. There was no way a man that gorgeous had never had a
girlfriend.

“Women, yes.
Girlfriends, no,” he deliberated as Sam
joined us with the coffee.

 
“Talking about me by any chance,” he smirked
at his friend.

 
“Yes, Sam, I was just saying I can’t remember
you ever having a girlfriend before,” he grinned, only to be met with another
of the irksome glares that Sam seemed to reserve particularly for Harry.

Harry as usual ignored it,
laughing at him and pouring milk into his boiling coffee. “So apart from
snaring Britain’s third most eligible bachelor, what else have you been up to,
Rose?” he grinned as I frowned at him.

 
“If he’s number three the first two must be
pretty special. I’d like to know who they are,” I giggled.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know,
Rose. It’s the two
Harry’s
. The Prince comes first by
a hairs breadth and that’s only because of the Royal title, then it’s me, then
it’s him,” and I laughed, looking at Sam who simply rolled his eyes and shook
his head. “You might want to tell your friend Joy what a catch I am,” he
laughed as I smacked his arm playfully.

 
“You can tell her yourself, tonight,” I
giggled. This would be interesting.

 
“So what have you been up to then, apart from
the obvious?” Harry asked and my cheeks flared again as Sam raised his
eyebrows, licking his lips and very possibly having the same flurry of
flashbacks as me.

 
“Alice left some of my mother’s things with
Sam. There are some newspaper cuttings and letters from my father. There isn’t
a lot of information in there but it may just be possible that I can trace
him,” I said.

 
“Really, Rose?” Harry looked surprised. I had
spoken to him about it when we were teenagers, but never since, and he
obviously thought that door had closed as firmly as I had.

“Are you sure you want to go down
that road, Babe. What if you can’t find him or what if you do and don’t like
what you find? Do you think you’re ready for that?” he asked.

 
I nodded slowly, taking a drink of the rich
coffee. God that machine was good. “The letters touched my heart, Harry. My father
clearly loved my mother. His family didn’t agree with the relationship and they
sent him away, but he was prepared to give up everything to be with her. She
fled London when she found out she was pregnant with me. He didn’t know
anything about me. I am worried that it will be a massive shock after almost 30
years, but I think he deserves to know my mother loved him and wanted him too.
I’ve thought about it a lot and if he doesn’t want to know me, as hard as that
rejection may be, he still deserves to know the truth. It just feels like the
right thing to do,” I explained, smiling at him.

 
Harry looked at Sam, his face etched with concern. “What do you think
Sam?” he asked.

 
“I think it’s a brave decision, but I agree
with her. I think she’s right to try,” he said and Harry relaxed. He obviously
trusted Sam, respected him and believed that he would do the right thing by me.
With so many things still a mystery, this thought was comforting.

“Good luck with the search then.
Where will you start?” he smiled gently.

 
“I’ve got a few contacts,” said Sam glancing
at Harry who smiled knowingly “and then we’ll take it from there”.

“I can’t wait to see Lizzie.
How’s she getting on?” Harry asked and I laughed.

 
“She’s gone freelance. She wouldn’t tell me
the details over the phone but she’s left Bowman and Salisbury. She’s promised
to fill us in tonight,” I said, as Harry looked over at Sam, raising his
eyebrows. I wasn’t sure what that little exchange was all about.

“Why did she leave?” he smiled
and I wondered if Sam had told him about my unexpected visit from my ex.

“Daniel Bowman mainly I think,” I
sighed as the two exchanged another wry glance.

“Joy’s doing well,” I chirped
quickly, trying to steer away from the subject of Daniel and immediately I had
Harry’s
attention.
 

“What’s she up to now?” he asked
quickly.

 
“She’s still at the estate agency, saving up
to buy her dream apartment and still as funny as ever,” I replied as
Harry’s
eyes twinkled.

 
“I saw her in town a few weeks ago, she was
quizzing me about you, Sam,” he laughed, looking across at his friend. “She’ll
be happy she’s finally getting to meet the mystery neighbour. She was like a
dog with a bloody bone. Got really shitty with me when I wouldn’t tell her
anything,” he laughed.

 
“Has she still split from Jon?” Harry asked
and his voice was hopeful.

 
“Yes, Harry and there’s no one else on the
scene right now if you know anyone who may be interested in that information,”
I said, smiling as he smirked, looking over to Sam. He had clearly shared his
feelings with his friend and I was looking forward to tonight more than ever.

Dart was pacing by the door,
desperate to get out and I could do with the air. “I’ll take Dart down to the
beach and let you two have a proper catch up,” I smiled as my phone beeped and
I couldn’t stifle my laughter as I read the text, opened mouthed.

Due to my recent drought I have decided to pull out all the stops
tonight. Harry is not going to know what hit him. This outfit will blow him
away and by the time I’m finished I hope that isn’t all that’s getting
blown
 
x

Within seconds I had received a second.

If this doesn’t work I am becoming a nun.

“Who’s it from?” asked Sam,
watching me carefully.

 
“Joy,” I grinned, glancing at Harry.

“What did she say?” he asked
smiling.

 
“Girl talk,” I giggled, raising my eyebrows
and pulling on my coat.

 
“Come on, you’ve got to tell us, Sweetheart,”
smiled Sam, jumping up to kiss me as I put the phone firmly in my pocket.

 
“It’s a secret boy’s. I’ll tell you as soon as
I can, but right now it’s for your own good that you don’t know”. It had not
gone unnoticed that I’d turned Sam’s words right back on him as he raised his
eyebrows glaring at me. “Come on, boy,” I shouted to Dart, flouncing out of the
patio doors, highly amused and very proud of myself as they both stared after
me.

Pulling my phone of my pocket as soon as I was out of sight,
I sent Joy a quick text.

Something tells me you won’t be off to the nunnery anytime soon x

It pinged almost immediately

I miss you Rosebud, I can’t stop thinking about you x

What the fuck? I didn’t know the
number but I knew who it was from. I had deleted it from my phone weeks ago to
stop myself drunk dialling as I tried to wean him from my system. What the hell
was he playing at? I’d made it clear that there was no way back and
friends was
all he could hope for. Sitting on a rocky
outcrop, throwing the ball for an eager Dart, I read the message again, unsure
whether or not to respond. What would I say if I did?

Doing nothing was my best course
of action I decided eventually and put the phone back in my pocket. The text
had left me with an uneasy feeling as I walked down the expansive beach,
zigzagging across the sands to the salty surf; chasing Dart and engaging him in
vigorous games of throw and catch in an effort to shake it.

We continued over the
brigg
, stretching a mile into the bay, a long low headland
of uneven rocks, reaching up above the waves. Dart nervously explored the small
pools of crabs and sea creatures left by high tide. I could barely see the
house from here I realised as I made my way back to the safety of the shore. I
had already been gone too long and was still deliberating about whether to tell
Sam about the text.

I wasn’t sure how he’d react,
although I’d had a clue when he punched the wall at his unsolicited visit, and
no doubt Lizzie would mention him when running me through the much anticipated
details of her escape. According to Harry this was the first time Sam had been
out, and the last thing I wanted was the evening to be dominated by talk of
Daniel Bowman. For the second time in as many hours I decided my best course of
action was to do nothing.

Harry was alone in the room when
I walked back in. “Thank God you’re here. I thought Sam was going to call air sea
rescue. He’s been going bloody frantic, Rose,” he laughed as Sam strode into
the room glaring at me.

 
“It’s been almost two hours, Rose. Where have
you been?” he said gently, his face softening as he cupped mine.

 
“Just to the
brigg
,
I lost track of time,” I smiled as Dart flopped exhausted in front of the fire
and my phone beeped in my pocket. The colour drained from my face and I prayed
it wasn’t Daniel. I couldn’t risk Sam seeing it. I was certain that I didn’t
want to pour any more petrol on the Bowman/Lawrence situation.