Sunrise at Butterfly Cove

by Sarah Bennett

  He steeled himself not to run towards her and gather her up. He deliberately maintained a casual stance and forced a smile to his face. It scared him a little how much he had missed her and he didn’t want to overwhelm her when she had clearly had a tough time of it.

  An answering smile was his reward, although it wavered a little at the edges. Daniel waited until Mia was almost to the car before he opened his arms and, with a soft sigh, she nestled against his chest. He enfolded her tightly and pressed his lips to the top of her head. They stood like that for a while and Daniel was content to wait and just enjoy the feeling of holding the woman that he loved in his arms.

  When Mia finally stirred, Daniel loosened his arms to let her create a small space between them. He watched her swallow hard and knew it wasn’t the time to press for information, so he just shook his head lightly and steered Mia around to the passenger seat in the car. He stowed her bag on the back seat and curled his long legs into the driver’s seat.

  He reached across and fastened Mia’s seat belt for her. He patted her thigh before starting the car and flicking the radio on low, creating enough background noise that Mia wouldn’t feel any pressure to talk. He drove them home at a leisurely pace, rubbing his hand across her leg occasionally as he changed gear or they paused in the traffic. He kept an eye on her surreptitiously and felt his own tension melt as Mia’s body language gradually relaxed on the short drive home. He had made some plans since receiving the brief text detailing her return train details and was glad now that he’d done so.

  He left Mia to exit the car whilst he gathered her bag. She trotted quietly behind him into the kitchen. Daniel turned to unbutton her coat and pulled off the thin cardigan she was wearing beneath it. He gathered up the huge Aran sweater that was her favourite and tugged it over her head, kissing her nose as she popped out from the enveloping cream wool. He winked at her when she quirked an eyebrow at him and then knelt to relieve her of her shoes before helping her into a thick pair of socks.

  Daniel grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss into the palm before he rose and gently propelled Mia towards her wellington boots, which were perched handily next to the back door. He toed off his own shoes and replaced them with matching boots before shouldering the rucksack and blanket, which were also by the back door. Gathering Mia by the hand, Daniel led her back outside and across the yard and the garden towards the steps to the beach.

  The sky was blue and the few clouds that scudded across it were more white than grey, so Daniel didn’t think they would have to worry about rain for a bit. The wind was brisk and the grey sea was topped with foam as the waves danced and tossed across the dark sand. He kept to the upper reaches of the beach, heading for the perfect spot he had discovered a couple of days previously. There was a stretch of small dunes a few hundred yards down from the house, which would provide just enough shelter.

  Daniel shook out the blanket and sat on the edge to remove his boots. He tapped Mia on the leg and she dutifully lifted each foot in turn so that he could remove her boots before she stepped onto the blanket beside him.

  Daniel scooted to the middle of the blanket and spread his knees wide, patting the soft checked material in front of him. Mia settled down between his legs with a soft sigh, her eyes trained on the roiling sea. He opened the rucksack and pulled out another blanket and a flask of tea, which he poured into a large mug and handed to Mia. He wrapped the spare blanket around his shoulders and scooted forward until Mia’s back was firmly against his chest. He raised his arms to drape them lightly over her shoulders so that she was enclosed in both his embrace and the warmth of the blanket.

  She sighed again and settled back against him, sipping the hot tea, and Daniel knew he’d had the right idea. He turned his head and brushed his lips against her temple. Mia lifted her head to meet his mouth in the softest press.

  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered softly against his lips.

  ‘Take your time,’ he replied softly. ‘There is no rush, no need to make any decisions just yet. Tell me as much or as little as you want about it and only when you are ready. I’m just glad to have you home, with me.’

  ‘Yes,’ she murmured, ‘home with you,’ before turning back to watch the seagulls wheeling and diving into the foaming waves.

  He listened with growing horror as she told him about the episode with her dad, the argument with Neil and the fragile state of her sister’s marriage. ‘Oh, love. You should have told me. I would have helped you.’

  She rested her head on his shoulder. ‘I know, but I didn’t want to get you involved. Not because I don’t trust you or anything, I just needed to hold on to the thought of you waiting here for me.’ He tightened his arms and she snuggled into his side, where she belonged. He was never letting her out of his sight again.

  ‘I got Dad to talk to the GP. I’m not sure he’ll do anything about the grief counselling he was offered, but at least he’s admitted Vivian is beyond his care. We’ve found her a place in a care home close enough for him to visit. One of the things they specialise in is the management of alcohol-induced dementia.’

  ‘And what will you do about Kiki?’

  What would she do about Kiki? That was the toughest question of all. By the time she had dropped Matty at school and Charlie back with her sister, it had been well into the morning. Mia hadn’t answered any of Kiki’s questions about their dad, in the same way that Kiki had refused to answer any of Mia’s about Neil and the consequences of the night before.

  Pale and red-eyed, Kiki had flinched away when Mia hugged her. She’d sat stiffly at the table and Mia could tell that there were bruises that Kiki was hiding under her jumper. She’d begged Kiki to leave Neil, promised her and the children a place to stay at Butterfly Cove. There was plenty of room and she could afford to support them all until Kiki could get her feet under her. They’d had a terrible fight and Mia had left in tears, frustrated that her sister could still feel any loyalty to Neil after all he’d done over the years.

  She’d sent Kiki a text on the way home to apologise and extend again the offer of somewhere to stay. There was no point in saying any more, she just needed to leave that door open and hope that Kiki would walk through it someday soon. She would talk to Pat and Bill—ask them to check in on Kiki when Neil would be at work. She’d give it a couple of days then call her.

  She hadn’t told any of them what had happened with her father. It was still too raw and Mia wasn’t sure what she would do with the information. She couldn’t tell Kiki, and Nee was still out of contact. Did they need to know? It wasn’t a decision that she was ready to make. She was just glad to be home.

  Mia settled closer against Daniel and let the vista before her settle her whirling thoughts. She was so grateful for him in that moment, more so than at any other time in the few short weeks since they had met. Maybe it was too soon to think it, but his actions today had proven he had come into her life for a reason and she would do whatever she could to nurture the shoots of their love.

  Mia held the tea mug up and Daniel took it, draining the contents before he refilled it from the flask and tucked it back between her hands. She turned to look at him over her shoulder and he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. Mia lifted her chin and he took her invitation and pressed another kiss to her lips. Nothing heavy, just sweet and heart-warming, and she sighed in contentment.

  Daniel was right; it wasn’t the time for big decisions. She would just hunker down and focus on the positive things in her life and work on getting the house up to scratch. She would keep communicating with Kiki, but only in the most positive way and just hope that her sister would come to her before it was too late.

  Easter was a few weeks away and Mia had promised a room to Pat and Bill for the long weekend. She wanted to keep them in her life and the only way to do that was to actively demonstrate that she wanted and needed them around. She would invite Madeline and Richard around as well and she was sure that the two older couples would get on like a house on fire.
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  Needing to talk of happier things, she told Daniel about her time with her in-laws, mentioning their impending visit. He didn’t say much but she felt a tension in his body so she twisted around on the blanket to face him properly. There was a crease between his brows and Mia reached out to smooth it with her thumb. ‘They really want to meet you, Daniel. They won’t be making comparisons between you and Jamie, if that is what you’re worried about. They were genuinely relieved to hear I’m starting to move forward with my life and I would like them to remain a part of my future. Our future.’

  Mia felt her face heat as she dropped her gaze to the checked blanket beneath them. She traced the pattern with her finger and pressed on, although her voice was more tentative. ‘That’s if you want there to be an “us”. I certainly want there to be, and I want all the most important people in my life to be friends if possible.’

  Daniel remained silent and Mia chewed her lip, keeping her eyes downcast, her fingers tracing the same part of the blanket pattern repeatedly. Say something, please say something, she repeated over and over in her head as the silence stretched on.

  ‘Look at me, Mia.’

  Although his voice was soft, she shook her head, afraid to see what he was thinking. It was ridiculous really—now that she’d said it, there was no going back. What if he doesn’t want the same thing as me? Oh, God! What if he does? The future with him was a beautiful thing, theoretically. Whilst it was tucked safely in her heart and in her dreams, it was a thing of wonder and possibility.

  Bringing it out into the real world was the problem. The reality would never match the dream. It would be rough and bumpy, ugly in places. As long as she kept it a dream it would be hearts and flowers and rainbows and unicorns and…and she was losing the plot. Dreams were empty; dreams didn’t keep you warm at night, didn’t pay the bills—didn’t do anything.

  She’d spent too long in her head since Jamie died, hiding from the world, and now that she was finally living again there was no way she could turn tail and hide. The future was sitting patiently just a few inches away from her. She just needed to gather her courage and seize it.

  Mia raised her head, glancing up through her lashes until she met Daniel’s eyes. They were sparkling with amusement, and his lip twitched as though he was struggling to keep a serious expression on her face. ‘Mia Sutherland, did you just ask me to marry you?’

  ‘What? No! Um, possibly? No! No! Maybe? Bloody hell, did I? Will you? Should we? No!’ By the end of her stuttering response, Daniel was literally roaring with laughter. He pressed his hand to his side, gasping for air and Mia scowled fiercely at him. His laughter continued until she launched herself at him, knocking him flat on the blanket.

  She leant over him, blocking out the sun so that his face beneath her was cast in shadow. The mirth fled from his green eyes and they darkened perceptibly as his face grew serious, intent. She felt his body stiffen beneath hers where she straddled his hips and she rocked forward into him. Daniel lifted his head from the blanket, intent on capturing her mouth, but Mia maintained the distance between them and held his gaze.

  She rocked again and watched the green deepen further and she knew she was pushing him towards the edge of his restraint. Good. She wanted him off-balance; she wanted him as messed up and emotional and ragged as she felt in that moment. This thing between them, this connection, this love, was consuming her and she was terrified and exultant in equal measures. She needed to know that Daniel was feeling the same way too.

  She pressed her hips down again and Daniel reared up, his abdominal muscles pulling tight as he sat up and captured Mia in his arms. He snatched at her mouth, capturing her bottom lip between his, and he sucked hard before releasing her only long enough to drag her jumper, shirt and vest up in one go and rip them over her head. He bowed Mia back over his arm and sucked hard on her breast through her light cotton bra. Her nipples stiffened instantly. The contrast between his hot tongue and the cool sea air enhanced the erotic pull of his mouth and shot straight to the centre of her body.

  Daniel used the edge of his teeth on her sensitive flesh and Mia cried out, grabbing at a handful of his hair. She didn’t know whether she wanted to pull his mouth away or press him closer as the sensitivity built to an almost unbearable point. She couldn’t control her hips as she rocked repeatedly against him and Daniel pulled away from her breast abruptly with a tortured groan. ‘Christ, Mia, you need to stop that or I am going to go off in my jeans like some unpractised kid.’

  She couldn’t stop her laughter at the edge of desperation in his voice, which made her body shake and Daniel groan, setting off another chain reaction of giggles. He clamped his hands on her hips, lifting her up to break the contact between. The pressure of his grip urged her to stand. Mia let him take control, shivering from a combination of the cold wind and the desire burning through her.

  He stripped her jeans and underwear with urgent fingers, leaving her clad in only her thick socks and bra. Daniel tore open the front of his own jeans and dragged them down his hips before pulling Mia back down to straddle him. They both gasped as their bodies met, and it was only then that Daniel seemed to notice the goose pimples racing up her arms.

  ‘Bloody hell, woman, you are freezing. This is madness,’ he muttered as Mia reached between them, taking him in her hand to guide him where she needed him the most.

  ‘Don’t care, I don’t care,’ Mia said as she rolled her hips and worked him deeper inside. Daniel fumbled beside them until he shook her jumper free from the rest of the tangle of clothes and tugged it back over her head. The scratch of the wool against her nipples was rough and welcome. Bracing his hands on her hips, Daniel held her steady as Mia shoved her arms into the too-long sleeves.

  The thick wool was enough to shield her from the worst of the wind and Mia leant forward, her hands braced on Daniel’s chest as she drove down against him, desperate for friction. His hold tightened as he pushed up to meet her downward motion, and it was good, so good, but not quite what she needed.

  ‘Lean back, Mia,’ he said roughly and she altered her position as instructed, bracing her hands behind her on his thighs. The change gave him better access and Daniel licked his thumb before reaching between her legs to tease the tight bud of nerves at her apex.

  Her eyes rolled back as the sudden burst of stimulation pushed her to the edge and every muscle in her body clenched.

  ‘That’s my girl, that’s my beautiful girl.’ Words of praise spilled from his lips as they drove together, chasing that perfect moment, desperate to find the peak of their pleasure together. He pressed his thumb harder between her thighs and the shock was enough to push her over the top. Mia cried out to the rolling clouds above her as she came. An echoing cry from Daniel and a flood of heat as he filled her brought tears to her eyes and she collapsed forward, boneless, her head buried in the crook of his shoulder.

  Home. She was home at last.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Daniel sat at the kitchen table, his laptop before him as he transferred the latest round of pictures from his camera to his cloud storage. He had continued to document the progress on the house, including a rewarding session with the furniture restorers showing the revival of the beautiful table now gracing the dining room.

  Mr Robinson and his son Jordy had been full of knowledge about the area and were clearly masters of their craft. Daniel had already discussed a couple of feature projects with them for the conversion of the barn into art studios.

  They’d taken a tour of the old workshops next to the barn and Daniel was already well into the planning of the spin-off project to convert them into a gallery. Mia had ducked her head briefly through the door before withdrawing on a laugh and leaving him to it.

  Jordy was proving to be a good sounding board for his ideas and Daniel had it in mind to ask him to consider taking on something of a project management role for the conversion works. He certainly had the local contacts and Daniel was determined that he would use local labo
ur wherever possible. He wanted to be part of the community here, and if the studios and gallery were to be a success then it would do no harm to foster local support early. He hoped that by providing opportunities for the locals during the off season that word of mouth recommendations would then bring the tourists flocking.

  He was getting well ahead of himself again but it didn’t do any harm to lay the groundwork as early as possible. He had every intention of making himself a permanent fixture in the area.

  He turned his attention back to the close detailed shots of the wind-out mechanism for the dining room table. It had been fascinating to watch Mr Robinson bring the piece back to life, and he marked a couple of shots to frame up as gifts to the man for his patience and willingness to share his knowledge with a nosy amateur.

  Daniel dragged a couple of other images into the folder he was building for the album he wanted to present to Mia. Madeline had let slip that it was Mia’s birthday in May, so he had decided he would present it then as one of his gifts to her.

  His phone vibrated on the table and Daniel smiled to see Aaron’s name flash up on the screen. He was waiting on some updated blueprints for the barn and now the weather had picked up, Daniel was hoping that work would be able to get underway after the rapidly approaching Easter holidays.

  He was trying to be cool about meeting Jamie’s parents, but his gut carried a knot of fear that they would find him lacking somehow. He dragged his finger across the screen on his phone to connect to Aaron and flicked the speaker on.

  ‘Aaron, great to hear from you. How are those drawings coming along?’ Daniel continued to click and drag images into the folder on his laptop as he spoke.

  ‘Umm, yeah, they are progressing well. Luke should have the final set with you in the next twenty-four hours. He’s also champing at the bit to get back down to you guys to help with the harem suite. Tell Mia not to do it all without him.’ Daniel laughed. Luke had become obsessed with the little side project sending Mia endless messages and suggestions.