The South West Series Box Set

by Rebecca Paulinyi

  Good :)

  ***

  She saw him looking out of the window as she pulled up outside his perfectly ordered house. She smiled and lifted a hand to wave as she turned the engine off and pushed her sunglasses to sit on top of her head. The September sunshine streamed through the windows and she was ecstatic that the weather had lasted past the August bank holiday weekend. It would have been too expensive and too busy to follow her plans that weekend and so she had hoped that once the kids were back in school, and the holidaymakers had gone home, that the weather would still be nice enough for the weekend trip. She was not disappointed.

  She got out of the car but it wasn't really necessary; he was ready and exiting the door before she even reached it. With a small blue holdall in one hand and his own sunglasses in another, he lent over to give her a brief kiss that, as usual, left her wanting more.

  “Morning,” he said and she smiled.

  “Good morning. Ready for an adventure?”

  “I'm slightly nervous, if truth be told,” he said, although the sparkle in his eyes suggested his words were a lie.

  “It's my turn to be mysterious,” Beth said with a laugh, “and your turn to wonder. Come on, we've got a bit of a drive.” She watched as he bent his tall frame into her small car and then jumped in the driver's seat herself.

  “Coffee?” she asked, gesturing to two takeaway cups in the cup holders at the front of the car.

  “Very organised - thank you.” He took a sip.

  “No need to sound so surprised - just because I'm spontaneous doesn't mean I can't be organised.”

  “I never said that! Those words are all yours.” In truth, it had been a rather last-minute decision; as she left through the fish and chip shop, she'd noticed the takeaway cups on the side and grabbed a couple before running back upstairs to make herself a cup of tea and Cas a coffee for the journey. It was a two-hour drive and she didn't want to stop - that would only take away from the time they would have on their little trip.

  “So, any hints about where we’re going?” he asked, one hand on the handle above the door. Beth smiled slightly; she might have guessed he would be a nervous passenger.

  “No hints,” she said, “Other than the one I sent last night.”

  “Ah, yes.” Caspian grinned! I've got my swimming trunks as instructed - but the real question is, have you got your bikini? I seem to remember you not needing one…”

  Beth tapped Caspian lightly on the knee and laughed. “No more information. You'll just have to wait and see - and try to relax, will you, my driving is not that bad - I promise!”

  Caspian looked a little sheepish and let go of the handle. “I like being in control,” he admitted with a shrug.

  “I know that - but it's good to let go sometimes. Trust me!”

  “I do,” he said, and his words were laced with sincerity. He tried to relax as they set off down the A38. “Well, there's not much this way other than Cornwall - so is that a good guess?”

  Beth nodded. “Well I can't deny geography gives something away - yes, Cornwall is our destination, but it's a pretty big county and that's the last information I'm giving!”

  Caspian laughed, a light-hearted sound that made Beth’s lips turn to an even wider smile. It had been a while since she had seen the grumpy, aloof Caspian she had met on the beach. He seemed to be enjoying himself every time they met - and she felt exactly the same way.

  “Your mum didn't mind me whisking away for the weekend, then?” she asked.

  “You make me sound like a teenager who has to get permission!”

  “You know what I mean,” she said.

  “No she didn't - I did promise that you’d have me back for lunch on Sunday though, like you said!” He paused. “She was a bit surprised though, I think.”

  “Surprised that you’re going away for the weekend with someone you've only known a few weeks? Maybe she thinks I'm going to kidnap you.”

  He laughed once more. “I don’t think it’s kidnap she’s worried about - although she's very intrigued about who you are.” Beth blushed, secretly pleased he’d been talking about her to his mum. “No, just surprised because it is rather out of character for me - as I'm sure you have guessed.”

  “My mum on the other hand wouldn't be at all surprised if I told her about our plans,” Beth said with a sigh. “I'm not sure she’d think it was responsible, but she wouldn't be surprised!”

  “Mothers love me,” he said, with an air of arrogance that made Beth giggle.

  “I bet they do.”

  “Seriously - ten minutes with me and I bet she’d think you whisking me off to god-knows-where is a fantastic idea!”

  “Oh you certainly think a lot of yourself, don’t you! Within ten minutes of meeting my sister’s fiancé for the first time, I think she’d learnt that Lee was expecting - so I think you’d be winning for first impressions.” She indicated at the roundabout, then realised how her words might have sounded and tried hard to take them back. “Not that I’m suggesting, or saying-”

  “Relax, Beth,” Caspian said in his chocolaty deep voice. “I’m not taking it as a proposal.”

  Beth laughed to cover her embarrassment. Here was a guy she’d been on a few dates with - and yes, thought about a lot, and yes, slept with on a couple of occasions - and she was letting her mouth ramble on without any sort of screening process.

  And she couldn’t even blame it on alcohol.

  ***

  It was just gone eleven when they pulled up outside the little cottage overlooking Fistral beach in Newquay. The view took Beth’s breath away, which she was extremely pleased about - it had taken a decent chunk of her limited finances to pay for a night here, even out of the season. She was glad to see it looked worth every penny.

  “Newquay,” Caspian said with a smile. “I haven’t been here since I was a little boy.”

  Beth grinned. “Good surprise?”

  “Great surprise.”

  Caspian grabbed both their bags while Beth went to find the key safe she had been told would be by the side of the house. Sure enough, there it was, partially obscured by ivy, and she let them into the cute little one-bedroom.

  It was simply decorated with a nautical theme clearly in mind; a blue sofa and a television were in the living room, with white walls dotted with seascapes. An open plan kitchen was off to one side, with a breakfast bar and two stools. Beth ran her fingers across the cool marble of the counter top where a welcome note and a cake had been left.

  It was the garden, though, that had really made her decide to part with her hard-earned money for their night away. It was only small, with a neatly manicured lawn and a sprawling rose bush, but its views over the beach and sparkling ocean were breathtaking - and to top it all off, there was a hot tub situated in the perfect spot to enjoy those views.

  “Wow,” Caspian said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “A pretty incredible - what is it, third date?”

  She laughed. Somehow it was only their third date. “Well, I do like to win.”

  “I thought you liked our train ride?” Caspian said.

  Beth turned around in the circle of his arms to face him. “It was perfect,” she said. “Which is why I wanted to plan something incredible, too.” She bit her lip, suddenly feeling a little unsure.

  “Is it too much?” she asked. “Going to scare you away?” She was only half joking, although she tried to sound flippant.

  Caspian lifted one hand from her waist and placed it on the side of her head, fixing her with a piercing stare that sent her heart fluttering and her skin tingling.

  “Definitely not scaring me away,” he said, with an intensity that made her shiver. He leant down until his lips brushed hers, holding them there for a fraction of a second as she pressed her body against his.

  “If we start kissing, I can’t promise we’ll make it out of the house,” he murmured. “And as you’ve driven us all the way down here…”

  Beth sighed, and
then placed a hand on his chest, lightly pushing him away.

  “You’re right - as usual,” she said.

  “You know me so well already,” he said with a slight smirk.

  In her head, Beth disagreed - he still seemed such a mystery to her in so many ways. But she said nothing, and instead looked at her watch; “Grab your trunks - we’ve got somewhere to be in less than twenty minutes.”

  ***

  “I am exhausted,” said Beth, lying on the beach in her black bikini, wringing water out of her hair. Caspian lay next to her, his body flecked with droplets of water, his tanned skin seeming to glow in the bright sunlight.

  “Me too,” he said with a grin, but Beth certainly felt that he didn’t look quite as worn out as she did.

  “If I’d known you were going to be so much better at surfing than me, I’m not sure I would have booked the lesson!” She laughed; “You’ve really never done it before?”

  He shook his head, sending a few errant droplets flying in Beth’s direction. “No, but I loved it. What a thrill! Amazing plan, Elizabeth.”

  Beth didn’t even pause to cringe at the name. “Maybe for those of us who didn’t spend most of the time under the water…”

  Caspian ran a hand along her thigh, causing the flesh to prickle, despite Beth being anything but cold. “You stayed up at the end!”

  “For about a minute,” Beth said, but her eyes were bright and sparkling, and she felt exhilarated.

  Caspian rolled over onto his front and threw an arm across her waist. “Thanks, Beth - I’ve had an amazing morning.”

  She grinned broadly, trailing her fingers across his arm. It was so new to be able to touch him whenever she wanted, to feel the electricity when her skin brushed against his… “Well, for a man who is named for a sea and swims in the sea every night, I figured it was a pretty safe bet. And our weekend’s only just beginning…”

  He kissed her lazily, feeling more calm and free than he had felt in years.

  Beth felt like she could stay there forever, the warm sand sticking to her back, her salty skin pressed so deliciously against his…

  If she weren’t so hungry,

  “Lunch?” Caspian asked, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he had heard her stomach rumble.

  “An excellent plan!”

  ***

  After fresh crab sandwiches, which they ate sat outside the little café overlooking the water, Beth dragged Caspian to an ice cream van.

  “Come on, you’re on holiday. You can have ice cream with me, Mr Healthy!”

  “Hmmm,” he said, pretending to deliberate. “I guess the surfing was exercise…”

  “Most definitely. And you can exercise more later…”

  Caspian raised his eyebrows with a cheeky grin. Beth laughed so loudly the children in front turned to look at her, and she shoved Caspian out of the line. “I meant a night time swim, if you want to!”

  “Sure you did.”

  “You’ve got a filthy mind,” she said quietly, to avoid the censure of the parents in front. Caspian was saved from responding by the man in the truck asking for their order.

  They wandered across the sand with an ice cream each, weaving in and out of the various groups sat on towels, rugs and folding chairs on the busy beach. When Cas took his free hand and entwined his fingers with hers, Beth smiled and lost track of what they had been saying.

  They walked like that for a while, enjoying their ice creams, the sound of the waves and the feel of their hands wrapped together. Beth had kept the wet bikini on under her dress, but the sunshine had quickly dried it out and she felt comfortable in the late summer heat.

  “So,” Caspian said, as they reached a wall and decided to lean against it. “Is this a standard Beth Davis move then? Third date and a trip away?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Beth glanced at him, struggling a little to read his tone.

  He threw the end of his cornet down the beach, where seagulls hungrily jumped on it, and used his now free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean… is this something that you would normally do? Or is it… different?” He couldn’t seem to get out what he was trying to say. Every word sounded a little like an insult. “Oh, this really isn’t coming out right…”

  Beth hesitated, before posing her own question in return. “Do you plan romantic steam train rides for all the women you take on second dates?”

  Caspian’s smile suddenly seemed shy; she felt like there was a flash of what he might have looked like younger, without the air of mystery that she sensed around him. “I rarely take a woman on a second date,” he admitted. “And when I do, it’s usually a meal at a local restaurant.”

  “Well, I don’t make a habit of going away with men on a third date, no. Is that a problem?”

  Caspian shook his head emphatically. “What I mean is… this feels different, right? For both of us?”

  Beth felt the slightly prickly exterior that she had erected at his questions softening. “I told you that night in the pub,” she said softly. “Fireworks, baby.”

  She felt something buzzing between them as their eyes locked, felt like the beach could have emptied around them and she wouldn’t have noticed. This was certainly different than anything she’d embarked on in a long time - probably ever. She’d never been so excited before to plan a weekend away; never thought so much about what would suit the other person, what would make him smile. It had been a long time since her thoughts had wandered so frequently to a man, and she definitely didn’t feel like this was only a third date.

  “IS there a plan for the rest of the afternoon?” he asked, not taking his eyes off hers.

  “Not until this evening.”

  “I’ve got an idea.” He took her hand and Beth felt in that moment that she was very much in danger of losing her heart to this handsome man.

  She smiled to herself; maybe it was about time she lost her heart. As long as she had his in return.

  Chapter 22

  They found themselves in the centre of town, weaving through groups of people, hand-in-hand. The September sunshine still felt warm as the afternoon carried on, and they window-shopped as they chatted. Caspian pulled her down a side street and placed a kiss on the side of her head, then stopped outside a pink and black building.

  “Aha,” he said. “I thought it was here!”

  Beth looked up at the sign above it: Aurora Books.

  “I remember reading about a little bookshop in Newquay that had been here for years and stocked all sorts of old and rare books,” he said, answering her questioning look. “And here it is!”

  “You just happened to read about a bookshop in Newquay?”

  “I work with a lot of people in publishing, remember - there’s a lot of magazines lying around in offices that talk about this sort of thing! Anyway, I thought you’d like it.”

  She grinned; it was a great idea. As they entered a bell rang and she breathed in the slightly musty smell of old books. The shop was quite dark, with rows and rows of bookshelves and several customers perusing old-looking volumes. A middle-aged woman sat behind the counter, reading a book herself, only seeming to stop if she absolutely had to serve somebody.

  Beth loved it.

  They wandered down a row of shelves, trying to figure out how the books were organised (Beth wasn’t sure they were at all), and pulling out interesting looking tomes. When they spoke it was in hushed voices; the bookshop certainly had the feel of a library.

  “How’s your writing going?” Caspian asked, and Beth was touched he remembered.

  “To be honest,” she said, feeling a little guilty, “I’ve been a bit distracted.”

  “By what?” he asked, although she was fairly sure he knew.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said, stroking her fingers down the faded spine of a copy of Peter Pan. “There’s this handsome man I met swimming in the sea, who takes me on steam train rides and kisses me in empty shop doorways…”

  Caspian
laughed, and earned himself a sharp look from the proprietor. Definitely a library atmosphere. “Sounds terrible.”

  “Oh, it is,” Beth said with a grin.

  “Seriously, though, I wouldn’t want to distract you from your writing. Handsome or not…” He paused. “You seemed so excited about it.”

  “I am,” she said, moving over to the next row of books. “And I am still writing a bit. But you’re right - less time spent in your bed, more time writing.”

  “Well, I didn’t quite say that…” He pulled out an old-looking copy of an Agatha Christie book and passed it to Beth, sure she’d be interested. “But I’d love to read it, once you’re done.”