Page 10 of The Wedding Proposal
Lucas cut into his own discourse. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m clearing my half of the fridge.’ Turning her back to him, she searched out a pack of antibacterial wipes from one of her carrier bags and set about the top shelf, half of the middle shelf and half of the door compartment, before stowing away her perishables and some of the bottles of water Davie had hauled from the shop.
Then she began opening cupboard doors and drawers. Apart from a drawer of cutlery and a cupboard containing matching plates, bowls, mugs and glasses, most were empty of anything but dust. She chose two to wipe before stowing the rest of her shopping.
Job done, she went back up to the saloon and took a seat next to Davie listening quietly as Loz continued to interrogate Lucas. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye once or twice but Loz was demanding most of his attention.
‘Are you here for a holiday?’ Loz twiddled the ends of her pale brown hair as she hung on his answers.
Lucas shook his head. ‘No, I’m working here for a few months.’
Loz brightened. ‘You’re not a skipper, are you? Because we sometimes hire a skipper to take us out. We can sail the Seadancer but it’s a lot of hard work, so we often get someone.’
‘I’m a divemaster at a scuba school,’ said Lucas.
Elle found herself turning to look at him in surprise. In all the exultation, swiftly turned to panic and disappointment, of her arrival, she hadn’t asked what had brought him to Malta. She’d been too taken up with the scale of the disaster of his being there and the threat to her lovely new life plans.
Apart from the facts that Lucas had left his job in events management and headed to California to learn about running a vineyard and be Simon’s business guru, she hadn’t really known what he’d done with his life since he’d stormed out of hers. ‘A diver?’ she questioned. ‘Since when?’
The dark eyes swivelled her way. ‘Since a couple of years ago. I took up scuba recreationally and got hooked.’
Loz jumped back in. ‘There are loads of instructors on the island because the diving’s popular with the tourists. The Med’s not like the Red Sea but it’s pretty good.’
Lucas smiled. ‘I’m a divemaster, rather than an instructor. The divemasters have all the fun while the instructors take all the responsibility.’
Loz giggled. ‘What did you do before diving?’
‘I worked for Simon at his vineyard for a while.’
‘And before that?’ Loz pressed.
Lucas picked up his drink and finished it in long, slow gulps, his Adam’s apple working. Then he looked into the empty glass. ‘Before that doesn’t matter.’
Elle felt herself recoil.
* * *
Loz paused. ‘Oh. OK. Sounds mysterious.’ She waited, but Lucas just smiled enigmatically, because most of his attention was focused on his own words ringing in his head. Caustic. Dismissive. Insulting, too, judging by the way Elle’s smile had vanished like a popped bubble.
He tried to convey with his eyes that he hadn’t meant that to sound quite as shitty as it had, but Elle’s expression reminded him of a cat just before its tail began to lash. She explained to Loz, ‘What Lucas is referring to is that before he went to America, we were together.’
Loz’s eyes widened to saucers. ‘You’re joking.’ She looked from Elle to Lucas and back again. ‘You’re not joking!’
Elle laughed. At least, her face made the right movements for laughter. But Lucas could read her better than that. The hurt in her eyes, the tightness of her fingers on the edge of the seat cushion, the rigidity of her spine. The spine he used to trace with his tongue . . .
She shrugged. ‘It’s a bit of a pain, ending up in the same boat, but it’s happened so we just have to get on with it.’
‘Oh my.’ Loz’s eyes were full of sympathy when they rested on Elle. When they moved to Lucas they became surprised, curious, but devoid of the frank approval she’d been beaming his way until that moment.
Davie was staring at him, too. ‘Probably time we went,’ he said, shortly. ‘Thanks for the drink.’ He drained his glass.
Elle jumped up to let him scoot out of his seat as Loz thanked Lucas politely for his hospitality. They both followed Elle out of the cabin, across the plank and onto the dock.
Lucas leaned forward to watch through the open door as the older couple clustered around Elle.
Loz was smiling uncertainly, touching Elle’s arm sympathetically.
Davie’s hands were on his hips. He frowned, talking rapidly, indicating the Shady Lady with his head. He looked like a protective dad.
