Page 58 of One Cornish Summer With You
She took a deep breath and murmured to herself: ‘This is for you, Dad.’
Now they came, striding across the beach towards her: all the people she loved and cared about. Davey, Breda, Lola,her friends – and, trailing a little way behind, Ruan. It felt right that he was part of the group.
They started to applaud as they neared, and Tammy’s heart felt so full she was sure it was going to burst and that she’d start sobbing uncontrollably.
Davey reached her first, pointing at something in the centre of her design. ‘You missed a bit!’ he called.
‘What?’ Tammy’s eyes flew to the spot. What had she missed? What had gone wrong?
‘What?’ she demanded again when he reached her. ‘What can you see from above?’
‘He’s joking!’ Breda said. ‘He’s winding you up. Davey, I am going to disown you.’
Davey put his arm around her. ‘I am joking. It’s perfect. Your dad would be proud.’
The tears wouldn’t be stopped now. Tammy cried and Breda handed her a tissue.
‘Now look what you’ve done,’ she chided Davey, although Tammy could see Breda’s own eyes were damp.
‘Don’t say anything else,’ Tammy warned Davey, though she was smiling as she said it.
‘I promise,’ he said.
She wiped her eyes and looked behind to find Ruan standing quietly, apart from them.
Lola stepped forward. ‘Can we take a closer look?’
‘Of course. I should do because it won’t be here forever.’
Lola hugged her and they started to walk around the artwork, accompanied by Hattie and Shefali. Breda and Davey were on the other edge of the design, and when theyreached the far side, closest to the ocean, they linked hands. The sun was sinking lower, the sky turning a deep corn gold as it made its way to the horizon.
Briefly, while her friends took photos of themselves with the design, Tammy was left alone – until she spotted Ruan hanging back a few metres away. He obviously didn’t want to intrude but she beckoned him over with a nod of welcome.
‘It is wonderful,’ he said quietly, as if in awe of her – of the whole experience.
‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘You didn’t need to hang back just then.’
‘I didn’t want to hijack the moment. It’s a time for you and your family and friends.’
‘But you’re part of it too,’ she insisted. ‘You made sure I got here on Friday and helped me. After yesterday …’ She paused, remembering the joyful atmosphere at the party and, later, in her bed. ‘You’re one of us now. If you know what I mean.’
‘Am I?’ he said, as if unsure, and then smiled. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
‘It is.’ She stood on tiptoes to kiss him, feeling the warmth of his lips on hers. Yet the kiss didn’t go on as long as she’d expected or hoped.
Still holding him, and with him holding her, she looked into his eyes and saw that he looked tired.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked.
‘Fine. Just a bit knackered.’
‘Have you been on the water this morning?’
‘No. At the caravan.’
She frowned. ‘In this gorgeous weather? I’d have thought you’d be desperate to get out there.’
‘I did some work,’ he said.
