Page 48 of The Secret Beach

He nodded. ‘I always make way too much. Force of habit. Still can’t get used to cooking for one.’

It was only a vague allusion to his status, and he certainly wasn’t self-pitying, but Nikki’s heart went out to him.

‘That’s very kind. Thank you.’

‘I’ll bring them round. Your own personal Deliveroo.’

‘That’ll be a luxury. We don’t have Deliveroo around here.’

He looked shocked. ‘You don’t have Deliveroo?’

‘We do not.’

‘Uber Eats?’

Nikki laughed. ‘Not even Uber.’

Adam blinked in shock. Juno patted him kindly on the arm.

‘Welcome to Speedwell. And don’t worry – you’ll get used to it. Everybody does in the end.’

Good as his word, Adam turned up on the doorstep at seven o’clock with a tray bearing two plump burritos, a bottle of Cholula hot sauce and two salt-rimmed glasses.

‘Virgin Palomas,’ he said. ‘Grapefruit, lime, agave syrup, no tequila. Though I do have some, if you want a shot.’

‘I could get used to this,’ said Nikki. ‘It’s like having my own private chef.’ As she took the tray from him, she saw the glint of a wedding band on his left hand. She hadn’t noticed it there before. Had he put it on as a warning, to keep away any unwelcome overtures from the spinsters, widows and divorcées of Speedwell? ‘You have no idea how grateful we are. We were going to go into town for chips.’

‘No worries. Just drop the things back any time.’ He melted away into the evening before she could ask him in.

Nikki and Juno sat at the garden table she had put in the dining area. Everything looked a bit bleak, lit by a naked light bulb, the walls empty, the floorboards bare. And now the sun had gone it was chilly. But Nikki lit a couple of candles and found the soundtrack from Chef to accompany their feast. It wouldn’t be long before everything was transformed, she told herself. Pink walls perhaps for the eating area, she decided, as she tucked in. A hot, zingy Mexican pink.

The burritos were out of this world – spicy black beans, melted cheese, guacamole, piquant coriander and lime zest stirred through nutty brown rice, all wrapped up in the softest tortillas.

‘Is your neighbour for real?’ asked Juno.

‘He’s very kind, isn’t he?’ Nikki knew she sounded prim.

Juno gave her a hard stare. ‘Very kind,’ she said. She picked up the Cholula bottle meaningfully. ‘And very hot.’

‘Oh,’ said Nikki. ‘Do you think?’

She took a gulp of her Paloma and spluttered.

‘Cough it up,’ said Juno. ‘It might be a gold watch.’

‘Sorry. It’s quite tart. Freshly squeezed, I think.’ She put the glass down. ‘Thank you, for helping me out today.’

‘You’re doing it again.’

‘What?’

‘Changing the subject.’

Nikki sighed. Juno wasn’t going to let it drop.

‘Yes, he’s very attractive,’ she told her. ‘But I’m not interested. Number one, like I told you, he’s widowed. Two, he’s my neighbour. It wouldn’t be appropriate. I don’t want to blur the boundaries. Or be too embarrassed to say hello if it all goes wrong. I have to live next to him, don’t forget.’

‘I guess.’ Juno tried to look convinced. ‘But it’s been a while since Whatshisname.’

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