Page 13 of Toy Boy

“It’s a free country, Josh.”

“Leave her alone, Scott.”

“I just want to talk to her. A few minutes of her time, that’s all I need.”

He stands there, his arms crossed, his face a mask of suspicion, but I haven’t committed any crimes here.

“Why did you have to come back to Beachcastle? I heard you had work in Edinburgh, why couldn’t you have stayed there? Why couldn’t you have stayed in Europe? As far away as possible.”

“I wanted to come home. Andthisis my home. Look, Josh, I don’t want any trouble, I really don’t, and I don’t want to hurt your mother any more than I…”

“Then leave her alone. It’s that easy.”

I’m not going to win this one. And, okay, this has been a bad start, but at least I know where I stand now. I know what I have to do, because I’m not giving up. The second I saw Megan, I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life letting her go.

“Alright.” I hold up my hands and start backing away. There’s not much else I can do here. “I’ll go.”

Josh keeps his gaze firmly fixed on me, making sure I leave. He doesn’t move until I’m driving away, but if he thinks this is the end of it, he’s wrong. Very wrong. I want Megan back. The woman I saved. And I’m not giving up until we’re together again, the way fate intended us to be…

Xander

The guy who stopped her on her way to the café, judging by Megan’s body language, she didn’t want him anywhere near her. Even from back here I could feel her need to get away from him. Interesting. She wasn’t like that with me, in fact, she seems to be more comfortable with me as each far-too-brief meeting goes on, and I’m more than okay with that.

“Hey. You give lessons?”

I look up, and the girl who’s standing on the sand smiling at me, she looks vaguely familiar, but I’m struggling to remember where I’ve seen her before.

“I do. You looking to take up surfing?”

“Maybe.”

I know she wants me to recognise her, to acknowledge who she is, but I really can’t place her.

“I’m Hanna. We met last night, in The Shack?”

Jesus, yes!NowI remember her. And I flash her my widest grin and hope she doesn’t think I’m too much of a dick, I’ve just got a lot on my mind, that’s all. “Sorry, Hanna. I’ve got a really crappy memory sometimes.”

She waves away my apology and moves up onto the decking, where I’m busy cleaning the wax off my board.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You work at the café, right? Megan’s café?”

She nods and crosses her arms over her chest, quickly glancing back over her shoulder at the dog walkers and joggers that are now starting to multiply down on the beach. “Yeah. I’m just on a quick break before we open for breakfast.” She looks at me, cocking her head slightly. “I can go get you something, if you’re hungry? Or you could pop into the café yourself. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

I know what’s happening here, and I can’t let it. I don’t want to mislead her or hurt her or make her think that I might be boyfriend material, when I can’t be that.

“I had something earlier.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Again, just like last night, she can’t hide her disappointment, and I’m beginning to think I really must’ve been sending out mixed messages. Did she pick up on something I said? Did? I could’ve sworn I didn’t say or do anything that might have made her think I was anything other than a friendly new face in town, which is exactly what I am.

“Well, you know, if you fancy a sandwich or something for lunch…” She drops her gaze and reaches into her back pocket for her phone. “I’ll give you my number, and, if you like, I could bring something over for you? Just give me a call.”

Shit! I really don’t want to be rude, I don’t even like seeing the disappointment on her face, but I don’t want to mislead her, either. I really don’t.

“Look, Hanna…”

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