Page 50 of The Castle in the Bay

She dragged her quilt over her and huddled in, trying to restart the daydream she’d had earlier, but even that wouldn’t come. Her messy mind was all over the place, jumping from this to that, never catching the wave, or riding it home, always just missing that one thing she wanted.

Chapter Seventeen

Monty

Monty wandered down to the beach, the warm afternoon sun making him squint; he shaded his eyes, soaking it all in. The deserted island from the previous days seemed a distant memory. People wandered about everywhere, dressed in surf gear or wetsuits, carrying boards, and chatting. Groups had set up camps on the sand with picnic rugs and changing tents.Monty had put on a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt, not quite surf gear, but the closest he had.

He hadn’t seen Iona since their kiss. That kiss.Wow. It kept him awake for hours at night. Something had taken hold of him inside, like a hidden lion clawing to get out. A hungry lion. Was this what Sophie had wanted? Passion? Desire? And why had it found its way to the forefront with Iona? She seemed to invite it, encourage it. She’d told him not to hold back, and he hadn’t – such a freeing and hot-blooded experience. The memory kept playing in his mind. The kiss had stopped too soon, but maybe that was for the best. Should they even have done it at all? Maybe it was a mistake.

He’d never had a fling in his life before.

Tinny music played nearby from someone’s phone and Monty headed for a spot away from the crowd, near the dunes, and settled down. He spread out the rug he’d borrowed from the farm and sat with his bare legs stretched onto the warm sand. Opening his bag, he took out a packet of crisps and a beer, cracking it open with a soft hiss. Some surfers were out in the ocean, their boards slicing through the waves. His bodyboarding success was nothing next to this. These folks were fearless… And mental.

A tannoy crackled into action, and a man introduced some of the surfers. Monty wondered who the man was. A friend of Iona probably.And who am I?No one. He’d pass through her life like grains of sand through his fingers while these other friends remained.

He scanned the water, looking for her. Was she out there? It was hard to tell from this distance. His gaze landed on an easily recognisable figure. Ruaridh, looking like the Hulk on a board, muscles bulging as he paddled out. Monty still hadn’t found out what Ruaridh’s job was, but he obviously liked pumping iron. Monty had been trying to work out more and he was a lot moretoned than he had been, but he wouldn’t ever rival Ruaridh in the muscle department.

‘Show-off,’ Monty muttered to himself, watching Ruaridh catch a wave and ride it. He took a swig of his beer, feeling the cool liquid slide down his throat. Coming to the festival wasn’t something he’d planned to do, but now he was here, he may as well make the most of it. It was almost at odds with the wild nature of the place to have so much manufactured energy. Perhaps that was why the waves crashed, and the wind pounded relentlessly, as if to drown the tannoy, the happy chatter of the people, and the low beat of music, and reassert themselves as the island superpowers.

Monty sighed, breathed it all in and scanned the beach again. Was Iona even here? Maybe she’d got caught behind the scenes somewhere, organising something. That wouldn’t please her. What she’d want would be to ride these waves all day long, free as a bird, wind in her hair. He reached for another crisp, still on the lookout. The breeze picked up, flapping the edges of his blanket. At the sound of cheers, he turned to see what the commotion was.

Iona was running down the beach dressed in a tight wetsuit, carrying a board and something that looked like a parachute. The tannoy crackled to life again.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Iona McKenzie, one of the founders of our festival, who’s about to give a demo of kitesurfing!’

Of what? He wrestled in his bag until he found his binoculars. He focused them on Iona, who’d reached the water’s edge. She grinned as she set up her bright red kite, then clipped on some straps.

Monty lifted his phone, opening the camera app and hitting the red button to record. The surrounding crowd buzzed, eyes glued to Iona as she launched her kite and took to the waves.

She skimmed across the water, her kite soaring high, catching the wind perfectly.Holy shit.Monty’s heart almost jumped into his mouth. Those moves must take some skill, but she looked like a natural, and so fearless. Monty couldn’t tear his eyes away, but his insides crumpled at every new move. No way could he keep up with a woman like her. If he wasn’t exciting enough for Sophie, he’d never be good enough for someone like Iona. She carved through the waves, catching the air and performing flips that made the crowd gasp. Monty held his breath.

‘Bloody hell!’ someone nearby shouted.

Monty zoomed in with his phone. Her power and grace left him gobsmacked. She was shining in a whole new light. How could he ever look at her the same again? He knew she was a daredevil, but this was incredible.Shewas incredible. Bold. Uninhibited. Everything he felt he wasn’t.

She rode the waves like she was born to do it, every movement fluid and commanding. As she neared the shore, she executed a final jump, her kite lifting her high in the air before the board landed back on the water. The crowd erupted into applause, and Monty clapped along too.Wow, just bloody wow.

As she walked back up the beach, carrying her board and kite, the tannoy crackled again. ‘Let’s hear it one more time for Iona McKenzie!’

The cheers grew louder, and Monty watched people crowd around her to chat. He’d leave them to it. If there was one person whose absence she wouldn’t even notice, it was him.

‘Next up, it’s happy hour!’ the announcer said over the tannoy. ‘Anyone who wants to join in, get some tips from the pros, or just have a go, now’s your chance!’

Iona was chatting with a group of surfers and festival-goers, laughing and exchanging high-fives. After a moment, she glanced Monty’s way and smiled.Uh-oh…Why did he just know this meant trouble? That smirk on her face was a bit ofa giveaway. Excusing herself, she jogged over to where he was sitting.

‘Hey.’ She stood in front of him, shielding her eyes. ‘Did you enjoy the show?’

‘You were amazing. Incredible. I’m speechless.’

She grinned. ‘Thanks. I love doing it.’ Her eyes travelled over him, and he was pretty sure she was alluding to something other than kite-surfing too. ‘Do you fancy having a go yourself?’

Monty’s eyes widened. ‘Me? No, no. On that kite thing? No way.’

‘Na, not that. Just on a board.’

‘I’m not dressed for it.’

Iona waved a dismissive hand. ‘That’s not a problem. I’ve got spare wetsuits in the container, remember? You can borrow one.’

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