Page 41 of The Castle in the Bay

‘Precisely.’

‘So we can drop all the grumpy stuff, yeah?’

‘I amnotgrumpy!’ She glared at him, then let out a little laugh. ‘Sorry.’

‘Uh-huh.’ He raised an eyebrow.

‘I just… Ah, never mind.’ There was no point in trying to explain or making excuses. It was frustrating enough figuring out what was going on in her head at the best of times, but recently, it had got downright impossible. She kept walking, her shoulders stiff, not sure what else to say. How could she trust herself not to put her big foot in it yet again?

‘Who was the man you came back with yesterday?’ he asked.

‘Why do you care?’

‘I don’t,’ he said.

‘Why ask then? Are you judging me?’

‘No. Just curious.’

‘He was someone who joined the surf class. He happened to be staying at the B&B, so we came back together.’ Maybe even this time last week she might have fancied a hookup with him, but something had changed. ‘I mean, we shared a car home. That’s all.’ Why did she feel the need to clarify?

‘I got what you meant.’

‘So no need to think whatever you’re thinking.’

‘I wasn’t.’ He held up his hands. ‘I was just curious. I thought maybe he was a boyfriend or something.’

‘I don’t do boyfriends. And do you really think I would have kissed you if I had a boyfriend?’

‘No, I suppose not. Sorry.’

‘Yeah. You should be.’

They walked in silence a bit more, the only sound their squelching footsteps, the distant call of seabirds and Iona’s teeth grinding.

Scamp ran ahead and was almost back at the farm.

‘Listen, I hope we can be ok,’ Monty said.

‘Well, sure. Because like you said, what are we at the end of the day anyway?’

‘Indeed.’

As they reached the farm, a wave of cold and nausea churned inside her. She glanced at Monty, who gave her a brief nod before heading towards the annex. Scamp bounded after him, leaving Iona standing alone.

She hurried inside, shivering as the warmth of the farmhouse hit her. In her room, she peeled off her soaked clothes and wrapped herself in a towel, ready for a hot shower. She knew so little about Monty, and yet here she was, acting like an idiot around him. Why did he get under her skin so much?

‘Iona, you look like a drowned rat.’ Catriona came into the kitchen a little while later as Iona was boiling the kettle. ‘You haven’t been surfing, have you?’

‘I got caught in the rain,’ Iona muttered. ‘It was nothing.’

‘Well, get yourself dry and warm. You’ve got a lot to do still for the water sports festival. I met Mark in the village, and he said you hadn’t replied to his emails for ages.’

‘I know, I know,’ Iona snapped, then cringed. ‘Sorry, I’m just… not in the best mood.’

‘What’s up?’

‘Nothing. I’m fine. Just need to get on with stuff.’ She went into the sunroom and got out her laptop. She hated this bit. Procrastination followed her around like a puppy whenever she needed to do admin. And she had so much to do – organising the water sports competition, finalising schedules, coordinating with vendors – but her ADHD brain was refusing to cooperate as it so often did.

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