Page 25 of A Secret Escape

“I might do that.” It would be nice to bring Nicole here and sit on the deck so she could enjoy the view, but she knew she couldn’t risk that.It would be safer, much safer, to make her food at home. “Any problems?”

“Apart from me trying to resist Tilly’s double chocolate cookie? No, all good.”

Satisfied that everything seemed to be running smoothly, she took the path that led from the café to the lake and then followed it around the water and past the sign that saidPrivate—nesting birds.

Nesting birds and fugitive actors, she thought as she carried on walking.

She was proud of this place, and the part she played in keeping it running. Her grandparents had built it, her mother had expanded the business, and Milly had added all the extra luxury touches from the waterside café that buzzed with activity all day to the tubs that overflowed with colorful blooms on every terrace and deck. She’d planted pots of fresh herbs for each cabin and added locally sourced food to the welcome baskets. She’d built a sauna and a games room, which had proved a hit in wet weather.

The boathouse was tucked into an inlet in the lake, hidden behind the trees, visible only at the last minute.

There was no sign of Nicole, but she could hear the shower running, so she headed for the kitchen and selected four of the eggs her mother had given her when she’d dropped Zoe off the day before.

She cracked them one by one into a large bowl and whisked them with a fork until the mixture lost its streaks and turned golden.

Then she took a pair of scissors and snipped a thick bunch of chives from one of the herb pots she kept on her windowsill. She chopped them finely, sprinkled them over the mixture and then turned on the heat under the pan.

She waited until it was exactly the right temperature and then poured in the eggs, letting them cook for a moment before coaxing the sides inward, tilting the pan so that it cooked evenly. When it was starting to set she crumbled on some soft goat cheese, added a few young spinach leaves and then folded it in half, allowing the heat to slowly melt the cheese and wilt the spinach.

“Hi.” Nicole wandered into the kitchen, her hair still damp from the shower. She was wearing a pair of cutoff shorts and a T-shirt, and her face glowed pink from the heat of the shower.

She poured herself a glass of water and drank the whole thing.

Milly watched her for a moment, wondering what it must be like to be that beautiful.

If she looked like Nicole, maybe Richard wouldn’t have left.

She turned the heat off under the pan. She had to stop thinking like that. It wasn’t helpful or healthy.

“I made breakfast. Sorry it’s so late. I had a meeting. We’ll eat this out on the deck. There’s no one around.” Milly divided the omelet and slid each half onto a fresh plate. Then she sprinkled the top with finely chopped parsley and handed one of the plates to Nicole, who lifted it to her nose and sighed.

“It smells incredible, but I don’t normally eat breakfast.”

Tiger appeared in the kitchen, alerted by the smell of cooking.

“You had a long journey, and you didn’t eat last night. I don’t want to have to take you to the emergency department because you’ve fainted. The eggs are fresh and organic, so is the cheese, which comes from the goats down the road. And don’t tell me you’re not hungry because that isn’t possible.”

“I’m hungry, but I’m always hungry. It’s part of the job.” But Nicole lifted the plate again and breathed deeply. “Okay. Let’s do this. I don’t suppose one plate of eggs is going to do much harm. And my acting days may be over anyway.” She said it lightly, an almost throwaway comment, but Milly knew Nicole. Whatever gulf there might be between them, she knew her. And she knew the comment wasn’t made lightly.

“That’s the way you feel?” Milly handed her a fork. “You love acting.”

“Maybe. But I don’t love all the things that go with it. And things are complicated at the moment.” She paused, and Milly had the feeling that she was going to confess something momentous, but then she shook her head. “I’ll figure it out.”

Figure what out?

In the old days they’d had no secrets from each other, but that was then and this was now.

And how complicated could Nicole’s life be, really?

Milly had a job to do, a child to care for, a life to live, and she had an A-list movie star hiding away in her home. It didn’t get much more complicated than that.

Was Nicole afraid to do another movie because of the adverse publicity? No, surely not. She was used to that.

She wanted to ask what this was all about really, what Nicole was doing here, but she was conscious of all the jobs stacking up waiting for her attention. She didn’t have time for a long conversation. Later, she thought. It would have to wait until later.

“What are you going to do all day? I’m worried you’ll be bored.”

“I never have time to myself. This is going to be a treat.”

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