Page 67 of Dr. Off Limits

“Completely.” The wide blue sky stretched in front of us punctuated only by the spikes of the reeds and grasses. It felt deeply peaceful. “I can see why you would come here to de-stress. Will you show me where your boat was?”

“The rowing boat I’d hide in?”

I laughed. “Yes. Your de-stressing chamber.”

“Sure, it’s along here.”

We plodded forward, enjoying the view, enjoying the peace, talking and not talking.

“It was here,” he said eventually as we came to a pool on the right of the path, surrounded by reeds. “I don’t know if the tides changed and it got trapped somehow. Maybe some kids pulled it over the pathway into this part of the sea.”

“There’s hardly anyone around.”

“People come up from the village for a little look, but unless you’re going to follow the trail right around to the next village, people don’t usually get this far. So it’s only the committed walker that passes by.”

“And you’d come out here to walk off the stress of the job and... the Cove legacy.”

“Look, I know I’m privileged. I’m sure I’ve had opportunities I wouldn’t have had if it hadn’t been for my parents. I just... sometimes I wish I could have done it on my own merit. Like you.”

I laughed. He couldn’t be serious. “Let me tell you, studying at night and cutting hair during the day to keep a roof over your head isn’t anything to covet. It’s hard work and it means sacrificing a lot.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to downplay it.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine, I know. I’m just saying, there are pluses and minuses of either route.” I grinned. “On balance, I’d rather have the loving family and the legacy that goes with them.”

He dipped and pressed a kiss on the top of my head. “Yeah, me too.”

The warmth from the kiss spread down my entire body. I pulled at the collar of his coat to kiss me some more. We may have come from opposite sides of the tracks, but we were on this ride together now—come what may.

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