Page 23 of Riding the Waves

Lizzie messaged Amy on Monday morning to let her know of a change of location for their afternoon meeting. The cafe was easy to find in the heart of Hope Cove, and from there the friendly owner directed her to a staircase at the back of the building which would apparently take her to a flat above. It all felt a little cloak and dagger to Amy as she hesitated at the top of the stairs. She’d just raised her hand to knock when the door opened and she came face to face with a young guy with striking blue eyes, luscious blonde hair and an absolutely perfect build.

“Hey!” He smiled widely. “You must be Amy.”

“Yes.” She stared at him in confusion.

“Your boys are great,” he said. “Such cute kids.”

She squinted as her brain tried to catch up. “Excuse me?”

“Sorry.” His smile stretched even wider. “I work at the community centre in Totnes.”

“You’re Fraser?”

“That’s me.”

“Fraser, who’s brilliant at football?”

He chuckled. “I like to think so, but I usually only play with little kids these days, so it’s pretty easy to look like a pro.”

“So you’re Scarlett’s husband?”

“Yes.” He took a couple of steps towards the stairs. “I’m also late for work, so I better run, but go in … Emily and Lizzie are already here.”

“Thanks,” she called as he took off down the stairs. “Nice to meet you.”

He raised a hand to wave and was gone in a flash.

After knocking on the door, Amy called hello and wandered along the short hall, following the sound of voices.

“I just met Fraser,” she said to Scarlett, who was sitting in the cosy living room with Lizzie and Emily. “He seems lovely.”

“I imagine you’re now thinking what everyone thinks,” Scarlett said dryly. “Which is how on earth me and him ended up together …”

As Emily and Lizzie chuckled into their coffee mugs, Amy wasn’t sure how to respond. “I wasn’t thinking …” It was a lie; she’d been wondering exactly that. “I mean, if anything I’m surprised you’re married when you’re so young, but I suppose I wasn’t much older than you when I got married. I also had two kids at that point. Anyway, how long have you been married?”

“Four years.”

Amy coughed as she sat down. “Four years?”

“We’ve been legally married for four years. We weren’t really in a relationship to start with.”

“What?” Amy asked, feeling utterly lost.

“I married him for money,” Scarlett went on. “It was like a marriage of convenience. It’s actually a really long story.”

“I’d love to hear it.”

Scarlett frowned. “It’s a really long story. I could probably fill a book with it. I’ll tell you another time, when we haven’t got work to get on with.”

“Yes. Of course,” Amy muttered, though her curiosity was well and truly piqued.

“Sorry about the change of venue,” Emily said. “This used to be our base before Scarlett kicked us out so she and Fraser could live here. Sometimes we still meet here anyway. Scarlett’s got a busy day today, so it was easier for her if we came here.”

“How were my brats this morning?” Amy asked Scarlett.

Scarlett looked blankly at her.

“It was a joke,” Amy said, unsettled by the silence.

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