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  Chapter Three

  Nessie prised her eyes open to the sound of seagulls squawking and reached for her mobile phone, wondering if she’d slept through the alarm she’d set for seven thirty. It wasn’t due to go off for another twenty minutes, but there was no point going back to sleep. Besides, it was suffocatingly warm, and the sheets were damp with sweat. She hated British hotels and their lack of air conditioning. Why couldn’t they get with the twenty-first century?

  Hoping it was the kind of hotel to offer a daily maid service, she cast the sheets aside and sauntered to the window in need of fresh air.

  A pleasant surprise awaited her behind the floor-length curtains. The equally large window opened out fully to access a Juliet balcony. She gripped the rail and breathed deeply of the sea air. Below, the view of the landscaped gardens ended with the blue of the sea at the bottom of a high cliff face, and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks immediately cooled and calmed her. It looked so peaceful down there, so different to the hustle of her hectic life. She wanted to run across the manicured lawns, feel the cool breeze lifting her hair, and not stop until she reached the cliff edge. It was a dangerous thought, given her day ahead. She’d probably not stop and end up jumping off the cliff—anything to get out of spending a full day in her mother’s company.

  Nessie loved her Mum, but their relationship was strained. When Johnny came on the scene, Nessie had stopped being the centre of her mother’s attention. She found she could no longer flutter her eyelashes and wrap her mother around her little finger, and she hadn’t liked it. Not one bit. Maybe it was jealousy; she didn’t know. But what she did know was that she was not calling Johnny ‘Dad’. She had hoped he was a passing infatuation. Her mother could have easily found a rich, suave man, someone more her calibre, a professional with enough money to allow her to continue her coffee-morning lifestyle—someone like her father. But no. Her oh-so-perfect mother with her perfect house and perfect body was marrying the gardener.

  Three years was a long time to stay mad at someone for following their heart, and Nessie had done a lot of growing up in that time. Her years at university had kept her away from home and thrown her into the path of people from many different backgrounds, and she’d come to realise her family could be a lot worse. Who was she to question their choices? Nessie had chosen the lifestyle; her mother had chosen love. Perhaps it was true that mothers did know best. Her mother was happy. Happier than Nessie was, and Nessie had made a promise to herself that she would not be the one to ruin that happiness. She would be on her best behaviour this week.

  Okay, she thought, turning back to the room. Fun with Mum, here I come.

  ***

  Matthew Walker stared at the scenery flying past the window, and his ghostly reflection stared back at him. His teenage self would have looked away, unhappy at the sight, but daily workouts had turned puppy fat into muscle, laser surgery had ensured his glasses were now obsolete, and his pale-brown waves had been neatly trimmed into a style more befitting his new role. Yeah, that loser was long gone.

  It had been years since he’d been on a train, and it was boring as hell. It would have been quicker to travel by car, but his father couldn’t get the time off work, and his mother didn’t drive. At least, the music pounding his eardrums prevented her mindless chatter from prolonging his agony.

  He couldn’t wait for the day he’d be able to get a new set of wheels. Since deciding it would be far safer to practise law instead of policing it, he’d had to sell his beloved Peugeot to pay for the university fees, and the only uniform he wore, now, was the replica he used to dress up in for his stripogram job—a sideline he’d gone into to keep the cash rolling. There were days when he missed wearing the real thing, but he only had to remember the bullet crashing through his ribs and he was satisfied he’d made the right decision.

  From now on, there’d be no more heart-pounding door busting, no more stomach-churning car chases, and no more surprise firearms. The bad guys would already have been caught, and all he had to do was ensure they were locked up good and tight. Three years of study had finally paid off, and next week, the stripping would be history when he started working at the law firm of Bishop and Woods.

  The scenery changed from rolling fields to urban housing, and when the train reached its destination, Matt rushed to the door.

  Johnny was waiting on the platform. “Right on time, mate.” He beamed, pulling Matt into a man-hug.

  “All right, Groomy? All set to do the deed?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Johnny answered before turning to Matt’s mother. “Nice to see you again, Sheila. Cora will be eager to see the first of her friends arrive.” He leaned in, and Sheila grudgingly accepted his kiss on the cheek. “Let me take your case,” he said.

  Eager to put his plan into action, Matt’s smile spread wide and remained unaltered all the way along the coastal road to the hotel. Everything was coming together—a different life, a new beginning—but he had one more thing to do, one more ghost to exorcise, and he planned to banish it soon.

  Chapter Four

  A tear pooled in Amy’s eye as her mother emerged through the gap in the curtains. She’d never seen her looking so beautiful. The strapless dress moulded to her curves flawlessly and easily knocked a good decade off her forty-two years.

  Cora swung around slowly. “How do I look?” she asked.

  “Johnny will be hauling you up to your bedroom before you’ve had time to sign the paperwork.” Amy laughed.

  Cora frowned. “Amelia. Shh.” She glanced across to the store assistant, who averted her eyes and sniggered.

  “Well, it’s true,” Amy said. “What do you expect with your puppies pushed up like that? You look fantastic.”

  Cora tugged at the neckline, trying to cover more flesh. “Thank you,” she said, before her brow furrowed, and she looked towards the cubicle Nessie had disappeared into over ten minutes ago. “Why is Vanessa taking so long?”

  Amy had no idea. Nessie had gone to change at the same time she had, and she should have been ready by now. “Why don’t you get changed while I check in on her?”

  She approached the curtain and stuck her head through the opening. Nessie was sitting on the floor, head in hands. “Ness? What’s wrong?”

  Nessie looked up slowly and whispered, “It doesn’t fit.”

  “You’re joking?” Amy stepped into the cubicle and retrieved the dress from the floor. “It has to,” she said, inspecting the fabric to see if any seams were sewn together where they shouldn’t be. “Show me.”

  “It’s no use. I can’t get it past my hips,” Nessie said. “Look at you. Your dress is perfect. How come I had to get the defective one? Mum is going to think I screwed things up on purpose.”

  Amy stuck her head back through the curtains and met the assistant’s eye. “Could we have some help in here, please?”

  “Is there a problem, madam?”

  “Are you sure your other branch transferred the right dress? Apparently, this one is too small.”

  The assistant took the dress and examined the label. “We mark all our clients’ orders with their name. This is the correct dress. If you could show me the problem, I’m sure we can arrange for alterations to be made.”

  Nessie let out a frustrated breath, stood up, and snatched back the dress. She stepped into it and pulled it to her thighs. “See. Too small.”

  “Perhaps,” the assistant began, easing the pale-blue fabric away from Nessie’s feet, “we could try it this way.” She lifted it over Nessie’s head and it dropped into place. “There. See. Oh.” She paused with her hand on the zip. “No, that’s not going to fasten.”

  “Can’t you order a bigger size?” Amy asked.

  “Not in time, I’m afraid.” The assistant pulled a measuring tape from around her neck. “We’ll just have to find a centimetre or two from somewhere. Leave it with me, and I’ll see what we can do. In the meantime,” she said to Nessie, “I suggest you lay off the choc
olate.”

  ***

  Matt surveyed his shoebox of a room. Trust his mother to scrimp on the cost. She’d offered to pay for his room in return for a favour, and he’d expected his time to be worth a double bed. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t afford it, but when it came to money, she liked to keep her purse firmly closed.

  In hindsight, he wished he hadn’t agreed. The task could seriously harm his plans, but everything was arranged, and there was no getting out of it now.

  When his mother had made the request, he’d thought it only right to run the idea past Johnny. After all, it was his wedding, and Johnny might have thought it would be taking Matt’s best man duties too far. But Johnny had thought it was a hilarious idea, and so here he was.

  He opened his holdall and took out his secret weapon, along with the box of condoms he hoped he’d get the chance to open. Hiding the piece of plastic safely inside the bedside drawer, he tried to convince himself, for the umpteenth time, that he could get away with it.

  Johnny knocked on his door. “Finished unpacking?”

  “Yep.”

  “Still good for tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. All set,” Matt said with fake confidence.

  “Great. Come and eat with us.”

  In the dining room, Matt was relieved to find there was a face missing. “You seem to be a daughter short, Cora,” he said, after taking his seat.

  “Vanessa was tired. She’s gone to bed.”

  He tried not to show his disappointment. He’d wanted to get his first meeting with Nessie over with, but he was happy that the confrontation would not be in front of witnesses. He wanted their first meeting to be a private one. He had private things to say. Despite his friendship with Johnny, he hadn’t seen Nessie since the night he’d ended their relationship, and his stomach was knotted with nerves, wondering how she’d react to seeing him again. “Is she still with the same guy, um…?”

  “Garrett? Yes.”

  “How’s that going?”

  “Honestly, I have no idea,” Cora said. “It’s been a long time since Vanessa and I have been close enough to discuss such things. You’d do better to ask Amy.” She turned to face her daughter, who’d done nothing but stare at him since he’d sat down.

  He knew what she was thinking, and she’d probably run straight to her sister with the news. Hopefully it wouldn’t be until the morning. He had to get to Nessie first.

  Amy shrugged. “All I know is she hasn’t seen him much since she started working.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sure she’ll be making up for lost time when he arrives tomorrow.”

  Matt blinked away an unwelcome image forming in his brain. If Amy’s words were intended to hurt him, she’d pitched it exactly right.

  ***

  Amy had almost choked on her appetiser when she’d seen Matt arrive. She leaned in and muttered in Cora’s ear, “What the fuck, Mum?”

  Cora frowned at her daughter’s language. “What’s the matter?”

  “Why is he here?”

  “Who? Matthew? He and Johnny have been friends for years. He’s the best man.”

  “What about Rick?”

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask Johnny, if you’re that interested?”

  Amy eyed Matt suspiciously as he ordered his meal and sipped at his beer. Thank heavens Nessie had bowed out of eating with them, or was he the reason why? “Does Nessie know he’s here?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Didn’t either of you think it might be a good idea to tell her?” Amy asked, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.

  “Why?”

  “Um, because he’s her ex-boyfriend?”

  “Why should that matter? It was years ago.”

  Amy shook her head with disbelief. “How would you like it if Dad showed up?”

  “That’s different. We were married for twenty years. Vanessa and Matthew went out for a month or so. It’s hardly the same thing.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think Nessie will see it that way.”

  ***

  Nessie collapsed onto her bed with exhaustion. Thank God she was done for the day. The bistro had been lovely, the salad not so much, but with the next dress fitting booked for three days’ time, she had to make some kind of effort. Amy had kindly interceded and changed the subject, when their mother had asked how the dress had looked, but there’d be no masking the truth if she couldn’t get that zip together on the big day.

  Her stomach growled with dissatisfaction at the meagre apple she’d taken from the buffet cart. She could so eat a burger, right now. Perhaps there was something non-fattening on the supper menu that would take the edge off. She grabbed her purse and headed downstairs.

  In the quiet of the reception area, Nessie heard her mother’s voice drifting out from the lounge. Thankfully, supper was served in the bar area, and Nessie hoped she could sneak in, out, and back to her room without having to face another round of demands.

  The rest of Cora’s friends were arriving in the morning, and she’d already asked Nessie to meet up for lunch, followed by an afternoon in the hotel spa. The plan was that everyone would enjoy a relaxing treat before a night on the town, and Nessie was determined not to have her morning reserved as well.

  The receptionist looked up and smiled as she passed.

  Nessie poked her head around the door of the bar. Only one business-suited man was seated in a corner, tapping away on his iPad.

  Perfect.

  The bartender was drying a glass when she walked up to him and perched upon a stool. “Evening,” he said, with a grin. “What can I get you?”

  “Diet Coke and a menu, please.”

  He pulled a menu from a stand, slid it towards her, and then poured the Coke as Nessie began reading. “I’ll have a salmon and cucumber sandwich, please. No butter.”

  “No problem. You eating in here, or do you want it serving in the lounge with the rest of your family?”

  “In here will be fine. I’ll take it over by the window.”

  As Nessie paid and picked up her drink, the businessman gathered his things together and left. Even better.

  Setting her purse and glass down on the table, she looked out over the gardens. From this side of the hotel, there was a clear view down to the harbour. Not many years ago, she would have been getting ready for a trip into town to explore the local nightlife, but there’d be plenty of time for that tomorrow. Tonight, all she wanted was her sandwich and her bed.

  A plate clattered onto her table. “Can I get you anything else? Some company, maybe?”

  Nessie glanced up at the barman as he raked fingers through his blond spikes. Grinning was clearly his expression of choice, not a good look when you had such a wide gap between your front teeth. She shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  “Sure about that? You’re all alone, and you were giving me the eye.”

  “I was not! And for your information, I already have a boyfriend. He’s arriving tomorrow.” Unfortunately.

  “So you’re free tonight?”

  Seriously? “I’m not that kind of girl.”

  The glint in the barman’s eye told Nessie he had doubts. “Well, if you change your mind. I live in, and my bed’s always clean.”

  “How many times does that line actually work?”

  “About one in four.”

  “Yeah, well, count me in the other three.”

  Chapter Five

  Yet again, Matt’s eyes shot past the pillar to the door. He’d made sure to be one of the first diners to breakfast and had chosen the most secluded table he could find. He needed to see her before she saw him, and every new person who walked into the room turned his head.

  None of them were her.

  Where was she?

  He sipped at his cold coffee, wondering whether to order a fresh one. Another cup would take his tally to four, and he was already jiggling his feet with heightened anxiety.

  She wasn’t coming.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about
that. Sixteen hours in the same building and not one single sighting. Maybe it was some kind of omen?

  Deciding to forgo more caffeine and give his feet something better to do, he scraped back his chair and emerged from his hiding place, just as his mother arrived.

  “You were up early, Matthew,” she said.

  “Couldn’t sleep. A bigger bed might have helped.” Or a quieter mind.

  “Now, Matthew, don’t be greedy. I’m sure your room is perfectly satisfactory for one person.” She settled herself at a table and patted the surface. “Stay and have a coffee. Don’t let your old Mum eat alone.”

  “Later, Mum. I’m feeling a bit light-headed. I’m going to get some air.”

  “I do hope you’re not coming down with something,” said a voice from behind him. “We need you on top form later,” Diane’s bouffant hairdo came into view, and she joined Sheila at the table, “and I, for one, can’t wait to see what you have planned.” She winked.

  Fucking great. Diane knew. How many of his mother’s other friends were in on it? Did Cora know? Christ, did Nessie? “Mum, you weren’t supposed to tell anyone. That was the deal.”

  “It’s only Diane,” Sheila said.

  “And I’m very good at keeping secrets.” Diane raised a suggestive brow.

  Matt scowled. “You’d better be.”

  Pleased to see his mother had the company she craved, Matt nodded his farewell and escaped before the conversation got awkward. He wasn’t in the mood for Diane’s flirting.

  There was something about women when they reached a certain age, like a switch flicked on in their brain and they became the hunter instead of the prey. Of course, he was used to it in his line of work, but he’d rather not have to deal with it over the breakfast table. He might not have minded so much if Diane looked like Cora. Now there was a woman who looked after herself. Johnny was a lucky guy.

  There had been many lucky men in Diane’s life, but her looks were fading, and she was attempting to hide the fact with too much face paint and a push-up bra. She oozed desperation, and Matt got the feeling Diane was more than a little jealous of the fact that her friend had found happiness with a younger man.