The garage was large enough for three cars, but what it actually housed was Mirren’s car and golf cart, plus an assortment of boats, bikes, fishing equipment and goodness knows what else. Seren’s eyes did a quick sweep, but she didn’t notice anything obviously out of place. The golf cart wasn’t there but presumably Mirren had driven that into town.
Running a hand over the side of the dinghy, Seren thought of how excited they’d all been when Terry and Mirren had bought it, back when she and Noah were teenagers. Prior to that, they used to borrow Terry’s little sailing boat for their adventures around the islands, but a boat with an engine was way more fun.
At the thought of the sailboat, Seren looked to the far end of the garage, where it had been left as a morbid reminder since the day Terry didn’t come back on it. As far as Seren was aware, no one had taken it out since his death.
She froze when she noticed it was missing, then her heart rate increased at the thought of Kit taking it out alone. Her foot hit something and her gaze fell to his phone on the floor. Presumably that was the source of the noise – it had probably fallen off the side of the boat when she called. She slipped it in her pocket before marching back outside and scanning the horizon. There was no sign of Kit, and she wasn’t sure there was much sense in going after him given that she had no idea which direction he’d have gone in.
What else was she going to do though? Pace around waiting for him to get back? Turning on her heel, she pulled the dinghy out and manoeuvred the trailer easily along the tarmac. The job became more strenuous when she hit the sand, but she trudged on regardless.
Once the trailer was in the shallows she floated the dinghy off it. Dragging the trailer back up the beach, she parked it beside the one for the sailing boat, which she hadn’t noticed until she’d got onto the beach.
The cool water felt refreshing as she splashed through the waves. In the boat, she scraped her hair back to a ponytail, then started the motor and headed for deeper waters. Turning east was instinctive. Kit would be thinking about his dad, and that would likely mean sailing over to the Eastern Isles, where Terry would’ve been on his last sailing trip.
Her eyes constantly scanned the water as the boat bounced over gentle waves. A couple of yachts were anchored out to sea, and there were a fair few paddle boards closer to the shore. Out of courtesy, she slowed near a group of wind surfers who weren’t getting anywhere very fast. She nodded a greeting before ramping up the speed again.
Just passed Toll’s Island, a large grey seal caught her eye, lazing on a rocky outcrop. Distracted, she almost didn’t see the sailing boat that was bobbing around a little further out to sea. With its sail down Seren had trouble identifying it, but from the way her stomach twisted she would’ve bet anything it was Kit. As she sped towards it, the boom swung wildly to starboard, stopped only by the main sheet reaching its limit.
There was no one on board.
Seren felt her blood pumping harder and tried to keep her breathing even. He’d have gone for a swim, that’s all. Slowing, she searched the water and began to mutter his name repeatedly.
She’d almost reached Terry’s boat when she cut the motor. The dinghy rocked when she stood, and her eyes frantically darted all around, searching the crystal-clear water for any sign of Kit. Any minute now he’d swim up to her and make her jump. It’d been his favourite trick when he was younger. He’d always found it hilarious. She’d laugh now too … if he’d just appear and splash her with water.
Panic gripped her and her voice sounded strange when she called his name at the top of her lungs.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
As her shout faded, her attention was drawn to movement in the sailing boat.
“What are you yelling for?” Kit asked, sitting up so quickly that he almost cracked his head on the boom.
“Oh my god.” Seren slapped a hand over her heart, then leaned precariously far out to try and get a hand on Kit’s boat. When she couldn’t reach, she threw him the rope instead.
“What are you doing here?” Kit asked.
Seren didn’t answer as she hopped from her boat to his. “I couldn’t see you,” she said, her voice raspy as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “Don’t ever do that to me again!” Grabbing his lifejacket at his shoulders, she pulled him close. “Promise me.”
He looked at her in confusion, their faces so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. “I don’t know what I’m promising …”
“I could see the boat,” she explained. “But I couldn’t see you.”
“Oh.” Realisation flooded his features. “I’m fine.”
“I can see that … but you just took about ten years off my life.” She loosened her grip on him and tried to move away, but the sway of the boat propelled her into him and she didn’t fight it. With their noses touching, she instinctively pressed her lips to his. For the briefest moment the waves ceased and everything was perfectly still.
As she pulled back, she caught the shock in Kit’s eyes. It was an effort not to jump back over to the dinghy and make a quick getaway.
Instead, she moved to sit by the tiller and glared up at Kit. “What the hell are you playing at?” she demanded.
“What amIplaying at?” Deftly, he tied the rope from the dinghy onto the mast, then ducked under the boom to sit at the other side of the tiller.
“Yes,” she snapped. “You teach kids about water safety for goodness’ sake. You know the rules. You don’t go out on the water alone without taking precautions. Someone needs to know where you’re going and when you expect to be back. And you have your phone with you,always.What were you thinking? Did you decide safety rules don’t apply to you or what?”
He looked her right in the eyes. “I went to visit Lowen,” he said calmly. “I called him to say I was on my way, but then I left my phone in the garage. Lowen knew I was coming though … and I messaged Mum from Lowen’s phone when I was setting off back. I told her I’d be taking it slow and didn’t have my phone but I was on the way home.”
“Oh,” she said sheepishly.
“I’m also wearing a life jacket, which is more than I can say for you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Didyoulet someone know where you were going and when you’d be back?”