Autumn Dreams at Mermaids Point, page 24
‘Oh, do shut up,’ Nerissa chided him fondly before turning back to Ivy. ‘Ignore Alex, he’s a terrible flirt, and you’re not interrupting anything.’
‘I’m a marvellous flirt,’ Alex protested. ‘And it’s not my fault that Mermaids Point is full of so many pretty women to flirt with.’
Nerissa rolled her eyes. ‘Ivy is here because I’m hoping she can do something to help with the damage to Emily’s blanket.’
‘Oh.’ The teasing laughter in his eyes was replaced by a serious expression. ‘Then I’ll leave you to it. Nice to meet you, Ivy. If you can repair the damage, then we’ll all be in your debt.’ He turned to Nerissa. ‘Give me a shout if you need a hand with anything.’ And with that he wandered back out again.
‘My goodness, he’s a bit much,’ Ivy said, raising a hand to her heated cheek.
‘He’s harmless.’ Nerissa laughed. ‘Come on upstairs and I’ll show you the problem.’
Nerissa sat quietly while Ivy carefully opened up the blanket, spread it over her bed, then crouched down to study the jagged rip. Nerissa could tell it wouldn’t be great news just from the depth of the groove etched between Ivy’s brows as she stroked gentle fingers over the delicate wool, lifting it periodically for closer inspection before laying it back down with a sigh.
‘I’ll do what I can,’ she said, eventually, as she carefully folded the blanket into a neat square. ‘It might take a bit of time though.’
‘Whatever you can do,’ Nerissa assured her as she led her back downstairs to the central landing. ‘And don’t worry about the cost.’ Tom had already told her he’d pay whatever it took.
‘I’ve got a few other projects I must finish first, but then I’ll give it my full attention.’ She paused to glance back at Nerissa. ‘If you’re that way inclined, then a prayer or two won’t go amiss.’
‘It’s that bad, then?’ Nerissa asked, voicing her worst fears.
‘Well, we’re not quite in need of a miracle, but we’re not far off it either.’
A movement to her right caught Nerissa’s eye and she spotted a stricken-looking Max standing in the doorway of his room, his eyes fixed on the bundle in Ivy’s arms.
Ivy spotted him too, and obviously realising he’d overheard her comment, she gave him a smile. ‘Don’t mind my nonsense, I’m just talking it up so I can charge your dad a fortune for the repair.’
He didn’t look convinced, but Nerissa didn’t want to make any more of a big deal of it than it already was, so she hurried Ivy down the stairs and out the back door.
‘I think I put my foot in it,’ Ivy said, her blue eyes bracketed with concern.
‘It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Just do whatever you can and we’ll all be very grateful.’
Ivy bit her lip as she nodded. ‘I’ve got your number from Laurie, so I’ll send you an update in a few days.’
‘Well, well, two of my favourite ladies together, must be my lucky day!’ It was Luca from the deli, his arms full with two huge paper sacks overspilling with food. Happily married with a bundle of children to boot, he could give Alex a run for his money in the flirting stakes.
‘You say that to all the girls,’ Nerissa teased as she reached to lift one of the bags from his grip.
‘Ah, but I only mean it when I’m talking about you.’ He pressed a kiss to Nerissa’s cheek. ‘And you, pretty Ivy,’ he added.
Laughing, she waved him off. ‘I know all your tricks. I’ll text you,’ she said to Nerissa and headed off down the path, her cap of red curls bouncing.
‘You wound me!’ Luca called after her, eyes dancing in mischief. ‘Right, then Nerissa, my love. Where do you want me?’
‘On the kitchen table.’ She laughed.
‘Kinky. I love it!’ From a different man, it might have been unsettling, but she knew he’d cut his arm off before he touched another woman. He set the bag down, his tone changed, and he was all business again. ‘There’s one more in the van, I’ll be right back.’
Once everything was set up, Nerissa escaped to her bedroom for a lie-down before the party. The house below her fell quiet as the others did the same.
She must’ve fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes, it was starting to grow dark outside and a heavy weight pressed on her chest. Setting aside her Kindle, which had fallen from her hands when she nodded off, she sat up as another knock sounded from her door and she realised what had woken her. ‘I’m awake. Give me five minutes.’
The handle twisted and the door opened to reveal Tom’s worried face. ‘Have you seen Max?’
‘No. Not since this morning.’ She’d been so busy getting everything ready, she hadn’t given him another thought since she’d seen him on the landing. ‘He might have overheard something he shouldn’t,’ she added, recalling his upset face. She briefly explained her exchange with Ivy. ‘We had no idea he was there.’
Tom dropped his head for a moment. ‘It’s not your fault.’ He looked up, caught her eye and reiterated, ‘It’s not your fault. I put off talking to him about it because I didn’t want to spoil his birthday.’ Raising a hand, he scrubbed it across the stubble darkening his chin. He had to shave every day for work, so had a tendency to leave it over the weekend to give his skin a rest. She quite liked the look of him when he was like this – a bit rumpled, a bit less Dr Tom.
‘It was one of those things.’ Nerissa found herself moving to offer him comfort and forced herself to stop and focus on the matter at hand. ‘Maybe he’s with Archie?’
Tom shook his head. ‘Pop hasn’t seen him either. Maybe he’s playing silly buggers and is hiding in the surgery.’ He didn’t sound convinced.
Nerissa washed her face and cleaned her teeth as quickly as she could, still feeling a bit groggy from her unexpected nap and the swift awakening. By the time she got downstairs, Tom and the other adults were gathered in the kitchen looking increasingly concerned. ‘No luck?’
Tom shook his head. ‘We’ve looked everywhere – I even checked the shed.’
Nerissa checked Toby’s empty basket. ‘Did he take the dog out for a walk?’
Tom shook his head again. ‘Nope. He’s made himself comfortable on the sofa.’ He flicked a quick look at Archie, who held up his hands in protest.
‘We were having a quiet snooze – no one told me he wasn’t allowed on the furniture.’
‘Max tried to apologise to me earlier.’ They all turned at the sound of Emily’s soft voice. She was standing on the threshold, hands twisting awkwardly in front of her. ‘I told him to leave me alone and he said not to worry because he was going to fix it.’ Tears filled her eyes. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it, he just keeps bugging me about it when I’ve told him it’s okay.’
‘Oh, Em, it’s not your fault.’ Tom strode to his daughter and gathered her close. ‘I should’ve spoken to him about it. It’s not for you to sort out.’ Tucking Emily into his side, he turned to face them. ‘Anyone got any ideas?’
‘I can go and check the beach?’ Alex volunteered.
‘I’ll give Laurie and Sylvia a call, see if either of them have spotted him,’ Nerissa said, reaching for her phone. She had a niggling worry in the back of her head, but she wasn’t quite ready to give voice to it.
While Tom and Alex made plans, she spoke briefly first to Laurie, then Sylvia, both of whom confirmed what she feared, they’d seen no sign of Max. They promised to keep an eye out and extracted promises she would call back if there was anything else they could do.
As she hung up, Nerissa caught sight of the tide and weather app on her front screen. The same app she had added to Max’s phone the other week. Feeling sick, she opened it and checked that day’s information. High tide was in less than an hour. There was no time to lose. ‘I think I know where he might have gone.’
Leaving a distraught Emily in the care of Mimi, the rest of them bundled into coats and hats and headed out into the afternoon gloom. Tom carried a rucksack, into which Nerissa had hastily shoved torches, towels and a blanket. She’d texted ahead and her brother was waiting on the footpath outside the café with a large flask of tea and a grim-faced Jake beside him.
‘Nick and Tony have gone for one of their boats. They’ll come around from the seaward side in case the tide’s too high for us to get through on foot.’
Tom gave him a sharp nod, but didn’t speak as he quickened his pace and headed towards the steps.
‘It’ll be quicker if we stick to the road until the other end,’ Andrew called, halting him in his tracks.
‘I’ll check the beach from this end,’ Nerissa offered. ‘Archie, will you come with me?’ She would only hold them up, and though Archie was in good shape, he would be slower too.
‘Of course,’ he agreed. ‘Don’t wait for us.’ And as though that was all the permission they’d been waiting for, the four younger men started running.
She had to keep a tight grip on Toby’s leash or he would’ve taken off after them. Not wanting to leave the dog with Philippa, who was a bit nervous around him, Nerissa had had no choice other than to bring him along. Hopefully he’d be a good distraction when they found Max.
When they found him. She would not contemplate the alternative.
Trying to stay calm, Nerissa swept the length of the beach, Archie beside her. They didn’t speak, neither wanting to give voice to the fears gnawing at them, but there was no sign of Max. The few people they passed hadn’t spotted a boy on his own either. By the time they reached the steps at the far end, a small crowd had gathered, including Pete Bray from the pub and Doc, who was clutching the handle of his big brown doctor’s bag.
‘I wasn’t sure if I’d be needed,’ he said when Nerissa flung her arms around his neck and gave him a hug.
‘Tom’s got blankets, a hot drink but nothing else. We were in too much of a rush.’
‘Sylvia said something about the caves,’ Pete said, his expression all business. ‘I’ve got some rope and a few other bits.’ He half-turned to show a bag flung over one shoulder. ‘Whatever I could lay my hands on.’ He cast a worried glance at his watch. ‘Tide’s getting in.’
‘I know.’ And it was getting darker too. And colder. Nerissa caught sight of the flash of beams up ahead. ‘There they are, come on.’
Their ragtag party set off at as quick a jog as was safe in the quickly failing light. Doc and Archie said they’d catch up when they could, and one of the men who’d answered Pete’s call for volunteers said he would stick with them and carry Doc’s bag.
Toby’s pull on his lead was making her arm ache now. No matter how quickly she went, the dog wanted to go faster. Giving up trying to control him, she paused to unclip him and the retriever hared off towards the lights, barking to announce his presence.
As they neared the fence, a torch beam waved from up near where it connected with the steeply rising wall of the Point.
‘Here.’ It was Jake. ‘There’s a hole in the fence. We made it as big as we can, but you’ll have to crawl through.’
‘Go,’ Pete said. ‘We’ve got it.’
Jake took off, the light of his torch bobbing as he ran to catch up with the others. From the water, a bright spotlight shone out illuminating the rocks at the base of the Point. Nick and Tony had arrived in their boat.
‘Here you go now, darling.’ Pete helped Nerissa through the hole in the fence, stretched much wider now by a couple of helpful hands. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get there in time.’
‘If he’s even there at all,’ she said, though her gut told her she was right.
Panting, they scrambled over the rocks and had almost reached the others when a streak of blonde fur shot through the beam of the spotlight as Toby plunged into the water and started paddling.
As she reached Tom’s side, he was already shouldering off his backpack and showing every intention of jumping into the icy waves after the dog.
‘Wait.’ Nerissa clung to his arm when he would’ve shaken her off.
‘We heard him shout,’ he said to her, face taut with strain. ‘I have to get to him.’
‘I know. Pete’s got a rope, at least let him tie you on.’
Tom nodded grimly as he shed his coat, boots and jumper – anything that would weigh him down. Raising his arms, he stood still long enough for Pete to tie the end of the rope around his waist and then clambered over the last of the rocks and launched himself into the water.
As he stroked away, his arms churning hard to fight against the ebb and flow of the tide, Nerissa tried not to think about how cold it must be.
‘Sod this,’ Alex said, stripping off his own heavy layers and tossing them behind him as he followed his brother’s path.
‘Hold onto the rope!’ Andrew yelled after him, having taken position at the front of the line of men who were spooling out the length of it between them, ready for a sign from Tom to pull him back.
Almost sick with fear, Nerissa could do nothing but watch as the heads of the two men bobbed in the water, their slow progress illuminated by the ever-brightening beam of the spotlight as Tony inched his boat closer and closer to the treacherous rocks. She could see a dark shape clinging to the front rail of the boat – Nick keeping watch as best as he could, and her fear spiked once more.
Please, please. It was the only word she had, a prayer, a supplication to gods both new and ancient as she watched first Tom, then Alex disappear into the darkness beneath the Point.
‘They’ll be all right.’ Archie placed a hand on her shoulder, his words a statement so firm even fate could surely not disobey him.
‘They have to be.’ Because her heart was in that cave, and if she lost anyone else, she didn’t think she’d be able to bear it.
You took Gareth from me, you can’t have Tom. He’s mine.
Time stretched. Each passing minute felt like an hour, and though she tried to hold onto her resolve, she could feel it ebbing away.
‘I feel something,’ her brother shouted, and everyone fell silent. ‘Yes! That was definitely a pull on the rope. All right, lads, let’s bring them in.’
Hand over steady hand, the gathered men pulled the rope in. Their progress was so slow, Nerissa wanted to scream at them to hurry up. Unable to look, she turned her face into Archie’s chest, his arms closing around her.
‘Shh. It’s all right,’ he murmured into her ear, but she could feel how tightly he was clinging to the back of her coat. She could feel his fear and uncertainty, a painful echo of her own.
‘I love him,’ she said into his shoulder.
‘I know, darling. I know. You’ll be able to tell him that yourself in a minute. Be brave now.’
She nodded, unable to speak for the tears choking her.
A cheer went up from the men around them, followed by her brother shouting, ‘That’s it, lads, pull!’
Spinning in Archie’s hold, Nerissa was just in time to see first Tom, then Alex stumbling through the shallows to grasp the base of the rocks, Max held between them. A bark came from the water, and she spotted Toby scrambling onto dry land as the men shoved Max up onto the safety of the rock before hauling themselves out. Alex made it barely more than chest out, but it didn’t matter as helpful hands were there to support him, to lift him to his feet and help him onto the safety of the sand.
Nerissa would’ve rushed forward, but Archie held her back until both Tom and Doc had a chance to give Max a once-over and the shivering, crying boy was bundled into a blanket and into the safety of her brother’s strong arms.
Unable to wait a moment longer, Nerissa pulled herself free of Archie’s hold and flung herself into Tom’s arms. ‘I was so scared! Are you okay?’ She traced frantic hands over him, checking for injuries.
‘I’m fine.’ Tom captured her hands and held them against his chest, over his heart. ‘I’m fine.’
She met his gaze, stilled as she registered the exhaustion and doubt in his features. ‘He’s okay. You got there in time.’
His hands tightened around hers. ‘Say it again.’
‘He’s okay.’ Pulling free of his grasp, she flung her arms around his waist, uncaring of the cold water soaking through the front of her coat. ‘He’s okay, and so are you.’
Tom tugged her closer until she could feel him shuddering from more than just the cold. ‘He was looking for the mermaids. Said something about them coming because he needed their help to fix that bloody blanket. I thought I’d lost him. I thought…’
‘I know. I know.’ She smoothed her hands up and down his back, peeking past his shoulder to see Jake wrap Alex’s shaking hands around a mug of tea from the flask Andrew had brought with him. Archie stood behind his youngest son, using a towel to blot the worst of the water from his clothes. Andrew still held Max in his arms, rocking the boy gently. Knowing her family would take good care of them, she turned her focus back to Tom. Stretching up, she pressed kisses to his neck, his jaw, any part of his face she could reach. ‘It’s okay. I’m here, Tom.’
‘Are you?’ he whispered against her cheek before he turned his face and his lips captured hers and there was no more room for words as they sought and gave the comfort and reassurance each needed. When they finally broke for air, he lifted his hands to cup her face. ‘It’s too soon.’
‘I know.’
‘We agreed we weren’t going to do this.’ She felt a brief flutter of panic until she saw the corners of his mouth twitch.
‘I know.’ She said, a matching grin stretching her cheeks.
He pressed his forehead to hers. ‘I need you. Not because you are the best receptionist I’ve ever had, or because you’re amazing with the children, though both those things are true.’ Pulling back, he smoothed the curls the wind had picked up and sent dancing across her face. ‘I need you for me. I want you for me.’
So much was wrong – the timing, the losses they both needed to finally reconcile. Living and working together when they were only just now taking the very first steps towards a relationship together. Everything about their situation was wrong – except for him. Deep in her bones, in the very marrow of her being she knew that Tom Nelson was right.
