Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

be there.’

      ‘And don’t forget to wear something sensible … you’ll need plimsolls and a warm jumper. There’s a bite in the breeze this morning.’

      He gave her a slow, lazy smile, then he was gone. ‘Don’t be late!’ His voice carried back from the path.

      After he’d gone, Kathy rushed around like a crazy thing. First she had a quick soak in the bath, then rummaged through her wardrobe, before she located a warm jumper. With that secure, she quickly found what she thought was a ‘sensible’ skirt: straight and knee-length, it was a smart navy-blue in colour. The white plimsolls were no problem – she had already bought them some weeks back on Jasper’s instructions.

      By half past ten she was ready. She tied her hair back with a pretty red ribbon, dusted only the slightest hint of powder on her face, and touched her lips with the merest suggestion of dusky-pink lipstick.

      As she ran downstairs, her heart leapt at the prospect of a day out alone with Tom on his boat. ‘Your dad must have heard you, after all!’ It was a comforting if fanciful thought.

      Tom was waiting as she ran towards the harbour. ‘Well, at least you look like a sailor,’ he teased. ‘Let’s see if you have the makings of one.’

      ‘I’m out to surprise you,’ she promised.

      He gave her the same wise instructions Jasper had given him when first going out. ‘Don’t stand too near the edge. The waters are rough through the channel. Once we’re out in the open water it won’t be so bad.’

      He was right. With the breeze gently lifting the sails, they went softly towards the narrow tunnel of water, but once they were inside and between the high walls, the wind heightened. It whipped up through the sails and swept them along, buffeting the boat from side to side, and hurling them about. ‘Hold on tight, Kathy!’ While Tom fought to keep the vessel straight, Kathy hung onto the rails. The last thing she wanted right now was to be a heroine.

      It was only minutes – but it seemed like for ever – before they broke out into open seas. ‘Jasper was right!’ Easing the boat into the breeze, Tom laughed at the sheer joy of it all. ‘Once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing to it!’

      It was a day Kathy would never forget. For two hours or more, with the sails billowing and the sea churning beneath them, they rode the wind, until, breathless and exhausted, Tom steered the boat into a tiny, sheltered inlet along the coast. Becalmed and private, Tom suggested Kathy might like to go for a swim. ‘I can’t.’ She flushed with embarrassment. ‘I never learned to swim.’

      He smiled at that. ‘I can see I’ll have to take you in hand.’

      He took a moment to observe her, and his heart was full. As she leaned against the rail, her hair loosened by the wind, he saw the seductive yet innocent way her blouse was open to show the rise of her breasts, and those wonderful light-brown eyes looking up at him with a sense of curiosity. He thought she was the most beautiful creature on God’s earth.

      As always, whenever his emotions ran riot, the guilt enveloped him. His wife had been beautiful, he reminded himself. And, suddenly, the magic of the moment was gone.

      His mood was instantly changed. ‘Let’s have some lunch.’

      ‘Yes, I’m ravenous.’ Kathy had seen the swift change of mood in him and she knew why. Yet she daren’t open that particular conversation, for fear it might drive him further away. Instead she answered in light-hearted vein, ‘The sea air seems to have given me an appetite.’

      ‘So, what do you fancy?’

      ‘Let’s see … As you’re doing the cooking, I’ll have roast beef, Yorkshire pudding – oh, and an apple pie.’ She felt full up just saying it.

      He laughed. ‘I’ve got a bag of sandwiches, and some lemonade.’ He grimaced. ‘Sorry. It’s not much of a choice, is it?’

      Kathy smiled brightly. ‘That sounds wonderful to me.’

      In fact, Kathy thought everything was wonderful. Lazing here in this pretty bay, with the late summer sun shining down, and the sea sparkling all around them, was wonderful. More than that, just being here with him was the most wonderful thing of all.

      Watching her, Tom was torn. He longed to take her in his arms and ask her to be his wife, but always the same crippling memories held him back.

      He wanted Kathy, more than anything in this world, and yet too much of him was still back there … going over the cliff-edge, with the sound of his family screaming in terror. And, though he tried hard to put it behind him, it continued to haunt him day and night.

      Suddenly, Kathy was standing before him. He had been so steeped in those vivid, crippling images that he hadn’t even noticed her approaching. ‘Do you want to go back?’ Her voice was soft, gently soothing.

      Ashamed, he apologised. ‘I’m sorry.’

      Kathy wished with all her heart she could do something, but it wasn’t in her power. ‘Don’t be sorry,’ she urged. ‘I understand.’

      He wondered how anyone could understand, yet she really did seem to. It was the amazing way she lifted his spirits, and her genuine, heartfelt compassion, that made him love her all the more.

      Coming closer, he looked into her face and saw the anguish there. ‘I know how difficult it must be for you as well. But I meant what I said before,’ he promised. ‘I do love you. And our time will come.’

      She slid her hand into his. ‘I know.’

      His smile was tenderly intimate, yet teasing. ‘So, are you hungry?’

      ‘Starving … I told you! But I’ll get the sandwiches.’

      ‘Absolutely not!’ With a stern expression, he playfully demanded, ‘Who’s the captain on this ship … you or me?’

      ‘You, sir!’ She snapped her heels and saluted smartly.

      ‘Exactly,’ he laughed. ‘So sit yourself down and enjoy the view, while I get on with my duties.’

      Smiling happily, Kathy obeyed the order. It was all a game, and she was content to play along. She was with Tom, and nothing else mattered. But in the back of her mind, the questions never went away. Would he ever be free of those nightmares? Was there a future for them? Or would it all end in tears?

      After lunch they made their way further along the coast to the village of Lyme Regis. Here, they came ashore, and, hand-in-hand, they went off to explore the narrow streets. They walked along the Cobb and up to the cliff-tops, from where they could see the coastline stretching away in both directions. They held hands and ran and laughed like children; when he kissed her, she melted into his arms. Now, more than ever, she knew that was where she belonged.

      The hours passed and soon the daylight was fading. When evening began to draw in, he suggested reluctantly, ‘I think it’s time we went back.’

      Equally reluctant, Kathy agreed, pulling on her jumper as the air grew chillier. ‘Will you teach me to swim?’ she asked him on the way back, and Tom said he would.

      As they threaded their way along the coast, it started to rain. Tom fell silent. Kathy sensed his dark mood, but wisely said nothing. If he wanted to confide in her, he would, she thought.

      And to her relief, he did. The minute the boat was safely anchored in the harbour, he asked her to stay a while. ‘Wait till the rain stops,’ he said. ‘I’ll walk you home later.’

      ‘What is it, Tom?’ She always knew when he was troubled, but this time it was different somehow. ‘What’s wrong?’

      He shook his head from side to side as he fondly observed her. ‘You know me too well.’

      ‘So, there is something wrong?’ Afraid now, her stomach lurched. Was this where he told