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“You are most welcome.” Sterling pushes his seat back and crosses one leg over the other. “Will you walk with me?”

“Now?” I ask, looking around the bakery. There’s a couple at one of the bistro tables who must have come in while we were talking, and Kieran is at the counter plating up slices of carrot cake.

“When you’re done for the day.”

I take my phone from my pocket and check the time.

“I don’t close for a few more hours.”

Sterling smiles. “That’s okay. I’ll wait.” His eyes sparkle when he adds, “I like the view.”

I choke on a laugh, dipping my head to hide my widening grin.

“Yes, Sterling. I’ll walk with you.”

SIXTEEN

CASPIAN

“Good morning.”

The sun is rising, bathing the sky in shades of pinks, blues and purples. It’s set to be a beautiful day out on the cove, and since it’s Sunday, I don’t have anywhere pressing to be. Which is why I’m out here on the beach, dressed in joggers and walking boots.

“Good morning, Caspian,” Sterling says, turning towards me, a smile stretching across his face. He’s wearing a tight grey shirt and green cargo trousers with a pair of brown boots. “I see you brought company for our walk.” He nods his head behind me where Applesauce is climbing on a rock.

“I said she can walk down with me, but I’ll pop her in the paddock before we leave. I packed a picnic too.”

“Scones?” he asks.

“And bacon and egg muffins.”

Sterling grins. “Great. Now, let me show you something.”

We leave Applesauce and head towards the rockiest part of the beach, where a smooth slice of land sits nestled between large boulders. It’s here that the sea lions have set up their home.

Sterling jumps off a rock onto the sand, and I follow, stopping suddenly when my eyes fall on the small mammals nestled in a dug out burrow.

“There’s a baby!”

“A pup, yes,” he replies, kneeling on the sand. The mother eyes him, displaying her sharp canines, and he holds up his hands. I sidle up to Sterling and mirror his position. “And look here.” He points to a patch of sand littered with tiny shards of broken shells in an unusual baby blue shade. He gently lifts a piece and places it on the tip of his finger. I get a closer look, a gasp catching in my throat.

“It’s an egg shell.”

“It is. I found it this morning. It would seem this little pup hatched from it.”

I shake my head. “That’s impossible. Sea lions are mammals, they don’t lay eggs.”

“Unbelievable, but true. Let me show you.” Sterling holds his hand out to me and I place my palm in his, then let him pull me up. He leads me around a large boulder protruding from the sand. Behind it is a pair of sea lions, and sure enough, between them is a nest of three baby blue speckled eggs.

“No fucking way,” I remark, covering my mouth with my hand. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

Sterling is quiet for a moment, eyebrows furrowing before he says, “Not exactly like this, no.”

I kneel on the sand again, not getting too close to the eggs or their parents.

“How?”

“I don’t know.”