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But had she left things too late? Pushed him away too often?

Unless she told him how she felt, she would never know – and she had to do it now and hang the consequences.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Matt had waved the last of the kids off and stayed to help wash out the wetsuits, a job no one relished but which had to be done.

Vince patted him on the back. ‘Hey, Matt, thanks for all your help and for staying all day. I know it wasn’t in your plans.’

‘You’re welcome, mate. I have to admit I enjoyed it.’

Vince chuckled. ‘You always used to … and I know you’re a busy man, but it would be great if you could find a couple of hours for us more often. You’ve already done a lot for the club but you were a natural with the kids. We need all the help we can get.’

‘If I can find the time, I will. I mean, I will try.’ He couldn’t say what he really felt: that it would torment him to stay in the area if Zennor and Trev ever got back together. He’d already had to listen to several parents and club members praising Trev’s donation to the youth squads.

Matt hated himself for feeling cynical and jealous and he would never wish for that vital funding to be cut off – so he’d smiled and nodded and focused on sharing a beer and a burger with some of the volunteers who’d set up their own barbecue on the beach.

One of the reasons he’d got so involved in the lifeguard drills – apart from thoroughly enjoying it – was that the activities demanded his whole focus. He didn’t have time to dwell on Zennor. However, now his duties were done and he should have been relaxing, all he could think about was her.

He assumed she was in the green-room marquee with Sybil and her other clients. There had been a brief lull in the entertainment while the stage was reconfigured for the band and fire show. The food stalls were busy and the RumJar distillery stand had a queue that only seemed to grow longer. The younger children, including Paul’s theatre school, had long gone home and only older teens were left.

The sun was sinking lower, becoming an orange ball in the sky.

Matt finished his burger and flipped open a can of Coke, wondering where Sybil was. The last he’d seen of her, she was sharing a G & T with some of the adult members of the theatre group after the pirate show. Matt had missed it because he’d been busy setting up the lifeguard drills and demos. Judging by the raucous applause, the show had gone well.

He scanned the terrace for Zennor again and his heart almost stopped.

She had her back to the rails, her long hair brushing her shoulders.

Trev’s hand rested on the small of her back and he was laughing so loudly Matt could hear him. He and Zennor were with some guy Matt had heard owned the RumJar distillery. His stomach knotted with jealousy.

He couldn’t cope with this. It wasn’t a healthy way to feel about anyone; he’d done the right thing to act cool with her earlier, even though it had almost killed him. He wasn’t a good thing for her. His threat to Sybil to leave Cornwall hadn’t been an idle one. He could not exist in the same space as Zennor and Trev. He should have known that when he moved back west.

Matt trudged off across the beach towards the sea; every step felt like treading on sharp stones. The music was much louder and the MC was warming up the audience. ‘Evening, everyone, we are back and, in a few minutes, I want you all to give a massive St Eia welcome to tonight’s headline act, the Driftstones.’

Cheers and applause rang out but Matt only wanted to see and hear the ocean and try to calm his confused thoughts. He didn’t know where he was heading other than away from the stage, from the people, and – if he could – from himself and his dark mood.

‘Matt!’

He sensed rather than heard someone behind him and, even before he had turned to see who it was, Zennor’s hand was on his arm.

Her hair had come loose and she was breathing hard as if she’d run after him.

But how and why would Zennor ever run after him?

She stopped suddenly, pink in the face. ‘Wait, p-please.’

He felt light-headed. She was more beautiful than he’d ever known.

He could have walked off, and he should have, but he was helpless in her power.

‘Is everything OK?’ he asked and dreaded her asking him the same.

‘Yes.’ She shoved her hands through her hair. ‘No. No, it’s not OK. It hasn’t been for a long time. For years. Matt, this has to be the worst timing ever.’

‘Hello, Sea Fever!’

The band were on stage and the volume had been amped up to the max. Lights flashed across the stage and swept over the audience. The sun had set and the sky was turning deepest sapphire.