What a day. He was totally knackered. Since their double act at the Chef’s Theatre, he hadn’t been able to talk to Sam properly again. In the end she’d been too busy to help him for his second afternoon session so one of the local chefs had stepped in. Their paths had crossed on and off during the day, but Gabe was naturally not her priority. He’d been a cat on a hot tin roof, expecting Ryan to materialise at any moment, like the creature from the black lagoon, right in front of Sam.

Gabe had stuck close to her at the festival concert, but thankfully, Ryan had kept clear. Her brother’s nerve in turning up at the Chef’s Theatre still amazed him. What was he playing at? The situation couldn’t continue.

Which was why Gabe had called him and why he was wearing out the expensive rug right now, waiting for Ryan to arrive up at Clifftop House. With Sam now back at her cottage, Gabe was pretty sure they could meet undisturbed. Even so, he’d asked Ryan to use the cliff path to avoid passing the Wavecrest.

Just as Gabe was beginning to think Ryan wouldn’t turn up, the intercom buzzed and Gabe answered it via his phone. ‘Hello, mate,’ a voice said through the speaker. ‘It’s me. Ryan.’

Gabe hesitated a moment before replying. ‘You’d better come in.’

Seconds later, he opened the door to a man who had changed the lives of so many people in Porthmellow all those years ago.

He hadn’t seen Ryan close up in the flesh for nearly a year. Since then, he’d cultivated a beard any Shoreditch hipster would be proud of, but Gabe didn’t hold it against him. He looked fitter and healthier than Gabe had seen him for a long time. He had Sam’s hazel eyes and slight build. Gabe vowed to keep a lid on his anger with Ryan, whatever the provocation.

‘Thanks for seeing me.’ Ryan looked around him wide-eyed. ‘Wow. I always wondered what this old pile was like inside. Impressive. You’ve fallen on your feet.’

‘I’m only renting it. The owner did it up.’ He led the way into the sitting room. Ryan crossed immediately to the window and looked outside. Gabe had left the balcony door open now the weather had improved.

Gabe stood behind him, arms folded. ‘Why did you come back to Porthmellow without warning me?’

Ryan scuffed the rug with his trainer and took his time before answering. ‘Probably because I knew you wouldn’t like it.’

‘Did you come back because I was here?’

‘Yeah. Partly. Bit of a coincidence in some ways though.’

‘I don’t believe in coincidences.’

Ryan nodded. ‘I should have warned you. I’d heard you were at the festival.’

‘Ryan. Everyone heard I was at the festival.’