A couple of hours later and the revelers had drifted home, the band and the makeshift bar were dismantled, and the little beach fires had been doused and the wet wood piled into the back of Paul’s pickup. The beach was cold and dark and still, and it was hard to believe that there had ever been a party; if it weren’t for the presence of Max and the boys, Annie might have thought she’d imagined it all. John had made himself scarce ever since Max’s arrival. He’d popped in briefly to say good-bye and tell her what time he was dropping Alfred off the next day.

“Come and see me after,” said Annie. “Tell me how it went.”

“I will. I promise you, if there’s any sign that he’s not okay, I won’t leave him.”

“I know you won’t. You don’t have to go just because Max is here.”

“He seems to want to talk to you. Let’s leave our book tonight; The Woman in Black can wait. Truth be told, it’s scaring the shit out of me anyway. I’ll let you sort out whatever you need to with Max.”

John’s understanding made Annie like him even more.

“It’s all hot air, you know,” she said. “He’s not a man of great substance. Puddles have greater depth.”

John smiled.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, when I haven’t got your husband’s beady eyes trained on me.”

John bent and kissed her cheek, lingering longer than necessary. Annie breathed in the scent of him, felt the warmth of him on her skin, and wished she could pull him to her and stay like that, just the two of them, wrapped in one another’s arms. He pulled away and looked at her for a beat too long and then he left.

Chapter 76

Max took the mop out of Annie’s hands.

“I’ll do that,” he said. “You crack on with cashing up.”

“You haven’t mopped a floor since 2002,” said Annie.

“I’m a changed man. You’ll find out if you give me half a chance.”

Annie shook her head and began counting receipts. Alex, Greg, and Peter were upstairs; she could hear the rumble of their laughter through the floorboards.

“Do you like him?” Max asked.

“Who?”

“That John.”

“Yes. I do like that John. Very much.”

They worked for a while longer in a silence that felt laden with unspoken truths.

“This place is great, Annie.”

“Thanks,” she said idly, totaling up the day’s takings.

“You wouldn’t have to give it up if we gave us another try. It could be the perfect setup.”

Annie looked up.

“What are you talking about, Max?”