Daniel sighed and put his hands on Charlie’s shoulders. ‘Very, very carefully,’ he said, and in the quiet that followed, all Hannah could hear was the roar of the sea as it crashed against the shore and the rocks, its assault on Porthgolow unrelenting.

Chapter Six

The last of the food trucks had driven off the sand, leaving the beach empty but for the Cornish Cream Tea bus. Waves raced angrily up the shore, shattering and frothing, then receding to start all over again, while the wind whipped the sand up, twisting it into shapes – almost like ghosts, Hannah thought wryly.

Marmite was asleep, oblivious to the drama unfolding outside the window, but Hannah and Charlie stood, transfixed, watching Daniel and Noah struggle across the beach, pushing into the wind as they made their way towards Reenie’s fairytale cottage.

‘They’ll be fine,’ Charlie said with a determined nod. It sounded as if she was trying to convince herself as much as Hannah. And it wasn’t Hannah’s boyfriend out there, but that didn’t stop her wanting to run outside and bring them back, bring Noah back into the warm, with an almost feverish desperation.

‘They’re stubborn, egotistical men,’ Hannah replied, trying to lighten the mood. ‘Of course they’ll be fine.’

When Daniel had explained his plan, Charlie had protested, saying she made the journey more frequently than the others, that she should go with Daniel and Noah should stay, but she’d been overruled. She’d told Hannah she’d only conceded so as not to prolong their journey.

‘At least Noah’s used to Cornish terrain,’ Hannah continued. ‘He goes running a lot. He’s probably as nimble as a mountain goat.’ She was watching their progress like a hawk, her phone in her hand, ready to call for help if they got into trouble, or if they couldn’t get Reenie back easily.

‘You’re worried about him,’ Charlie said, shooting her a glance.

Hannah kept her eyes on the window as Daniel and Noah reached the narrow, precarious path that wound its way along the rocks to Reenie’s house. ‘He’s my colleague. A friend. I’m worried about Daniel, too. I want them all to get back safely.’

‘They will,’ Charlie said. ‘And when they do I’m going to give Daniel hell for playing the “man” card.’

‘And I’m going to …’ Apologize to Noah. Try my hardest not to put my arms around him.

‘What?’ Charlie prompted.

Hannah shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

She was holding her breath as they neared the house. The huge waves crashed against the rocks, and she knew that even without the rain they would have been soaked through. But they made good progress, their heads down, determined, and after what seemed like hours – days, even – they reached Reenie’s cottage. Hannah saw them huddled against the front door for a moment, then they disappeared inside.

She let out a long breath and exchanged a smile with Charlie. They were safe, for now.