‘Emma, when I didn’t come back for all those months …’

He had her full attention now.

‘I wanted to, but I was with someone. That day, I was down there on the beach, just thinking about it all.’

Emma felt a jolt of shock. So, there was someone else involved. She really didn’t know this guy, did she?

‘We’d had Christmas together,’ he continued. ‘We were staying in a cottage just outside of Warkton. It was meant to be romantic and special, a chance to chill out and relax, but it turned into a bit of a nightmare. I had to get out that morning, get some air, do some thinking. I knew inside that the relationship was wrong, that we weren’t going anywhere. But it seemed pretty cruel to jack it all in just before Christmas, so I went along with it. But the holiday wasn’t great, just went to prove how far apart we were. Different values, different goals …’

‘But, you kissed me – and you were with someone then?’ It started to sink in. All the while, her lovely memories of that kiss, and he’d been seeing someone at the time.

‘I know. It took me by surprise too that day. Meeting you … you were just so different, like a breath of fresh air. Like I’d dreamed you up or something crazy. It just proved, even more so, that I had to finish it. I was all set to tell her. But when I got back to the cottage, I found her in pieces – she’d just had a call from her mum. Her dad had been rushed to hospital. He’d had a stroke.’ Max paused.

‘Oh no, I’m so sorry.’

‘It’s okay, he made it through, thank heavens. I was fond of them, her parents. Still am. And so I couldn’t do it. How could I tell her then? So I stayed, pretended we were fine, supported her through it.’ Max stared at the flickering orange flames of the fire. ‘He’s a lot better now. A few months in, when her father was recovering back at home, when he was stable and we knew he was going to be okay, then that’s when I told her we were over. I couldn’t pretend any more. It was still bloody awful doing it, though.’

Emma had never had to break up with anyone, had never had to hurt someone like that. ‘I can imagine that was hard.’

Max did seem a nice bloke, but this was more complicated than she’d realised. Even without her own troubles.

‘Would it be all right to take your number?’ he asked.