‘Yes,’ Anna said. ‘Only the South Island, but I loved it. We went mainly for wine country – my ex was filming part of a series there. I remember thinking I’d happily live there permanently if it weren’t so far away. My dad was alive then, but it would have been too far for him to visit.’

Liam nodded. ‘Yeah. People say that a lot.’

‘So this trip around Europe is a last bout of freedom before settling down?’

He grinned. ‘Something like that. It was my mum’s idea, actually. She wanted me to see the world. I think she was worried that if I didn’t, I’d regret it later on.’

Anna smiled. ‘You ended up in a pretty tiny corner of it.’

‘I know,’ he laughed. ‘I don’t even know why I came back for this season. I could have stayed on the Continent. The fishing suits me, I guess. I’m better at being outside. And there are good people here.’

‘There are,’ she agreed.

‘Good cooks, too.’

‘Oh yes, I can break eggs with the best of them.’ She poured him more wine.

Liam sighed and leaned back against the chair. ‘I always loved this place from the outside. I’m so glad it’s as cute inside, too.’

They were quiet for a few moments. Anna watched his face, at the way his eyes studied the bookcases in the ceiling, the colourful spines of her many cookbooks. He had surprised her by being better – and quieter – company than she’d anticipated. She’d expected him to be fun – and he was, he’d made her laugh a lot. But here, in the Fishergirl’s Luck, he seemed more contemplative, more serious, somehow. Part of her wondered if that was deliberate, as if he were trying to show her a different side of himself, and if that was the case she was surprised he would bother, or think it necessary.

Liam moved, caught her watching him and raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes laughing at her. Anna smiled and looked down at her glass.

‘I’m trying to work out what you’re doing here, Liam Harper, taking up space on my floor.’

He looked at his watch. ‘I guess it’s late. Should I go?’

‘That’s not—’ she paused, then smiled again, aware of how what she was about to say would sound. ‘That’s not what I meant. You don’t have to go. I just… I don’t know why you’re here at all.’

‘I like you, and I got the impression you liked me,’ he said, simply. ‘That’s all. I wanted to know you better.’

‘You could have asked me to go out for a drink with you instead of turning up at my door in a gale.’