The sound of the sea and smell of the seaweed brought a sense of well-being despite the past few days. Nothing had been as it had appeared. Her mind struggled to process everything and failed. Instead, she watched a child placing a rock on the tower of a sandcastle. The father beside her beamed. She had missed out on all of that but then she’d had Gramps. He’d built the sandcastles, cleaned the scraped knees, and held her hand when she was scared. And her father was Arash. It was a wonderful name and finally it was a part of her, that missing piece.

Her life at the moment was a bit like that sandcastle. It would last in that form until the tide returned. She would rebuild. Her life wouldn’t include Gran, but she would hold all the love she had given her. Lottie understood her mother a bit more, too. Gran had said she was complete by herself. Had she known? Her mother had never sought love again. She had thrown herself into her work, giving that her everything. Lottie flinched. That hurt but at least now she understood why.

Picking up a smooth flat stone she felt its weight. Would it skip far? Or would it sink on the first bounce?

Alex walked up to her. ‘Hi.’

‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ She gave him a slight smile to take the edge off her words. They hadn’t had a chance to speak with all things that had needed doing since Gran died.

‘Look, I’m sorry.’

‘You watched me trying to piece the whole thing together and you knew all along.’

He held up his hands. ‘It wasn’t my story to tell.’

She nodded and picked up a shell. ‘No, but I’m cross Gramps could share it with you and . . .’

He reached for her hand. ‘It wasn’t entirely his story to tell.’

Lottie looked at his hand holding hers. It could be years ago, as if life hadn’t happened. But it had.

Lacing his fingers through hers, he said, ‘If it makes it easier, he wouldn’t have told me either.’

She frowned.

‘When I was helping George with your grandmother, she would say things like she did when I was with you.’ He stepped closer. ‘George felt he should explain, knowing I would never say anything.’

‘Because of your background—’

‘In naval intelligence, yes.’

‘I see.’ The sun was catching the ripples in the water, creating sparkling explosions. It was blinding. She thought of Gran’s jewels, her work, her non-existent flat and she wondered what the hell was she going to do now.

‘Penny for them.’

‘Thinking about the disaster zone that is my personal life.’

‘Ah, you were keeping that a secret.’

‘Wouldn’t you?’ She shook her head. ‘I’d made such a mess of things again.’

‘But it’s not so bad now.’