I opened my mouth to ask if he remembered me, then closed it again. Surely if he had felt the same glimmer of recognition when his eyes had first locked on mine, he would have acknowledged it, wouldn’t he? It would be mortifying if I asked if he remembered our beach hut encounter and he denied the whole thing. But then I had thought he looked surprised . . .

I pulled down the visor to check my hair and realized that his surprise, assuming I hadn’t imagined it, was more likely the result of being faced with my Alice Cooper eyes, than recognition. That would teach me for not properly washing off my mascara before bed. I rubbed off what I could with the very damp sleeve of the coat.

‘Here,’ he said, handing me a steaming cup. ‘I don’t know if you take sugar, but I’ve added one anyway. It’s supposed to be good for shock.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, wrapping my chilly hands around the warm cup and thinking, given the situation, he should have added two.

‘I am sorry about the dog,’ he said. ‘I had no idea he was going to do that.’

‘It’s all right,’ I said, although it very nearly hadn’t been.

‘I just wanted to get to you as quickly as possible and didn’t reckon on him knocking you for six,’ he explained. ‘I really thought you were going to jump.’

I supposed he could be forgiven for thinking that was what it had looked like.

‘No,’ I said, by way of explanation, ‘I was just trying to work out where the beach huts were.’

‘Far better to take a stroll along the beach to do that,’ he smiled, ‘and preferably not in a force nine gale.’

I wasn’t sure it really was that windy, but I was no expert and of course, he was right. It had been a rather risky manoeuvre.

‘Point taken,’ I smiled back, trying not to stare.

Years might have flitted by, but it was very definitely him. I would have recognized him, and his kissable lips, anywhere. I had hoped the mention of the beach huts might jog his memory.

‘You aren’t acquainted with the area then?’ he asked.

But apparently not. I was pleased I hadn’t said anything now.

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Well, if you were, you would know just how unstable the cliff edges are around here.’ He added seriously, ‘And you certainly wouldn’t have pulled off that little stunt.’

I might have been reacquainted with certain aspects of Wynmouth, but I wasn’t aware of that particular change. The cliffs had all been rock solid a few years ago.

‘Are you a local?’ I asked, keen to turn the conversation away from my foolish behaviour.

‘I used to be,’ he said, staring out of the window, ‘but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that now.’