‘Okay.’ Jake gave him a searching look. He knew that since Luna had died, Drew had given up the responsibility of teaching, and had only gone into the water with experienced divers. But he said nothing.
‘Is that all agreed, then?’ Drew pushed his fears to the back of his mind. He really needed to get back into the water, and this was a great opportunity. Jake was the best instructor he knew, patient and knowledgeable, and very thorough. Nothing bad was going to happen to Caro. This was an opportunity that no one should miss.
‘Yep.’ Jake grinned at Caro. ‘Monday at nine, then? If you want to come here, I’ll give you a lift up to the pool.’
Caro nodded, smiling suddenly. ‘Thanks. I’m really looking forward to it.’
* * *
Drew had made his mind up not to phone Jake. But Jake knew him too well and phoned him instead, launching exactly into what Drew wanted to hear.
‘Has your lady got a photographic memory or something? I got the distinct impression this morning that she had the whole of the manual off by heart.’
‘She’s not my anything. We just work together.’ Expressing his relief that Caro had actually read the manual, and absorbed all of the information, might suggest that Drew had entertained the thought that Caro did anything by halves.
Jake chuckled. ‘She’s a bit too good for you, mate.’
Shorthand for ‘Caro would be perfect for you’. Drew had told Jake the very same thing when he’d first set eyes on his wife, and Jake
had upped his game significantly in response. Drew had no game left.
‘Caro’s only interest is her work.’ Jake knew what that meant. He’d known Luna.
‘Well, she swims like a fish, and she pays attention to every detail. Just thought you might like to know. She’s solid, Drew, and she doesn’t compromise on safety.’
‘Yeah. Thanks.’ Drew considered mentioning to Jake that he might like to throw in something unexpected to gauge Caro’s reaction but he was an experienced instructor, and he knew how to test his students.
‘I’ll catch you later, then...’ Drew heard the sound of Jake’s son in the background and knew he had to go.
‘Soon. We’ll go down to the Hungry Pelican for a pint.’
‘Definitely. Tell Caro that Ollie loves the tortoises. Gotta go...’
The call ended abruptly, and Drew smiled, dropping his phone on the sofa. Caro would be ready—Jake would see to that. And his own doubts about going diving again were receding in the face of wanting to show Caro a part of the world that he loved. For the first time in a long time he was beginning to shake off his fears and look forward.
‘Want to go for a walk, Phoenix?’
Phoenix twitched her nose. An early evening walk probably didn’t sound so fabulously exciting when you were already curled up in front of the grate. Drew got to his feet, automatically reaching for his stick and then changing his mind.
‘We’ll just go a little way. I’ll try leaving the stick at home this time...’
CHAPTER EIGHT
CARO HAD BEEN through her training, and she was ready. Jake had told her she’d be fine. All the same, a little quiver of excited uncertainty had been making her heart pump faster ever since she’d woken up this morning.
She’d carried all her diving equipment down the stone steps and across the beach to her car. Living here did have its disadvantages, even if the tides did provide her with the solitude she needed to work. But Drew and Jake didn’t see water as any obstacle, and while that was reassuring in someone who was teaching you how to dive, it was rather more challenging when it applied to Drew. More than once she’d woken in the night and wondered what it might be like to look out of her window and see a glimmer of light out to sea as a rowing boat carried him towards her.
Night thoughts. It was the morning now, and Drew was just a friend. If trusting him enough to continue her study alone on Wednesday had been a challenge, then trusting him to take her diving was a piece of cake. There was no need to wonder about the inconsistencies of that, because life could be complicated and inconsistent at times. That was why she liked robots.
She arrived early at the small jetty that was attached to the diving centre and saw Drew walking towards her car to meet her. He was windblown and cheerful, wearing a drysuit with a pair of deck shoes and a windcheater. The stick seemed incongruous next to the spring in his step.
‘Hi. Ready to go?’
‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’
‘Got your papers from Jake?’
Jake had bet her another one of the tortoises that Drew would want to see them, and Caro had already paid up. She pulled the list of topics covered and Jake’s scores out of her pocket and gave them to him.