A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley Page 0,108

a woman from the sailing centre, several sea cadets in their uniforms and half a dozen local fishermen, some still in their yellow waders. One of them was Craig Illogan, arms folded.

Tiff stood at the rear of the group with Dirk, both smiling.

‘What?’

Marina covered her mouth with her hands.

Gareth stepped forward. ‘We’ve come to persuade you to come back to work at the lookout station, boss,’ he said.

‘And we won’t take no for an answer until you agree,’ Trevor and Doreen piped up in unison.

‘We need you,’ everyone chorused.

‘We all need you,’ Dirk called.

‘The people of Porthmellow need you,’ the harbourmaster spoke up. ‘The holidaymakers, the sailors, the kite surfers and the divers …’

‘… the daft buggers who set sail in leaky dinghies, three sheets to the wind,’ said Troy.

Craig stepped forward. ‘And the fishermen,’ he said. ‘Thanks, Marina.’

‘Thank you, Craig,’ Marina managed, although her throat was almost too full to speak. It must have been devastating for him to discover that Nate had also willingly chosen to put him, a mate, through hell.

‘And us.’ A teenager emerged from the crowd with a huge bunch of flowers, followed by his parents. Marina recognised him as Jacob, the boy who had been rescued from the kayak. ‘Thanks for saving me and my dad,’ he said shyly, handing over the bouquet.

‘And for saving my life too,’ his mother added. ‘The lifeboat crew told us that you were the ones who tried to warn my husband and spotted that he and Jacob were missing. Please keep doing what you’re doing, even when it seems tough. It does matter, it does save lives, and we can never thank you enough.’

‘I’ve made a donation and so has my company,’ the man said. ‘It can never be enough but thank you from us all.’

Marina was going to reply but instead she could only burst into tears and let people hug her and shake her hand, one by one. She’d half hoped Lachlan might have appeared, but she’d told him in no uncertain terms that she needed a break, so why would he come?

Focusing on those who were there, she spoke up, her voice breaking. ‘Thank you so much. I’m more touched than you could ever know. I’m too choked up to say much but I promise I will come back to Wave Watchers as soon as I can,’ she said. ‘I mean it. Thank you.’

Satisfied, the throng began to leave and the street was empty again, save Tiff who followed Marina into the cottage. ‘I hope you didn’t mind the surprise,’ she said.

‘No,’ Marina said, still wiping her eyes. ‘Did you organise it?’

‘Me. No? I knew about it, but I didn’t arrange it.’

‘Who did then?’

‘I’m not sure … Dirk told me about it. Maybe one of the lifeboat crew or Gareth or Trevor and Doreen?’ Tiff shrugged. ‘Does it matter? The only important thing is that it’s made you think about returning to the Wave Watchers. Will you?’

Marina nodded. ‘Yes, I think I will.’ She thought about the crowd of people who’d spared their precious time to come to her doorstep and let her know how much the Wave Watchers meant to them and smiled. ‘After what just happened, how could I let my friends and neighbours down?’

Tiff patted her arm. ‘That’s the spirit. Now, shall I make you a nice strong coffee and then help you write an email to the Wave Watchers saying you’re going back?’

Marina laughed. ‘I won’t say no to the coffee but you don’t need to supervise me. I promise I’ll message them now.’ While Tiff put the kettle on, Marina opened her laptop, but she couldn’t help thinking that someone had organised this morning’s gathering, and, despite her protestations, it surely had to have been Tiff. Had Lachlan not heard about it? Or did he know and had taken her at her word and kept his distance? If so, she had only herself to blame.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Summer felt like a distant memory when Tiff called into the Harbour Café for an espresso. The autumn landscape was as beautiful as ever, with the trees tinged with russet and the holiday crowds thinning. Even the increased potato-lorry traffic struck her as a charming quirk of country life.

She’d called Yvette the morning after she’d got home from Dirk’s and finally accepted the job.

Yvette had shocked her by asking if she could start work within the next two weeks. Tiff had been in tears when she’d broken the news to Marina, but her cousin was