still carrying the box.
‘Are you all right? It didn’t hurt you?’
It was the man she’d bumped into at the flats.
She burst out laughing. ‘Oh, they’ll never believe me when I go back to England. I’ve been mugged by a pelican.’ The more she thought about it, the more she laughed, and he did too.
Then her stomach rumbled and reminded her of why she was sitting there. ‘I’d better go and get something else to eat. I’m ravenous.’
‘Since you’re a visitor to our town and a resident has stolen your lunch, would you allow another resident to buy you a replacement?’ He swept a bow. ‘James Brennan at your service.’
‘Oh. Well, that’s very kind. But there’s no need.’
His disappointment showed clearly. ‘I’d enjoy some company, but I’ll not impose myself on you.’ He turned to leave.
‘No, wait! I’d enjoy some company too. But I’ll buy my own meal.’
She felt a bit shy as they walked back to the café strip, but the sun was shining and he had an infectious smile.
‘Let’s eat indoors,’ he said. ‘You’ve caught the sun a bit today.’
‘That’s because I haven’t got my daughter here to tell me off and nag me into the shade. I do love to feel the sun on my face.’
‘Are you staying with your daughter?’
‘I have been. She lives up in Perth. It’s the first time I’ve been abroad since my husband died. Do you really live here in Mandurah all the time? How wonderful that must be.’
‘I love it. Look, this is a good café. I’m a regular here and I promise you their chicken is much nicer than the fast food stuff.’
He took her to a table by the window, from which they could see the estuary and the boats going up and down it: big ones, little ones, and suddenly a group of fins.
‘Dolphins!’ she exclaimed, leaning forward. ‘Oh, how wonderful! Dolphins and pelicans in one day.’
They lingered over the meal, finding they had a lot in common: films, music, a love of the sea. When they eventually left the restaurant he hesitated. ‘I’ve really enjoyed your company. May I see you again?’
She felt suddenly shy. It’d been nearly forty years since a man had asked her for a date – and that man had become her husband. She was so out of practice at what to reply, she settled for the plain, unvarnished truth. ‘I’d like that. I’ve enjoyed your company too.’
‘I’ll walk you back to the flats. How about a trip out for lunch at a restaurant up the river tomorrow?’
She beamed at him. Even Jan couldn’t say that was unsafe as a first date, if she ever told her daughter, which she probably wouldn’t. ‘I’d love to do that.’
‘I’ll pick you up at ten o’clock.’ He pulled a card out. ‘Here’s my phone number and address.’
‘I’ve got a mobile. My daughter bought it for me, just a very basic one. I’ll give you my number, too, in case you change your mind.’
‘I won’t.’
His smile made her feel breathless.
That evening Sarah sat on the balcony again, sipping her wine, then went inside and tried to read a book of Jan’s that she’d borrowed. But it was a dreary tale, even if it had won a literary prize. Thank goodness for the magazines someone else had left in the flat. She settled down to a crossword.
When her mobile phone rang, she saw it was Jan and nearly didn’t answer. But if she didn’t, her daughter might come rushing down to check on her, so she picked it up.
She loved Jan dearly, but she and her husband were so earnest about life. They stared at her sometimes when she laughed at things.
The next day was even hotter. Sarah wore a light summer dress. She didn’t even think of taking a cardigan because there wasn’t a single cloud in the blue sky.
There was a knock on her door at ten o’clock and she opened it to James’s smiling face.
‘We can walk to the jetty if those pretty sandals are comfortable enough,’ he said.
‘They are and I love walking.’
The boat was large, capable of taking about
‘Are you all right? It didn’t hurt you?’
It was the man she’d bumped into at the flats.
She burst out laughing. ‘Oh, they’ll never believe me when I go back to England. I’ve been mugged by a pelican.’ The more she thought about it, the more she laughed, and he did too.
Then her stomach rumbled and reminded her of why she was sitting there. ‘I’d better go and get something else to eat. I’m ravenous.’
‘Since you’re a visitor to our town and a resident has stolen your lunch, would you allow another resident to buy you a replacement?’ He swept a bow. ‘James Brennan at your service.’
‘Oh. Well, that’s very kind. But there’s no need.’
His disappointment showed clearly. ‘I’d enjoy some company, but I’ll not impose myself on you.’ He turned to leave.
‘No, wait! I’d enjoy some company too. But I’ll buy my own meal.’
She felt a bit shy as they walked back to the café strip, but the sun was shining and he had an infectious smile.
‘Let’s eat indoors,’ he said. ‘You’ve caught the sun a bit today.’
‘That’s because I haven’t got my daughter here to tell me off and nag me into the shade. I do love to feel the sun on my face.’
‘Are you staying with your daughter?’
‘I have been. She lives up in Perth. It’s the first time I’ve been abroad since my husband died. Do you really live here in Mandurah all the time? How wonderful that must be.’
‘I love it. Look, this is a good café. I’m a regular here and I promise you their chicken is much nicer than the fast food stuff.’
He took her to a table by the window, from which they could see the estuary and the boats going up and down it: big ones, little ones, and suddenly a group of fins.
‘Dolphins!’ she exclaimed, leaning forward. ‘Oh, how wonderful! Dolphins and pelicans in one day.’
They lingered over the meal, finding they had a lot in common: films, music, a love of the sea. When they eventually left the restaurant he hesitated. ‘I’ve really enjoyed your company. May I see you again?’
She felt suddenly shy. It’d been nearly forty years since a man had asked her for a date – and that man had become her husband. She was so out of practice at what to reply, she settled for the plain, unvarnished truth. ‘I’d like that. I’ve enjoyed your company too.’
‘I’ll walk you back to the flats. How about a trip out for lunch at a restaurant up the river tomorrow?’
She beamed at him. Even Jan couldn’t say that was unsafe as a first date, if she ever told her daughter, which she probably wouldn’t. ‘I’d love to do that.’
‘I’ll pick you up at ten o’clock.’ He pulled a card out. ‘Here’s my phone number and address.’
‘I’ve got a mobile. My daughter bought it for me, just a very basic one. I’ll give you my number, too, in case you change your mind.’
‘I won’t.’
His smile made her feel breathless.
That evening Sarah sat on the balcony again, sipping her wine, then went inside and tried to read a book of Jan’s that she’d borrowed. But it was a dreary tale, even if it had won a literary prize. Thank goodness for the magazines someone else had left in the flat. She settled down to a crossword.
When her mobile phone rang, she saw it was Jan and nearly didn’t answer. But if she didn’t, her daughter might come rushing down to check on her, so she picked it up.
She loved Jan dearly, but she and her husband were so earnest about life. They stared at her sometimes when she laughed at things.
The next day was even hotter. Sarah wore a light summer dress. She didn’t even think of taking a cardigan because there wasn’t a single cloud in the blue sky.
There was a knock on her door at ten o’clock and she opened it to James’s smiling face.
‘We can walk to the jetty if those pretty sandals are comfortable enough,’ he said.
‘They are and I love walking.’
The boat was large, capable of taking about
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