Thanks!' I watch Helen start packing her bag, then trying to sound as casual as I can ask: 'Have you spoken to Reuben today?'

She looks startled. 'No, why should I?'

'I don't know, yesterday you sounded a bit vague about where he was, I was just wondering if everything was okay.'

'Everything's fine. Really. He's great.'

'Oh good.'

'Has Alex got a girlfriend?'

'What?' Again she looks caught out.

'You know, Alex from The California Club.'

Keeping her eyes firmly on her bag she replies: 'Yeah, I think he has, actually. You don't fancy him, do you?'

There's no easy answer to that so instead I go straight to: 'What's she like, his girlfriend?'

'Oh, I don't really know her.'

'Pretty?'

'Nothing special. But he's more about the person than looks. Anyway, I'd better jump in the shower. Are you hungry?'

'Always,' I call after her then roll over on to my back to contemplate the pink-beamed ceiling one last time.

What the h.e.l.l is going on?

Chapter 36.

Copper Cafe the sequel. Only this time we're in one of the booths featuring a mural of bearded fellas and wagons at harvest time. My girls are all present, if a little hunched and heavy-lidded, but Elliot and Elise have yet to arrive. I feel sick with antic.i.p.ation. I wonder if he's breaking it to her now. And she's breaking down ...

'I'm ravenous!' Zo scans the breakfast menu. 'I think I'm going to have a starter and a main course.'

I'm way ahead of you, I think to myself.

'Are we going to wait to order?' Sasha asks our leader, Helen.

'I think we may as well go ahead hold on! Here they are now!'

As the Es walk towards us, my eyes scrabble over them looking for clues. They both look rough, but then we all do. Elise's eyes are red-rim free. Bad sign. And she's still wearing her engagement ring. That says it all. My heart plummets. Nothing has changed. It was just a moment of drunken madness a birthday kiss that went awry. As I sink into a dungeon of disappointment I'm aware that there's a waitress by my side but due to the rushing in my ears I can't hear what she's saying. I feel her hand on my shoulder and look up. It's Amoret.

'I was just asking: Did you find them all right?' she repeats, filling my coffee cup.

Uh-oh. 'Yes! Yes, I did! Thank you!' I gabble, praying she doesn't follow up with any giveaway surf comments. That's all I need.

'Oop, that's me done!' Her last trickle of coffee drips into Sasha's cup. 'Excuse me a moment while I get a refill.'

Please let that be the end of the conversation.

'What were you looking for?' Elise asks.

She would, wouldn't she?

'Um, I just wanted to get a couple of these goblets to take home.' I c.h.i.n.k my gla.s.s with my ring. 'She directed me to the gift shop.'

'Oooh! Shopping!' Zo perks up. 'I haven't been yet, what sort of things have they got?'

I dodge her question with a suggestion: 'Why don't we take a quick look now?' I have to get away from the table. Away from Elliot.

'Can you give her our order?' Zo checks with Helen.

'Tell me what you want.' Helen is a mistress of efficiency even with sand between her toes. She whips out a pen.

'I'd like the Roman beauty apple, the Swiss sausage frittata and a hot cocoa.'

'Flavor?'

Zo checks her options. 'Chocolate mint. With cream.'

A collective. 'Ewwww!'

'What?' Zo is indignant.

'Lara?' Helen's pen is poised.

I can't possibly eat a thing my stomach is in knots but I don't want to cause a scene by saying 'nothing, thanks!' so I mutter, 'I'll have the breakfast sundae-'

'What's that?' Elise barks, obviously concerned I might be getting something better than her.

'Fruit, yogurt and granola,' I read, aware that Elliot is trying to catch my eye. I just can't look at him. 'And a gla.s.s of b.u.t.termilk!' I blurt, as if coming over all Little House on the Prairie will make everything all right.

'Got it!' Helen nods.

Once outside the restaurant I quickly divert Zo to the front door and gasp at the fresh air.

'Lara, you all right?'

'I'm just having a wave,' I clutch my throat.

'b.a.s.t.a.r.d hangovers. You know we'll soon be at that age where you daren't drink for fear of the morning after. Take another breath.'

I wish I could tell Zo what's really going on but I can't risk her storming in and punching Elliot. She'd be so mad at him for not following through. Maybe he's discovered Elise is dying. Or maybe he decided to hold off until The California Club week is complete. I get a sudden surge of hope. It's possible, isn't it? If he'd terminated their engagement this morning she surely would have stormed off, maybe even flown straight back to Manchester and that would have blown it for everyone ... Maybe he's just biding his time.

'Feeling any better?' Zo asks.

'Much.' I nod. 'Let's go in.'

I'm not giving up on him yet. I've come this far. Gotta have faith.

'Appliqued jumpers!' Zo coos as we enter the gift shop/boutique. 'Oh, look at this one with the dachshunds on!'

I join her fondling of the chenille.

'I like this one with the satin ballet shoes!' Oddly I really do. It's so easy to mock people that wear these themed, seasonal sweaters but I can't help thinking that someone who can wear a jumper decorated with sequined reindeer probably has a better sense of humor than we realize.

We move on to the T-shirts, where a design featuring a gold lame bucket and spade puts me in mind of this morning's beach mystery ... I decide to casually throw a question Zo's way.

'You know before we got here, did Helen tell you much about her fella?'

Zo thinks for a moment. 'Not really. I think it was a case of "You'll see for yourself soon enough!'''

'So nothing about his job, for example?'

'I'm sure she said he was a bit of an entrepreneur but I don't remember her saying anything specific.' Zo moves on to the blouses and two-pieces. 'Little Sofia from the dance floor would feel right at home here, it's like the wardrobe from The Golden Girls!' she chuckles at the shoulder pads and drapey co-ordinates.

'Have you ever seen a picture of him?' I continue.

'Reuben? No. I imagine he's pretty s.e.xy. And lean. Surfers don't tend to be blubbery, do they? Oh look here's the gla.s.ses!' She leads me round the corner. 'Which ones are you getting?'

I opt for the amber and a periwinkle blue.

'How can you not get pink?' Zo tuts, picking the pale rose and one with an oil-slick shimmer effect.

We clink over to the till, where I add a pack of pink golfb.a.l.l.s for my Mum. While they wrap our wares, Zo flicks through the counter copy of my Madonna Inn book, pausing on the wedding page.

'Would you get married here?' she asks.

'In a heartbeat.'

'It looks like it would be worth it for the cake alone,' Zo coos. 'I'm so hungry!'

'Do you think Helen's going to marry her guy?' I try to bring up the subject one last time.

'I wouldn't be surprised. She does sound head-over-heels.'

'Don't you think it's funny that we haven't been introduced to him yet?'

'Not really,' Zo shrugs. 'We were only in San Diego for one night. I'm sure when we get back there we'll meet him.'

I'm dying to tell Zo that I think we already have, and reveal what I saw at Pismo, but don't want to go causing trouble or unsettling anyone until I find out a bit more about what is going on. But how am I going to do that from Big Sur? I heave a sigh. I'll burst if I have to keep one more secret!

With very little conversation to interrupt our eating, breakfast takes just a matter of minutes. It'll soon be time to leave. I just need to engineer a moment alone with Elliot before we go our separate ways...

'Last chance for a wee before we hit the road!' Helen a.k.a. Brown Owl announces as we throw down our serviettes.

Go, Elise wee! But only Sasha and Zo take her up on the offer, leaving me to wander out to the parking lot with the Es.

'One more night and we can be properly together again.' Elise gives Elliot a claustrophobic cuddle. 'After that I'm not going to let you out of my sight for a single second!'

Almost immediately he untangles himself from her arms.

'Um Elise, do you mind? I need a word with Lara alone.'

She looks like she's been slapped. I'm pretty shocked myself I didn't expect such a direct approach from either of us.

'We'll just be two minutes,' he urges.

Glowering at me as if it's my fault, Elise stalks off.

When she's out of view, Elliot gingerly looks into my eyes and asks.

'How are you feeling?'

I don't know if he's enquiring after my hangover or checking to see if our starlit pa.s.sion is still a viable commodity the morning after, so I begin with a smile and a neutral, 'Okay. And you?'

He smiles back. 'That was quite a dance last night.'

'Mmmm,' I concur, still waiting for some clarity. I daren't go first. It's up to him to state his intentions. He's the one with a dangling fiancee.

'Listen, I've been thinking about the B&B,' he begins.

The B&B? What about me? What about us? Still, I'm listening.

'Maybe I do have the money to help you.'

'What?' I laugh. 'Did you win the lottery overnight?'

'No.' He shakes his head and takes a nervous breath. 'But if I didn't buy this house with Elise ...'

'You would be short one marital home,' I finish his sentence for him.

'What if I didn't need one?' He looks intensely at me. 'What if I didn't get married? Not to Elise, anyway.'

My heart does a loop-the-loop then everything goes black. For a split-second I think I've fainted but then I realize someone has their hands over my eyes. The p.r.i.c.kly kiss on the neck is the giveaway.

'Joel!' I gasp.

Before I can even turn around he's swept me up into a body-compressing hug.