A Sea Change Read Online Free PDF

the height of summer, you had to find a parking space by nine o’clock or you had no hope. The pavements were crowded with people heading to the beach, lugging their beach bags, buckets, spades and body boards. It was a nightmare getting through, dodging pushchairs and dogs on leads, but Jenna kept her head down and pushed on. In the end, she walked in the road, because it was easier. The traffic was so slow that she was unlikely to get run over. She didn’t think about what she was going to do. She had no choice, she told herself – over and over.
    She passed the Ship Aground, the pub in the middle of Everdene where everyone hung out. There was a huge poster outside, advertising their end-of-season pop-singing competition. The first prize was a hundred pounds. For a moment, Jenna hesitated. Her friends werealways trying to persuade her to enter competitions like this. They were always telling her she had an amazing voice, but she didn’t have the confidence. It was one thing mucking about in the ice-cream kiosk, but it was quite another walking out on stage.
    Anyway, even if she did enter, and even if she won, what then? She’d have a hundred quid in her pocket, but that wasn’t enough to live on or to pay the rent she owed. Her current plan was going to make her more money. She turned away and walked on.
    As she passed the coffee shop in the arcade at the top of the beach, she realised that she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since she’d left the ice-cream kiosk yesterday afternoon. She pulled out the last of her change and estimated she had enough for a cup of tea. With three sugars in it, it might keep her going for a while. She ducked inside and ordered a takeaway cup. As she paid and turned to leave, she was just taking off the plastic lid when she bumped straight into a man heading for the counter.
    Luckily she hadn’t been holding the cup close to her, or it would have spilled all down her front. Instead, it went all over the floor.
    ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’ The man putout his hand and touched her arm. ‘Are you OK?’
    ‘I’m fine,’ said Jenna, looking up, right into the most incredible eyes. Eyes that were silver-grey, with the longest lashes she had ever seen on a man – and set in a kind face, too.
    ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going . . .’
    ‘Neither was I.’ She managed a laugh. Wow! This guy was really good-looking, she thought. There were always a lot of good-looking guys in Everdene, but he was even hotter than most. He had dark curly hair, cropped close, and was lean and muscular in his T-shirt and faded jeans.
    ‘Let me get you another.’ He looked at her, his dark brows meeting in a frown. ‘Seriously. Go and sit down and I’ll bring you one over.’
    Jenna bit her lip, thinking how wonderful it would be to sit down while he brought her a fresh drink. Then she remembered what she was doing here, and realised that today of all days she didn’t want to bring attention to herself. The last thing she needed was to strike up conversation with a handsome stranger who might remember her.
    ‘It’s OK. It’s fine. I’m in a hurry. Honestly. I have to go.’
    She smiled and walked away as quickly as shecould, throwing her empty cup into the nearest bin.
    Eventually Jenna made it onto the sand. The tide was in, which meant at the moment there was little room for people to set up camp. As the sea inched out again, the visitors began to spread out their rugs, putting up their windbreaks and laying out all the things they needed for the day. The sun grew ever more sparkling, welcoming the crowds with its rays.
    Jenna spread out her towel at the bottom of the bank beneath the beach huts. She’d chosen her pitch carefully. She wanted to be on the edge of the crowds, so she could watch, but she didn’t want to stand out. Everyone was so busy having a good time that they weren’t going to notice her.

Chapter Five
    Craig noticed Jenna straight away.
    She was the girl he’d bumped