Brighton Beckons

Chapter 3

Early in the morning on New Years Eve, Kate Wilding steeled herself for the long drive to Brighton. She still couldn't quite believe what she was doing. Her shaky hands clutched the steering wheel tightly as she drove out of the Midsomer district and onto the main freeway heading south.

The other night it had all seemed so simple and straight forward! Go down to Brighton and find Ben…then she would see how things panned out from there. Charlie was the only one who knew about her plans and Kate swore him to secrecy. News of this nature would quickly spread around the Causton CID and so she wanted to be as discreet as possible until she knew one way or the other about how Ben felt.

She had no idea where his apartment in Brighton was, but she did know that he was working out of the same CID station to which John Barnaby had made his name. As she grew closer to her destination, Kate's overactive mind plagued her with varying scenarios; however, as she would soon discover, none of these options would come close to her actual reunion with Ben.

…

That same morning, Ben had decided to go and have some fun at the Amusement Arcades along the Brighton Palace Pier. Over the past few days, he had nutted out various plans of attack in the hope of catching up with Kate. However, none of these schemes satisfied him. Perhaps he was over-thinking it all? In that light, Ben opted to clear his head with a bracing walk along the famous Pier. He hoped the fresh air would help clarify his thinking. As he walked, he watched different couples nestling close into each other's arms, as they strolled up and down the promenade. He felt a pang of loneliness wash over him, but it only served to make him more determined than ever to address his deep feelings for Kate.

…

Instead of driving directly to the CID Station, Kate felt the urge to stretch her legs which had been cooped up for hours. Therefore, she opted to go somewhere her parents had often taken her when she was a small girl. Sure enough, the Brighton Palace Pier was just as she remembered it. Albeit it, with a wintery façade. Despite the icy weather, the sun had managed to shine through the clouds and Kate welcomed its warmth on her face. As she began her stroll along the Pier, she noted that the wintery weather had kept many people away from the hotspot tourist destination. About half-way along, she paused to lean against the rail. She glanced back at the city skyline running parallel to the shoreline. Even though she was a city girl, born and bred, being stationed in the countryside for as long as she had been, meant that the urban vibe of Brighton felt strangely foreign.

Resuming her stroll, Kate approached the first section of the Amusement Arcade. The carnival lights and sounds were just as she had remembered from all those years ago. Suddenly, as she turned into a side show alley, she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Directly in front of her was a very familiar, tall, dark-haired man trying his luck by tossing coconuts at some old cans. He was concentrating intensely as Kate approached his position. For those precious few moments, she basked in the pleasure of watching Ben's athletic prowess. Her heart was beating wildly as he reached out to snag his prize, a small, white bunny rabbit.

Suddenly, Ben was conscious of the figure beside him. Turning, he could hardly believe his eyes, as Kate beamed up at him. He shoved the bunny into his coat pocket, never breaking eye contact with her. His usual expressive face, brimming with emotion.

"Hello Ben," Kate began, breathlessly, "I see your throwing game is still going strong."

"Kate," was all Ben managed to say before instinctively reaching over to swoop the pathologist up into his arms. Kate eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck. So far, this reunion was going so much better than either of them could have ever anticipated! As he cradled Kate as close to his body as possible, Ben leant down to kiss her deeply on the lips. It felt so good. Almost reluctantly, they broke contact, and the pair savoured the shared emotion communicated clearly in their eyes.

Ben brushed a stray strand of Kate's long blond hair and tucked it behind one of her ears. "You came," he uttered in a deep voice that accentuated his Welsh brogue.

"Yes," Kate returned, happy tears threatening to stream down her cheeks. She had rehearsed what she had wanted to say to him, but now the moment had arrived, Kate found herself lost for words. Ben didn't seem to mind. He spied the watery-ness of her eyes and responded by gently brushing a rogue tear from the corner of her stunning blue orbs.

"Let's go back to mine, Kate." Ben began, taking her arm in his as he walked with her back along the Pier. "I'll cook you some lunch and then we can talk."

"That sounds perfect, Inspector Jones," Kate cooed, nestling her face into his shoulder.

Ben felt a warm, inner glow as Kate cradled her head into his arm. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, "I'm glad you think so, Dr. Wilding. I aim to please."

Kate surprised herself by uttering a girlish giggle as she gazed up at her Ben. Once again, he captured her mouth in his for another long-awaited kiss.

As he drove Kate's car towards his apartment, Ben couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the way his year was ending. Beside him, Kate reached over to squeeze his thigh as she anticipated the excitement of what was yet to come.