He shrugged, unsure. ‘I wasn’t here much. I used this place during leave and when I retired from the navy, then I was lodging at a mate’s holiday centre for a year while working in search and rescue over in Snowdonia.’
‘And you’re sure you’re ready to settle down?’ Ginny laughed. ‘Doesn’t sound like you can keep still for too long.’
Will stared at the back of her head as she turned to put the kettle on. ‘Yeah, I’m ready,’ he said quietly, slightly worried by how attached he felt to her.
Chapter 12
Ginny
It was the next morning, and with the exception of the bathroom episode she’d had at the pit stop on the way over yesterday, Ginny was having the best time in Wales. She wished she had more time to visit places; she wanted a longer break than one night and only just realized how much she needed a change of scenery.
She opened the window and leaned out on the ledge, inhaling the bitterly cold air. It didn’t matter how crisp it was, it was fresh and filled with salt and warmed her heart.
Will was in the bathroom, and it felt so nice to pretend she lived with a man for a while. They seemed to have a lot in common. Both fighting off misery, that was for sure.
A cloud of air blew out of her parted lips as she laughed at the madness of her life. What if she asked Will to do a house swap with her? Could she really up sticks and move to Wales? Anywhere away from her life seemed good, but she knew she wouldn’t take any leaps away from her mum. Birdy needed her. There was no one else who cared.
Ginny watched a man walking his dog along the front, wondering if he had any worries. Oh, why did she have to go and spill her guts to Will about her mother’s form of discipline? She hadn’t told anyone that before. Only her brother knew about her getting locked in the cupboard. He used to bang on the door and laugh. At least Will comforted her.
Wiping the past from her mind, she gazed out to sea, then turned when Will made an appearance.
‘Hey,’ she said. ‘I nipped down to the shop and got some lunch bits.’ She sat on the sofa and sighed. ‘I don’t want to go home yet.’
‘We can come back another time. Make more solid arrangements. Book a hotel or something. Perhaps in the summer. Even invite some of the others. Hire a coach or something. Jed might like to fish here.’
Summer was the busiest season in Port Berry, but she still nodded. Dreams made her smile more than reality, and it was nice to think of having a holiday with friends, or just Will.
Will unwrapped a cheese baguette and opened a small bottle of orange juice. ‘I see it’s started snowing already. Let’s hope it stays light.’
Ginny whipped around to face the window. ‘Where did that come from? It wasn’t there a minute ago.’ She jumped up to take a better look. ‘Ooh, I love the snow.’ The warmth from his body met hers as he leaned over to peek outside.
‘It’s all well and good while you’re indoors.’
Ginny smiled. ‘It’s Christmassy.’
‘Yeah, it’ll be December soon enough.’
She turned, not realizing she’d be so close to his face. Goodness it felt nice. If only they were a happy couple living their best life, she could reach out and toss her arms around him. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t been wrapped around him before.
Will turned back to the food and grabbed a packet of crisps. ‘The men for the beds will be here any minute, then we’ll head off.’
‘If you’re worried about driving in the snow, we could stay here another night.’ Ginny knew it was hope and dreams controlling her words, but still, she wanted to make the most of her time pretending she had a different life.
‘It’s in for the week, apparently, so best get back, else we might be stuck here without heating, as that gets shut off today.’
Trying not to take it personally, as what he was saying made sense, Ginny ate a ham sandwich.
The intercom buzzed, and Will let the collection men in to remove the beds. He went downstairs with them, loading his truck with the boxes.
Ginny went back to the window to have a nosey. She liked watching Will from afar. Quite often she’d remember him without his clothes on, and it always made her smile.
The light snowflakes filled the air, making everything look dreamy and magical. Will blended in perfectly. There was something so enchanting about her one-night stand. For one, he hadn’t tried to get in her bed since, which raised a thousand questions. Not that she’d made any offers. The fact he spoke to her through the bedroom wall all night proved he was staying well and truly in his own bed, but it was okay. She felt comfortable enough in the other room and had a good night’s sleep.
Looking down at him, she figured she’d better help pack the few bits left, so she poured away the warm dregs in the kettle, then held it out the window to cool down some more.
Will was frowning up at her. ‘You catching snowflakes for our tea, Gin?’
It did look that way. ‘I didn’t want to put it in the box while it’s still a bit hot.’
