Page 112 of The Village Inn of Secret Dream

Her friends, whilst happy for them both, had tried to reassure her.

‘You’re crazy,’ Lucy had told her, when Belle had confided her worries about their relationship. ‘Just give him time.’

‘He adores you,’ said Molly. ‘Everyone can see it.’

Amber had squeezed her hand. ‘You know how much he cares for you,’ she’d said. ‘Just be patient.’

But Belle knew Pete better than anyone else and she knew that he was holding back. She didn’t know why, or maybe she didn’t want to know why. Maybe it was just lust and friendship as far as he concerned.

All she knew was that her heart was in ever more danger of being broken all over again. And yet she still accepted his kisses and kissed him back every single time.

But each time they kissed, she knew how much harder it was going to be to walk away unscathed. Because he left. He had always left. And she just didn’t know how long he was staying for this time.

She knew she just had to enjoy her time with him. So that evening, as the party began downstairs, she pulled out her favourite long red dress.

She had made a promise a long time ago to her grandmother, who had been right all along. Life was better and all the richer for a touch of colour in it. Who wanted to live a black and white life?

Because whatever happened in the future, it was finally time to stop hiding in the corner, she had decided.

Pete was feeling almost giddy with happiness, a feeling he was sure that he had never felt before. He kept grinning like some kind of village idiot, but he couldn’t help himself. He was completely and utterly crazy about Belle.

Belle who had always been so argumentative and strong. The same Belle who was soft and adorable when she was in his arms and he wanted her there as frequently as possible. Some evenings he found he was clock-watching, willing every passing minute to go by as quickly as possible until he could lock the door and take her in his arms again.

The nights passed too quickly though and suddenly she was gone once more.

They had tried to keep their affair a secret, but somehow everyone seemed to know about it.

‘Is it that obvious?’ he had said to Josh when he had smiled at his brother with eyebrows raised.

‘It is,’ Josh had told him. ‘Don’t worry about it. It was like a bloody great sledgehammer when I fell in love.’

‘Love?’ Pete had been shocked. ‘It’s not love.’

‘Ha!’ laughed Josh. ‘I knew you hadn’t completely changed. It seems as if you still won’t say the l word.’

‘I can,’ lied Pete.

‘Oh yeah,’ said Josh. ‘You’ve been like that ever since you fell for Janet Porter in year twelve.’

Pete had rolled his eyes. ‘That wasn’t love,’ he’d told his brother. ‘That was teenage lust.’

Josh had still been grinning at him as Pete had walked away.

He wasn’t in love with Belle, was he? He couldn’t be. Pete Kennedy didn’t love anyone in a romantic way. It just wasn’t his style.

Thankfully, the party was beginning and the place was already full of villagers eager to celebrate. Belle had yet to come downstairs after her shower and yet he was desperate for her to help him as everyone seemed to want a drink at the same time.

He dashed to the bottom of the stairs in the hallway to call up for her, but she was just coming downstairs and upon seeing her, the words died in his throat. He stared, knowing that he was open-mouthed in shock, but he had no power to move.

Belle was wearing her long hair down, which was unusual enough when she was working. But it was the long red dress that she was wearing that had taken his breath away. It was a deep crimson in a soft, silky material that clung to every curve of her. She looked absolutely incredible.

She stopped on the bottom step and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

But still, he couldn’t speak and couldn’t move.

She smiled and nodded to herself. ‘That was exactly the kind of reaction I was hoping for, to be honest,’ she murmured, before moving around him and walking into the bar.

It was the chorus of wolf whistles that finally brought Pete to his senses and got his feet moving.