Page 47 of Starry Nights over Dragonfly Lake

‘And your sides and front too,’ added Lily.

It was a familiar mantra between the four of them and helped ease some of Beth’s nerves. Could she really do this? But with her friends’ support and even Noah’s approval, she felt she had no choice but to nod her head in agreement, wondering what on earth she had let herself in for.

24

Noah felt quite pleased that Beth had agreed to his idea about running a stargazing session the following weekend. Surely someone with that amount of passion and knowledge alongside her talkative nature, had to be a natural teacher?

But he left her alone with her friends so they could ease her obvious nerves and headed into the snug to get himself a well-earned beer. It had been a long day driving to Brighton and back, he realised, suddenly feeling tired.

Ben spotted him as soon as he walked into the snug and beckoned him over to the snooker table.

‘Hey, you okay?’ he asked. ‘That was a long drive in a day.’

Noah nodded. ‘Yeah, thankfully the traffic was okay.’

‘Here, take my beer,’ said Ben, handing over his bottle. ‘I haven’t touched it yet. I’ll get another.’

‘That won’t help you win!’ called out a man who was standing next to Alex by the snooker table.

Alex smiled at Noah. ‘This is Jake,’ he said. ‘Our far noisier other best friend.’

Noah had heard that Jake had been due to arrive that eveningfor an overnight stay. With so many hotel rooms still empty after the storm, there were plenty spare to choose from.

Jake grinned and held out his hand to shake Noah’s. ‘Hi,’ he said, as they shook hands. ‘Good to finally put a face to the name after all I’ve heard about you.’

Noah wondered what had been said about him already. He could normally guess the description given about him to anyone from his past.

Alex’s smile immediately went rigid with politeness. ‘What he means is that Ben has told us all about you staying to help build the lodges,’ he said quickly. ‘Everyone is hugely relieved.’

‘Yeah, that’s a good thing that you’re doing for the family,’ added Jake. ‘Although of course, technically you’re family so you’re doing it for yourself, I guess.’

Alex rolled his eyes. ‘Here,’ he said, placing a nearby bottle of beer into his friend’s hands. ‘Take this and fill your mouth where your foot might otherwise go.’

Noah smiled.

‘Thankfully he’s a chef so he’s better with food than good manners,’ said Alex. ‘And he’s also the resident bachelor around here, supposedly able to woo most women at twenty paces.’

‘Not all women,’ said Jake as Ella walked into the room with an empty glass. ‘Ella!’ he called out. ‘Not surprised you’ve downed that cocktail so easily. Witch’s Brew? Suits you down to the ground.’

Ella glared at Jake. ‘Don’t make me flip my witch switch,’ she snapped and carried on walking towards the bar where Frankie was experimenting with lots of different-coloured drinks.

‘She loves me,’ declared Jake, laughing.

Alex caught Noah’s confused expression.

‘She really doesn’t,’ he told Noah. ‘Ella andJake have one of those relationships based on pure hate. For some reason, they rub each other up the wrong way every time they meet.’

‘That’s because she’s crazy about me,’ announced Jake loudly. ‘She doth protest too much otherwise.’

Ella picked up her drink from the bar but stopped walking on her way back towards the lounge to glare at Jake.

‘I would totally agree with you but then we’d both be wrong,’ she told him.

‘Let’s be clear, it’s not just me you hate but every male, is that right?’ he retorted.

‘Surely not Tiny,’ said Alex. ‘Who could hate Tiny?’

‘Dogs are always welcome,’ Ella told him. ‘It’s men that are merely tolerated.’