Page 68 of Ask Another Day

Seb broke away first, stroking her face before discreetly adjusting his jeans, making Holly laugh.

‘Totally worth the wait,’ he declared as he turned them both to look out at the waves, pulling Holly in front of him. ‘I just need a minute before we bump into anyone.’

‘I can give you a minute.’

‘I am hoping you’ll give me a lot longer than a minute.’

‘I can’t believe you wrote me a letter.’

‘I’ll write you letters every day if it means I get to kiss you like that every day,’ he pulled her in tighter, leaning in to whisper, ‘I wish I’d got your letter twelve years ago. I would have been at The Dolphin, Holly. I’d never have left you waiting. It kills me to imagine you there, all alone.’

Holly turned a little so she could look at him. ‘I hate what Sloane did, but if she hadn’t then maybe Natalie wouldn’t be here.’

‘She’d still be here. She’s too much of a force of nature to let something as little as genetics get in the way,’ Seb scoffed.

‘I guess we could have been on a break?’

Seb laughed and she felt it through his chest, ‘Let’s not start things by working out ways we would have broken up.’

They stood together like that for a while, until Seb released her - but just so he could turn her to face him again.

‘OK, I’ve got things to do. But I want you to meet me at your pub at 8pm tonight. And if you don’t make it, I’m coming to find you - got it?’

‘Got it.’

He started to walk away, but only took a step before he turned back and pulled her into his arms again. Her laughter was cut off when his lips trailed kisses up her neck until he reached her mouth again.

Chapter 22

Of Course

‘How do I look?’ Holly asked that evening as she stood in Rose’s bedroom above The Book Nook.

‘Gorgeous,’ Rose replied without hesitation.

Holly and Rose had raided both their wardrobes and found something for Holly to wear for her date with Seb. Now she didn’t need to wear the boot, she had so much more freedom with what she could comfortably wear. So tonight, she was finally wearing her slim black jeans again. Rose came close and ran the fabric of the buttery soft silk vest, Holly had also chosen, through her fingers.

‘This vest is so soft,’ she murmured, before adding, ‘sorry, that was a bit weird. I can’t stop touching it.’

Holly laughed, ‘If I didn’t know you were into my brother, I’d think you were coming on to me.’

Rose held up her palm in surrender, ‘I’ll stop touching your clothes now.’

To prove her point, Rose moved to the bed and sat on both her hands.

‘Please tell me about his letter,’ she asked for the third time since Holly had arrived an hour ago.

Holly shook her head, firmly. ‘Nope, not sharing. Those words are for me, and me alone.’

‘You’re no fun.’

Holly laughed, but she wouldn’t budge, well not yet anyway. Holly was so used to keeping her feelings for Seb close to her chest, she wasn’t ready to share his words with anyone else for the time being. She knew she’d cave eventually though - either Rose would wear her down or she’d want to see her reaction too much to keep his letter to herself forever.

*

At 8pm, on the dot, Holly pushed open the doors to her pub. Seb was standing metres away with a gift wrapped box in his hands.

Holly carefully made her way to him, her ankle still tender, but she was so much more mobile already.