Page 33 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Hah, yes.’

‘So, have you got any bookings coming up?’ Lucy asked.

‘Wednesday evening’s the next, and then Friday, a birthday bash. Oh, and Saturday, there’s a wedding do over Rothbury way. You?’

‘Just the Thursday market in Alnwick again, then nothing else at all until a week Saturday.’ Lucy felt a small punch of disappointment. ‘Think I’ll be living on beans on toast if this carries on too long,’ she smiled as she jested, but Jack understood there was an element of fear and truth in her words too. Lucy exhaled with a small anxious sigh.

Jack reached for her hand, giving it a supportive squeeze.

Lucy slid him a sideways glance. Their hands parted swiftly again, and they were soon at the top of the little hill where the village began with the first row of cottages and The Oyster Catcher pub on the corner.

They turned along a further street, and Lucy stopped near its end. ‘Right, well this is me.’

Jack found himself standing outside a pale-grey painted door set in a honey-coloured stone-built cottage, nestled end-of-row. It was small, yet quaint. It suited her.

‘Right …’ he echoed, suddenly feeling a little awkward. He hadn’t had any ulterior motive in walking her home, wasn’t sure why the words had come out of his mouth. It wasn’t like it was late at night or anything either, when she might have needed a chaperone back. ‘Well, it’s been a great afternoon,’ he added.

‘It has. Thanks again.’ A sunny smile lit up her face.

So, this is it. Time to go.

‘See you around then,’ her tone was casual, yet she was still looking at him with those dark-brown, thoughtful eyes.

Oh, sod it! The urge to kiss her suddenly overwhelmed him.

Before he had a chance to think straight – Might not be a good idea. Just friends. Have to work together etc. etc. – Jack leaned across and went to place a kiss on her rather luscious lips.

It was then Daisy tugged on her lead, impatient to go on in. Pulling them apart, with a jolt.

‘Oh …’ was all Lucy could say as she stepped back, a bit baffled about what had just unfolded. ‘Okay, Daisy, home time it is.’ Fumbling for her key in her jeans pocket, she could hardly look at him. ‘Uh … ’bye then, Jack.’

‘Bye.’ He watched her duck away inside. It looked like Lucy couldn’t disappear quickly enough.

Hah, bloody dog! Or maybe, just maybe … it was a timely escape for him too.

He gave a final glance at the cottage and then started to head back to Ruby. What a glorious, surprising, confusing day it had been … And he couldn’t help but hope he’d experience it all again – every emotion – soon.

Chapter 16

Well, what was that all about? Had Jack Anderson really been about to kiss her? Wow, it was the first time anybody had been anywhere near her lips in almost two years. Had she wanted him to, or would she have stepped back anyhow, despite Daisy’s timely intervention?

Two hours later, and Lucy was still thinking about that promise of a kiss. Jack’s kiss. What would it have felt like? His golden-tanned smiling face filled her mind again. The straw-coloured hair, the fringe a little too long; he was undeniably handsome. Looking back at her with those intense blue-grey eyes, with their colours of slate and sky.

It had just been such a gorgeously carefree and unexpected afternoon. One of those times she knew she’d remember for a long while to come. She could feel the skin on her cheeks tight from the summer sun, no doubt slightly pink with a flurry of fresh freckles across the bridge of her nose. The taste of vodka and ginger, and salty sea air.

What if Daisy hadn’t pulled them apart? Would it have been a tender brush on the lips … or a full-blown snog of a kiss?

The ringtone on her mobile took her out of her reverie. She glanced at the caller ID: Becky. Ah, well, that brought her back down to earth.

She answered, ‘Hi, Becks.’

‘Hey, lovely. Fun night last night, wasn’t it. How are you feeling now? I’ve felt rough as anything all day!’

‘Hah, yeah, I’m fine. Been out and got some fresh air on the beach. Done me the world of good.’ Thoughts came flooding in of Jack, making the corner of her mouth lift into a smile as she spoke. ‘Actually …’ Lucy paused, unsure, ‘I saw that cocktail-bar guy, there on the beach. Just by chance,’ she clarified.

‘Ooh, now this sounds interesting. You mean the one you don’t fancy at all, but you keep on telling me about?’

‘I suppose that’s the one, yeah.’ She was grinning as she spoke.