Page 3 of Not Just for Christmas

Jack pulled off his hat to reveal a tangle of dark blond hair. He rested one arm loosely around Lucy’s shoulders and extended the other towards him. ‘Good to meet you.’

‘You were awesome out there,’ said Dylan, shaking Jack’s hand. ‘I was lucky to get up on the board for more than a second.’

‘Thanks. But I could swim almost before I could walk. I was born just over there,’ Jack nodded to the fields in the distance. ‘The sea is my second home.’

‘I was born in Brooklyn,’ Dylan replied. ‘There isn’t much opportunity for surfing on the Hudson River.’

‘That is so cool,’ Jack whistled. ‘So what brings you to Craggy Bay?’

‘I’m at the end of a four-month trip around the world. Thought I’d squeeze in one last place before flying back to the States.’

Jack groaned. ‘So jealous. I’m a farmer. I’m lucky if I get four consecutive days off.’

Dylan laughed. ‘A surfing farmer – don’t think I’ve met one of those before. What about you, Lucy?’

She glanced at Jack before answering. ‘I’ve always wanted to run my own hotel.’

‘All those guests with their demands and complaints.’ Jack shuddered. ‘Give me a herd of docile cows any day.’

‘We’ll see,’ said Lucy, pouring hot tea from a flask and handing it to her boyfriend; she offered a cup to Dylan, which he accepted gratefully. ‘Jack and I have only been together for a month, but he is determined to convince me that a muddy farmyard is a much better place to work than a smart hotel.’

‘Good luck with that, dude.’ Dylan felt a pang of regret. If only he’d come to Devon sooner, she’d have still been single.

‘Thanks,’ Jack grinned. ‘Early days, but I’ll make a farmer of you yet, Luce.’

‘So you keep saying.’ She laughed and rolled her eyes. ‘And what does Dylan do when he’s not falling off a surfboard?’

‘I’m a musician.’ Dylan forced himself to stand tall. Own it, even if there wasn’t much to own right now. But it was coming, he could feel it.

‘Even more cool.’ Jack unzipped his wetsuit. Lucy helped him out of it and handed him a sweatshirt. ‘Hey, you should come to The Otter in Craggy Bay tonight. There’s a live band on. You’d love it.’

Dylan caught Lucy’s eye and they shared a quick smile. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to gatecrash your date night.’

‘You won’t,’ Jack insisted. ‘Back me up, Luce.’

‘It’s true. There’s a bunch of us,’ Lucy explained.

‘The more the merrier,’ Jack added. ‘Meet you there at eight?’

‘Then count me in,’ said Dylan. ‘An English pub, music and new friends, what’s not to love?’

He enjoyed the independence and freedom that travelling alone had given him, but he’d been away from home a long time and was ready for some company. He hadn’t realised it, but bumping into these two was just what he’d needed.

Jack picked up his surfboard. ‘So, are you famous? Are we in the presence of an undercover celebrity?’

‘Not yet,’ Dylan grinned. ‘But I’ve got an audition with a record label when I get back to the States, so watch this space.’

‘I believe in you!’ Lucy said quietly.

His chest swelled with pride, and in that moment, he felt like he could conquer the world.

Together they packed up their things and made their way off the beach. Each of them totally unaware that this chance meeting on a cold December day in Devon would become the most important friendship of their lives.

Chapter 2

Two decades of us

Text from Dylan