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‘We popped to the supermarket on the way back from the bakery,’ Evan said, shooting Holly a sly glance to the side as he spoke. ‘Things there were a little more hectic than anticipated.’
As she picked her pain au raisin, Holly was torn between wanting to glare at him and wanting to kiss him. But there would be plenty of time for that on the boat.
‘Less talking, more eating.’ Naomi snatched a croissant out of Spencer’s hand before he had a chance to take a bite. ‘I want as much time on this boat as possible now I don’t get seasick.’
The morning excursion meant Holly had a fair bit less time to prepare for the boat trip than she’d expected. And given that she was now going to go on a yacht, in a bikini, with a man she was sort of dating, her outfit required some actual consideration. When she was sorted, she headed downstairs to find Hugo and the minibus ready and waiting.
Holly had planned on hanging back and getting in later so she could sit next to Evan, but the minute the door was open, Caroline grabbed her by the arm and yanked her onto the back seats like they were going on a school trip and wanted to talk about all the boys they had crushes on.
‘Okay, I need all the details. Now,’ Caroline started the minute they were sitting down.
Holly was aware that the minibus was filling up, and the last thing she wanted to do was discuss what had happened while Evan was within earshot, but if she didn’t get this out she was going to explode. After a quick glance to ensure he was still outside, she lowered her voice to a near whisper.
‘I saw Giles in the supermarket.’
‘What?’ Caroline’s jaw dropped. ‘What do you mean you saw him? Like, saw him in your mind, or actually saw him from a distance, so it might not have been him at all, or reallyreallysaw him?’
‘I spoke to him. Briefly. He helped me straighten up my shopping and then he disappeared.’
‘You’re sure it was him?’
‘Yes, I’m sure. I said we spoke, remember?’
It was difficult to explain why Holly felt so shaken up by the encounter. After all, she hadn’t said more than two words to him. But it was the confusion he caused which had her so overwhelmed. ‘Do you think it means something?’
‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know. It’s just Evan is the first guy I’ve really liked since Hope and everything—’
‘So you do really like him.’ Caroline cut across her. Her face beaming. Holly responded with a scowl.
‘Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like anything real can happen between us.’
‘Why not? He’s clearly into you. He introduced you to his mum, for goodness sake.’
‘I know but…’
‘But what?’
Holly paused, trying to figure out a way of verbalising how she felt.
‘Let’s be honest, it’s a bit too good to be true, isn’t it? He’s amazing, he really is, and amazing guys don’t end up with women like me, do they?’
At this, Caroline’s face dropped into a frown as she crossed her arms around her chest.
‘Nope. No way. I am not letting you do that. I am not letting you talk yourself out of something that could be special because you’re afraid. And forget about Giles. You saw him at a supermarket, so what? It’s not like you’re going to see him again. So before you go into all the reasons why it won’t work, or it’s bound to fail, answer me one question. Do you want to be with him? With Evan?’
It was such a ridiculous question, Holly thought as she tried to figure out what the answer was. She barely knew him. But he did have a way of making her feel like she could do anything. And the kisses… well, the kisses were fireworks.
‘I guess I would like to get to know him more. And he’s already said that we’re going to meet up back in England.’
‘Eek.’ The noise Caroline made was ear-splitting, causing Naomi, Zahida and Tyler to turn around to face them.
‘Sorry, I’m just excited about going on a boat,’ Caroline lied flawlessly before turning back to Holly and lowering her volume.
‘Right, no getting in your head, okay? No getting hung up about idiots from the past or worrying about the future. You need to enjoy this time, understand?’
Holly glanced out the window to where Evan was currently helping Sandra into the minivan. Not that Sandra needed any help, but she wasn’t refusing it either. He was a genuinely good guy, and she understood exactly what Caroline was saying. But it didn’t help erase the niggling nerves that were refusing to shift.
