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‘That sounds like Ness.’ She gave a shaky grin. ‘There is one advantage to being related to the cold, heartless family who want to build a hotel on your fields.’
‘Which is?’
‘I find out before anyone else that they’ve gone off their hotel idea so your agreement with them will be renewed as normal.’
Liam’s insides did a strange lurch. ‘Are you saying there won’t be a hotel at Meadowsweet Farm?’
‘That’s right. In fact, probably no hotel at all, anywhere.’
‘Rosie, you’re a bloody miracle worker!’
Liam leapt to his feet, pulling Rosie with him, threw his arms around her waist and whirled her around. She squealed and grabbed hold of his shoulders as they turned together in the sunshine.
They were both laughing when he stopped spinning and put her feet back on solid ground. She tilted her face towards him, her cheeks flushed and her hands still holding on tight to his shoulders.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so much, and from the look in her eyes she felt the same. But she was leaving and, for the sake of his heart, it was better not to start something that would finish almost before it began.
When he dropped his hands and sat back on the wall, Rosie sat down beside him but further away than before.
‘I guess people round here will discover my secret soon enough,’ she said, quietly, after a while.
‘Not from me.’
‘I did wonder if you’d rush round and tell Belinda because you were so angry.’
‘Can you imagine her face?’ said Liam, keeping his voice light to disguise the catch in his throat. ‘She’d collapse from the excitement of the juiciest bit of gossip ever, and also from the shame that your secret had gone un-gossiped about for years. But no, I haven’t told her or anyone else and I won’t. Nessa won’t either.’
‘Thank you. I’m not sure my local reputation as a weird, stand-offish snob could take the hit.’
‘I’ll trade you your reputation for mine as an arrogant ladies’ man who got his comeuppance.’
Rosie laughed at that, proper laughter that made her eyes sparkle and her cheeks glow pink in the sunshine.
‘That’s not how I see you. At least not now.’
‘Ouch.’ Liam swallowed, knowing he was on dangerous ground but unable to resist. ‘How do you see me, Rosie?’
She stared at him as though she was sizing him up. ‘I used to see someone who joked his way through life and was arrogantly careless of people’s feelings. But now, I see someone who’s been horribly hurt and has lost his confidence and trust in others, but someone who’s become a kinder and gentler man in the process.’
Liam blinked, bent his head and re-tied the perfectly tied shoelace in his trainer.
‘How do you see me, Liam?’ asked Rosie.
He sat up and took a deep breath. ‘I used to see someone weird, a loner who didn’t fit in and thought she was above anything to do with Heaven’s Cove.’
‘And now? Please don’t tell me I’m exactly the same, not after the few weeks I’ve just had.’
He laughed at that, noticing the strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail and were framing her lovely face. ‘Now, I see someone kind and empathetic who’s strong enough to deal with surprises that would have felled other people; someone who likes her own company but is still one of us.’
‘Even though it turns out that my father is Charles Epping?’
‘I don’t give a damn who your dad is,’ said Liam, sliding his arm around Rosie’s waist and bending his head towards her. ‘And I don’t care that you’re leaving. I mean I do, but if I don’t kiss you, Rosie Merchant, I’ll go freakin’ insane.’ The words were out of his mouth before he knew what was happening. His heart would have to take its chances.
Rosie didn’t move. Did she really want to kiss him or had he horribly misjudged the situation?
She looped her arms around his neck so suddenly, the two of them overbalanced and fell into the grass that edged the field.
‘Oops,’ she laughed, her arms still around his neck, and her body on top of his. And that was when he realised he’d been careless with his heart already and it belonged to her. It would hurt like hell when she left Heaven’s Cove, but at least he had this moment.
