Page 111 of Best Summer Ever

‘Quite the double act, aren’t they?’ Penny giggled, then hiccupped.

‘Indeed, they are.’ Mum nodded, raising her glass to us both and I knew without a doubt that the ghost of Laurence, that had still occasionally been shadowing me since my return, was finally laid to rest.

Next there was pudding to celebrate with – shop-bought meringues with Wynbrook berries and cream – then dancing and a lot more champagne.

As I looked at Algy twirling Mum, Penny and Nick smooching with not a millimetre between them, Luna curled up on the chair Algy had been sitting on and Dad deep in conversation with Josh, I let out a breath and thanked my lucky stars. This, at last, was what I had been waiting for. This was my best summer ever and there couldn’t possibly be anything left to happen that could ruin that now, could there?

Chapter 26

The ecstatic feeling lasted long into the following week. Early on Monday, after another wonderful night with Josh in the summerhouse, I drove us both into Wynmouth. Algy had been most insistent the previous evening, before everyone headed off, that Josh should move into the manor and used us, his dearest friends, to convince his grandson that he should.

‘You absolutely must,’ Mum had slightly slurred, and I had bitten my lip to stop myself from laughing. I’d never seen her tipsy before. ‘It’s your birthright and it’s high time you claimed it.’

Josh had finally been persuaded that making the move was the right next step, but we had a couple of things we wanted to indulge in in the village before we packed up the cottage and he made a permanent move to the manor.

‘Isn’t this glorious?’ I gasped, as I stopped mid-stroke in the sea and started to tread water.

The temperature had initially felt bracing, despite the rapidly rising temperature of the morning, but in that moment it was perfect. Plenty cold enough to cool me down, but not so chilly that I was dithering about going in.

‘It is,’ Josh agreed, as he reached me.

He pulled me into his arms and I found myself wishing there weren’t so many families already set up on the sand and paddling, because I could have been quite tempted to take the moment further.

‘Race you back!’ Josh then shouted, completely breaking the spell and swimming speedily off with a splash and without giving me any opportunity to catch him.

We lay on our towels for a while in front of the beach hut to dry off, then went inside to get changed.

‘You know the day I arrived,’ Josh said as he peeled off his swim shorts, ‘and walked in on you here…’

‘I vaguely remember.’ I grinned, thinking it felt like forever ago now, given how much had happened since, but it wasn’t actually that long ago at all.

‘I thought I remembered this place,’ Josh said falteringly. ‘Just a hazy memory of coming here, or somewhere very much like it.’

‘Maybe you did. I’m sure your parents must have brought you to the beach at some point.’

‘Mum might have done, I suppose,’ Josh mused.

‘You could always ask her,’ I suggested. ‘Did you contact her yesterday?’

He let out a breath.

‘No,’ he said. ‘I bottled it.’

‘I don’t think you bottled anything,’ I said sternly. ‘Given that you faced everyone else last night and cleared the air about what had happened since you’d been taken from Wynbrook and why you’ve now come back, that was enough to contend with for one day, wasn’t it?’

‘I guess.’ Josh smiled.

‘Why are you smiling?’

‘Because you sounded so cross with me.’

‘Not crosswithyou,’ I said, stepping closer to him. ‘Crossforyou. You’re going through such a lot, so give yourself some credit. You can’t do it all at once, can you? I think you need to be a bit kinder to yourself, don’t you?’

‘I suppose I could be,’ he agreed, readily succumbing to the kiss I then bestowed upon him.

‘Anyone home?’ came a voice from outside.

It was Penny.

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