Page 113 of Best Summer Ever

I tutted and rolled my eyes and went to follow Sam inside, but Josh stayed rooted to the spot.

‘He’s kidding!’ I said, giving his hand a tug. ‘Come on.’

‘You do know I was joking, mate?’ Sam then said, rushing back to clarify, when he realised Josh hadn’t budged. ‘We’re all absolutely over the moon for you. And Algy. Truly.’

‘That we are,’ said George, who had wandered down the lane with Skipper and was now standing behind Josh. ‘I’m only a relative newbie in Wynmouth, but I’ve heard tales of your father, my boy, and I’m delighted that you’re nothing like him.’

‘I’m not,’ Josh said in earnest. ‘I’m nothing like him at all.’

‘So come inside and tell us how you’ve ended up here then and why,’ Sam said encouragingly. ‘We heard some of it from Penny and Nick earlier, but the horse’s mouth is bound to be better than second-hand.’

‘Yes,’ agreed George, ‘and do get a move on, young man. I’m in need of another shot of caffeine and you’re blocking my path to it.’

‘Come on.’ I smiled.

Josh crossed the threshold and rolled his eyes as Marguerite stepped out from behind the bar to curtsy while Tess tugged her forelock.

‘You’re all idiots.’ Josh grinned, getting the joke, and everyone laughed.

Sam insisted that our drinks were on the house and once Josh had added the merest details to what Penny and Nick had already explained, interest in him died down and everyone went back to their own conversations. I had a feeling most of them were probably about Wynbrook, but I didn’t point that out to Josh as his shoulders were finally looking less hunched and he was sounding more relaxed.

‘My main reason for calling in,’ he said to Sam, ‘is to let you know that I’m going to be moving out of the cottage today. Algy has talked me into moving into the manor.’

‘Quite right too,’ said Tess, smiling. ‘He must be absolutely thrilled that you’ve finally returned to the fold.’

Josh looked wide-eyed.

‘I haven’t thought about it like that before,’ he said, his eyes tracking intently to mine. ‘But it is a kind of return, isn’t it?’

‘Absolutely,’ I agreed.

‘I do have a home, after all,’ he added with a gulp, and I blinked hard. ‘There is somewhere in the world that I belong.’

‘And it’s the same place as me,’ I said softly.

Josh reached for my hand and our eyes stayed locked. We had both come back to Wynbrook Manor this summer and neither of us had any intention of leaving it again. Would that mean our relationship also had the potential to last longer than the summer? So caught up with the monumental changes my life had been going through, I hadn’t yet considered that!

‘I won’t have time to sort it today,’ said Sam, as he cut through the moment and made Josh reluctantly tear his eyes away from mine. ‘But if you leave it with me, I’ll see if I can sort you a refund for the weeks you won’t now be staying in the cottage.’

‘No, don’t do that,’ Josh insisted. ‘I booked it for the whole of the summer and I wasn’t expecting to get any money back now I’m moving out early. I wouldn’t expect you to leave it empty until my booking expired either. If you can let it again, then do.’

‘Are you sure?’ Tess asked.

‘Absolutely,’ said Josh. ‘There’s still plenty of summer left so you might as well.’

‘Actually,’ said Marguerite, ‘I wouldn’t mind moving in for a bit as I’ve decided to stay on in the area, if that would be okay with you, Sam? I still haven’t found anywhere to rent and it’s high time I got out of your hair and your spare room.’

‘And my bathroom,’ laughed Sam. ‘This woman likes her products.’

‘Hey!’ she objected, with her hands planted on her slim hips. ‘I travel light!’

‘Yes,’ said Sam, ‘you travel light, but you have a hell of a lot of stuff delivered when you land!’

‘I thought you were in an Airbnb somewhere, Marguerite?’ I frowned, while Tess batted Sam with a tea towel.

‘I was when I first arrived,’ she told me, ‘but I fancied a change and Tess offered.’

‘Which was ahugemistake,’ Sam said theatrically.

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