Page 21 of Best Summer Ever

I still wasn’t sure why he’d been so specific about footwear.

‘So,’ he carried on before I could ask, ‘let’s see how quickly you’re going to master the art of pulling a decent pint, shall we?’

‘Shouldn’t we wait until someone comes in who wants one?’ I asked, as I looked around. ‘It’s a bit wasteful otherwise, isn’t it?’

Sam laughed.

‘Well,’ he chuckled, ‘I like your faith in your ability to get it right first time and that you’re mindful about waste, but it isn’t the easiest skill in the world.’

‘Oh,’ I said, wiping my palms down my jeans. ‘Right. Of course.’

‘And now I’ve made you nervous,’ Sam observed. ‘I didn’t mean to.’

‘No, no,’ I said, ‘it’s fine. It’s just that you and Tess make it look so easy.’

‘Years of practice on my part and Tess has been doing it a while now.’

‘In that case,’ I said, ‘let’s give it a go. I’m sure I’ll do better and learn faster without an audience.’

Unfortunately, that moment had passed.

‘Well, well, well,’ came a confident voice as its owner crossed the pub threshold, ‘if it isn’t the woman I can’t stop apologising to.’

I looked up and found the American backpacker standing on the other side of the bar. Without the rucksack, he was almost clean-shaven now and every bit as handsome as before. His accent made me go slightly weak at the knees. Well, it was either that or I was feeling more nervous about pulling my first pint than I initially realised. Perhaps I was nervous about doing it with him watching.

‘Hey there,’ he said, leaning on the bar and treating me to another of his hundred-watt smiles.

He looked like the ultimate all-American boy and I felt my face flush as a result of his attention.

‘Hey,’ I said and smiled back. ‘Hi.’

Sam looked between the two of us.

‘So, you two have already met?’ he asked, eyebrows raised.

He’d obviously forgotten about us clashing in the pub doorway at the beginning of the week.

‘Not officially.’

‘Then allow me,’ he offered. ‘Daisy, this is Josh.’

‘Hi, Josh.’

His name fitted him perfectly.

‘Josh, this is Daisy. The brand-new member of the Smuggler’s Inn team.’

‘Daisy,’ Josh repeated, his eyes twinkling. ‘You look like a Daisy.’

I wrinkled my nose at that.

‘And what exactly does a Daisy look like?’ I asked.

‘Well,’ Josh grinned, ‘according to Kathleen Kelly inYou’ve Got Mail, they look like the friendliest flower, and you look friendly to me, so—’

‘Do you like that film?’ I swallowed. It was one of my absolute favourites.

‘No,’ Josh laughed, ‘Iloveit, but it isn’t my number one.Notting Hillhas the top romcom spot as far as I’m concerned.’

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