Page 52 of Best Summer Ever

I’d already made an attempt to head off once and been… waylaid.

‘No,’ he objected, taking his hand away and sitting up, ‘not yet. It’s still early.’

‘It’s not that early,’ I said, also sitting up. ‘And I promised Algy, didn’t I? The camera’s been delivered and I promised I’d set it up for him, so I really do have to get back.’

The last thing I wanted was Algy asking Dad to do it. Piling that on top of my father’s never-ending summer to-do list would be just the thing to put me back in his bad books, especially given that the camera had been my suggestion.

‘I suppose,’ Josh agreed, but threw himself down on the bed like a petulant child.

I laughed at his convincing impression of what looked like a very sulky man-boy.

‘You could always come with me,’ I suggested, reaching to ruffle his hair and holding my breath.

‘No can do,’ he immediately said, propping himself up on one elbow and flattening the bouffant crest my ruffling had created. ‘I’ve got stuff I need to do.’

His answer was a little too quick for my liking. ‘Are you sure? I can promise you as many of those famous Wynbrook strawberries, that you have such a fondness for, as you can eat.’

If he didn’t come to the manor for me, I thought the temptation of succulent summer fruit might be enough to tempt him. It wasn’t.

‘I really can’t,’ he said, screwing up his nose. ‘I promised I’d see someone today and help them with something.’

‘Right.’ I swallowed, as I bent down the side of the bed to scoop up my abandoned and creased clothes. ‘Fair enough.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

He tried to reach for me, but I moved away.

‘I really am sorry,’ he repeated.

‘Honestly, it’s fine.’ I smiled, not wanting to come across as stroppy. ‘And as that’s the case, it turns out that it’s just as well that I am going, isn’t it?’

‘What do you mean?’ Josh frowned.

‘Well,’ I said, ‘I know you didn’t want me to leave, but as you’ve already got plans, what would I have done while you were gone? Just hung around here until you came back?’

‘Of course not,’ he tutted, sitting up. He sounded a bit put out, which was hardly surprising, but not the mood I wanted to send him off to see Marguerite in. ‘I was going to ask you to come with me.’

‘Oh,’ I said, surprised.

‘I’m going to the pub to see Marguerite,’ he said, making me feel awful. ‘She’s thinking about heading to Maine in thefall, and I know someone who might be willing to rent her a room in their apartment while she’s there.’

‘I see,’ I faltered, completely wrong-footed. ‘Right.’

‘I’m going to talk to her about where’s best to visit and give her my mate’s details.’

‘That’s,’ I croaked, then cleared my throat, ‘really kind of you.’

‘I am kind.’ He grinned. ‘Haven’t you worked that out yet?’

‘I’m getting there.’ I nodded.

I would brain Laurence if his horrible behaviour scuppered my ability to be with and trust a genuine good guy like Josh, even if it was only fated to be for as long as the summer.

‘What did you think of her, by the way?’ Josh then asked, pulling my attention away from the lasting potential impact of Laurence’s actions.

‘Who?’ I frowned.

‘Marguerite, of course.’

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