Page 74 of Best Summer Ever

‘I take it you and Nick had an entertaining evening?’ I cajolingly asked.

‘Honestly, Daisy,’ Penny tutted. ‘A lady never talks about her… exploits.’

‘I told you about mine,’ I reminded her and grinned at Josh who raised his eyebrows.

‘Yes,’ giggled Penny, ‘but you’re not a lady.’

I was about to defend myself when my phone started to ring.

‘It’s Algy,’ I said, standing up. ‘I better answer. It might be cat business.’

‘Saved by the bell.’ Penny winked at Josh, who also laughed.

As it turned out, there was no cat business that day or the day after (Algy had just wanted to chat), and I was able to focus solely on working in the café and spending time with Josh, Penny and Nick in the evenings. Both days were halcyon and I refused to think about what I was going to do when the bubble burst. I hadn’t been able to find another job in the vicinity to apply for and heading home and facing the music looked like the only probable option.

‘You could always move in with me for the rest of the summer,’ Josh kindly offered as the time to close the café on Tuesday came around unexpectedly fast.

There had been enough customers to justify Penny opening on both days, but she’d also had time to sit and pore over the beloved books Nick had so winningly tracked down. She was absolutely in her element and I could already tell that returning to school in September was going to be a hard ask.

‘I’d more than happily keep you,’ Josh seductively added.

‘That,’ I said, kissing the end of his nose, ‘sounds very much like an indecent proposal.’ Josh grinned, but didn’t refute what I’d said. ‘And whatever your motives, I couldn’t possibly accept.’

‘I had a feeling you’d say that.’

He sounded rather disappointed.

‘Your motives were nefarious, weren’t they?’ I then gasped.

‘Totally.’

‘Damn,’ I groaned. ‘Is it too late to change my mind?’

‘Yep,’ he said, as Penny locked the café door and pulled down the blind. ‘That ship has now pulled up its anchor and set sail.’

‘In that case,’ I sighed, ‘I suppose I’d better go home and face the music, hadn’t I?’

Chapter 17

I suppose I could have put off heading back to Wynbrook for another night, but there was always the danger that I would be tempted to find a different excuse to put the inevitable off after that and the longer I transgressed, the worse my familial relationships would be.

Also, I knew I wasn’t going to be full of sparkling conversation that evening and I didn’t want to potentially ruin Josh’s night. Or Penny and Nick’s. Not that they seemed capable of looking beyond their loved-up bubble. I absolutely adored that though. It had certainly been a long time coming.

Nonetheless, and in spite of my happiness for my dearest friends, it was with a heavy heart that I drove up to the cottage and the sight of Mum and Dad still looking sour when I walked into the kitchen did nothing to help lighten its weight in my chest.

‘Hello,’ I said, as I put my overnight bag down and in the process avoided looking at either of them.

‘You’re back then,’ commented Dad.

‘Yes,’ I responded, ‘I’m back.’

‘Are you staying tonight?’ Mum asked, as she busied herself at the sink, also not looking at me.

‘I am,’ I answered.

I wondered if this stilted sort of exchange was as good as it was now going to get until I made up my mind about moving on again.

‘I suppose you’ll be having a lie-in tomorrow,’ Dad said gruffly. ‘What with no job to have to rush off to.’

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