Page 87 of Best Summer Ever

‘Kissing,’ I laughed, finishing her sentence for her. ‘You did, Mum. Penny and Nick are a couple now.’

‘Well, about time!’ she declared loudly. ‘Robin!’ she shouted back into the cottage. ‘Did you know about this?’

‘About what?’ Dad frowned as he came out to join us.

‘Penny and Nick are a couple now,’ Mum said happily.

‘Well, I never!’ Dad gasped. ‘Better late than never, I suppose.’

Penny shook her head.

‘Are we really the only ones in the whole of north Norfolk who didn’t know we were made for each other, Nick?’

‘Yes!’ Mum, Dad and I all said together and everyone laughed.

‘Right,’ I said, because I couldn’t wait a second longer. ‘Come on, you two.’

‘Where are we going?’ Penny asked, as I started to walk away from the cottage. ‘Do we really need to lug this lot with us?’

‘You’ll see,’ I told her. ‘And yes, we do. See you later,’ I winked at Mum and Dad, who beamed back.

Penny and I carried the cool bag between us and Nick carried a box clanking with bottles and with some punnets of very ripe soft fruit balanced on top.

‘The summerhouse,’ he commented as we drew nearer. ‘It’s locked, isn’t it?’

‘Not at the moment,’ I said, opening the door. ‘Come on in.’

‘Won’t Algy mind?’ Penny asked.

‘I doubt it,’ I said, flicking a switch that turned on the warm white strands of lights that ran around the underside of the veranda roof and the outside of all of the windows.

I had been looking forward to turning them on all day and,as the summerhouse was surrounded by trees and shrubs, the light level was already low enough for them to make the scene even more idyllic.

‘What’s going on?’ Nick frowned, looking about him as we put down the bag and box. ‘This looks like a completely different place.’

It smelt like a completely different place too, but I didn’t mention that.

‘Is Algy expecting visitors?’ Penny asked.

‘Only me!’ I burst out, unable to contain the revelation a moment longer. ‘He’s invited me to move inandhe’s offered me a job!’

My friends looked flabbergasted and I felt so happy to have something so positive and exciting to share with them. It certainly made a change.

‘From tomorrow,’ I proudly announced, ‘I’m going to be managing and maintaining the cut-flower garden and living here while I do it!’

Penny and Nick whooped and cheered at my sudden good fortune and the celebration went on long into the evening. The only thing missing to make the night complete was Josh, but I tried not to mind too much and, when I finally waved my friends off and made my way up the stairs to my big, comfy new bed, I fell asleep contented, knowing my life had finally turned a very happy corner.

Chapter 20

The first thing I noticed when I woke the next morning was how light it was thanks to the summerhouse having multiple windows; the second was that I could hear a light patter of rain on the roof and the third was that I had been so caught up talking to Penny and Nick about my plans the evening before, I’d completely forgotten to either look at my phone or go for a walk to call and check in with Josh.

I had made Penny and Nick promise not to tell a soul about my change in fortune as I didn’t want Josh finding out from anyone other than myself. I was still buzzing with excitement about it all and wanted to be the one to tell him, but telling my summer lover was going to have to wait a little while longer yet as I had so much to do.

‘Knock, knock,’ I announced cheerfully at the manor kitchen door.

‘Daisy, Daisy!’ beamed Algy, from where he was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. ‘Come in, come in. Have you had breakfast?’

‘Not yet,’ I said, slipping off my wellies and thinking I couldsoon get used to my days starting like this. ‘I haven’t had a chance to do a shop yet.’

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