Page 38 of The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove

‘What on earth are you doing here?’ My voice seemed to increase in both volume and pitch.

‘Well, that’s a nice welcome. You got any of that lovely coffee of yours on the go?’

‘No, but I can go and put a pot on. Come in, come in.’

He followed me through into the kitchen, while I was trying to rub my teeth a little, and even though I was all fingers and thumbs, I managed to get the coffee percolating.

‘I’d better go and put some clothes on. Can you give me a minute?’

‘You don’t need to do that on my account.’

‘Oh, I think I do. I must look a fright.’

‘You look lovely, Nancy, like you always do.’

My heart was beating ten to the dozen, and I had to shuffle past him because he was standing in my way and there was no other way to get out of the room.

‘Make yourself at home. I won’t be long.’

For some unknown reason, for the first time ever, I felt nervous in his company. What was he doing here? Was he just visiting? Maybe I’d find out if I stopped fannying about and got myself washed and changed.

I flung open my wardrobe door. What did you wear when the person who you think you might have fallen a little bit in love with turns up unexpectedly and you have two minutes rather than two hours to make yourself look presentable? I grabbed the first thing that caught my eye, which was a pretty vintage Joules dress. I quickly went into the bathroom and splashed my face with water and brushed my teeth. My hair, well, that was a different matter. I hadn’t dried it before I went to bed last night, so it was literally all over the place. I scraped it back into a reasonably neat chignon and quickly covered my face in tintedmoisturiser and put a lick of mascara over my lashes. That would have to do.

‘You look even lovelier now, Nancy.’

‘Oh, Dennie, you’re such a smoothie,’ I retorted as I fumbled getting cups down from the top cupboard. Sadly, not as well as I’d hoped as my favourite of all, a spotty Emma Bridgewater mug that I’d had for years, fell through my clumsy fingers and smashed onto the tiled floor.

I bent to pick up the pieces at the same time as Dennie did and our faces ended up inches apart. He reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I couldn’t look at him. He was literally millimetres from me and I held my breath, waiting for the moment to pass.

‘I’ve missed you,’ he whispered.

‘Have you?’ I whispered back, lifting my eyes to meet his.

‘More than you can know. I… Well… I…’

His eyes flickered from mine, to my lips and back again.

‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Nance. I tried to throw myself back into London life, but I couldn’t get you off my mind.’

Time stood still. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I’d only just got used to him not being around.

‘Oh.’

I was shell-shocked, I couldn’t speak.

‘Tell me I haven’t got this all wrong. That you feel the same.’

I grinned.

‘I do feel the same, Dennie.’

‘Thank God.’ He shuffled onto his other knee and somehow was now even closer to me.

Was he going to kiss me? Shit! Denniswasgoing to kiss me.

I closed my eyes and closed the gap between us.

Suddenly, the front door flung open and we sprang apart. A voice from the hallway stopped us in our tracks.

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