Page 35 of Promises & Petals in Nettleford-on-the-Wold
‘Do you think you’re the only one tapping into their willpower right now?’ She lowered her voice as she heard someone walk past behind them.
Josh chuckled beside her. ‘I hoped I wasn’t.’
‘Josh! Can you come and help with this, please?’ Sophie called across the hall.
Turning, Hannah watched as Sophie stood on the stepladder, trying to reach a bunch of balloons tied to the curtain rail above one of the tall windows.
‘Coming.’ Josh quickly plucked the remaining letters from the wall before dropping them. ‘Oops.’
Kneeling down, Hannah began gathering them up as Josh dropped to the floor too. Quickly picking them up, he passed them to Hannah. ‘Will you meet me on the roof tonight for some more stargazing?’
Nodding, she grinned, her stomach flipping. She wanted nothing more than to meet him. Grabbing his hand before he stood up, she frowned. ‘I thought we were telling Sophie today?’
Josh glanced towards his sister. ‘We will. Just as soon as Gemma and Lucy have gone. You’ll still meet me though?’
Letting go of his hand, Hannah quickly glanced around the hall to make sure Sophie hadn’t seen them touching before she nodded. ‘I will.’
‘Josh! We need to be out in five minutes.’ Sophie called again, her voice verging on panic.
‘Great.’ He nodded at Hannah before standing up and hurrying across the hall.
Slowly, Hannah stood up and shuffled the letters in hand. Now the time to tell Sophie was getting closer, she couldn’t help feeling nervous. What would her reaction be?
‘Hannah, is that the last of them?’ Gemma walked across to her, an open bag in her hands.
Shaking her head slightly, Hannah turned her attention to Gemma and placed the cardboard letters in the bag. ‘Yes, I think so.’
‘Great, me and Lucy are going to take this lot out to my car and then take them back to Sophie’s.’ She nodded towards the pile of plastic boxes Sophie had brought the food, plates and cups in, which were sitting by the door to the hall. ‘Are you coming?’
Glancing towards Josh, who, now that the bunch of balloons had been taken down, was folding down the stepladder, Hannah shook her head. ‘You go ahead. I’ll grab a lift with Sophie and Josh. I want to double-check we’ve not left anything int he kitchen.’
‘Okay.’ Gemma nodded slowly and began walking away before turning back again. ‘You’re going to tell Soph about you and Josh, aren’t you?’
Chewing on her bottom lip, Hannah shrugged. ‘That’s what we’d decided but, I don’t know, she looks so happy after the success of the party, I don’t know if it’s the right time.’
‘The right time is before she works it out herself or someone else does and tells her.’ Gemma rubbed Hannah’s arm. ‘Tell her. She’ll be thrilled.’
Nodding, Hannah watched as she headed towards the door and hefted up a box before she and Lucy left. They were alone now, the three of them, she, Josh and Hannah. The perfect opportunity and the one she and Josh had spoken about. She wiped her palms down the legs of her jeans. She suddenly felt clammy and awkward. What if Sophie wasn’t happy? What if Lucy and Gemma had got it wrong? What if she never spoke to her again? What if Josh decided their relationship wasn’t worth rocking the boat for?
As Josh and Sophie made their way across the hall towards her, Hannah stayed rooted to the ground, scared that if she moved, she’d run right out of the hall before uttering a word to her friend.
Passing beside her, Sophie grinned. ‘Thanks so much for all your help, Hannah. You, Lucy and Gemma have been lifesavers today. There’s no way I’d have got everything organised and set up in time if you hadn’t been helping me.’
‘No worries. You’re welcome.’ Hannah tried to force a smile.
Frowning, Hannah reached out and touched her lightly on the forearm. ‘Is everything okay? You look...’
Leaning the legs of the stepladder on the ground beside him, Josh cleared his throat. ‘We actually wanted to chat with you about something.’
‘Oh, really?’ Sophie turned to him. ‘What?’
Josh sidled across to Hannah and placed his hand on the small of her back.
‘We’re dating.’ Hannah blurted out. She resisted the urge to clap her hands over her mouth and instead plunged them into her jeans pockets. Why had she said it like that? She shouldn’t have blurted it out.
Sophie looked from Hannah to Josh and back again, her face ashen. ‘You’re...’
A loud bang filled the hall as the door was pushed open and ricocheted off the wall, and they all turned to watch Richard barrel inside. Hannah felt Josh tense beside her as he let his hand drop from the small of her back and he positioned himself in front of Sophie.
