by Rebecca Pugh
The remainder of the evening went by just as perfectly as it had begun.
***
‘Tonight’s been great,’ Marco commented as they walked side by side back to the B&B. He’d insisted on walking her back, seeing as it was dark and just past midnight. The street lamps were low and the air was cold around them. ‘I’d like to spend some more time with you, Laurie.’
They were outside the B&B now, and had stopped to face each other. ‘I’d like that very much, too,’ she replied. ‘I’ve enjoyed tonight. A lot.’
Marco’s eyes looked black in the darkness. He opened his mouth but then closed it almost immediately. Then saw that she’d noticed and laughed at himself with a small shake of the head. ‘Sorry, I feel nervous. Isn’t that ridiculous?’
Laurie smiled. Oh, he was so adorable. ‘Not ridiculous at all. Seems we’ve both been out of practice.’
Marco took a step forward and closed the gap between them. ‘Well, now that I have your number, I’ll give you a call?’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Laurie replied. She wondered whether he’d kiss her. She wondered how she’d feel if he did. Her wondering didn’t last long, though, as Marco touched his lips to hers and tightened his grip on her waist. When he stepped back, she felt strangely bereft. He watched and waited for a reaction.
‘Was that … okay?’ he asked slowly, nervously. ‘I’m sorry, I …’
‘It was perfect,’ Laurie replied quickly. ‘Really, it was.’ The street was quiet around them; they were completely alone. She plucked up the courage to kiss him right back. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. It had been such a long time since she’d felt that way, like her body had suddenly been brought back to life by this beautifully kind and caring, not forgetting ridiculously handsome, man standing before her. Their tongues collided, deepening the kiss so much she could barely breathe but she didn’t mind. The cold wrapped them together, like a midnight-blue ribbon looping around their bodies, pushing them right up against each, chest to chest. She wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but she could have happily stayed there all night long, despite the glitters of oncoming frost. When they finally broke apart, they looked at each other in wonder, as if even they were surprised by how incredible their kiss had been.
Laurie cleared her throat, tried to pull herself together. It was hard, though. Her knees felt a little wobbly and her heart was beating like a racehorse’s hooves in her chest. ‘Thank you for a great night, Marco.’ She peered up into his face. ‘I’ll see you at the diner tomorrow?’
A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he took a step back and nodded. ‘You will. See you tomorrow, Laurie.’
Laurie exhaled as she watched him walk away and her breath appeared in front of her in a puff of cloud. She waited, to see if he’d look over his shoulder, and to her delight he did. He even waved and blew her a kiss, then turned and jogged off down the road.
Alone in her bedroom, Laurie sighed with deep happiness as she rolled over and tugged the duvet a little tighter around herself. Despite the heating having been turned on, it still felt cold in the bedroom, but each time she thought back to Marco’s kiss, a burst of warmth spread through her and it kept her toasty right through the night until morning.
Chapter Seventeen
‘The Christmas market is coming to town!’ Mia sang. It was now mid-November and Christmas was well and truly in the air. ‘Oh, I can’t wait. You’re going to love it, Laurie!’ She performed a jiggle of excitement as she flipped over the sign on the diner door ‘There’s hot chocolate, homemade Christmas decorations, music, the turning on of the lights! It’s going to be magical!’
Since Marnie’s appearance and the showdown in the diner, she and Laurie had returned to normal. October had slipped by in the blink of an eye, their days filled with work and sorting themselves out for Christmas. It was all very exciting and Mia couldn’t wait for Laurie to experience everything that Sunset Bay had to offer during the Christmas build-up.
Mia paused and glanced over towards Laurie. She’d expected some sort of reaction but Laurie looked lost as she filled the container with straws, one by one. Her forehead was creased, deep in thought. Mia wondered what she was thinking about.
‘Laurie?’ Mia called softly. She raised her eyebrows when Laurie looked over. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘Oh, sorry, Mia. I’m miles away.’ Laurie laughed but there was no joy in it.
Mia walked towards her and stopped once she was stood opposite. ‘I noticed. Do you want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.’ She’d always been the listener.
Laurie shrugged. ‘I’m still so confused about everything, Mia. I feel like I didn’t get the answers I needed about the diner from Mum.’
‘Hey, we’re heading back on Boxing Day, remember? That’ll be nice, and I’m sure you’ll be able to ask your questions then.’ She rubbed Laurie’s back comfortingly.
Laurie smiled and nodded. ‘Thanks, Mia. It’s not just that, though. It’s everything. The thought of going back to my job and London depresses me. I need to find a place to live. I can’t spend the rest of my life renting a room in a B&B, can I? I don’t know. London just feels like a million miles away now, and a bit of a nightmare if I’m honest. I need a plan and I haven’t got one. I feel … out of sorts.’
‘Of course you do,’ Mia replied. ‘You upped and left everything that you knew, at the same time as leaving a relationship, too, but that doesn’t make you stupid, Laurie. It makes you brave. I bet there are people all over the world who wish they had the courage to do what you did. And not having a plan isn’t a bad thing, either. In fact, it’s amazing, and you’re an amazing person. Don’t ever forget that, okay? Maybe not having a plan is for the best; you need time to think about what to do next. Not everything has to be mapped out with precision. Life has a way of taking you to where you’re supposed to be, sometimes with a few bumps along the way, but those bumps just make it all the more worth it when you finally reach your destination.’
Laurie nodded. ‘I guess you’re right. It’s just, before I came here, I thought I knew everything about my life. I was able to plan, because I always knew what was coming. Every single day was filled with the same pointless stuff. I love how I feel here, but I know it’s not permanent. I’ll try not to think about it too much, at least not until I have to, anyway. Thanks, Mia. You always know what to say to make me feel better, don’t you?’
‘That’s the beauty of having a sister. I think you forget that I know you inside out. Anyway, let’s talk about the Christmas market, shall we? It’ll be here before we know it and I can’t wait for you to see it.’
‘Go on then,’ Laurie grinned. ‘Tell me all about it.’
So Mia did. She recalled the years when she and Grandma Dolly would wrap up in countless layers of snuggly clothes and set off for the evening, their arms linked like two teenage girls as they strolled along merrily. They’d spend hours dawdling around the stalls, admiring and swaying to the band as they played Christmas songs the entire night through. Mia told Laurie about how her favourite part was when they switched the Christmas lights on and the whole of Sunset Bay lit up like a Christmas tree itself. That wasn’t all, though. The pier was decorated, too, and sparkled like a thousand diamonds. In the darkness it looked magical as the lights hovered above the inky sea, bobbing in the wind. It was a gorgeous sight, and one Mia fell in love with more and more each time she set eyes on it. And then Mia told Laurie about the smells of the Christmas market. The stalls held everything from scented candles to mulled wine, wooden handmade toys to glass trinkets. It was a feast for the senses and brought every single one of those senses to life. Mia could remember clearly how she and Grandma Dolly would stay out well after the lights had been turned on, with their fingers wrapped around cups of either hot chocolate or mulled wine. The scent of gingerbread and sweet, delicious cake would dance in the air as the band played Christmas song after Christmas song. It was Mia’s favourite time of year, but th
is year the occasion would be more special because Laurie would be with her, and she couldn’t wait to walk along, arm in arm, with her big sister through the stalls. It was going to be perfect, and something which she’d imagined doing for a very long time.
‘It sounds fantastic,’ Laurie commented when Mia finally drew to a close and took a deep breath, as if she’d used every last one on describing the market. ‘So, we’re going, aren’t we?’
‘Of course!’ Mia clapped then stopped when she realised the diner was half-full. ‘Oh, I didn’t notice we’d filled up.’
Laurie laughed. ‘So lost were you to the magic of the Christmas market!’ She whizzed off to take orders.
***
Later that evening, once the diner was closed and Mia was back in Honeysuckle Cottage, Cal arrived with a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine. ‘Evening, beautiful,’ he murmured, once she’d opened the door to let him in. ‘I thought I’d pop round and bring you these.’ He held the bottle and flowers out to her.
She smiled – she couldn’t help it. Cal was so thoughtful. ‘Cal, you didn’t have to do this …’ Nevertheless, she gratefully accepted her gifts and headed to the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers, and two glasses for the wine. She heard him flop down onto the sofa with what sounded like an exhausted sigh. ‘You sound knackered,’ she called through to him. She filled their glasses to the top then went through to join him.
Cal took what looked like a much-needed sip of wine and grinned. ‘Just a bit worn out. Think it’s all this Christmas excitement.’ He grinned.
Mia giggled. ‘What? I’m excited!’ After a quick burst of laughter, she grew silent and stared into her wine glass.
‘What’s up?’ Cal shifted closer towards her. ‘Something’s wrong, I can tell.’
‘It’s just … Oh, it’s just Laurie. You know, Cal, I’ve loved having her around, and now I …’
Cal nodded. ‘Go on. Now you what?’
‘Well, now I don’t really want her to leave.’ She shrugged. ‘I didn’t realise how much I’d missed her until she showed up at the diner’s anniversary. Turns out it was a lot, and when she goes back things just won’t be the same. In an ideal world, Laurie would stay and we’d run the diner together, side by side, just like we were supposed to.’
‘So, why don’t you ask her to stay?’
‘She can’t, can she? She’s got her job to go back to.’
‘You don’t know if you don’t ask. From the looks of things, she’s really enjoying being here, too. I bet she doesn’t want to go back just as much as you don’t want her to leave. I think you should suggest it. Ask her what she thinks. See how she feels. She might surprise you.’
Mia shook her head quickly, dashing the idea away. ‘But after everything, Cal, I don’t want to make her feel like she has to be here. Being tied down was the reason she needed to get away from everything in the first place. If I started badgering her about staying, she’d think I was doing the exact same thing.’
‘It’s not the same thing, Mia. It’s completely different. She loves it here, you can tell that just by looking at her. I think that maybe, deep down, she wants to stay here, too.’
With a small smile, Mia shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll just have to see what happens. I want to let her make up her own mind. If she does decide to go back, then at least we had this time together. We’re closer now, so hopefully she won’t leave and never come back. I hope she’ll visit at least.’
‘Course she bloody will. She adores you, Mia. You’re her baby sister. But I think you’re right. Leave Laurie to make up her own mind. She’s a grown woman, and she’s more than capable of making decisions for herself. Don’t you agree?’
‘Most definitely.’ Feeling more relaxed after talking about her thoughts with Cal, Mia sighed happily, placed her glass down onto the table and climbed atop of him, straddling him.
A single dark eyebrow rose as Cal eyed first her body, and then her face. ‘Is there a reason you’re sitting on top of me or are you just more comfortable this way?’
Mia smirked and leant down to kiss him. A deep, languid kiss that seemed to go on for ever. She loved the taste of Cal; it was unique and all his own, and she could have happily sat there tasting him for hours on end. ‘I just thought, seeing as we’re alone, maybe you could stay the night?’ She slowly moved her lips away from his mouth and turned her attention to his neck instead. She nipped at the skin and Cal hissed. She knew it drove him crazy, and she loved to be the one to make him lose it. She carried on, until Cal shifted and pulled her T-shirt up and over her head.
‘I never knew you were so naughty, Mia Chapman. There was me thinking you were all innocent and sweet. How wrong was I?’ He moved forward and traced a line of kisses from the base of her neck, down her chest, between her breasts and then unclasped her bra. He slid the straps gently down her arms and sighed with pleasure once he’d deposited it on the floor beside the sofa. ‘You’re so beautiful.’ He murmured the words as he continued to kiss and lick.
Mia removed his T-shirt then. He had such a divine body, one she’d never grow tired of looking at. She’d always wondered what he looked like beneath his cook’s uniform and now here he was, on her sofa, sat beneath her, and she was able to do what she pleased with him. ‘You’re beautiful, too,’ she whispered, stroking her fingertips along his chest. ‘Kiss me.’
So he did. They barely came up for air for the rest of the night, and ended up sleeping on the sofa. Cal stretched out beneath her, with Mia snuggled on his chest with his arms holding her body against his. Her head lay against the spot where she could hear his heartbeat perfectly and, in the darkness, as Cal gently snored, she knew she’d never been happier. She couldn’t believe Cal was now hers, and she his. She’d wanted it for so long but never had the courage to even try. Laurie had taught her to be brave without even realising she’d done so and Mia couldn’t thank her enough for that. She lifted her head and placed a kiss on Cal’s cheek, before returning to his chest and falling into a gentle slumber.
Chapter Eighteen
Laurie settled herself down in the passenger seat in Marco’s car and wondered where he was taking her as she clicked her seat belt into place. She’d spent every second of her free time with him recently. Today was a surprise and she was excited to find out what exactly he had up his sleeve. He’d called her the evening before and asked if she was free the next day. She’d said yes, and before ending the call they’d agreed on a time for him to pick her up from the B&B. So here she was, dressed casually in skinny jeans, a thick hoodie and warm boots, waiting to see where Marco would stop the car.
‘I bet you’re wondering where I’m taking you, aren’t you?’ Marco grinned playfully as he glanced across at her, his dark eyebrows wriggling. ‘Well, Laurie, you can wonder all you like, but you’ll never guess.’ The wink he sent fluttering Laurie’s way set her pulse racing.
She smiled as happiness bloomed. Outside, the early morning sky was the lightest shade of blue. She watched the fields passing by as the car drove on. It was very countryside-esque, and it struck her then how much she preferred this scenery to her other life in London.
‘I’m not taking you to a restaurant,’ Marco chipped in. ‘Just so you know.’
She laughed out loud. ‘It’s like you can read my mind,’ said Laurie with a giggle. ‘I honestly have no idea where you’re taking me. It’s exciting, though.’
‘Good. I like to see you excited.’ Marco grimaced. ‘Oh, wow. That sounded a bit odd, didn’t it?’
She broke out into peals of laughter once more, tears springing to her eyes. ‘Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re odd. You’re anything but. In fact, I think you’re lovely.’ She smiled across at him.
Marco’s eyes remained on the road. ‘Well, I think you’re fantastic. I love spending time with you and … Well, I just love spending time with you.’ A burst of happiness spread through Laurie when he moved a hand to rest on her thigh. ‘Today’s going to be fun, I promise.�
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She looked down at his hand, fiery heat emanating from it, and slipped her own beneath it. His skin was warm, slightly rough but endlessly comforting. ‘It sounds like we’ve got a great day ahead of us then.’ She squeezed his hand and returned her gaze to the window.
The scenery was stunning as they drove through fields, the sea peeping at them in the distance, and when Marco turned and began to follow a road that curved round, right beside the sea, she sat up straight and admired the view. The car continued, still curving round until, eventually, Marco turned into what looked to be a small town.
‘We’re here,’ he announced with a smile as they both climbed out of the car.
Laurie gazed around them both as a light wind threaded through her hair. ‘Wow,’ she murmured in admiration. ‘It’s really something.’ Right beside the sea, rows of small, whitewashed and weather-beaten buildings stood prettily.
‘Isn’t it? Come on. Let’s go and explore.’ He held out his arm for her to take hold of, so she did.
They began walking through the town and Laurie felt giddy with excitement. The morning passed by in a blur of shopping and chatter. They passed by old bookshops and plenty of places to learn how to fish and dive. The whole area was very focused on the sea, and Laurie couldn’t blame them when it was right beside the town. Once the afternoon arrived, Laurie leant up against the railings of a platform that looked out over the beach they’d arrived at, while Marco went to grab them both a hot drink.
‘Lovely, isn’t it?’ He appeared beside her and passed over one of two cups of steaming coffee. ‘Are you impressed?’
‘Very,’ said Laurie with a smile. ‘It was really nice of you to bring me here. It’s a gorgeous little place.’
Marco nodded. ‘I came here once with Mum when I was younger.’
‘Tell me about your childhood, growing up. I want to know.’
