“Honey, didn’t you hear me? I said I want you. If, one day, years down the line, we decide we’d like to start a family then we’ll deal with any challenges together.”
“Are you sure?”
He leant forwards and kissed her. His lips were soft and warm, his scent was deliciously familiar, and as he slid his arms around her, she felt his strength enveloping her and keeping her safe.
“Look! Mr Ackerman is kissing the Easter Bunny!”
Honey pulled away from Dane to see three small children with chocolate-covered faces gawking at them.
“Hello, Sir.” One of the boys grinned. “Did she bring you a nice egg?”
“Sorry?” Dane frowned.
“Well you were kissing the bunny to say thank you, weren’t you?”
“Oh! Yes, that’s right.” Dane glanced at Honey then cleared his throat. “Why don’t you kids run along now? Go and ask the band to play a special song. In fact… come here a minute.”
He stood up and whispered into the boy’s ear then they shook hands.
“What was all that about?” Honey asked, pushing herself to her feet.
“Special request.” Dane frowned at her. “What happened there?” He pointed at the yellow stain on her foot.
“HP.”
“Ah, right, say no more!”
“Exactly.”
Dane reached for her hand as the band started to play.
“I think I know this,” Honey said.
“It’s You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall and Oates. By request. Dance with me?”
“To this?”
“Why not?”
“It’s quite… funky.”
“And appropriate.”
Honey let him pull her close and they moved in time with the music. Dane twirled her under his arm then back to him and round again, but Honey started laughing.
“What is it?”
“You keep stepping on my big feet.”
He smiled. “They are rather large. I don’t know how you ever find shoes to fit.”
“Thank you.”
“What for? Laughing at your feet?”
“For being you.”
“Ditto.”
He cupped her face then kissed her. Honey slid her arms around his neck and felt his hands roam over her bunny tail before giving it a tweak.
“Hey!” she murmured against his lips.
“You know, I’ll have to behave myself in public from now on. I can’t have the pupils seeing me kissing the Easter Bunny again, so I was making the most of it.”
“Mandy?” A shout from the front lawn made them freeze.
“MUM!”
Honey and Dane hurried around to the front of the café as the music stopped. Everyone was staring at the young woman standing at the gate in a red satin ball-gown. Her blonde hair was a windswept mess and mascara was smudged down her cheeks making her look as though she’d just completed a military assault course. She pushed the gate open then ran into Allie’s arms.
“It’s all gone so wrong, Mum!” she wailed.
“Come on, love, let’s get you inside.” Allie led her daughter into the café, followed by Chris and Jordan, then they closed the door behind them.
“What happened there?” Dane asked.
“I’m not sure but I know Mandy hasn’t been very happy lately. Looks like she needs her mum.”
“Allie will sort her out.”
“If anyone can, Allie can.” Honey nodded.
The music started again and Maxwell called people to the drinks table, obviously keen to distract the villagers from the dramatic scene they’d just witnessed.
“Should I go and see if I can help?” Honey asked Dane.
“Probably best to leave them to it. I’m sure Allie will call if she needs you.”
“I guess you’re right. What shall we do then?”
“How about we go back to mine and discuss this moving in together idea in a bit more detail?” Dane stroked her cheek and goosebumps rose on her skin.
“Actually, how about we go back to mine and see if there’s enough room in my wardrobe for your things?”
“Really?”
“Well, I own my cottage but you rent, so it makes more sense. Besides, I have the chickens and my studio and one of the spare rooms would probably make a great study for you.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Come on then. If you play your cards right I might even take these bunny feet off.”
“Now you’re talking.”
They said goodbye to their friends, then walked through the gate and onto the street. Honey was worried about Allie and her family but she knew her friend would call if she needed her, and that she had the support of Chris and Jordan.
Before walking away, Honey cast one more glance behind her. It really had been an eventful start to spring at The Cosy Cottage Café, and for the first time in a long while, she was looking forward to embracing the present and anticipating the future. With Dane at her side.
Spring Spritzer Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 shot lavender syrup
1 shot Lillet rose vermouth
1 shot freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 shots prosecco
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice then add the lavender syrup, Lillet rose vermouth and lemon juice. Shake well.
Strain into a glass then top up with the prosecco.
Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of lavender.
(NB – 1 shot = approximately 30ml / 1 oz)
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading A Year at The Cosy Cottage Café. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Did the stories make you smile, laugh or even cry? Did you care about the characters? Which ones and why? Who do you want to know more about in a future book?
If you can spare five minutes of your time, I would be so grateful if you could leave a short review. Genuine word of mouth helps other readers decide whether to take a trip to The Cosy Cottage Café too.
Wishing you all the best and hoping you’ll come back to Heatherlea soon!
If you’d like to connect with me, you can find you can find me on Twitter @authorRG and at my Facebook page Rachel Griffiths Author.
With love,
Rachel X
Acknowledgments
Firstly, thanks to my gorgeous family. I love you so much! XXX
To my wonderful agent, Amanda Preston, for your advice, your hard work on my behalf and for your support. X
Special thanks to Tom Quinlan for the beautiful cover and Kerry Barrett for the copy edits.
To my author and blogger friends, for your support, advice and encouragement and to everyone who has interacted with me on social media, huge heartfelt thanks. This is a crazy, exciting journey and I’m having a great time with you all!
To everyone who buys and reviews this book, thank you. Without you, there would be no Cosy Cottage Café.
A Year at The Cosy Cottage Café: A heart-warming feel-good read about life, love, loss, friendship and second chances Page 44
