Page 25 of The Wedding Game

‘You’re quite the gentleman, aren’t you?’ I say as we enter the lush green space.

‘I’m well-trained,’ he replies. ‘I always forget London has such huge parks.’ People ride bikes past, and families with small children meander next to us. ‘It feels like the countryside.’

‘Do you want to be a tourist and get tickets for the palace?’

‘I can’t,’ Josh says reluctantly. ‘I have to go soon.’

My eyes widen. ‘Already?’ Men keep running out on me.

‘Sadly,’ he says. I think he means it. ‘I didn’t like to automatically presume this would go well, so I booked a return ticket and I haven’t got long.’

‘Oh,’ I reply, sadness sweeping me up in its grasp. That has to be a good sign, because I don’t want him to go. I wonder briefly if he’s going to do a Chris – invite me to go with him. But Josh doesn’t.

We’re on a tree-lined avenue with cherry and magnoliaglades on either side and, as we naturally come to a stop, Josh says, ‘Can I see you again?’

‘Yes,’ I reply meaningfully. ‘I’d like that.’

‘Next weekend?’ he suggests and I agree.

‘Can I walk with you to the station?’ I ask.

He glances at his watch. ‘I genuinely think I’m going to have to break into a run or I will miss my train. It’s not going to look effortless or cool, but I’ve got no choice.’

‘Oh, OK then. Quickly. Go!’

‘But first,’ he says and dips his head, brushes his lips against my cheek, withdraws and backs away.

‘No proper kiss this time?’ I call after him.

‘Something to look forward to next weekend,’ he calls back, laughing from a few feet away. And then he changes his mind, comes back to me, pulls me towards him and kisses me. I love how his body feels pressed against mine, how his mouth feels against mine, how we feel in each other’s arms – here, like this. It’s so hot and so unexpected. All of it.

He pulls away, brushes my lips with his once more, lightly, which is far too seductive for this time and place. ‘OK, Ireallyneed to go now,’ he says. ‘I’ll call you?’

‘Yes, please,’ I reply.

He turns and jogs away, raising his arm in the air to wave, and I can’t help laughing because Josh was not atallwhat I was expecting.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘A farmer? A real one?’ Hours later Scarlet echoes the exact words that I spoke to Josh, when she walks through the door after a day spent shopping and I tell her how my date went.

‘It was the oddest date I’ve been on in ages,’ I reflect.

‘It’s theonlydate you’ve been on in ages,’ Scarlet points out. ‘Why was it odd?’

I pause and think. ‘I’m not really sure. I just felt odd. Butgoododd … you know?’

She gives me a curious look. ‘Do you like him?’

I think about this for a second. I do like Josh, and getting to know him is going at a slower pace than the quick-fire Big Talk way I’ve got to know Chris. I’ve got the luxury of time with Josh, but I’m in a bit of a quandary because I like Chris too. So much.

I wondered … what if?

Me too.

‘Yeah,’ I say slowly, thinking about it. ‘I do like Josh.’

‘And you like him despite the fact he lives in a part of the country you’d never heard of?’ Scarlet teases with a roar of laughter, following it with, ‘I can’t believe you thought Somerset was a London borough.’

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