Page 31 of Daydreams & Doughnut Cake

‘Let me get you a drink.’ Clare leapt to her feet, jogging the table so her mum had to steady it.

‘No, no. Don’t worry. I’ll get one. Just a softie for me.’

‘Oh, okay. Have you got the van today?’ she asked and I froze.

How did she know about my van?

I recalled the dark hooded figure trying the handle that night. Looking at her today, all welcoming cheerfulness, she didn’t seem like intruder material. But you never knew what was going on for people beneath the surface.

Then I remembered her saying she’d followed us home to find out where we lived, presumably having spotted me at the wheel of the van.

‘No van today,’ I replied. ‘I got the bus, but I’ll have to drive to pick up Amelie later, so no alcohol for me, unfortunately.’

She nodded. ‘I bet you can’t wait to catch up with Jackie.’

I stared at her. ‘Jackie? She’s here for the wedding?’

‘Yes. For the evening do. I haven’t seen her in months so it’ll be great to meet up. She’s staying at the glamping site here for a week, making a break of it, and she’s brought a few friends with her.’

‘Oh, wow. That’s amazing.’ My smile felt a little stiff. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt on hearing this news. I hadn’t seen Jackie myself since I’d left Brighton. We’d been such good friends but life had taken us in different directions. Could we just pick up where we left off? Or would it be a little awkward?

‘There’s someone else here for the wedding who you might be interested to see.’ Clare’s smiley expression had changed. She looked cagey, her eyes narrowed slightly.

I swallowed. ‘Who’s that, then?’

She gave me a tight little smile. ‘Here he is now.’ She nodded towards the door.

My heart lurched in my chest as I turned.

Oh, please no!

But yes, there he was... his tall frame filling the doorway as he scanned the room for people he recognised.

Danny.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I met Danny’s eyes for a brief second.

‘I need the loo,’ I muttered to Clare and I bolted from the bar.

I’d thought today would just be about Clare’s family, and perhaps her brother Brian’s fiancée, Daisy, and her family. Clare hadn’t mentioned that people from our joint past would be converging on Sunnybrook for the wedding!

I suppose I hadn’t exactly given her time to explain when she’d shouted brief details through my letterbox the previous night. But if I’d known I’d come face to face with Danny again, it would have been a definite no...

Hurrying out of the hotel, I was already forming an apologetic text in my mind telling Clare I wasn’t feeling well. But just as I reached the bus stop, a familiar voice called my name.

My heart felt heavy in my chest as I took a deep breath and turned.

‘Hello, Danny.’ My smile felt stiff.

‘Rosie.’ His eyes were warm but there was a flash of uncertainty in them, as if he wasn’t sure how I was going to react at seeing him again.

I dropped my gaze to the pavement, a whole range of emotions rushing through me at once – mostly negative ones. I liked Danny. I always had. But events had blurred the edges of our friendship and were the main reason I’d fled from Brighton, thinking I really had no choice.

‘How are you?’ he asked softly.

I drew in a breath and blew it out slowly before I looked up. ‘I’m all right. Thank you.’

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