Page 59 of Daydreams & Doughnut Cake

Then his mouth came down on mine and it felt so right, it was as if my whole body gave a huge sigh of relief. In the back of my mind, I suppose I’d been worried that it would feel wrong, kissing Danny after all this time. I’d thought maybe it was just the emotion of the moment that had made me believe I felt something with Danny back then... something with the potential to explode into full-on passion.

But I’d been wrong to worry because the feeling was there.

Breaking apart at last, we smiled into each other’s eyes and he took my hand and led me out of the car park.

‘Where are we going?’ I asked happily. I felt as light as a feather after our kiss – almost as if I was floating through the air!

‘To the café. To see if they’ve got a glamping vacancy for tonight. Then I can take you out for dinner.’

‘Right.’ My heart leapt at the idea of Danny staying a little longer. ‘I’ll need to get a babysitter, though.’

‘Why?’

‘Um, because Amelie’s only four and as yet isn’t able to cook her own dinner?’ I joked in a ‘duh!’ sort of tone.

His eyes crinkled in a smile. ‘When I said I’d take you out to eat, I meant both of you.’ He shrugged. ‘There’s a good Italian restaurant here. Would Amelie find pizza acceptable?’

‘Morethan acceptable. In fact, she’ll love you for life!’

We exchanged a knowing smile.

‘Mum and Malcolm are coming back from Spain. They’ve sold the bar,’ I told him as we walked hand-in-hand over to the café.

‘Wow, that’s great. I know how much you were missing them.’

I nodded happily. ‘I’m not telling Amelie yet or she’ll be asking me every day if today’s the day she’ll see them.’

He chuckled. ‘Probably best to tell her the morning they’re due back, then?’

‘Absolutely!’

He squeezed my hand and I felt a delicious rush of happiness.

There was so much I wanted to ask him about what he’d been doing this past year, but for now, I was just glad that my life seemed to be getting back on track. I’d been stuck for so long – feeling all alone with my guilt and my fears – but with this lovely man by my side, I knew I was right where I needed to be.

Danny had lit a spark in me on that emotional night long ago.

And now we had all the time in the world to explore where it would take us...

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

It was the following day and after a wonderful evening at Carlo’s Italian restaurant, I woke up to the sound of Amelie running into my room in her pyjamas and demanding to know when we were going to see Danny again.

I smiled at her, my heart lifting with happiness. ‘Soon, my love. I promise.’

Danny was clearly her favourite person now, after last night!

‘I think we should see himverysoon,’ she stated firmly. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘Danny let me have his chocolate as well when you went to the toilet.’

‘Oh, did he now? Well, just wait till I see him!’ I grabbed her and tickled her and she shrieked with laughter.

‘Can we see his... hepperd’s hut where he goes to sleep?’ she wanted to know.

‘The shepherd’s hut? Yes, I’m sure we can.’

‘Yay!’ We fist-pumped enthusiastically. ‘Can we go now, Mum?’

I laughed, thinking that her enthusiasm for seeing Danny was quite convenient considering that I was also very much looking forward to seeing him again! I’d been so happy when he’d decided to extend his stay at the glamping site for another couple of nights.

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