Page 8 of A Little Love Song in Seabury
The butterfly looped back and landed right on top of Stanley’s head. The sight made Will let out a booming laugh, which promptly made the pair of them jump. Stanley turned and cocked his head, and the butterfly fluttered away.
‘I’m okay,’ said Will, rolling his eyes at himself.
Had he really just scared himself with his own laughter?!
Stanley continued to stare at him, looking concerned.
‘All good, boy, don’t worry. Come on… let’s get down into town.’
CHAPTER 4
LEAH
Leah let out a long, happy sigh. She was sitting cross-legged on the little flat’s cosy sofa, with her first holiday read open in front of her and the tail end of a cup of coffee cradled in her hands.
This was the life!
She’d already eaten three rounds of golden toast slathered in butter, and she was debating making herself a fresh cup of coffee. Sure, she’d promised herself breakfast at New York Froth—but she’d woken up hours before the café would be open, and there was no way she could wait that long!
That said, her first breakfast wasn’t going to stop Leah from scuttling downstairs for a second innings any moment now. After all, she was on holiday… and that meant that she could live like a Hobbit, didn’t it?!
Popping her bookmark carefully between the pages of her romcom, Leah let out another contented sigh as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what had come over her… but she hadn’t felt this relaxed in months. Surely less than twelve hours of holiday wasn’t enough to have such a good effect?!
Maybe her contentment was simply because she didn’t have to pack up and move on to the next city, or start making calls to the next venue to confirm Will’s sound checks. Or… maybe it was because she hadn’t actually heard from her boss since she’d dropped him off the previous night.
Or had she somehow managed to miss a call?
Leah’s happy little bubble deflated slightly as she grabbed her mobile from the coffee table and swiped at the screen. Normally, Will sent her a message every quarter of an hour or so. It wasn’t that he was demanding… more that he’d come to depend on her for the small things as well as the large.
Where’s my dry-cleaning?
Which city did I just wake up in?
I can’t remember if I’ve completed a tax return this century.
When did I last eat?
Sure, being completely indispensable made for excellent job security, but it did mean that there were moments when things got a tad testing. Somehow, Leah’s growing feelings for the man she spent nearly twenty-four hours a day with only seemed to make things worse.
Frowning at her phone screen, Leah couldn’t quite believe her eyes.
Not a peep.This wasn’t normal!
‘No… this is a good thing,’ she muttered. ‘You need a break from each other!’
Maybe, if she kept telling herself that, she might actually start to believe it.
Leah let out a long, deep breath… but it didn’t work. The sense of contented calm she’d been basking in all of two seconds ago had completely deserted her. She needed to get up and get moving, otherwise she was going to start obsessing. Again.
Slurping down the dregs of her coffee, Leah stood up and stretched. It was time to put her shoes on, get her hands on that second breakfast, and then start exploring Seabury!
Heading for the bedroom, Leah reached for her hairclip and was halfway through pulling her hair up into its customary tight knot when she promptly let go. The heavy twist spiralled back down around her shoulders. It could stay down for a change. Shewasoff duty after all… even if her brain hadn’t quite got the memo yet!
‘Which means…’ She turned and kicked her heeled boots back under the bed, reached for her suitcase, and pulled out a scruffy pair of trainers instead.
Comfort. Pure comfort.
‘And that goes for choosing food, drink, books and company too!’ she said, shoving her feet into the trainers and quickly tying the laces.
