Page 40 of Valentine Nook
As his sentence ends, Miles and Alex appear through a gap in the hedgerow and make their way over.
“Fine turnout today, Lan. Very impressive.” Alex slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Love the bunting.”
I roll my eyes. Bloody bunting. “Sure you don’t want to trade places with me? I’ll give you ten grand.”
“Sorry. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, Clive would put a bounty out on me if I missed this match,” Alex replies.
Clive, The Cupid’s Arrow landlord, is even more competitive than Eddie, if that was believable. Alex is easily their best player, easily the best player on both teams having played England under 21s, and Eddie’s still rues the day Alex went to work for Clive instead of him during one Christmas holiday.
“Anyone seen Clementine?” I ask, totally casual. Nonchalant, even.
“She went to collect her friend . . .” Miles’s eyes widen, and his head tilts at me. “Oh . . . why are you asking, Lando?”
“She’s helping out with the stalls, and I haven’t seen her yet.”
A perfectly reasonable and truthful response, which Miles sees right through.
“Clementine or her friend?”
“Is this Holiday Simpson?” Alex asks. “Did you see her last film? I watched it on the flight back. It was very good. You’d like it.”
“Is this the one she got an Oscar for?” Hendricks asks.
“Yeah, Scorsese directed it. The second part is out at the end of the year.” Alex turns to me. “What’s she like?”
It’s Hendricks who responds, his chin jerking at something behind me. “See for yourself.”
The three of us turn to where Hendricks is staring and findClementine and Holiday walking toward us, though I barely notice my sister.
Holiday’s pale blond hair is tied neatly back into a ponytail, dropping just below her shoulders. Big sunglasses take up most of her face and draw attention to her lips. Plump lips that form perfectly into the shape of a heart. She’s wearing a white dress, one of those billowing ones that are soft and delicate, unlike the wellies she also has on.
I have to bend my head, so no one catches me smiling.
She looks like summer.
I’m immediately aware of myself. How I’m standing, how I’m looking at her, what I do with my hands . . . and in the end, I shove them deep in my pockets.
It’s a level of self-consciousness I’ve never experienced.
But I’m not about to be overly friendly in front of my siblings. They’re sharks circling for the tiniest drop of blood before going in for the kill. I’d never hear the end of it.
Ever.
“Hey, guys, meet my friend Holiday. She’s renting Bluebell Cottage.”
“My new neighbor.” Miles throws her a wink that immediately has me scowling. “You’ll have to come over for a cup of tea. Better yet, after-party at mine tonight.”
It would probably be inappropriate to punch him. Right?
“Shut up, Milo.” Clementine rolls her eyes at him. “Holiday, these are my brothers Hendricks, Miles, and Alex. And you remember Lando?”
The way Clementine makes the introduction has me wondering if Holiday mentioned to my sister that we’d actually seen each other since the day at the pool or that we walked down Valentine High Street and drank coffees together. And if she hasn’t, why hasn’t she?
But typically, I’m jolted from my thoughts by my youngest brother.
“From what I gather, she’ll definitely remember Lando.” Miles laughs.
“What does that mean?” Clementine asks.
