Page 28 of Love in the Air at The Cornish Bakery

‘They feel like ice, too.’ She rubbed them together.

Bringing her hands to his lips, he kissed her fingers before returning to the box at the back of the bike and pulling out a pair of gloves. ‘Here pop these on, they’ll warm you up.’

‘Thanks.’

‘Ready?’

‘I think so.’ She watched him sit down before she swung her leg over the bike and wrapped her arms around Rowan’s middle.

‘How do you feel?’

‘As though I’m going to fall off.’ She grimaced.

‘Shuffle forward and grip tighter then.’ Rowan covered her hands as she did so. ‘That’s it. Ready?’

‘Yes.’ Or at least, as she’d ever be. Give her another balloon ride any day of the week over a ride on a motorbike. She closed her eyes as she heard the rev of the engine starting and the bike begin to shake with the power beneath them.

Rowan glanced behind him and called over the sound of the engine. ‘Would you rather we get a taxi?’

‘Nope.’ She shook her head as they slowly began riding across the cobbles. This wasn’t so bad. She relaxed as the motorbike picked up speed, leaving the cobbles and the bay behind them. Soon they were weaving along the winding country roads towards Trestow, and she could feel the wind tugging on her coat and her hair whipping against the back of her neck.

Slowing down, Rowan pulled the bike into a layby and popped his visor up, indicating for Nina to do the same. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes. Great. It’s actually quite fun, isn’t it?’

Laughing, Rowan shook his head. ‘I think so. Ready to go again?’

Nina nodded.

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‘HEY, YOU TWO. GLADyou could come.’ Brooke hugged Nina and then Rowan.

‘Good to see you again.’ Stepping forward, Max hugged Nina before turning to Rowan, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

‘Thanks for inviting us.’ Nina looked around the large foyer. It looked as though there was a cinema upstairs, too. Restaurants lined the foyer, with the bowling alley situated at the back of the foyer behind a large planter filled with greenery. ‘I haven’t been bowling for ages, though, so I’ll warn you that I’m a bit rusty.’

‘Nina, being a bit rusty is a good thing for us.’ Rowan chuckled. ‘She always wiped the floor with anyone she played with.’

‘Ha-ha, is that a challenge, then?’ Brooke laughed. ‘Who am I kidding? I’m absolutely rubbish!’

‘You’re not that bad.’ Max wrapped his arm around her middle.

‘Maybe not quite as bad as you, but I’m still pretty poor.’

‘Charming.’ Max grinned at her before turning to Nina and Rowan. ‘It’s true though, we’re lucky if we get two pins down between us.’

Nina shook her head and laughed. ‘I’m sure you’ll both be great. When I say I’m rusty, I haven’t played in over four years, so I really will be terrible.’

‘Shall we go and find our lane?’ Brooke indicated the entrance to the bowling alley.

‘Good idea.’ Falling into step next to Nina, Rowan leaned across towards her. ‘Have you not been since we went together last?’

‘Nope.’ She shook her head. Bowling had always been their thing. The local bowling alley, the place they’d turned to unwind, to de-stress after a long week at work. It would have felt strange to go without him. Not that she’d had anyone she could have particularly gone with anyway, not unless you counted her brother and his family when they visited. ‘How about you?’

‘The same.’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘The idea of going bowling without you just felt weird.’

Looking across at him, she grinned. ‘So tonight really will be interesting then.’

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