Page 25 of Mistletoe and Wishes at The Cornish Bakery

He took a deep breath. ‘I’m not really Sur how to say this so I think I’m just going o. blurt it out and I’ll apologise in advance if it doesn’t come out the way I intend.’

Tilting her head, she frowned. Why’d dint he just come out and say it?

‘Do you remember our conversation at the Christmas Tree farm? I told you that I’d been on a date with my neighbour?’

Holly nodded slowly. ‘Yes, you said it made you resale that she wasn’t the right person for you after all.’

‘That’s right. It was during my date with her that I realised I’d been having all these feelings towards someone I’d previously viewed as a friend.’ He rubbed the palm of his hand across his face.

It was Lara. She knew it was. If it was Holly he’d begun to have feelings for, he’s have blurted it out by now. ‘I think I know what you’re going to say.’

‘You do?’ He raised his eyebrows as his shoulder relaxed.

‘Yes. You’ve realised that you have feeling for... Lara.’

‘You.’

Holly shook her head. Had he really said her? Holly?‘What?’

‘What? Why did you think I have feelings for Lara?’

‘Because you’ve been spending a lot of time with her lately. And the long phone call this morning...’ He’d actually said her? He had feelings for her? not Lara, or Susie, or anyone else, for that matter. He had said her, hadn’t he? She wasn’t just hearing what she wanted to hear, was she? She frowned.

‘Yes, because she’s been encouraging me to tell you how I feel.’ He smiled, a quick, short half-smile.

Holly touched her necklace, fiddling with her parents’ wedding bands hanging from the chain.

‘Say something. Please?’ He looked at her, meeting her gaze.

‘I don’t know what to say.’ She swallowed. This was what she’d wanted. This was what she’d been thinking about ever since they’d attended that wreath making workshop. She hadn’t thought about anything else, but now? She didn’t have a clue what to say or do. How did she treat him? Did he want to be a couple? Like a proper couple? Or was he just telling her how he felt with no expectation or want of anything else?

Straightening his back, Joe placed his hands on his knees and nodded. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything. I wasn’t going to, but after speaking with Ian earlier, I didn’t just want to sit back and keep how I feel about you to myself. Just in case...’

‘No, please don’t apologise. I’m glad you told me.’ She was. She was glad. She just didn’t know what to say.

‘I don’t want this to come between us. Just because I’ve told you how I feel, I don’t want things to become weird between us. I love you as my friend so much. I don’t want to jeopardise that. I shouldn’t have jeopardised that. Please don’t let this change anything between us.’

She bit down on her bottom lip. It was now or never. She needed to tell him how she felt, how her feelings towards him and been changing, strengthening too or she was going to lose him. He was going to think she didn’t want anything more than friendship between them. She cleared her throat. It was dry. Before she could talk herself out of it, she leaned forward and closed her eyes, her lips landing softly upon his. She felt him pause before realising what was happening and kissing her back. It felt natural. It felt as though it was meant to be. She pulled away. ‘What if I want it to change things between us?’

Joe chuckled and pulled her towards him again, his lips moving against hers as he spoke. ‘Then I’d be completely happy with it.’

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