‘After I have a sample, I’ll give my verdict.’ Lyndsey pursed her lips.
‘One sample coming up.’ Griff didn’t hold back. She’d noticed a number of stares, sly smiles and winks coming their way from the other customers, but happily ignored them. It was several blissful minutes before they came back up for air. ‘So, you still gonna marry me?’
‘It’s a definite yes.’
He glanced over at their food. ‘You still interested in eating, or would you rather go spread the good news to your family?’
‘What do you think?’ Lyndsey hopped off his lap, grabbed her handbag and beamed at him. ‘Come on. There’s probably some fried mackerel left if you get hungry.’
‘I can promise you I won’t bethathungry!’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Griff hugged his future mother-in-law. ‘I promise I’ll take good care of her.’
‘We know that, my ’andsome, or we wouldn’t let her go off with you now!’ Maureen smacked a kiss on his cheek.
The guard blew the whistle, so he grabbed their two suitcases and leapt onto the train. He’d already helped Becca and the children on first to get them settled in their reserved seats.
‘Lyndsey, they’re getting ready to lock the doors,’ he yelled.
Griff’s heart was heavy watching her cling onto her parents one last time. The tears etched on her face gave Griff a glimpse of the magnitude of what they were embarking on. Starry-eyed twenty-somethings swept away by the romance and adventure of it all might be able to push away worries about problems that could arise in the future; he and Lyndsey weren’t those people.
‘I’m here,’ Lyndsey said breathlessly, leaping on the train and clutching hold of his arm. ‘Let’s find somewhere to put these bags and . . .’ Her sharp eyes pierced through him. ‘What’s wrong?’ Before he had a chance to reply, she gave a sad head shake. ‘Yes, I’ll miss my mum and dad, and worry about them, and they’ll do the same for me, but I love you and so do they. They’re happy for us.’ She touched her empty ring finger. ‘You aresonot getting out of buying something extremely sparkly to go here.’
‘That’s not what . . .’ Griff glowered. ‘You’re teasing me and it’s nothing to joke about.’
‘I’m not stupid and so blinded by love I can’t see the dark clouds lurking on the horizon.’ Her expression softened. ‘There’ll be hard times. Choices I’d rather not have to make. But that’s life. When I told you I was done being a coward, I meant it.’ Lyndsey’s gentle laughter reverberated through him. ‘Maybe this is a bit drastic, but small changes were never going to be enough for me.’
The train jerked, picking up speed, bumping her into him. A broad grin spread over her face when he wrapped his arms around her to stop them both toppling over.
‘It’s the train’s way of telling us we need to sit down and eat our pasties while they’re warm.’
‘Knowing our luck, Theo’s devoured them already,’ Griff said. In Cornwall, the boy seemed to have lost his normal teenage-boy appetite and found a horse’s instead. Maureen had loved nothing better than feeding him, and Paul had joked that he’d be sorry when they left and life went back to ready meals and salads.
‘He better not have.’ Lyndsey let go of him. ‘Are we good now?’
‘Always.’ Griff picked up their cases and followed her.
Jase hadn’t even pretended to be surprised when he rang yesterday to share their good news. His brother was in Knoxville visiting their parents, and had put him on speakerphone so Griff could talk to them, too. Their mother’s happy scream almost burst his eardrum, but it was his dad’s gruff expression of pleasure that tugged at his heart the most. Larry Oakes wasn’t the sort of man to tell his sons he loved them, but showed it day in and day out with his unswerving support and caring — especially when they didn’t deserve it. There’d been a brief veiled mention of the main reason behind Jase’s visit when his dad said he’d always suspected there was more to the car crash story.
‘We’ll talk about it more when you bring your young lady to see us. Make it soon, yeah?’
‘Sure thing, Dad, or maybe you and Mom would like to make the trip to Paradise Valley instead? We’ll make a plan after we get back. Let us get over jet lag first and give me time to buy an engagement ring.’ Those had been Lyndsey’s only stipulations when he raised the subject of meeting his parents.
‘There you are!’ Becca waved at them from halfway down the carriage, so they made their way to join her. ‘We decided you’d either missed the train or decided to stay behind. I was afraid you’d left me to deal with this pair on my own.’ She ruffled Theo’s hair and laughed when he half-heartedly pushed her away. ‘Thankfully, our little drama queen fell asleep a few minutes ago.’
Griff sniffed the air and spotted crumbs around Theo’s mouth. ‘If you’ve been eating my pasty you’re in big trouble, young man.’
‘Not guilty!’ Theo nodded at Becca, then grinned broadly. ‘Only ’cause she said you’d chop me up into tiny pieces and use me in one of your weird mosaic things.’
‘Not a bad idea. I’ll remember that if you cause me any hassle down the line.’ Griff dropped down in his seat. ‘I wanna hear what we’re doin’ for the next two days in London.’ The sisters exchanged despairing smiles. ‘Hey, I’m sorry. I’m not going to apologize for being a typical American, wanting to cram in as much as possible.’
‘You’ll have plenty of other chances,’ Lyndsey explained. ‘Promise.’
‘I’ll hold you to that.’ He pointed to the bag of food. ‘Give me a pasty and I might shut up.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, you’re as much a baby as Nora.’ Becca whipped out a large white paper bag and passed it over, the savory aroma making him salivate.
