“Oh, no.” Hailey ushers us outside again. “We’ve got you a lodge up the road.”
I perk up at that because if it’s where I think it is, then I’m in for a treat. “At Char’s family’s place?” They own and run a holiday park up the road a bit from the pub, and from what I read about it, it looks lovely.
Hailey grins. “Thought you might like the sound of that. They’ve got one they keep free for friends and family to use, so Char asked if we could have it for you while you’re here.”
“Are you sure that’s okay?” Not that I want to talk her out of it, but I don’t want to cause any hassle if they need it for someone else. “I can look for a B&B somewhere.”
She waves me away. “They offered. Honestly, it’s fine.”
She yawns again, and I’m so tempted to suggest that maybe she should go have a nap or at least a lie-down. The words are right there on the tip of my tongue, but her eyes narrow like she can read my mind. I look to Joe for backup, but he’s busy doing something on his phone. So I keep quiet, reminding myself that Hailey is a grown woman. If she wants a nap, I’m sure she’ll go have one.
“Come on,” she says, getting a second wind. “Let me show you the pub.”
Joe’s head snaps up at the wordpub, suddenly interested.
I point a finger at him. “No beer for you.”
“Like anyone would serve the owner’s underage son.” The accompanying eye roll is probably well-deserved, and I catch Hailey silently laughing at me so I pull a face. Like the adult I am.
She pulls the door open before I can get there first, and a wall of warmth and sound greets us. The interior is welcoming, all old wood and comfy-looking chairs, but it also has that local vibe that country pubs have. Especially when it’s not tourist season. More than half the pub turns to stare at us, Hailey calls out hello to everyone listening, earning smiles and waves in return. Joe and I get a few curious looks, but clearly, we’re not interesting enough to hold their attention and they soon turn back to their conversations.
As Hailey leads the way through the pub, a guy leaning against the bar catches my eye. He’s got his back to us, and my gaze sweeps over the broad expanse of his shoulders with a spark of interest. He’s taller than my own six foot one, and even with the jumper he’s wearing, I can see that his body is solid with muscle. His hair is shaved at the sides and the back, a little longer on top. It’s either a light brown or dark blond, hard to tell in this light, but either way, I wouldn’t mind running my hands over the shaved bits to see if they feel as soft as they look.
He’s chatting with a few people at the end of the bar, and when he turns slightly, laughing at something someone said, I get the strangest sense of familiarity.
I know that laugh.
I stare at him, aware that Hailey’s talking but I’ve tuned her out. He laughs again, one hand coming up to smooth over his hair, and a shiver of awareness dances up my spine.
Fuck me.
I forgot all about my conversation with Gareth and Dylan, convinced the odds of running into him were slim to none, but fate obviously has other ideas because I’m almost one hundred percent certain thatSean Richmondis standing at the bar less than ten feet away from me.
Any confidence I gained with age leaves me like rats fleeing a sinking ship and I suddenly feel every bit the awkward nineteen-year-old I was the last time I saw him. My palms start to sweat, heart racing as he shifts position. His shoulders tense, and somehow I know that he feels me watching him.
I should move before he turns around.
My hair is a riot of curls I couldn’t be arsed to tame this morning. I’ve got two days’ worth of stubble and I’m wearing comfy jeans and a faded hoodie. Every time I imagined this moment, and I did it a lot over the years, I pictured myself looking hot and stylish. Like I stepped off the pages of some expensive magazine. Not soft and rumpled, like I just rolled out of bed.
I take a step back, but before I can make my escape, Sean straightens and turns around. I freeze in place, and the whole pub seems to fade away as his gaze lands on me, then flicks away again. His forehead scrunches like he’s trying to solve a puzzle, and then it hits me like a punch to the gut.
He doesn’t remember you.
My stomach sinks to the floor as I’m forced to acknowledge that my first crush, the guy who I’ve never quite got over, has absolutely no idea who I am. Heat fills my cheeks as embarrassment rushes in, and I turn quickly, needing to be anywhere else.
I make it two steps past Hailey and Joe before I feel a hand on my arm. The grip is too firm to be Hailey’s and too large to be Joe’s.
I know whose it is without turning back, and my pulse sets off like a rocket when a gravelly voice says, “Vic?” It’s so much deeper than I remember, and it washes over me, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
I’m too keyed up to hide the effect he still has on me, so I don’t bother trying. “Yeah,” I say, turning to face him, mourning the loss of his touch when he drops his arm. I smile, big and bright, as I get a proper look at him. He’s aged like a fine wine. A few wrinkles here and there, and a scar over his right eyebrow that wasn’t there before, but other than that he’s the same as I remember. Well, that’s not true. He’s better—the pretty boy I knew at uni is now a rugged man and my hands itch to map the differences. I swallow thickly, relieved my voice comes out steady when I say, “I thought that was you.”
He looks uncertain. “You remember me?”
Like I could ever forget.
“Of course.” I want to laugh but manage to keep it inside. “Sean Richmond,” I say to prove it because he still looks sceptical. “It’s been a few years, but yeah... I remember you.” My gaze drops to his mouth as memories flood my brain, surprisingly vivid even after all this time. His lips look soft and inviting, full and pink, and I wonder if he tastes as good as I remember. He’s not shaved either, but his is nearing beard territory. Not something I normally go for, but on him it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I become uncomfortably aware that I’m staring, and the silence between us is approaching awkward, but then Hailey appears beside us, smile bright as she looks between us. “Oh, hey, Sean. I forgot you two knew each other.”
