Page 75 of Hot Cross Buns at the Little Cornish Bookshop

The applause, accompanied by cheers and whoops, was wild as Lola and Tristan emerged from where they had been waiting, hands clasped, true love plastered across their faces. Lola beamed at everyone as they took their place in the middle of the hall, before focusing her gaze on Tristan, who looked slightly more worried about being centre of attention.

The opening bars of Elvis’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’ filled the hall. Effie swayed along as she watched Lola and Tristan’s tentative dance steps grow in confidence. Jake was not the only person capturing the special moment. As the song ended, other couples joined them on the dance floor. Angelo dragged up by an enthusiastic Freya, Sue and her husband, until the dance floor was almost full.

Effie was bobbing along happily on the sidelines when Jake appeared in front of her. Holding out his hand like a Regency gentleman, he asked, ‘May I have this dance?’

Meeting his eyes, Effie bowed her head. ‘Of course.’

Jake pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles before leading her out onto the dance floor, their gazes never breaking.

As they swayed around the room, locked in their own private moment, happiness filled Effie. Jake kissed her slowly, gently, leaving a lingering promise of the future on her lips. Effie snuggled into him. Their perfect moment, existing only in that instant and only for them.

Jake glanced around as the whole of Polcarrow swayed and danced together. Leaning down, he kissed Effie before whispering, ‘And we all lived happily ever after.’

Kissing him back, Effie smiled. She truly believed that Polcarrow, a tiny forgotten little fishing village tucked away on the Cornish coast, was a place full of magic where fairy tales and dreams really did come true. After all, it had brought her everything her heart desired.