My heart is beating so loud in my chest.
‘Mary tries to pull away as she thinks she’s unlovable. John takes her in his arms and says, “You’ve shown more courage than anyone in this house. How could I not admire that?”’
I wipe away a stray tear. Would Oliver admire me for carrying my secret?
* * *
He’s standing outside the bathroom when I emerge after my morning shower. Luckily, I have found the cord for my robe, and there’s no danger of it coming apart this time.
His hair is tousled, his dark eyes are shining and he’s ditched his pyjama top, which means his muscular, tanned chest is back on show. I can feel myself being drawn to his sexy smile. He’s like a powerful magnet, and I am a helpless little paper clip.
‘Good morning,’ he says, taking my hand. It makes me hold my breath in case a vision appears, but there is nothing. We gaze at each other, and the chemistry between us sizzles up my arm. He pulls me towards him and tilts my chin up to meet his coffee-coloured eyes. They dazzle with affection as he kisses me. The kiss is sensuous and ignites a fire within me. We both start to giggle and he kisses me on the forehead before going into the bathroom.
After getting changed we sit at the kitchen table and have coffee. He holds my hand, which still feels odd. ‘Did you have a nice birthday?’
‘One of the best,’ I murmur before he leans over for a kiss.
When we come up for air he asks about Aunt Polly. I explain she’s struggling with the effects of the chemo. He strokes my hand. ‘Did you find out about what happened between your aunt and Hilary?’
‘I’ve been so wrapped with helping her and going swimming.’
His face lights up. ‘Swimming? Really?’
I nod. ‘Margo Lane’s book worked. I love being back in the water.’
He kisses me again and I must tear myself away from him or I will never get to work.
* * *
Today, Miranda is wearing a denim mini dress and strappy brown sandals. After I have complimented her outfit, she reaches down behind the counter and, to my amazement, pulls out a book-shaped wrapped gift. ‘Happy birthday, Nelly.’
I open it and let out a silent groan.
Miranda giggles. ‘It’s time you read your new boyfriend’s novel… I mean, flatmate.’
‘Thank you, I appreciate this.’ Perhaps Miranda is becoming a nicer person?
She points over to the romance section. ‘You need to use your feminine charms on him as I could do with him hosting a regular book signing event here. Now that I am a single woman, I need all the financial help I can get.’
I feel a prickle of irritation. I thought she was being thoughtful for my birthday, but she has not changed.
Alice appears at the counter. Her cheery smile helps calm me down.
‘I’ve been doing some thinking,’ she says, fiddling with one of the glittery pens on the counter. ‘About the message in the balloon. You were right to warn me about his kids, but…’ She pauses. ‘I like the sound of Amber’s dad, and I have been getting weird signs.’
‘Signs?’
She sighs. ‘You’ll probably think I am mad, but I keep seeing adverts for Monopoly and last night I watched a film about a man who found a message in a balloon. He didn’t know who it was from, but it turned out it was from the new love of his life. The universe is telling me something and I need to give?—’
Oliver’s words fly out of my mouth. ‘Give love a chance?’
Alice’s eyes grow bigger in surprise. ‘Weird – that’s what I was going to say. That’s another sign.’
I smile at her. ‘Good idea. I can help you.’
She casts me a puzzled expression. ‘Last week, you were not so sure.’
I recall the way she and Ben looked at each other that day. There was a definite spark of attraction. Kate’s face flashes up inside my mind. She loved a good romance book when she was part of Miranda’s book club, especially plots where the characters were brought together in the most unlikely of situations. The idea of a woman responding to a message hidden inside a balloon and wanting to contact the sad, widowed father sounds like something out of a romance book. If Kate is looking down on us, she would love this.
