‘Georgie,’ he said gently, ‘were you...jealous?’
Georgina felt her cheeks flush hot with embarrassment. ‘What? No, I-I just...’
Matt stepped closer, his hand coming to rest on her arm. ‘Because if you were, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Veronica might be generous with her money, but you're generous with your heart. That's worth so much more.’
The sincerity in his voice made Georgina's breath catch. She looked up into his eyes, seeing nothing but warmth and affection there.
‘I'm sorry,’ she said softly. ‘I don't know what came over me. I guess seeing Veronica brought back a lot of old insecurities.’
Matt's hand moved from her arm to cup her cheek gently. ‘Georgie, you are kind, selfless, and beautiful inside and out. Don't let anyone make you doubt that, especially not ghosts from your past.’
Before Georgina could respond, Matt leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. The gesture was so tender, so full of care, that Georgina felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.
As they resumed their walk, Matt's hand found hers, their fingers intertwining naturally. The warmth of his touch seemed to chase away the last lingering doubts and insecurities.
‘You know,’ Matt said as they strolled along the moonlit street, ‘I think your mum would be really proud of you. Not just for organising this event, but for the person you've become.’
Georgina squeezed his hand, a lump forming in her throat. ‘Thank you, Matt. That means more to me than you know.’
As they continued their rounds, collecting more donations and volunteers, Georgina felt a renewed sense of purpose. The exhaustion that had plagued her earlier seemed to melt away, replaced by a warm glow of contentment.
With Matt by her side, supporting her dreams and soothing her fears, Georgina felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. As they walked hand in hand under the starry sky, she realised that sometimes the most unexpected encounters could lead to the most beautiful discoveries.
The sunset picnic event was no longer just a tribute to her mother's memory. It was becoming a celebration of new beginnings, of community, and of a love that was blossoming as surely as the flowers in Seagull Bay's gardens.
Chapter twelve
The rhythmic snip of scissors and the soft whir of clippers filled the air at Ruff to Regal, but Georgina's mind was far from the Schnauzer she was grooming. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the previous evening—to Veronica's predatory smile, Matt's easy laughter, and the knot of jealousy that had formed in her stomach and hadn’t disappeared, but had grown tighter after a restless night’s sleep.
‘Ouch!’ A sharp yip from the Schnauzer brought Georgina back to reality. She'd nicked the dog's skin, distracted by her swirling thoughts.
‘Oh, I'm so sorry, little one,’ she cooed, gently patting the dog and reaching for the first aid kit. As she tended to the small cut, Marcus peered around the partition.
‘Everything alright over there?’ he asked, concern etching his features.
Georgina nodded, forcing a smile. This was the first time she’d been allowed to groom a dog without Marcus’s watchful gaze, and she’d nicked the dog’s skin—she felt awful. ‘Just a little slip. All taken care of now.’
Marcus studied her for a moment. ‘You seem a bit distracted today, Georgina. Is everything okay?’
‘I'm fine,' she replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. ‘Just....thinking about the charity event. I’m sorry. I promise to keep my full attention focused on this job from now on.’
Marcus nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. ‘You do have a lot going on at the moment. Alright. Well, don'tforget to take your lunch break. You look like you could use a rest.’
As the clock struck noon, Georgina finished up with the Schnauzer and grabbed her lunch bag. Instead of sitting in the grooming parlour and chatting with Marcus, she decided to pop next door into the hair salon to see her father’s new girlfriend, Christine. She called back over her shoulder to Marcus. ‘See you in a little while, there’s something I have to talk to Christine about.’
‘Okay...and make sure you sit down and rest, okay?’
Georgina smiled at Marcus’s concern. ‘I will.’
She made her way through the connecting door at the back of the parlour, next door to Christine's salon.
Christine looked up from her appointment book when she heard her footsteps, a warm smile spreading across her face. Georgina was grateful there were no customers. ‘Georgina. What a lovely surprise. Come on in, love.’
Georgina settled into one of the empty styling chairs, unwrapping her sandwich as Christine bustled about. ‘Fancy a cuppa, love? I have thirty minutes now until my next client.’ Georgina nodded.
A few minutes later, Christine was back. ‘So,’ she handed Georgina a steaming mug, 'what brings you over here for lunch? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's always nice to see you, but I sense more to your visit than a change of scenery.’
Georgina took a sip of tea, letting the warmth seep into her bones. ‘I just...I needed someone to talk to. And since you're dating Dad now, I thought...well, I hoped you might have some advice.’
