Page 16 of Snowflakes Over Micklewick Bay

Hannah couldn’t help but chuckle at his appraisal of Roly. The Labrador cross’s ears had perked up at the mention of his name, and his tail wagging increased in speed. If only he knew.

‘And what made you decide to call her Penelope?’ she asked.

‘Ah, that’s very easy to answer; the registration plate has the first three letters of her name. She just had to be Penelope.’

‘That makes sense. Suits her, too.’

‘Glad you think so.’ He smiled up at her.

‘We call the burger van Bougie Bertha.’

That made him chuckle. ‘I’d noticed and I like it. Bougie Bertha.’ The way he said the name, with his gentle burr, made her heart flutter.

‘Here, let me show you this.’ Lachie climbed into the van. Though Hannah had stepped aside to make room for him, she found they were standing so close they were almost touching. Her senses jumped to attention. All she could focus on was him, the heat radiating from his body, his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest. In here, the seductive aroma of his cologne was more intense, adding to the whirl of emotions that were now bombarding her body. She stole a tentative look up at him to find him gazing down at her, the look in his eyes leaving her in no doubt as to his feelings.

‘Hannah,’ he whispered, his voice husky. ‘You’re so beautiful.’ He reached his hand up to her face, stroking her cheek with his finger. She swallowed nervously, her heart beating so loud in her chest she was sure it must be echoing around the van and bouncing off the walls.

He dipped his head towards her, his gaze shifting to her mouth, his hand cupping the back of her head. Feeling the warmth of his breath on her skin, Hannah closed her eyes and offered her face up to him, her knees trembling, her insides burning with anticipation. There’d never been a time when she’d wanted to be kissed as badly as she wanted to be kissed right now. She sensed the lightest brush of his lips against hers. It set every nerve ending in her body tingling and she prepared to lose herself in the moment.

‘Hannah! Hannah, lovey, where the heck are you?’ Hannah’s eyes pinged open to see the expression in Lachie’s mirroring hers. Shock shoved desire unceremoniously out of the way as a gasp escaped her mouth. Auntie flippin’ Coll! The moment shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, falling to the floor around them as she and Lachie jumped apart.

‘Warghh!’ Hannah lost her footing and fell backwards onto the seat in an ungainly heap and making Roly start. She looked up to see Lachie running his hand around the back of his neck in frustration. He turned, catching her eye, then held out his hand. ‘You okay?’ he asked, pulling her to her feet.

‘Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.’ That’s a big, fat lie! You’re anything but fine! Hannah wished she could turn the clock back and make it so that her aunt was still in the burger van and Lachie’s lips had finally, properly met hers.

‘There you are! I wondered where you two’d got to,’ Colleen said cheerily, as she peered inside the campervan. ‘Ooh, it isn’t half nice in here. Very snug.’ She glanced between them, her face falling as it dawned that she’d interrupted a moment she’d been so very desperately pushing them towards. ‘Oops!’ Her hand flew to her mouth. ‘Sorry, don’t mind me, I was just wondering if you fancied another cuppa? And to tell you I’ve pulled the shutter down so there’ll be no more customers today, that you should take your time. Right then, I’ll leave you to pick up where you left off.’ She turned to Hannah. ‘Just come back when you’re ready, there’s no rush.’ She hitched a suggestive eyebrow that there was no chance of Lachie missing.

Hannah dropped the nonchalant act she’d been playing and looked daggers at Colleen. Her aunt’s lack of subtlety had plummeted to an all-time low.

‘Sorry about my aunt,’ she said, when she was satisfied Colleen was out of earshot. ‘She means well but it doesn’t always show.’ She pushed her mouth into a regretful smile.

‘Hey, I should be the one to apologise. I’m sorry about before. It’s just’ – he ran his fingers through the waves of his hair making it stand up on end endearingly – ‘my feelings for you… well, they’re pretty strong… Very strong, if I’m honest. They’ve hit me like a thunderbolt, totally unexpected. I mean, I knew the first moment I saw you working at the back of the burger van… well, I’d never felt anything like it before. And now I’ve got to know you, I think you’re… I think you’re pretty amazing, actually.’ Hannah hadn’t seen this bashful side to Lachie. It appeared to have pushed his quiet confidence to one side. ‘And it’s not just that, you’re beautiful, too. Everything about you is… well… beautiful. Tha thu boidheach.’

‘Ha oo boy uch?’ she murmured, repeating his words phonetically.

‘It’s Gaelic for “you’re beautiful”.’ He looked at her, the expression in his eyes willing her to respond.

He spoke Gaelic? Hannah stood motionless, her eyes fixed on his as his words flowed over her. It took a while for them to sink in but even then, she couldn’t be sure she’d heard right. She blinked at him. Was this gorgeous, funny, adorable man standing before her really saying such wonderful things? Surely she must be dreaming?

He took her face in his hands, his green eyes looking deep into hers. She rested her hands on his chest, feeling firm muscle beneath her fingertips. Their lips were almost touching, her heart performing a hat trick of somersaults when⁠—

‘Sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t help but admire your campervan,’ came an unfamiliar voice, bringing their moment to an abrupt end. Roly barked, jumping down from the seat and dashing over to the open door where a smiley-faced middle-aged man was standing.

Seriously? Is this really happening?

Lachie and Hannah knew when they were beat. ‘We’ll pick this up tomorrow. Maybe we can organise meeting up after you’re done with your work in Bougie Bertha?’ A hopeful gleam in his eye had replaced the disappointment of moments ago.

‘I’d like that.’

‘Until tomorrow, then.’ He gave her shoulder a squeeze, his touch sending a shiver of delight through her.

‘Until tomorrow,’ she said, the pair exchanging a smile that said so much. It wouldn’t come soon enough for Hannah.

That night, Hannah had gone to bed torturing herself with conflicting emotions. She couldn’t deny she was hugely attracted to Lachie, that he’d elicited feelings in her she had no idea she possessed. But in the early hours her anxiety had sneaked in, taking the edge off those feelings, reminding her of the reasons she stopped anyone from getting close. She’d built her walls so high they were virtually unscalable, and yet somehow Lachie had managed it in just a few short days. Surely that counted for something, the voice of reason told her.

The following morning, she’d woken full of hope and positivity. Her fledgeling feelings for Lachie had overridden her doubts, beating them down. She was going to see where this “thing” with him took them. And it wasn’t as if it was purely a one-sided infatuation; he’d declared his feelings for her before she’d put hers out there. She’d found herself longing to feel the full impact of his kisses – which had made her wonder as to the Gaelic word for kiss and if she dared to ask him – and his strong arms around her. The thought had made her sigh wistfully. She only hoped they wouldn’t be disturbed by any more untimely appearances.

Her anticipation had built as the day progressed and as the time he usually dropped by drew closer, she was ready to bubble over, desperate for them to pick up where they’d left off as Lachie had promised so invitingly. Her joyful humming along to the radio, which had been in overdrive, hadn’t gone unnoticed by her aunt who hadn’t been able to stop smiling.