Page 130 of Love Letters on Hazel Lane

She tilted her face up to look at him. Razz gently stroked her scratched cheek with his fingers. Her eyes met his. Their big romantic moment. There was hesitation, a delicious hesitation, as his face drew nearer to hers.

He’s about to kiss me, thought Jo, and he’s drawing out, making the moment last like they do in films.

He went to brush a stray hair from her face, and Jo closed her eyes, longing to feel his lips on hers. Only he didn’t brush the hair, he pulled it.

‘Ouch.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t realise it was still attached. Thought it was a loose one.’

Okay, so it wasn’t quite as romantic as in the films, but was it ever?

‘Kiss me, Razz.’ As she said his name, she couldn’t help herself from thinking, 22 points.

Although… well, even if he’d spelled it Ras, she’d still have wanted him.

His soft lips touched hers, gently at first, then slightly more insistently.

‘Does this mean you’ll go out with me?’ he said, pulling away slightly.

There was only one way to answer that question.

‘I’ve a slight problem,’ she said.

‘Oh.’ His face fell. ‘I’ve left it too late, haven’t I? You’ve met someone else.’

‘No, it’s not that. I haven’t got a Y.’

He looked puzzled for a minute before breaking into a smile. She loved that smile; he was one of those people who seemed to smile with his entire face, every muscle joining in. He rummaged in his sling, pulling out a letter tile.

‘Here you go,’ he said, offering it out to her. ‘I hid this in there, in case I needed it.’

Her fingers brushed his as she took the tile off him. Soft skin, she noticed. Skin she’d like to explore more. But that would have to wait. There was a game to finish. She looked at the tile he’d given her; it was a blank, a tile that could be used in place of any other letter but wouldn’t score anything.

‘Perfect,’ she said. ‘Thanks, Razz.’

She could answer him now, and there could only be one answer. He was a kind, compassionate man, she fancied him like crazy and she loved spending time with him. Especially time playing Scrabble.

She spelled out BLANK – E – S on the board.

‘I think you’ll find that’s 2 points,’ she said.

‘Only 2 points?’ he said.

‘Yep. Best 2 points I have ever scored.’

Epilogue

It was September and the end of her first week in her new job and Jo was exhausted. It wasn’t that the work itself was demanding; it was the sheer number of new people she’d met. A stream of mothers who’d popped their heads round her door. ‘Just saying hello,’ they’d all said.

There’d been hordes of children too. Jo had a whole collection of hand-made welcome to your new job cards, lining the walls around her desk.

She’d felt at home in the staffroom straight away. In fact, she’d been the centre of attention, the teachers and teaching assistants all keen to know if it was true that she used to work in telly and why had she left a glamorous job like that to work in Hebbleswick Primary of all places? And had she met many celebrities?

The change of scene had done wonders for Jo’s confidence. It was ironic, she thought, that now she finally felt able to assert herself, she was in a job where she didn’t need to.

And ironic that now she was happy to stand up for herself, she had a kind-hearted man who believed in conversations and compromise. She had confided in Razz about her past, and he had listened quietly, holding her hand, then said, ‘If I ever do something that you don’t like, you have to tell me. Promise me, Jo. Because I never want to upset you.’

And then he had held her. And kissed the top of her head then her eyelids and her cheeks and every inch of her face as if he were trying to kiss away all the hurt from her past. And then one thing had led to another, and he had made love to her, touching her more tenderly than anyone had ever touched her in her life and Jo had thought she might explode with happiness.