Page 83 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

He laughed and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. She smelt the brandy on his breath, and wondered if he felt truly at ease now, if he could believe, after months of worry and stress, that it was really over.

‘I’ll never be able to repay you for today,’ he said.

‘Oh shush,’ she whispered. ‘I did what seemed right at the time, and it only happened because I was so desperate to find out what you weren’t telling me. If you look at it another way, it was an invasion of your privacy.’

‘Thank you for invading my privacy.’ His breath tickled her neck.

‘Do you think I’ll get in trouble?’ she said, after a moment.

‘Why would you?’

‘Because I picked the lock. If they decide to use my video as evidence, then won’t they have to investigate how I got it?’

He laughed into her shoulder. ‘I don’t think they’re going to arrest you for that. I don’t think it’ll ever come up. Artem is focused on shutting down the scammers, nothing more.’

‘But what if, when they’ve been through the civil case, there’s a criminal investigation and my video—’

‘Daisy.’ He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. ‘None of that is going to happen. None of it.’ He frowned. ‘I hate that you’re worrying about this. I can’t hate what you did, but I hate that it’s going to taint you, or—’

‘Taint me? Avery, you have been facing this guy for months, all on your own. He could have done anything to you. He hit you. If I have a few minutes of worry about my own, very minor, criminal activities, then it’s a price I’m willing to pay.’

‘What did I do to deserve you?’ He slid his hands down her arms.

‘Played Jimmy Nail in your van,’ she said with a shrug. ‘As simple as that.’

He pulled her against him, wrapping her up in his arms. ‘The day you walked up to the site and interrogated me was the best fucking day of my life, you know that?’

‘I did not know that,’ she said, but she was smiling. ‘How much brandy did you chug while I was out here?’

‘Enough that I’m going to leave the van here tonight.’

‘You were always going to leave the van here. You think I’m letting you out of my sight, today of all days?’

‘I mean it, Daisy. The best day of my life.’

‘Course it was.’ She had to look away, because her throat was tight and Avery was a diversion and her life, her new, carefully curated life, was in London. She peered into the darkness, and couldn’t help the gasp that escaped. ‘What the fuck is that?’ She burrowed closer to Avery, and his arm tightened around her, his shoulders tensing.

‘What’s what?’

‘That. There.’ She pointed a trembling hand towards the parkland, because now her eyes were adjusting to the gloom, she could see something on the lawn. It was too far away to make out what it was, but it was big. And standing stock-still. Was it looking at them? Waiting to pounce? ‘Can we go inside?’ she said in a shaky voice.

‘Aren’t the dogs around here somewhere?’ He didn’t sound nearly concerned enough.

‘They are. They’re just … what if it’s eaten one? Oh my God! We need to get a torch—’

‘Daisy.’ Avery pressed a kiss to her forehead, his arm a comforting band around her shoulders. ‘It’s fine. It’s a sculpture for the treasure hunt. A giant hare, if Omari and Kyle put them in the right places. You didn’t notice it when we drove in?’

‘It was already dark,’ she said, her shoulders dropping. ‘Your sculptures are up?’

‘The treasure hunt starts tomorrow afternoon. I’ve got to spend tomorrow morning on the final details, but after we got delayed in Norwich, I called Kyle as soon as I got in the van and asked if they could set them up.’

‘So it’s not a hell hound. Or a hell hare?’

‘Not a hell hare,’ Avery assured her. ‘I made it look extra sweet. Big buck teeth and one folded-over ear. There are going to be kids at this thing, so I had to be careful.’

‘Have you done all the clues?’

‘Do you mean has May done all the clues? To which the answer is, yes. I gave her a few pointers, but she was in charge.’