Page 103 of The Village of Lost and Found

‘I have a history of dating unsuitable men,’ she blurted out.

‘Then I’m your guy!’ he said, with a cheeky grin.

But instead of laughing along with him, she found herself blinking away some more tears.

Tom leaned forward, suddenly looking concerned. ‘Hey, I was only joking,’ he said softly, drawing her into a hug.

Despite the bliss of being in his arms, she was still worried. ‘I don’t know where my future lies,’ she said, her words almost muffled by his shoulder.

‘Then stay here with people who care about you until you decide,’ he said, drawing away slightly to look at her. ‘There’s no rush to leave, is there?’

She held her breath as he reached out to brush a lock of hair out of her eyes. Their faces were so close.

‘You’ve got people in this village who really care for you,’ he added.

She held her breath as she looked into his blue eyes. ‘Does that include you?’ she asked. Suddenly she had to know.

He leant forward so that their lips were almost touching. ‘Yes, it does,’ he murmured, before finally closing the gap so that they were kissing again.

Lucy wasn’t sure how long they sat on the bench for. When they finally drew apart, the sun was setting low on the horizon. It was a beautiful summer’s evening with the deep blue sky and the buzz of insects and birdsong filling the air. But her only memory was of the soft touch of his fingers entwined with hers and how sweet his kisses were.

56

The morning of the summer fete dawned bright and sunny.

‘Thank goodness for that,’ said Lucy, with relief as she looked out across the many tables that were lining Riverside Lane. ‘What do you think, eh?’ She looked down at Keith, who was staring up at her adoringly as per usual. He was fast becoming her constant companion both at home and at the office. Keith was even wearing a brand-new collar for the special occasion which he didn’t seem especially keen on yet, but there was no denying that Lucy was his favourite person. She gave Keith a quick rub of the head before she put him on a lead.

To Lucy’s amazement, Riverside Lane was already packed with people at ten o’clock on Saturday morning. There were a number of stalls which had just been empty tables the night before and yet now were filled with cakes, coffee, bric-a-brac, home-made jewellery and so much more.

She stole a quick glance at the bench where she and Tom had sat the previous night and kissed. They had parted later in the evening with the promise of more kisses hanging in the air. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the thought of being in his arms again later. But for now, there was a fete to organise, and hopefully enjoy.

‘Isn’t it marvellous?’ said Grandma Tilly, beaming as she walked past. ‘You’ve done brilliantly, my dear.’

‘Thanks,’ said Lucy. ‘But everyone’s helped.’

As Grandma Tilly walked away, Lucy looked around once more and was suddenly filled with the memory of the summer fetes she had known when she was growing up. She could see her Aunt Jane chatting and laughing with all of her friends in the village as they wandered around together, hand in hand with Uncle Frank.

She gulped back a small tear as she thought, or rather hoped, how much Aunt Jane would approve of there being a summer fete in Cranbridge again.

And, for once, Lucy felt a tiny bit proud of herself for putting it all together in time.

Josh was using one of the tables to drum up support against the quarry and was getting people to sign a petition.

‘This is great,’ said Amber, coming up to squeeze Lucy’s arm.

Belle came over to join them. ‘Well, this is all very jolly.’ She gave Lucy a nudge with her elbow. ‘Well done, you.’

‘Thanks,’ said Lucy. ‘Here’s hoping it raises lots of money.’

‘Of course it will,’ said Belle. ‘Look at it. We’ve got bunting fluttering in the breeze, more cakes than we will ever be able to eat and, best of all, Tommy Starr is doing a gig in front of the pub tonight.’

Amber and Lucy spun around to stare at Belle. ‘Tommy Starr!’ they both said in unison. He was a global superstar. Lucy had heard that he was living nearby in Cranley and had connections to Willow Tree Hall, but this was more than she had ever imagined.

Belle grinned at them. ‘Let’s just say I have friends in high places,’ she told them with a wink. ‘That should get some more money in for the hub, eh?’

‘You’re brilliant!’ Lucy told her, stepping forward to give her a hug.

‘It’s taken you this long to find out?’ drawled Belle, but she was smiling as Lucy stepped back.