AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You too.’ Layla smiled. ‘I’m glad you’re on the mend after yesterday. It must have been a shock.’
‘Thank you. Yes, it wasn’t quite the day we’d planned, but we both feel very lucky. It could have been a lot worse.’ Brooke nodded as she took her seat.
‘I’m glad it wasn’t.’ Graham waved at them. ‘Good to meet you both.’
Leaving the three of them to chat, Layla began emptying the rolls from the tray Elsie had left into the bread baskets. With the tray now empty, she picked it up, holding it to her chest as she made her way to the kitchen.
Chapter Eleven
The door swung shut behind her as she placed the tray on the stainless-steel table. She yawned into her elbow as the door quietly opened again and Graham walked through.
‘Don’t worry, I asked Teresa to keep an eye on the counter.’ Walking towards the sink, he pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the tap.
‘You did?’
‘Yep. I needed a glass of water.’ Walking across to her, he leaned against the table and took a sip of his water.
‘Oh, right.’ She nodded. He’d followed her in here to talk, hadn’t he? Was he going to let her down gently or tell her he wanted more?
Twisting around, he placed the glass on the table before looking at her. ‘So...?’
‘So?’
‘What are your thoughts about what happened at the market? Did you want to drop it or see where things go?’
He was asking her? That meant only one thing, didn’t it? That he wanted to drop it, to move on, to pretend nothing had ever happened between them. He wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise. She cleared her throat. ‘I guess we should just drop it. You’ve got your brother’s wedding coming up and I’m only here for a few weeks.’
Graham frowned before widening his eyes. ‘Oh, right...’
‘And you too. I’m guessing you’ll be going back home to Leeds after the wedding.’ She clasped her hands in front of her. She could hear her voice cracking, but she continued, hoping that he wouldn’t notice. ‘It would be daft to act on anything, to even think that there could be something between us.’
Graham looked down at the floor before answering, his voice flat. ‘Yes, completely daft.’
She shifted on her feet. He looked hurt. She hadn’t meant to hurt him; she’d only jumped in before he could turn her down. Had she got it wrong? Again? ‘You think so too, don’t you?’
Looking up, he met her gaze. ‘Yes, I do. Of course it’s daft. As you say, we’re both on some sort of holiday down here and when we head home, we don’t live anywhere near each other. If we give it a go, then we’re either setting ourselves up for a long-distance relationship or else just pure failure.’
She closed her eyes momentarily before looking at him again. ‘Exactly.’
Graham took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. ‘And yet, it feels right. It feels as though there might be something special between us.’
She nodded slowly. Was he saying what she thought he was?
He rubbed the back of his neck as a slight pink hue swept across his cheeks. ‘You feel it too?’
She swallowed. This wasn’t her. She wasn’t usually vulnerable in front of people, giving them the upper hand to dash her down, which was why she hadn’t pursued things with Eli after that first dismissal. But it felt different with Graham. She felt as though she could trust him, as though he might just have her best interests at heart. She bit down on her bottom lip before blurting out, ‘Yes, I think there could be.’
Reaching forward, Graham took her hands in his. ‘We could give it a go? Just to see where things lead?’
She rubbed her thumb against his. His hands were warm, his hold confident despite the expression on his face suggesting otherwise. ‘But what if there is something? And we have to end things when we leave?’
Graham shifted position, his hands still holding hers. ‘We could cross that bridge when we come to it? Diane was supposed to head home after volunteering but decided to stay after meeting Harry. I know it’s different for us. Neither of us actually lives here, but if they were able to work it out, we might too?’
It was her turn to take a deep breath, her turn to exhale slowly as her mind whirred. ‘Then yes, let’s do this.’
Graham’s face lit up, a huge grin spreading across his face, reaching his eyes. Leaning forward, he kissed her before drawing her in for a huge hug.
She leaned her forehead against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart. They were doing this! They were giving the feelings they had for each other a chance, despite the practicalities standing in front of them. Yes, they were likely both being daft, but at least they were in it together. Looking up, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and drew him towards her, their lips touching.
