Page 78 of Tricks & Treats at The Cosy Cornish Bakery

‘He’s not going to want vampire pirates, then,’ Ginger pointed out.

‘He’ll be good as long as we fit them in the correct costumes and we use the right ships.’

‘He sounds a character.’

‘He is, in many ways. Fabulous dry sense of humour when you get to know him but a bit of a grumpy old sod. He’s a good friend, though.’

‘But what’s this got to do with The Sanctuary? And its roof?’

‘I need a base. One to house a few creatives while we’re reworking the scripts, working on the score, auditioning, scouting locations. That sort of thing. Somewhere quiet, serene. And this has the benefit of being right where we’ll be filming. As I see it, funding the roof is an investment.’

‘I can’t let you do it.’ Ginger put her mug down decisively. ‘Chloe offered me a loan once and I couldn’t accept that either.’

‘This won’t be a loan, though. We’ll get it all sorted legally. We’ll cut you in as part of the production team, you’ll take your share of the profits.’ He hesitated, put his own mug down, took in a short sharp breath and then said, ‘Only right and proper as my wife.’

‘Your–’ Ginger choked on the word.

‘I want to marry you, Ginger.’ Josh spread his hands. ‘Of course I want to marry you.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘If you’ll have me, that is. Everything I’ve done is for you. I mean, yes, I’d had enough of Captain Titan, but it was really all about you. How could I live on the other side of the world knowing you were here? As soon as I was able, I got on the plane and thought it through. Eleven hours is a lot of thinking time. It all hinged on whether you loved me back and seeing as you do…’ He trailed off, looking unsure.

Ginger was silent for a long time. ‘It’s a lot to take in,’ she said eventually.

His head drooped. ‘I know it is.’

‘I’ve been independent for so long. Used to doing things by myself. The Sanctuary is my baby, you see.’

‘I know that, too. Maybe it’s too much to ask.’

‘How do you see it all panning out?’

He looked up again, hopeful. ‘It would be a matter of getting the timings right. We’d need to get the roof sorted straight away. It would mean closing The Sanctuary, I suppose. Didn’t you say it needed a complete new roof?’

Ginger nodded. ‘Yes. Roger the Roof thinks it’s too far gone to carry on patching up, which is what I’ve been doing.’

‘Roger the Roof?’ Josh began to laugh.

‘Well, he’s called Roger and he’s a roofer,’ Ginger pointed out logically.

‘Can’t argue with that.’ He caught hold of her hands again, chuckling. ‘Oh man, I love this place. I love you. We might have to move out while the place is being reroofed. Might be easier. Oh, and Ginger, I really need a holiday.’

‘You’ve just had one!’

‘True.’ He laughed again. ‘But after all that crap in LA, I need another. And I want one with you. I want a beach somewhere hot. Lots of sand. Lots of cocktails. And you next to me. Within reach. You said you’d never been anywhere. We could treat it as a honeymoon.’

‘Hang on,’ Ginger protested. ‘This is all going way too fast for me. For one thing, don’t you need to get married first in order to have a honeymoon?’

‘We could get married on the beach. How does that sound?’

Ginger thought it sounded heavenly. A little curl of excitement unfurled inside her. Could this happen? Could this actually happen? A thought occurred. ‘What about your aversion to long haul flights?’

‘You’ll just have to make me up a flask of chamomile tea. Or something.’ He leaned nearer, nibbled her ear and added impishly, ‘Or distract me somehow.’

She pushed him away a whole host of conflicting emotions at play. She loved him, of that she was sure. She was also pretty sure he loved her, unbelievable as that was. Why else would he be here? Something wonderful was beginning to consume her.

She watched him. He was drinking his cocoa, the stains of exhaustion still apparent on his face but overlaid with a cautious optimism. A hopefulness. It was a ridiculously domestic scene; all he needed was slippers. As ever, he looked right at home here. As if his home ought to be here. Forever. Hell, Josh did want to help with the roof. He really did love her. He really did want to marry her. Maybe it was time to let go of some of her hard-won independence, to begin trusting again. After all, he’d changed his career, given so much up to be here with her. She uttered a short incantation to the universe. Have you provided? Should I say yes? Outside a rocket thundered, making the old house vibrate. It split the air, showering the black sky with colour and sparkle, shooting high towards the moon. The fireworks had begun. Maybe the universe had given her a sign.

Tears prickled in Ginger’s eyes. She gazed at Josh, feeling love flow through her and surround them. It was so bright and warm it seemed to light the room. Taking his mug out of his hands, she put it down carefully. Putting her hands on either side of his face, she kissed him tenderly. ‘Yes, Joshua Ralph,’ she whispered, ‘and yes, Josh Foxall. I will marry you.’

The night sky exploded with noise and colour but the two people sitting on the sofa in The Sanctuary’s kitchen didn’t notice. They were too busy kissing. Lovingly. Wonderingly. Ecstatically.