ever told you that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit,’ I tutted.
‘Funnily enough,’ he said, locking his gaze on to mine as he turned the key and started the engine, ‘they have.’
I felt my heart rate quicken and the inside of the car seemed to shrink around me. Finding myself in such close and confined proximity to him was making my temperature rise. It didn’t seem to matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t shrug off my feelings for him.
‘Do you mind if open the window?’ I murmured, looking away and trying to locate the right switch. ‘It’s a bit warm in here.’
‘It’s this one,’ he said, his hand reaching for it, just a millisecond after my fingers found it.
We pressed it down together and then his hand closed around mine. What was he doing?
‘Tess,’ he said, making me feel even hotter.
I couldn’t look at him.
‘There’s something you should know . . .’ he began.
‘Are you two now going to the beach?’ asked George, his head shoved so far through my window he was practically in the car.
‘Yes,’ I told him, pulling my hand free and thinking that he really did have the most amazing timing, ‘yes, we are.’
‘I would offer you a lift, George,’ said Sam, ‘but I’m out of space.’
‘It’s all right,’ I said, quickly hopping out. ‘You get in George. I don’t mind walking back.’
‘Well as long as you’re sure,’ he said as Skipper hopped nimbly into the footwell. ‘I know it’s not far, but I’ve got this cool-bag of snacks from my sister and it’s heavier than I thought.’
With the bag balanced on his lap, he buckled himself in and Sam pulled away.
‘See you in a minute!’ George shouted out of the window.
‘Yes,’ I called after him, as I looked down at my hand and realized that those inconvenient feelings I still harboured for my new best friend’s boyfriend just might be reciprocated, ‘I’ll see you there.’
Chapter 21
In my defence, I did what I could that evening to keep extra busy and out of Sam’s way. To begin with, it wasn’t too difficult because seemingly everyone who lived within and around the village had turned out to celebrate and I was easily lost among the throng.
However, after the cheering, chanting and drum-banging which accompanied the setting sun as it left behind a sky beautifully streaked with gold and rose-coloured clouds, most of the crowd began to dwindle away. Everyone was full of the delicious food Sophie had provided and Hope’s cookies, which had gone down a storm, along with a measure or two of the far from innocuous punch, and staying out of sight became considerably harder.
‘Tess, would you mind helping me hand out the sparklers?’ Hope asked as it began to get dark. ‘I don’t want to leave lighting them too much longer because I think Mum’s punch is a bit stronger than usual.’
No one was falling-down drunk, but I could understand her concern about offering around mini explosives to revellers who weren’t quite in full control of their faculties. I was beginning to feel a little light-headed myself.
‘I think you’re right,’ I said. ‘I’ve only had one cup and I’m already feeling it.’
Hope, taking in my chilled-out aura, rolled her eyes and smiled.
‘Come on then,’ she said, handing me a few of the packets. ‘Let’s see if we can find any takers.’
It turned out that everyone wanted to light a sparkler and make a wish and there weren’t quite enough to go around. I was willing to forgo the pleasure of burning one, but Sam wouldn’t hear of it.
‘Here you go, Tess,’ he called, when he noticed I wasn’t joining in. ‘They were your idea, so you can’t miss out. Come and share mine.’
‘But what about Hope?’ I said. ‘She hasn’t got one either.’
Sam pointed to where Hope was laughing with a guy I hadn’t seen before. He was standing behind her, a little too close for comfort, I couldn’t help thinking, and together they were making shapes in the air with the sparkler she had given him.
‘She’s all set by the looks of it,’ said Sam.
He didn’t seem at all bothered by the sight of his other half wrapped up with a random reveller.
‘All right,’ I relented, thinking it would be rude to refuse, ‘we’ll share. Thank you.’
Rather than go for the cosy set up Hope and her friend had opted for, I held the sparkler until it had burned halfway down and then, fumblingly, handed it to Sam. When our