‘Shall I make us some coffee?’ Sam suggested. ‘We’ve got a couple of hours before I have to open and there’s no clearing up left to do. You two could get to know each other a bit better now and we can talk about last night and what we’re going to do next.’

‘All right,’ I accepted, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the third wheel or that he would have much of a chance to say anything if Hope carried on talking at the same speed. She certainly didn’t need caffeine to get her fired up!

‘Great,’ said Sam.

He clearly didn’t mind me sticking around, but I felt a little foolish. I had thought there had been this great spark between us, but I’d obviously read it all wrong. Sam definitely wouldn’t have made a move on me knowing that his other half was on her way back to Wynmouth. He just wasn’t the type to play the field. Was I so love-starved that I’d mistaken a simple friendly hug as a lead-in for something more? Thank goodness we had been interrupted. I could have ended up making a right fool of myself otherwise.

‘What on earth’s the matter with you two?’ Hope frowned, sounding disappointed. ‘Why are you talking about drinking coffee in here? Have you not seen the sunshine?’ she added, pointing at the window.

‘It is warm out,’ I agreed.

‘Exactly.’ Hope beamed. ‘Let’s forget the coffee and take a breakfast picnic down to the beach instead.’

That sounded like a lovely idea to me. I had already been thinking that Sam didn’t leave the pub anywhere near often enough. Relieved that I hadn’t made a fool of myself with her boyfriend, I felt Hope and I had the potential to get along very well and, as I hadn’t acted on my misinterpreted feelings, slipping Sam back into the friendship box shouldn’t be any problem at all.

‘What do you think, Tess?’ Hope asked, turning her beautiful brown eyes back to me. ‘Does that sound like a plan to you?’

‘It sounds like a perfect plan,’ I heartily agreed.

Sam groaned and shook his head.

‘I’m going to be utterly outnumbered now the two of you have got your heads together, aren’t I?’ he moaned.

‘Utterly!’ Hope and I chorused in perfect synchronicity before bursting out laughing.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was a relief to discover that my concerns about taking on the role of third wheel in the presence of the recently reunited couple were completely unwarranted. There were no embarrassing quick kisses or lingering looks but, none the more for that, there had been no mistaking the intimacy behind the hug I had seen and I resolved not to take up too much of their time so they could be alone together before Sam had to open the pub.