‘Which it won’t,’ Grace interrupted. ‘So you can stop the meltdown and put a smile on your face.’
He glanced sideways at his now seventeen-year-old daughter. ‘When did you become the grown-up here?’
‘Since you fell in luuuuurve.’ Flicking him a smile, she started towards Mia’s parents, or more precisely towards little Jacob who was tottering between them; Elle, Dave and Caitlin bringing up the rear.
The next ten minutes was a chaotic whirl of greeting people. It wasn’t just Mia’s family he’d decided, in his wisdom, to mention today to. Phil and Janet were here, and Naomi and Stan, too.
‘Don’t worry,’ Naomi murmured, clearly sensing his jitters. ‘She’ll love it.’
He was about to express his thanks when Stan decided to add, ‘That’s one possibility. The other is, she’ll run away screaming.’ He shook his head. ‘You’ve got to be daft in the head to do it this way.’
Luke was desperate to tell Stan he was talking bollocks, but right now he couldn’t fault the man’s statement.
‘Nonsense. It’s romantic.’
Stan did a double-take at Naomi’s reply. ‘You like the idea of public humiliation?’
‘Christ.’ Luke really didn’t need to hear any more from Stan right now.
Naomi winked at him. ‘I’ll take this mood killer aside and put him straight.’ She reached up to kiss him on the cheek. ‘You relax and enjoy the moment.’
Enjoy. Yes, that’s exactly what he needed to do. And he would. Once it was over.
Mia glanced sideways at Freya as she gripped her arm.
‘Are you going to tell me why we’re in such a tearing hurry to get back to the flat?’
Freya shook her head. ‘We’re not. I just told Luke I’d have you back by one o’clock, and it’s already quarter past. I don’t want to get into trouble.’
Mia laughed. ‘Because he’s soooo scary.’
Freya’s lips twitched. ‘There’s always a first time.’
If someone had told her last year that she’d be sharing jokes with Freya, spending time with her, just the pair of them, Mia would have asked them what they were smoking. But somehow, against the odds, they’d managed to find a way to get on. Mia knew it had helped that she’d kept Freya’s secret and never told Luke how she’d tried to meddle. In one drunken moment Freya had even admitted it had started before the messages, when she’d first heard her voice outside Luke’s flat. And deliberately chosen to take Grace’s key and walk in on them the following morning.
Freya looked again at her watch. And increased the pace as they threaded their way through the car park. When Mia turned towards the stairs, Freya shook her head. ‘I said we’d meet Luke in the quadrangle.’
Odd, but okay. Maybe he was soaking up some sun before his long Saturday shift.
Yet when they stepped into the quadrangle, the oddness went up a few levels. Stan, Naomi? Phil? And oh my God, what were her parents doing here?
That’s when Luke walked into view. Luke of the dazzling eyes, the Greek god-like body, and the … whoa. ‘Is everything alright?’ Her heart began to race as she stared at him. ‘You’re looking green.’
‘Everything…’ He coughed, drew in a breath and started again. ‘Everything’s fine.’ Then he swallowed and reached for her hand.
Now her heart was having a proper thump. ‘What are my family doing here?’
‘Celebrating.’ He swallowed again and gave her a weak smile. ‘Hopefully.’
Okay, that sounded better. ‘Celebrating what?’
He looked towards Sandy, who gave him the thumbs up and spoke into her walkie-talkie. ‘It’s a go.’
‘What’s a go?’ Confused, Mia glanced around, only to find nobody was looking at her. They were all focused on the windows in Luke’s block.
She angled her head up to see what all the fuss was about and the bottom fell out of her stomach.
There, across Freya and Luke’s flats, letters appeared one at a time in each of the windows, quickly spelling out:
W I L L U M A R R Y M E ?
And in the final window:
PLZ
Her heart slammed against her ribs and when she turned to Luke she found him staring at her, his heart in his eyes. ‘Stan told me I was mad doing it this way. That you might run off.’ He reached for her hands and grasped them in his. ‘You don’t need to say yes, but remember you promised me once you wouldn’t run. That you’d stay and argue. So if we need to do that for a bit, if you need me to go through the long list of reasons why this is the best idea I’ve ever had, we can do that.’ He heaved in a breath. ‘Now would be a good time for you to speak.’
Oh my God, she’d never been so utterly overcome. The proposal, the way he’d done it. The fact he’d asked her parents to witness it. Tears welled in her eyes. ‘I don’t want to argue.’
‘Yeah, that’s good, but right now I need an answer…’ he trailed off, his eyes widening. ‘Wait, does that mean you’re saying yes?’ His hands tightened around hers. ‘Or that you’re about to run away?’
Laughing now, happiness flooding through her, she reached up on tiptoe and kissed him. ‘You goof, I’m saying yes.’
A loud whoop went up around them and everyone started clapping. Beside her Luke’s face was no longer green but flushed and beaming. ‘Thank Christ for that.’ To her surprise he grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it up. ‘If you hadn’t, I’d have been left with a problem.’ Tattooed next to Grace’s name, she saw her own, and felt tears spill onto her cheeks as she remembered his words: The only names I’ll ever have tattooed on my skin are those of people I want to keep in my life permanently.
As she wiped her face, he pointed up to the flats. And now Mia could see how he’d done it. Chloe, Tanya, Donna, Mateo, Bill, Gary, Tony … others she recognised from the bar. They each stood in one of the windows, waving down at her. ‘Wow, this has taken some organisation.’
He laughed. ‘I want to say it was nothing, but I’ve been a basket case all morning. Would the gang turn up, did they have the right letter in the right window, would they put it up too soon, not soon enough, not at the right time?’ He held her gaze. ‘Would you hate me asking you so publicly, being put on the spot like this?’
Just when she thought she couldn’t love him more, he showed her the vulnerability that was usually so well disguised. ‘I love that you did it this way because this is us.’ Wrapping her arms around him, she smiled into his eyes. ‘A bit geeky, a bit flashy, a lot crazy but totally wonderful.’
It wasn’t long before they were bombarded by family. Her mum had tears in her eyes, her dad couldn’t stop smiling. Elle was a wreck. When she glanced over to Luke she saw he was being clapped on the back by his brother and hugged by Grace. He caught her eye over her shoulder and the small smile he gave her fizzed down her spine. I can’t wait to get you alone, it said.
‘My little gumdrop, going to get married!’
Mia turned to her mum, who was wiping her eyes with a tissue. ‘I’m waiting for you to tag on a finally.’
‘Oh hush you, I always knew it would happen.’
‘Next she’ll be waiting for you to produce little gum-babies,’ her dad added dryly, a glint in his eye.
As Elle snorted with laughter, Mia shook her head. ‘One step at a time, please. Besides, you’ve got enough grandchildren to be getting on with for now.’
‘I knew he was the one for you, I just knew it, right from that first message he put in the window.’ Elle let out a long, dreamy sigh. ‘I mean, who thinks to do that?’
‘A guy who was besotted right from the start, and fell deeper in love, the more he saw her.’ Mia turned to find Luke staring down at her. ‘It took a few months, and a forest of paper, but thank God she finally got the message.’
THE END
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Don’t miss The Beach Reads Book Club, the next irresistible romcom from Kathryn Freeman…
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Get your copy here!
&nbs
p; Acknowledgments
My first big thank you is to the fabulous One More Chapter. This is my fourth book with them and from concept to finished book, they have been a joy to write for. Charlotte Ledger, editor extraordinaire, is the most inspiring person to work with. The messages in the window were her brain wave and I absolutely loved the challenge of figuring out how to use the idea to build the relationship between Luke and Mia. Such a romantic concept, but fun, too. At least I hope you’ll find it fun when you read it! While the messages in the window were a joy to write about, I’m sure they weren’t a joy to actually put into print, so a big thank you too, to Bethan Morgan for patiently (painstakingly?) sorting them out, along with the edits. Finally, I adore my One More Chapter covers and I think Mr Right Across the Street is my favourite so far. So thank you Lucy Bennett for yet another gorgeous creation.
I chose Manchester for Mia’s new home because I’ve spent many happy times there, so my next big thank you is to my dear friend Charlotte England. And please excuse me while I use this opportunity to warn her I’m looking forward to many more visits, including checking out some of the new places I found when researching this book!
While writing is a solo affair, I’m lucky to be part of a writing community that ensures I never feel alone, so thank you also to the amazing bloggers and fellow authors out there who do so much to support each other, and me.
Speaking of support, thanks to the following people who are kind enough to still show an interest in my writing; my in-laws, Anne and Keith, cousins Shelley, Karley, Kath, Kirsty and Hayley, my sis-in-law Jayne, friends Laura, Sonia, Jane, Carol, Tara and Priti. And of course I can’t forget my own lovely mum. I suspect she thought I’d stop after a few, but here we are, 15 books later and, at the age of 86, she’s still managing to keep up to date.
My husband and sons put up with endless bizarre questions from me when I’m writing a book, whether it’s for ideas, for cool names, or in this book odd computing questions for my youngest who’s studying computer science. Thank you for putting up with having a romantic fiction writer as a wife/mum.
Finally, I want to thank you, the reader, for buying Mr Right Across the Street. If you’ll forgive the terrible pun, I sincerely hope it’s right up your street!
Thank you for reading…
We hope you enjoyed Mr Right Across the Street!
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Do leave a review if so on all your preferred platforms to help spread the word!
Don’t miss The Beach Reads Book Club, the next irresistible romcom from Kathryn Freeman…
* * *
Get your copy here!
And catch up on her previous books by clicking on the links below!
The New Guy follows the story of Sam Huxton, who doesn’t do one-night stands, especially not with men she’s just met!
* * *
But the hot guy at the bar was hard to resist and one night is all they share – no names, no numbers, just some much needed fun…
* * *
Until the same guy walks into Sam’s life the next day as her new employee…
Get your copy right here!
Up Close and Personal is a page-turning will they/won’t they romance and the hottest twist on one of your favourite movies…
* * *
British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild… all except one.
* * *
Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games. She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.
Get your copy right here!
Strictly Come Dating is an enchanting must-read for fans of Strictly Come Dancing!
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As the glitter ball shimmers and sequins flash, forty-year-old Maggie remembers the pull of the dancefloor. But now, as a newly divorced mum of two, she’s certain her dancing days are over. Or are they?
* * *
Encouraged by her friends, Maggie dusts off her silver stilettoes and enrols for dancing classes, all she needs now is the perfect partner.
* * *
Enter Seb. Young, carefree, and hot as hell…
Get your copy right here!
Be sure to follow Kathryn on Twitter @KathrynFreeman1, on Facebook @kathrynfreeman and check out her website at kathrynfreeman.co.uk for all the updates on her latest work.
You will also love…
In the mood for even more effervescent fiction?
You will adore The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley, a hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy about how one dog can lead two human hearts to tie more than one kind of knot.
Get your copy here!
You will also fall instantly for Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea by Jane Linfoot, an utterly delightful summer romance set in the cosiest of Cornish villages where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere!
Get your copy here!
And don’t miss Before the Crown by Flora Harding, which immortalises the story of the secret engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the tempestuous wake of WWII.
Get your copy here!
Happy reading!
Kathryn started her working life as a retail pharmacist but soon realised trying to decipher doctors’ handwriting wasn’t for her. In 2011, backed by her family, she left the world of pharmaceutical science to begin life as a self-employed writer.
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She lives with two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in her life is all in her head.
kathrynfreeman.co.uk
Also by Kathryn Freeman
The New Guy
Up Close and Personal
Strictly Come Dating
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Mr Right Across the Street: The perfect escape for lockdown and from one flat to another share in the most feel good romantic comedy of 2021! (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection, Book 4) Page 31