Coming Home to Heritage Cove
Page 28
‘It needs a frame,’ said Melissa.
‘Everyone looks really happy in this picture.’ Harvey was still admiring the shot. ‘This one will definitely go up on the wall of the barn.’
‘For sure.’
‘Do you think Barney meant it when he said he was thinking of doing two events a year?’
‘Either that or someone spiked his drink,’ she grinned.
‘I hope he doesn’t want me and you to organise them.’
‘I don’t know, it wasn’t so bad, was it?’ She looked up at him. They both knew that if Barney hadn’t kept up a pretence, if they hadn’t been thrown together to do the organising, she might well have returned to Windsor without ever sorting things through with Harvey. And she didn’t want to even think about what life would be like without him now.
‘He’s thinking of doing the second at Christmas time,’ said Harvey. ‘Maybe not this year but the idea is there, brewing, and the great thing is that he’s passionate about it. It’s good to see.’
Melissa suddenly thought of the village in the festive season, the lights along The Street, cosying up in the pub, the frosty rooftops when the temperatures dipped. ‘I love Christmas in Heritage Cove. Does the tree still get lit up on the little green behind the bus stop?’
‘Sure does, you can see it the moment you drive into the village.’
‘I’m looking forward to it already.’
‘You might be working.’
‘I worked the last three Christmases and last New Year’s. I’m sure I can get time off – if I ever get back to work, that is.’
He held her tighter. ‘Let’s not think about that.’
She looked at the white, sequinned dress hanging on the front of Harvey’s wardrobe. Harvey had almost torn it off the night of the ball when they got back here desperate to feel each other’s touch again but she’d made him take pause and undo the buttons carefully. He’d struggled because they were so tiny, his lack of patience making her giggle and the harder she laughed the more difficult it was for him to get the dress off because she couldn’t suck in her breath to make it any easier. She’d torn a button from his shirt when it was his turn, but he hadn’t cared, and his tux was still draped over the chair in the corner of the room waiting for its trip to the dry cleaners.
Melissa had called Jay yesterday when Harvey ducked out to pick up takeaway. He’d not answered but texted minutes later to say he was in Shanghai. He wished her well and she did the same. He told her he’d already taken all of her things she’d left at his place over to her flat and posted her spare key through her door when he was done. She’d been a little shocked but knew it was for the best. She’d arranged two more weeks’ unpaid leave before she really had to head back to her job, and for that time she fully intended to lose herself in Harvey, in Tumbleweed House and Heritage Cove. Because Heritage Cove was her true home. She knew that now. She could be miles away from it yet it would always be there for her, and rather than a place to run from it was an anchor to keep her grounded if she ever felt her emotions welling up and spilling over.
‘Look how happy Barney is in the picture.’ Harvey had propped the photograph up on the chest of drawers next to the bed so he could hug Melissa with both arms.
‘That’s the best thing of all. And look at us…we look happy too.’ In the shot, Harvey stood behind her, she was leaning back against his chest and laughing. She couldn’t remember what about now, it hardly mattered. The important thing now was that she was here in Heritage Cove. She had no idea what this meant long-term, their discussions hadn’t progressed that far, but she did know that she’d be spending a lot of time here from now on.
He planted a kiss on her forehead. ‘Very happy. And you’ve no idea how good it feels to hear you say that.’ He locked his fingers through the fingers on her hand that lay on his chest. ‘I don’t want you to leave, I don’t want you to go back to Windsor.’
‘I have a job, a flat.’
‘How about I take some time off and come with you?’
She pushed herself up so that her hands lay on his chest and she could look at him. ‘I thought you had a big conversion going on.’
‘We’re almost done, I could take a couple of weeks to explore a bit of London, travel in to the city while you’re away working and see what I’ve been missing. I’ll be there keeping the bed warm when you come home.’
‘I’ll be away a fair bit, but the good thing is the stretch of rest days I’ll have.’
‘I’m afraid you won’t get much rest if I’m there, not if I have my way.’ He deftly flipped her body over and moved on top of her before trailing kisses down her neck and along her collar bone. ‘Are you sure you’re ready for me to be there with you?’
‘I’ve never been more ready.’
His lips hovering dangerously near hers, he breathed, ‘Me too.’
And if it wasn’t for Winnie racing into the room and barking to demand attention, they might have enjoyed another hour or so in bed.
But they had plenty more time to do that.
Melissa and Harvey had done their time apart. Now it was time to be together all over again.
THE END
Coming Soon
Christmas at the Little Waffle Shack
It's December in Heritage Cove and along with the village Christmas tree, frosty mornings and the promise of the most wonderful time of the year, the new Waffle Shack is about to open. And its owner isn't a stranger to the Cove, because after all this time, Daniel is back to make amends with his brother Harvey. And when he meets the local blacksmith, Lucy, could there be love in the air for both of them this Christmas?
Out December 6th!
Available for preorder now:
Amazon UK
Amazon USA
Amazon Australia
Amazon Canada
Amazon Germany
Amazon France
Amazon Spain
Amazon Japan
Amazon Brazil
Amazon Netherlands
Amazon Italy
Amazon Mexico
A Letter from Helen
Thank you so much for reading Coming Home to Heritage Cove. Part of the adventure when I set out to write a new book is creating a new world and a cast of characters. I hope you all enjoyed your first visit to the beautiful village of Heritage Cove set on the east coast of England! I had so much fun dreaming up a fictitious place, conjuring up where locals would hang out, where they would mingle and best of all, fall in love.
I love hearing from readers on social media or via my website at any time, especially if my books brought a smile to your face, you loved the characters, or you revelled in the escapism of reading. I’d love it if you could leave a short review on amazon too. It doesn’t have to be more than a few words but it makes such a difference and it could persuade new readers to try my books for the very first time.
A huge thank you to readers who have messaged me or left lovely supportive comments on my social media posts. I love chatting about anything and everything and hope to hear from you all again soon. Stay tuned for more book news, there’s always something else on the horizon and I’m excited about bringing you your next read!
Love Helen x
For more books by Helen J Rolfe, visit www.helenjrolfe.com/books
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Helen J Rolfe Books
The Friendship Tree
Handle Me with Care
In a Manhattan Minute
The Summer of New Beginnings
You, M
e, and Everything In Between
Christmas at Snowdrop Cottage
Magnolia Creek series:
What Rosie Found Next (book 1)
The Chocolatier’s Secret (book 2)
The Magnolia Girls (book 3)
New York Ever After series:
Christmas at the Little Knitting Box (book 1)
Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn (book 2)
Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue (book 3)
Christmas Miracles at the Little Log Cabin (book 4)
Christmas Promises at the Garland Street Markets (book 5)
Moonlight and Mistletoe at the Christmas Wedding (book 6)
Heritage Cove series:
Coming Home to Heritage Cove (book 1)
Orion Publishing - Books written as Helen Rolfe:
Valentine’s Day at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, free short story)
Spring at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, part 1)
Summer at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, part 2)
Autumn at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, part 3)
Christmas at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, part 4)
The Little Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, entire collection)
Summer Nights in Lantern Square (Lantern square series, part 1)
Falling Leaves in Lantern Square (Lantern square series, part 2)
Christmas in Lantern Square (Lantern square series, part 3)
Snowfall in Lantern Square (Lantern square series, part 4)
The Little Cottage in Lantern Square (Lantern square series, entire collection)
The Little Village Library
A Summer Surprise (The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane, part 1)
An Autumn Promise (The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane, part 2)
A Winter Wish (The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane, part 3)
A Christmas Gift (The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane, part 4)
The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane (entire collection) coming soon
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to Berni Stevens for her patience and dedication during the cover design phase. She has produced a beautiful cover to introduce this new series to my readers and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
My thanks to Katharine Walkden for being a whizz with grammar and punctuation, as well as spotting potential plot holes. Her care and precision are second to none and she is a pleasure to work with every time.
Thank you to my husband for encouraging me when I have doubts, for cooking delicious meals during the week, for managing my website and being there as my sounding board when I need to work out plot problems or issues with my characters. I love my job as an author and I know how incredibly lucky I am to have his unwavering support.
Although I work on my own at home in the corner of the spare room, my thanks also goes to all the writers I have met over the last few years. Social media keeps us close and the constant support and encouragement is something I could never imagine being without. I can’t wait to catch up with you all at the next function!
And finally, to my readers … thank you for buying this book. I hope it was a pleasure to read.