One Golden Summer

by Clare Lydon

  Kirsty walked over to the shop front and opened the door. The sun hit the pavement like a slice of lemon. It was July, and the tourists were thronging the pavements of the seaside town, soaking up its charm and good looks. Give it three months and the High Street would be empty, save for the locals. Even though the summer season was what brought in the money, Kirsty far preferred the quieter months. When the beaches were empty. The streets hushed. The cafés easy to get a seat in.

  Plus, it’d mean more time for her and Saffron.

  It was still something she couldn’t get enough of.

  Saffron coming out of her studio and shaking hands with a teenager caught her eye. Her smile was a sunbeam, and Kirsty couldn’t help reflect it. The teenager was there to sign up for Saffron’s arts scholarship, another thing she was doing to help the local community. When Saffron glanced across the street, she gave Kirsty a wave.

  A bus driving by swallowed up whatever Saffron shouted, and Kirsty cupped her ear to show she hadn’t heard. “What?”

  Saffron tried again and held up her phone.

  Still no joy.

  Saffron waited for a gap in the traffic, before bounding over the High Street and landing at Kirsty’s side.

  She kissed her lips before she spoke.

  They were that couple now.

  Kirsty’s heart rejoiced.

  “I said, have you seen my Instagram account for the studio?” Saffron pulled it up on her phone. “We just passed 50,000 followers. Amazing!” Saffron had been working on it with Michelle for the past few months, determined to build it from scratch without trading on her fame. They’d sort of managed it, but she was more excited by that than she ever had been about her old account in her old life.

  Perhaps because this one was all her. From the heart. Saffron had a huge heart and capacity for giving, something Kirsty was learning every day.

  She pocketed her phone in her artfully ripped jeans. “What are you doing for lunch? I’ve still got some of that incredible mackerel dish I made at Dolly’s cooking class last night. Plus, crème brûlée. We could go back to mine and eat on the veranda?” Saffron put her lips beside Kirsty’s ear. “Then we could retire to the bedroom for an extra helping of dessert, if you get my drift.”

  Kirsty’s clit stood to attention. She got Saffron’s drift precisely. Saffron had shown her before she came to work that morning. And the night before.

  “You know I can’t.” Kirsty nudged Saffron with her elbow. “I’ve got a meeting with your sister about this year’s Oyster Festival.”

  “Cancel it.”

  “No.”

  Saffron pouted. “Spoilsport.”

  Up above, the seagulls squawked in the clear blue sky. Kirsty breathed in the sea air, stroking her girlfriend’s arm. A year ago, a photographer would have snapped that. Now, they were pretty much left alone. It turned out, the secret to a quiet life was to not be loud. Saffron had taken to it like a duck to water.

  A family with a double buggy walked towards them. Saffron edged over to stand in front of Wine Time to give them room. “Your festival window display is fabulous this year, by the way. A different level.” She grinned at Kirsty before running her gaze over the impressive wine paintings gracing the window. Saffron was responsible for every single one.

  “They’re not bad, are they?”

  She nodded. “Who’s the artist?”

  Kirsty shook her head. “Nobody you’d know. Some local woman. Rosemary? Thyme? Some kind of herb? A made-up name if ever I heard one.” She slid a hand around Saffron’s waist.

  Saffron tutted. “I hate those people who are all showy. Just have a normal name.”

  Kirsty leaned in. “I’ll let her know.” She pressed her lips to Saffron’s and the world around them stopped. Kirsty sank into the moment. Into them. The woman who’d given up on love had found it right on her doorstep.

  “Girl Racer rocks!” shouted someone from the opposite pavement, cutting through a lull in traffic.

  Saffron pulled back and punched the air, making the fan whoop. She turned back towards Kirsty, her piercing blue gaze intense.

  “That’s a lie, by the way.” She kissed Kirsty’s lips once more, making Kirsty’s heart get up on tip-toes and do a pirouette. “Girl Racer sucks. You rock.”

  Kirsty pressed a finger to Saffron’s chest. “No, we rock.”

  Saffron turned up her silver screen smile. “I’ll go with that.”

  The End

  ***

  A Note From The Authors

  TB here. First, thanks so much for reading One Golden Summer. Clare and I decided to co-write this story back in 2019, before the world got (how should I phrase this?), so weird. When we planned my visit to London, we set aside three days to pop over to Whitstable, which was our inspiration for Sandy Cove.

  Clare has a special place in her heart for the seaside town, and when she started showing me around, I immediately understood why. It’s an exceptional place overflowing with charm, panoramic vistas, culture, and oysters.

  Co-writing this novel during trying times presented some difficulties, but I would like to focus on the good, not the bad. For me, the timing of this project helped keep me sane. Nearly every day, we were in some type of contact, and I think many of us are learning how important it is to have connections. I’m fortunate to call Clare Lydon a true friend and, now, my co-author.

  If you enjoyed the story, we would really appreciate a review. Even short reviews help immensely.

  If you want to stay in touch with me, sign up for my newsletter. I’ll send you a free copy of A Woman Lost, book 1 in the A Woman Lost series, plus the bonus chapters that are exclusive to subscribers. Plus, you’ll be able to enter monthly giveaways to win one of my books.

  If you want to follow Clare, sign up for her newsletter and receive a free lesbian romance, It Had To Be You. Also, she pens charming bi-monthly updates you don’t want to miss out on.

  Thanks again for reading this English seaside romance. It’s because of you that Clare and I are able to follow our dreams of being writers. It’s a wonderful gift, and we appreciate each and every reader.

  TB & Clare

  Meet Clare Lydon

  Clare Lydon is a London-based writer of contemporary lesbian romance. She's a No.1 best-seller on lesbian fiction charts around the globe. If you're a sucker for romantic comedies, prepare to fall head over heels in love. You can check out her website here.

  Clare is famed for her London Romance series, as well as her much-loved standalones including Before You Say I Do, Nothing To Lose and You're My Kind. She hosts two podcasts - The Lesbian Book Club & Lesbians Who Write - and has spoken at queer festivals and prides around the country.

  When she's not writing, Clare watches far too many home improvement shows, while drinking nuclear-strength coffee & eating Curly Wurlys.

  Meet TB Markinson

  TB Markinson is an American who’s recently returned to the US after a seven-year stint in the UK and Ireland. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in New England, or reading. Not necessarily in that order.

  Her novels have hit Amazon bestseller lists for lesbian fiction and lesbian romance. For a full listing of TB’s novels, please visit her Amazon page.

  Feel free to visit TB’s website to say hello. On the Lesbians Who Write weekly podcast, she and Clare Lydon dish about the good, the bad, and the ugly of writing. TB also runs I Heart Lesfic, a place for authors and fans of lesfic to come together to celebrate and chat about lesbian fiction.

  Want to learn more about TB. Hop over to her About page on her website for the juicy bits. Okay, it won’t be all that titillating, but you’ll find out more.

  Acknowledgments

  While this book has two authors, there are always amazing groups of people behind the scenes who assist during every stage, including after we hit the publish button.

  We would especially like to thank our ARC teams. Not only do we appreci
ate your enthusiasm for sticking your hands in the air to read advance copies, but your eagle eyes spotted some pesky typos.

  Also, we appreciate all lesfic reviewers and bloggers. The time you dedicate to lift up LGBTQ+ stories is fantastic and so very much needed.

  Lastly, we’d like to give a special shoutout to the listeners of our Lesbians Who Write podcast. You have been with us since the very beginning, listening to the ups and downs of One Golden Summer and providing us with encouragement and support that helped us get the book over the finish line. It really does mean the world to us both.