He pushed the dark hair off her forehead and looked into the serious eyes which were daring to hope. Her instinct not to rush things had been so wise. During the weeks that followed the revelation of her father’s logbook, her emotions had been all over the place. There was so much for her to take in, so much to adjust to. Seeing Harry gradually slough off that brittle exterior, watching her getting to know her half-brother, listening to her talking, laughing, feeling her happiness blossom had been a great joy to him.
But the greatest joy of all was how she’d opened up to him, trusting that even if the first thing he’d wanted from her was her land, it was now her that he wanted beside him – the fierce, spirited woman who’d never given in, never stopped fighting, even when the world seemed set against her.
And if he’d ever thought that a tiny, pixie-faced girl in a pair of dungarees wasn’t his type, he’d been proved wrong about that. Wasn’t Harry Watling the most beautiful, sexy woman he’d ever seen?
‘I love you, Harry. I love you and I want you to be my wife. What do you say?’
Much, much later, they went to over to Samphire to share the news with Jimi and to celebrate. Now that Jimi had taken over the running of the restaurant, it was gaining quite a reputation. Matthew could see how proud Harry was of him.
‘I wish I could talk to Dad, too,’ she said, as they strolled home under a starlit sky.
‘What would you tell him?’ Matthew asked, wrapping his arm round her small waist.
‘I wish I could tell him how sorry I was that he had to leave us,’ she whispered. ‘I wish I could tell him that everything has worked out, you know, that Mum and I have a great relationship now and that George says he’s going to retire, but we know he won’t. I’d tell him how busy Watling’s is and that he wouldn’t believe how many people are interested in keeping their boats there.’
She squeezed his hand. ‘And then I’d tell him how happy you’ve made me and how much I love you.’
Matthew stopped her and pointed up as a shooting star appeared in the sky above them, burning brightly as it speared the night. Gone now, in the past, but with one last message to the present. Maybe Harry’s father had heard?
Behind them, the lights of Samphire twinkled in reflections on the inky waters of the creek.
‘Matthew,’ said Harry, beside him. ‘If you’d known everything that lay ahead when you bought the Spitmarsh Yacht Club, would you have walked away?’
‘No,’ he said, quickly taking hold of her hands and trying not to laugh. ‘I’d have run.’
The hands bunched into little fists and Matthew was glad he’d taken the precaution of pinning them in his. As his lips came down firmly on hers, her squeal of protest turned into a soft moan of pleasure and Matthew congratulated himself on a shrewd investment: when it came down to love and happiness, Harry Watling had made him a very wealthy man.
~ Ends ~
About the Author
Winning a tin of chocolate in a national essay competition at primary school inspired Christine Stovell to become a writer! After graduating from UEA, she took various jobs in the public sector writing research papers and policy notes by day and filling up her spare drawers with embryonic novels by night. Losing her dad to cancer made her realise that if she was ever going to get a novel published she had to put her writing first.
Setting off, with her husband, from a sleepy seaside resort on the east coast in a vintage wooden boat to sail halfway round Britain provided the inspiration for her novel Turning the Tide.
Christine has also published numerous short stories and articles.
www.christinestovell.com
More from Chrstine Stovell
Coming in October 2012
When is it time to stop running?
Coralie Casey is haunted by her past. Deciding it’s time for a fresh start, she sets up ‘Sweet Cleans’, a range of natural beauty and cleaning products, and escapes to Penmorfa, a quiet coastal village in west Wales.
Gethin Lewis thinks he’s about to put his home village Penmorfa behind him for good. Now an internationally-acclaimed artist living in New York, he just has to return one last time to wind up his father’s estate.
But the village soon disrupts their carefully laid plans. As truths are uncovered which threaten to split the community apart, Gethin is forced to question his real reasons for abandoning Penmorfa, and Coralie is made to face the fact that some stains just won’t go away.
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The Importance of being Emma
Juliet Archer
Darcy & Friends Series
Winner of The Big Red Reads Fiction Award 2011 and short listed for the 2009 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance.
Mark Knightley – handsome, clever, rich – is used to women falling at his feet. Except Emma Woodhouse, who’s like part of the family – and the furniture. When their relationship changes dramatically, is it an ending or a new beginning?
Emma’s grown into a stunningly attractive young woman, full of ideas for modernising her family business.
Then Mark gets involved and the sparks begin to fly. It’s just like the old days, except that now he’s seeing her through totally new eyes.
While Mark struggles to keep his feelings in check, Emma remains immune to the Knightley charm. She’s never forgotten that embarrassing moment when he discovered her teenage crush on him. He’s still pouring scorn on all her projects, especially her beautifully orchestrated campaign to find Mr Right for her ditzy PA. And finally, when the mysterious Flynn Churchill – the man of her dreams – turns up, how could she have eyes for anyone else?
Find out more and purchase in the kindle store: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Importance-Being-Emma-ebook/dp/B003ZSHNWW
Highland Storms
Christina Courtenay
Winner of the 2012 RoNA Best Historical Romantic Novel Category Award
Who can you trust?
Betrayed by his brother and his childhood love, Brice Kinross needs a fresh start. So he welcomes the opportunity to leave Sweden for the Scottish Highlands to take over the family estate.
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And the young laird has more than romance on his mind. His investigations are stirring up an enemy. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what he wants – including Marsaili – even if that means destroying Brice’s life forever …
Sequel to Trade Winds
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The Silver Locket
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Winner of Catanetworks Reviewers’ Choice Award for Single Titles 2010
If life is cheap, how much is love worth?
It’s 1914 and young Rose Courtenay has a decision to make. Please her wealthy parents by marrying the man of their choice – or play her part in the war effort?
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What value will she put on his love?
First novel in the trilogy, followed by The Golden Chain (May 2011) and The Penny Bangle (May 2012)
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Love & Freedom
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Short-listed for the Festival of Romance Award for Best Romantic Read 2011.
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Honor’s hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town.
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Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?
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Please Don’t Stop the Music
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Jemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail – until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts.
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The UnTied Kingdom
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Shortlisted for the RONA Best Contemporary Novel 2012
The portal to an alternate world was the start of all her troubles– or was it?
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Never Coming Home
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Winner of the 2012 Joan Hessayon New Writers Award
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To Turn Full Circle
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The Road Back
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Introducing Choc Lit
We’re an independent publisher creating a delicious selection of fiction. Where heroes are like chocolate – irresistible! Quality stories with a romance at the heart.
Choc Lit novels are selected by genuine readers like yourself. We only publish stories our Choc Lit Tasting Panel want to see in print. Our reviews and awards speak for themselves.
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