Summer of Love Read Free

said, and Alex blinked. ‘Don’t you remember her?’
    Of course he did. He remembered her seven and stuck up a tree, and he remembered her fifteen and wearing too much glitter makeup. He remembered driving all the way to Manchester, his last summer home from university, to pick up her and Cora after their ride left them stranded in Glastonbury and they got kicked off the train at Manchester Piccadilly for travelling without tickets.
    He did not remember her hot.
    ‘She looks… different.’
    ‘Well, you haven’t seen her in ten years. You’ve changed in that time too, you know.’ Cora’s eyes sharpened, her smile slipping off her face. ‘And not only is she my best friend, she’s engaged. So don’t even think about it.’
    Alex threw up his hands in defence. ‘Wouldn’t dream of it.’ It was a shame, but attached women were firmly off limits, as far as he was concerned. Especially ones planning a wedding. Marriage was not something to be messed around with.
    ‘Good.’ Cora sounded mollified, at least. But then she groaned. ‘Oh God, here comes Evelyn. Quick, escape while you can.’
    The stiff haired lady who’d been talking to Lily approached them with determination in her step. Alex did a quick search of his memory. ‘Lily’s mother?’
    Cora nodded. ‘Terrifying woman. I’m serious, I’d run.’
    Sounded like a plan to him. Especially since, across the room, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair disappearing behind the door to the hall. Now, where was she going? And, more importantly, should he follow?
    Alex darted out of Evelyn’s way before she came close enough to require an introduction and polite conversation. Pausing at the drinks table, he helped himself to another glass of wine and considered his options. On the one hand, engagement put Lily firmly out of the running for personal entertainment. On the other… he couldn’t help but be intrigued to see how she’d grown up. Alex wanted to know what sort of man had tamed Cora’s wild child best friend. If he stayed in Felinfach as he planned, he’d need friends. And from what he remembered of Lily, she’d always known how to have fun. If Felinfach had a less boring side to it these days, Lily Thomas would know where to find it.
    Mind made up, Alex grabbed a second glass of wine, and followed Lily out of the party and into the house.
    * * * *
    Cora’s childhood bedroom hadn’t changed in the eight years since she’d left for university. The cream walls still had their stencilled flowers up by the ceiling, and the dressmaker’s mannequin wore the same pale blue ball gown it always had. Lily paused at the bookcase, running a finger along the spines of some old favourites, remembering rainy afternoons curled up in Cora’s window seat, reading together. Until she got bored, of course, and begged Cora to come find something more interesting to do.
    Lily sighed. Maybe that was the reason everyone saw her as the troublemaker. Limited attention span. Often resulted in mischief.
    That, at least, was one thing she could say had changed for the better over the last decade. Precious metals and gemstones required patience; she couldn’t rush them. She’d learnt that quickly enough, when it became obvious she’d bankrupt herself before she even started if she didn’t slow down, learn what she was doing first. She’d practiced for hours, days, months with less expensive materials, until she felt confident enough to risk shaping and setting the more valuable ones.
    But her patience had paid off. She just had to look at the ring on Cora’s left hand to remember that.
    ‘I never took you for much of a reader.’ She might not have recognized his body, but Alex’s voice behind her sent an instant shiver of familiarity through her.
    Turning slowly to face him, she shrugged. ‘I like books. I like adventures.’
    ‘Reading about them or having them?’ Alex leant against the doorframe, looking too broad, too dark, too handsome for Cora’s girlish