“there but for the grace of God” jokes, so please don’t say it.’ She laughed nervously at her often-told joke.
‘Not true, I think you’re full of grace, but I’ll call you Gracie if I have to. You know, this feels so strange, this isn’t something I expected when I set out from home this morning …’ Edward looked straight into her eyes.
‘What’s strange? There’s nothing strange about sitting on the beach on a nice day, I often do it. Me and Ruby love the beach.’ Not completely sure of his meaning, Gracie glanced away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her face reddening rapidly under his intimate gaze.
‘That isn’t what I mean and I think you know that. It’s strange, sitting here feeling as if I …’
Gracie didn’t say anything but looked at him again, still trying to work out where the conversation was going.
‘You know, I persuaded the others to come and sit over here, told them it was the best spot. I’ve been watching you ever since I saw you on the rollercoaster.’ He smiled as he stared at her. ‘I made them walk all the way to the pier and back with me; I even dragged them onto the pier … that took some persuading, I’m telling you! Luckily the picnic basket was still in the car. Phew …’
‘You were following us? Why would you do that?’ Gracie asked.
‘Because you caught my eye when the rollercoaster came around and I could see you laughing. Then, when I saw you and your friend falling about on the grass afterwards having such fun, I knew straight away that you were exactly the girl I wanted to marry.’
SIX
Gracie stared open-mouthed at the man sitting beside her on the beach; the stranger she had met not fifteen minutes before. Unsure how to react she shook her head and started to laugh nervously.
‘Oh for God’s sake, what a load of old waffle! How daft do you think I am? Flattery won’t get you nowhere with me. I’m not that kind of girl.’
‘It’s not waffle and I never thought anything other than how beautiful you were. That was what I thought when I saw you, though maybe
marry
was a declaration too soon.’ Edward pulled a face and paused before looking away in the direction of the sea.
‘Harry would say that was typical of me, not thinking before opening my mouth. He says my social skills need honing, but that was what I felt. I still feel it, sitting here beside you.’
He moved a fraction sideways, until he was so close to Gracie their knees were touching. She knew she should move away but she couldn’t. As the contact remained, so something made her instinctively place her left hand, along with the engagement ring Sean had given her, out of sight under her thigh.
As she did so a wave of guilt hit her. She should be sending the charming stranger on his way, she should be telling him that she didn’t talk to strange men, that she was getting married in just three days’ time. She should be saying to him that her wedding was all booked for Saturday, and that she loved her fiancé. She knew she should tell him all of that, and then stand up and walk away.
But she didn’t.
Instead Gracie remained there, silent and still, and strangely aware of the scent of his cologne, despite knowing full well that she shouldn’t be having feelings like this for anyone, let alone a total stranger.
But despite Edward Woodfield being a stranger, Gracie felt as if she already knew him – because he was exactly how she had always imagined her fantasy man would be. The stranger on the beach was actually the very familiar man of her dreams. He was the right one whom Gracie had always known she would recognise.
Edward was tall and lithe, with long legs and broad shoulders; his features were even, with a charming smile and expressive deep blue eyes that Gracie knew were fixed on her face. But there was a shyness about him that was endearing, and somehow she knew instinctively that he wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill Lothario trying to get off with a local girl at the
‘Not true, I think you’re full of grace, but I’ll call you Gracie if I have to. You know, this feels so strange, this isn’t something I expected when I set out from home this morning …’ Edward looked straight into her eyes.
‘What’s strange? There’s nothing strange about sitting on the beach on a nice day, I often do it. Me and Ruby love the beach.’ Not completely sure of his meaning, Gracie glanced away, hoping he wouldn’t notice her face reddening rapidly under his intimate gaze.
‘That isn’t what I mean and I think you know that. It’s strange, sitting here feeling as if I …’
Gracie didn’t say anything but looked at him again, still trying to work out where the conversation was going.
‘You know, I persuaded the others to come and sit over here, told them it was the best spot. I’ve been watching you ever since I saw you on the rollercoaster.’ He smiled as he stared at her. ‘I made them walk all the way to the pier and back with me; I even dragged them onto the pier … that took some persuading, I’m telling you! Luckily the picnic basket was still in the car. Phew …’
‘You were following us? Why would you do that?’ Gracie asked.
‘Because you caught my eye when the rollercoaster came around and I could see you laughing. Then, when I saw you and your friend falling about on the grass afterwards having such fun, I knew straight away that you were exactly the girl I wanted to marry.’
SIX
Gracie stared open-mouthed at the man sitting beside her on the beach; the stranger she had met not fifteen minutes before. Unsure how to react she shook her head and started to laugh nervously.
‘Oh for God’s sake, what a load of old waffle! How daft do you think I am? Flattery won’t get you nowhere with me. I’m not that kind of girl.’
‘It’s not waffle and I never thought anything other than how beautiful you were. That was what I thought when I saw you, though maybe
marry
was a declaration too soon.’ Edward pulled a face and paused before looking away in the direction of the sea.
‘Harry would say that was typical of me, not thinking before opening my mouth. He says my social skills need honing, but that was what I felt. I still feel it, sitting here beside you.’
He moved a fraction sideways, until he was so close to Gracie their knees were touching. She knew she should move away but she couldn’t. As the contact remained, so something made her instinctively place her left hand, along with the engagement ring Sean had given her, out of sight under her thigh.
As she did so a wave of guilt hit her. She should be sending the charming stranger on his way, she should be telling him that she didn’t talk to strange men, that she was getting married in just three days’ time. She should be saying to him that her wedding was all booked for Saturday, and that she loved her fiancé. She knew she should tell him all of that, and then stand up and walk away.
But she didn’t.
Instead Gracie remained there, silent and still, and strangely aware of the scent of his cologne, despite knowing full well that she shouldn’t be having feelings like this for anyone, let alone a total stranger.
But despite Edward Woodfield being a stranger, Gracie felt as if she already knew him – because he was exactly how she had always imagined her fantasy man would be. The stranger on the beach was actually the very familiar man of her dreams. He was the right one whom Gracie had always known she would recognise.
Edward was tall and lithe, with long legs and broad shoulders; his features were even, with a charming smile and expressive deep blue eyes that Gracie knew were fixed on her face. But there was a shyness about him that was endearing, and somehow she knew instinctively that he wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill Lothario trying to get off with a local girl at the
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