Page 110 of The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

‘I said I love him!’ she shouted out again, finding that she was smiling broadly now.

‘We heard you!’ called out Tom from the riverbank. ‘We’re just waiting for his reply.’

She turned to look at Josh, smiling at his confusion and, yes, embarrassment. ‘Well?’ she asked softly. ‘Do you have a reply for me?’

‘What’s happened to you?’ asked Josh, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘You’re not ever like this. Have you been at Mike’s punch again?’

She shook her head. ‘Nope. It’s still me. You just helped me change, that’s all. You’ve made me stronger, proud of my work. And I’m able to believe in myself, finally. I’ve made friends, good friends here in this village.’ She reached out to stroke his cheek. ‘But that’s nothing if you’re not here. Because I don’t want to leave Cranbridge.’

‘We don’t want you to leave either!’ she heard Molly call out from the bridge behind them.

Amber turned to give her a knowing wink before she looked back at Josh. ‘So, if you’d like me to stay here and run the shop with you, then that would be great. Better than great. Perfect, in fact.’ She paused. ‘If you love me, that is.’

She held her breath again.

People shuffled from foot to foot in the cold as everyone waited for Josh’s reply.

He looked at everyone staring at them before gazing down at her.

‘Of course I love you,’ he murmured.

‘Speak up, lad!’ cried out Stanley. ‘Some of us can’t hear so well.’

‘I love her, OK?’ shouted Josh, rolling his eyes before he looked at her once more. ‘Despite the fact that you keep trying to drown me in the river. And that you’ve turned my life upside down. And the tractor is now in the shop.’ He took a step forward and brought her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. ‘I love you,’ he told her once more.

The crowd erupted into loud cheering upon hearing this.

And then Josh kissed her with so much passion that the final tiny bit of doubt Amber had held on to was gone forever.

Once they finally drew apart, Amber was aware of the continued whooping and cheering from all around them. Suddenly embarrassed at what she had done, she tried to hide in his coat.

‘Oh no!’ he told her, taking her chin out of his chest and holding her at arm’s-length. ‘This is all on you. You can’t hide now.’

She giggled, blushing furiously. But for once she didn’t mind. After all, she had Josh by her side, the man she loved and who loved her in return. Nothing else mattered.

Josh held her around the waist and as they waded back across to the riverbank, Amber glanced up to see Cathy, Grandma Tilly and her parents nearby. They were all clapping and nodding their approval.

‘Wait a minute!’ said Josh, as he helped her out of the river. ‘Is that your parents next to my mum?’

‘Yes,’ Amber told him. ‘That was their big surprise.’

‘Life’s full of them at the moment,’ said Josh, taking her hand in his as they walked towards their families.

Amber’s mum and Cathy were looking a little teary as they stepped forward to embrace them although at arm’s-length in deference to their wet clothes.

‘How wonderful,’ said Cathy, reaching out to squeeze Josh’s arm. ‘I knew this would all work out.’

‘What are you talking about?’ said Josh, leaning down so that Grandma Tilly could kiss him on the cheek.

‘Our little plan, of course,’ said Amber’s mum.

‘To get you two together,’ added Cathy.

Amber looked at Josh in amazement before they turned back to their parents. ‘Are you saying this was a set-up?’ she asked.

‘Well, we hoped things might work out between the two of you, of course,’ said Cathy, smiling. ‘But this is even better than we had imagined. Do you mind?’

Amber looked at Josh once more as he burst out laughing.