Short and Sweet Read Online Free PDF Page B

something scathing, shut it and then asked hesitantly, ‘He stuck up for me? Even before he knew me?’
    ‘Mmm. Bill says he’s never seen anything to beat it. Love at first sight. Don’t be mad at Tom. He’s absolutely crazy about you.’
    It was nice to know someone was crazy about her, but still the bet rankled. ‘Yes, well, we’ll see what he has to say for himself.’ It must be a mistake. Tom wouldn’t bet on something like that. Bill had probably got it all wrong.
    Tom could tell that there was something wrong the minute he saw Emily that evening. She was waiting for him at the corner near the Co-op, arms folded across her chest, foot tapping impatiently. Every line of her body looked tight and angry.
    ‘You’re late. And I can smell the beer on your breath from here, Tom Norris.’
    ‘It was just the one. It’s been a scorcher today. I was thirsty.’
    ‘Well, you can flipping well go back to the hotel and stay there. I don’t want to be taken home by a man who drinks.’
    ‘I do not drink.’
    ‘You’ve just had a beer. You admitted it.’
    ‘That was one lousy beer.’ He grabbed her arm and swung her round. ‘What’s really wrong, Emily?’
    She breathed deeply, then the words burst out, ‘I’ve heard about it.’
    ‘About what?’
    ‘About your bet.’
    Her voice was so loud, her expression so furious that a group of women from the Co-op stopped to watch. Tom glanced around in panic, then dragged her across to the Memorial Gardens.
    She let him pull her as far as the flower beds and then stopped to confront him, hands on hips. ‘I don’t want to see you again, Tom Norris. And I’ll never, ever forgive you for that bet.’
    He froze for one moment, then reached for her.
    ‘Let go of me! I’ll scream if you don’t.’
    But he didn’t let go.
    And she didn’t scream.
    Although she made a half-hearted attempt to struggle, he didn’t even seem to notice and pulled her right into his arms, kissing her long and hard – not as a shy lad, but as a man kissing the woman he loves.
    And when he stopped, she felt so dizzy, so bewildered, she let him hold her close and explain what had happened.
    ‘I’m sorry about the bet, Em. Really sorry. I don’t care two hoots about it. I’ll give Stan his money and he can crow all he wants about winning. It’s you I care about.’
    She stared at him, bemused.
    ‘I’m not letting you go. I’m not. I love you, Emily Baker. I want to marry you. I’m going to marry you.’
    ‘But—’
    ‘I know it’s a bit soon to be talking of marriage, but when you meet someone who’s so,’ for the first time his voice faltered, ‘so right in every way,’ his voice became firm again, ‘you don’t let them walk away.’
    ‘But Tom, I—’
    He stopped her protest with another heart-stopping kiss, then he drew her over to one of the park benches. ‘Oh, Em, don’t finish with me! I couldn’t bear it if you did that.’
    Her protest died unborn. The look in his eyes made something turn to jelly inside her. His hand seemed to have left a warm print on her arm. Not since her mother died had anyone shown such deep feeling about her. Vera was right. It was just like in films. Tom Norris really had fallen madly in love with her.
    And she loved him, too!
    She stared at him open-mouthed as that realization sank in. How had that happened when she’d vowed never to get married? She saw how anxiously he was looking at her and shook her head at him. ‘Oh, you are a fool.’
    It was as if he sensed the change in her, because he smiled as he leaned forward and left a trail of little kisses across her face.
    ‘An absolute fool,’ she breathed in his ear as she kissed him back, not caring now whether anyone saw them or not.
    Vera, walking home with Bill, paused for a moment to watch her friend’s enthusiastic embrace. ‘I knew she was getting fond of him,’ she said softly, then hurried Bill past before he could call out or whistle and destroy the