‘Bubble,’ they said together, touching their foreheads together and laughing.
‘I’m sorry, Bec. And for leaving.’
‘You had to.’
‘Not like that. Never again.’
‘Till next week.’ He pulled his face away a little bit, but she kissed him again. ‘I’ve been talking to Mum. I’m due a visit.’
He grinned broadly, kissing her again. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
‘One minute. I want to introduce you. Can I?’
He flashed his white teeth at her. ‘Go for it.’
Turning to the crowd, Rebecca took Luke’s hand in hers, and he stood right with her. ‘I’d like to introduce to you the hot new competitor on the novice challenge, Luke Sommersby. My boyfriend.’
Andy started to clap, and the interviews that Robbie was conducting came to a grinding halt as the reporters all wandered over now. When the clapping finally finished, all eyes were on them.
‘Say hello Luke,’ she laughed when his face went white.
‘Hello,’ he stammered, pushing his glasses up his nose. Rebecca saw that he’d seen Robbie. His next words were loud, and as clear as a bell. ‘I’m Luke Sommersby. Mr Ice Rebel to my friends.’ The crowd laughed. ‘I am entering the competition for my father, Frank Sommersby, who is a huge fan of the sport, and my late mother Mariella Sommersby, who loved the snow too.’ He threw his arm around Rebecca. ‘And my girl, of course. Who is going to kick arse too, by the way. In the unlikely event that I win my challenge, I will be donating my prize money to a local centre in my hometown, who specialise in stroke care and rehabilitation. Their care of my father has been second to none.’ The reporters loved that, but she could tell Luke didn’t care.
‘As will I,’ she declared, laughing at Luke’s horrified face. The reporters were lapping it up, dancing around like little excited monkeys. Well, some of them did throw poo about for a living.
‘No Becks!’ he whispered, and she tapped him on the nose.
‘Oh, shut up, I love your dad. It’s not about the money, is it?’
‘I love you.’ His eyes bulged. ‘I didn’t mean that. I meant to say, er. No, sod it. I love you. I do.’ He pushed his glasses back up his nose. One of the reporters made an aww sound, and he looked across at them sheepishly. ‘Er, a minute, please?’
Andy took charge. ‘Come on, let’s give them a minute. We’ve got plenty here. Good to see you back, Becks,’ he waved, collaring a couple of the pushier ones and corralling them all towards the press lunch.
They headed away from there, Rebecca pushing Luke into the disabled toilet just around the corner. Locking the door behind them, they both listened outside.
‘Okay, coast’s clear.’
He reached for her, but she pushed him back a little.
‘Just let me get this out, okay?’
‘Right here? Kinky.’
‘Luuuke!’
They both shushed each other, and then shushed each other for shushing.
‘Sorry.’ He pressed his lips together tight, and pretended to zip it.
‘I’m a bit stubborn.’ His eyebrows hit the roof. ‘No, I am.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m stubborn, and awkward. Or I thought I was, till I met you. You are a super dork.’ He nodded proudly. ‘When you entered that competition for me, you reminded me of Robbie. Of everything I had walked away from. I got mad. And you’re leaving, and I just thought well, good, that saves a conversation—’
He started to reach for the zipper.
‘Then I told you to go, and then I got hammered, and you were gone. I was mad at that too, even though I told you to go but still—’
He unzipped another couple of teeth, and she sped up.
‘Anyway, I got mad, and you weren’t here. And then you were here, and Mum said I was an idiot, but she was right, and—’
Another couple of teeth came unstuck, and Luke opened the corner of his mouth. He looked like a wonky duck.
‘And … and … and … I love you, and I want to win the competition. You were right, I can do this. All of it. I’m not going to hide anymore. Screw being scared. The best thing about it is, I love you. I said that, right? Before the ski monologue? Because that matters too Luke, just as much. More even.’ She took a deep breath, bending over at the stitch she had given herself. It felt like her stomach had just unknotted itself and was doing a victory dance. The ball of dread and worry dissolved. ‘Oh God!’ She jumped back up, slapping herself on the forehead. ‘I forgot to tell you, Hans wants to call the baby Thor. Please stop him before he tells Holly his idea.’ She panted again, catching her breath. ‘You can unzip now.’
Luke unzipped his mouth. ‘You love me.’ His big daft grin melted her on the spot.
‘I love you, yes.’
‘No more spare room?’
‘No more spare room.’
‘Good, I missed your bed this past month. The sheets back home just aren’t the same.’
‘Full of pee, probably.’
‘Ha. Probably.’ He reached behind her, turning the lock. ‘Let’s go home and test that theory.’
Heading out of the centre, arm in arm, Luke suddenly stopped dead.
‘What?’
‘Thor, really? Did he tell you that?’
Rebecca pulled him along, eager to get home. ‘No, I saw his baby name list.’
Luke giggled. ‘That was me.’
She slapped him on the shoulder. ‘You didn’t! I thought that was his idea!’
‘I did, but I doubt Holly will focus on that one. He had some weird ones himself. Eggbert was on there too.’
‘I know.’ She laughed again. ‘I added a few myself.’
Chapter 13
Frank squinted at the screen.
‘I can’t see him, can you?’
The line of competitors were there out in the snow. The camera panned around to the organiser, who was presenting third place.
‘Congratulations again, Serena Valentino!’ Serena waved at the camera,
