Page 29 of The Hidden Daughter (The Lost Daughters #7)

‘No offence to your grandma, because I’m sure she’s right, but I hated all the people who’d tell me that I should be grateful for all the good times we had together,’ Harrison said.

‘I’d be like, and please excuse my language, but fuck you.

You have no idea the pain I’m going through, and I don’t need your pep talk. ’

Charlotte burst out laughing, and as she tried to bite her bottom lip to stop, Harrison started to laugh, too.

‘I’m sorry, it’s just you’re so right. Screw the unnecessary pep talks,’ she said.

‘Hell, yes! Screw the pep talks!’

When their laughter finally subsided, Charlotte went to say something else, but her words caught in her throat.

‘Harrison, stop,’ she whispered.

He held his paddle when he saw that she’d stopped paddling, and Charlotte pointed ahead to what she was looking at. There, in the near distance, was the unmistakable rise and fall of dorsal fins gliding through the water.

‘I don’t believe it,’ he said, glancing over at her.

And so they sat there, their kayaks bumping together as they watched the small pod of dolphins moving through the water.

There was something about seeing nature up close and personal that made a fresh lump form in Charlotte’s throat, and when two of the dolphins leapt out of the water in play, she placed a hand over her heart.

It was one of the most special things she’d ever witnessed in her life.

They sat quietly and watched them until they disappeared into the distance, and when she looked across at Harrison, she saw everything that she was feeling reflected straight back at her.

‘Thank you for today,’ she said. ‘I would never have thought to book kayaks, but it’s been perfect.’

‘Well, I can’t take credit for the dolphins, but when you see the whales that I organised…’

Charlotte laughed, giving him a push in jest, which she seriously regretted when her boat began to tip side to side, threatening to wobble her straight out into the water.

‘Lunch,’ Harrison declared once they’d steadied themselves. ‘Let’s find somewhere to pull the boats in. And if you’re game, I think we should swim.’

A short time later, Charlotte and Harrison had found a perfectly secluded spot and had consumed the most thoughtful picnic lunch, full of freshly baked breads, cold meats and cheeses, and they were now spread out, lying in the sun.

It was nothing short of perfect, as far as relaxing days went, and she didn’t want it to be over.

‘You know, maybe I could get the hang of this lying about, relaxing business,’ Charlotte said, rolling onto her side to look at Harrison.

He reached out and strummed his fingers across her skin, staring back at her. His gaze made a now familiar heat pool in her belly, and she wriggled closer, intending to kiss him.

‘Funny, I was just about to suggest a swim,’ he said.

They lay there a while longer, him tracing a pattern on her skin and her lying still as she blinked back at him.

‘Are you happy?’ she asked. ‘Right now?’

‘I’m the happiest I’ve been in a very long time,’ he said.

Charlotte leaned forwards and kissed him then, plucking her lips softly against his. ‘Me too,’ she murmured, when she finally pulled away. ‘It’s been a long time since I felt like this.’

They made out like teenagers on the banks of the fjord, and when they finally paused for breath, it was Harrison who stood and held out his hand to her.

‘Let’s go for that swim,’ he said, beginning to strip off his clothes.

‘What if someone sees us?’ she asked.

‘Who’s going to see us out here? We can just swim in our underwear.’

Charlotte wasn’t convinced about swimming, but she wasn’t about to say no to Harrison.

So she stripped off and they left their clothes on the bank and ran down towards the water.

She knew there was nothing in there to be afraid of, but the idea of submerging herself in such deep water was mildly terrifying—she hadn’t swum since she was a child.

‘Keep hold of my hand,’ she said, grabbing Harrison around the wrist. But she’d barely got the words out when she shrieked from the temperature. ‘I can’t do it, it’s freezing!’

‘The concierge at the hotel said it was eighteen degrees, it can’t be that—’ Harrison made a noise that equalled her shriek. ‘Holy shit, it’s cold!’

They both laughed and shivered their way into the water, step by step, hovering at their knees and then their thighs, before they both cried out with the cold at their torsos.

‘Count to three and we go under,’ he said, gasping. ‘One, two, three!’

Charlotte had always been the kid on the sidelines at sports events; she was always the girl on school camp who would put her toe in the water but never quite go for a swim, but today, with Harrison holding her hand, she dropped straight into the water.

The cold surrounded her and made her entire body tremble, but she let herself enjoy the moment, and when her face emerged back out of the water and she was gasping for air, there was one thing she knew for certain.

She was truly living again, not just getting by like the hamster on the wheel she’d been for the past eight or so years, and she had Harrison to thank for that.

She also knew that right here, right now, might actually be one of the best days of her life.

That night, exhausted from paddling and swimming, not to mention slightly sunburnt from the hours they’d spent outdoors, Charlotte and Harrison lay spread out in his hotel room eating dinner.

They decided to order room service, too tired for a proper sit-down dinner with Louisa and Luke, and Charlotte couldn’t have been happier.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like Harrison’s friends, because she did like them very much; but it was nice to just stay in their little bubble and keep extending what had been a pretty perfect day.

‘You know how I said that I love my job and I’d never not want to work?’ she asked.

He nodded.

‘Well, I think I lied. I could live here in this room forever, eating this food, watching movies and looking at that view. It’s perfect.’

She’d almost forgotten how special the long hours of sunlight were after so long being in London, but there was something incredible about still having the curtains open so late at night, and enjoying the light coming through the windows.

‘I think you’d be bored within a day,’ he said, leaning over and kissing the tip of her nose. ‘But I’m glad that you’re happy.’

She ate another French fry, feeling as if she might pop but also loving every mouthful. ‘Maybe, but I say we try anyway.’

‘Honestly, if we didn’t have the hotel opening next weekend, I’d be tempted to take you up on it,’ Harrison said, ferrying their empty plates and putting them on a tray by the door. ‘Actually, speaking of the opening, do you want to go together?’

‘As colleagues?’ she asked, wishing she hadn’t been so quick to ask. ‘I mean, we don’t need anyone else knowing about—’

‘Absolutely, that’s what I meant,’ he said, interrupting her.

‘I’d love to. That will save me from a full-blown panic attack at having to walk in alone.’ She was thankful her question hadn’t made things awkward between them.

‘Good, that’s sorted then,’ he said, getting back into bed and reaching for her. ‘I have one other question for you.’

She smiled against his mouth, kissing him before settling under his arm as he sat back against the huge pillows.

‘Yes, I do want to watch a movie,’ she said. ‘And yes, I would prefer a romcom, thank you for asking.’

He chuckled. ‘I was actually going to ask if you want to stay the night in my room, but if you only want to stay for the movie…’

Charlotte closed her eyes and snuggled in even closer to him. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

‘Best idea you’ve had since deciding to take us kayaking,’ she whispered into his ear.