‘Jesse!’ I snapped at him but now I could hear the laughter in my own voice. ‘Stop laughing!’
‘I’m not laughing,’ he said, his action making his statement an outright lie.
‘You are!’
‘So are you!’
‘Oh God, I’m a disaster, aren’t I?’
His hand reached out and took mine, pulling me close. His other brushed my cheek tenderly until it reached my chin, which he then tilted up so that my eyes met his. ‘No. You’re not a disaster. I know you’d prefer that none of this had happened and, believe me, I wish I could make all this better for you right now, but I’d be lying if I said I wished none of this had happened because then I wouldn’t have got to meet you. To spend time with you. To…’ He swallowed hard, his eyes dropping to our joined hands.
‘Me too,’ I replied, and his gaze returned immediately to mine. His hands dropped away and brushed down the side of my body until they reached my bum, whereupon Jesse lifted me and I automatically wrapped my legs around his tight waist as his lips met mine. The kiss was tentative to begin with, but soon all reservations were scattered as my hands gripped his collar then his hair and he rested me against the cool marble of the worksurface. It was cold against my skin but the heat from this man blotted out everything.
16
‘You must be Maisie?’ I called as I waved to the young girl wrapped up against the chill as she brushed down the pony that had now taken up residence in the top paddock. I’d been meaning to walk down and meet her ever since I’d told Pat to get the pony back here but what with the house renovation and more work enquiries coming my way, I’d never seemed to have the time. Not to mention that any spare moment I had, I wanted to spend with Jesse, which was a novel experience for me when it came to relationships, but thankfully, one that the man in question appeared to share. However, this weekend I’d made a point of finally coming over to say hello.
Maisie kept hold of the bridle as she turned a little to face me and gave a tentative wave back.
‘Hi.’
‘It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Felicity. You can call me Fliss if you like.’ I shook Maisie’s hand in lieu of knowing what else to do. I’d not spent much time around kids and had been far too focused on building a career and financial security than to give much thought to having any of my own. Forty wasn’t too far in the distance and I’d come to terms with that fact that I wasn’t going to be a mother. Oddly, it hadn’t been that hard. Some unasked-for advice from a psychologist one of my friends had been dating had diagnosed that this was likely due to a lack of love in my own childhood. I’d sent him a haughty stare and he’d got the message, but the fact was he’d probably hit the nail on the head. So here I was shaking hands with a ten-year-old and wondering what to say next.
‘This must be Honey. She’s absolutely beautiful.’ I gave the pony a stroke and Maisie beamed.
‘She’s the best. Thanks ever so much for letting me keep her back here.’ She turned away and resumed her brushing of the pony’s coat.
‘You’re very welcome.’ I racked my brain for something to say next.
‘I thought I might have to sell her.’
‘Really?’ My eyes drifted to the tack box on the ground next to the little girl. ‘Mind if I help?’ I asked. ‘It’s been ages since I got to do this.’
‘You had a pony too?’ she asked, enthusiasm back in her voice now.
‘I did.’ I picked up another brush from the box and moved around the pony’s head to her other side and began slowly grooming her. ‘Her name was Poppy.’
‘What colour was she?’
‘Black, just like the centre of a poppy.’
‘That’s cool.’
‘I loved her so much. I couldn’t wait for the holidays so that I could spend all day with her.’
‘You spent the whole day with her?’
‘When I could, yes. I found her very calming to be around. And a very good listener.’
Maisie giggled.
‘So why did you think you might have to sell Honey?’
‘The man here before you wouldn’t let us keep her here any more. Mum found a place but I know it was really expensive and Dad had to get up extra early to take me over there in the morning to check on her before he went to work. It was about half an hour away from our house and they said everything was OK but when he lost his job, I overheard them talking one night when I couldn’t sleep…’ She went quiet. I didn’t rush to fill the gap in conversation. Birdsong and gently baaing sheep from the neighbouring farm took over until Maisie began again. ‘I wasn’t earwigging!’ Her earnest face popped over the back of the pony.
‘I’m sure you weren’t.’ I smiled back.
‘I had a tummy ache so I’d gone down to Mum.’
