Joe grinned at her. ‘I’m glad.’
Skye heard a cough. She and Joe turned to Lettie.
‘Sorry,’ Joe said. ‘I forgot you were there for a moment.’
‘I did wonder whether you might have done.’ Lettie motioned for them to leave the room. ‘Off you go then, you two. I need to give this little one a feed and I’d rather do it quietly in here.’
Happy to oblige, Skye led Joe from Lettie’s bedroom. ‘Let us know if you need anything.’
43
JOE
Skye went to go downstairs, but taking the initiative, Joe held her back, deciding he would rather spend this unexpected time alone with her in the attic where they wouldn’t be interrupted.
‘Let’s go this way first,’ he whispered when she seemed surprised about him stopping her from going down to the lower floor.
‘Why?’ she asked, giving him a knowing grin.
‘Because I want to be alone with you,’ he whispered, aware she knew perfectly well what his motives were. ‘Unless you have other ideas?’
She shook her head. ‘Nope,’ she said so he led the way up the stairs to their rooms.
As they went upstairs Joe wondered what might have happened if he had decided on that first day here to change his mind and leave Skye to run the farm by herself. No, Joe decided, he was a gentleman and would never have done that to her. Or to Lettie and Brodie. It was strange how things worked out though, and this time he was relieved how amazingly well they had turned out for him.
At the top of the stairs, Skye pulled him into her room. His breath became shallow as he stared at her. Not wanting to presume anything, Joe waited for Skye to close her bedroom door behind them.
They stared at each other and Joe waited for her to make the first move, working out that Brodie and Lettie’s bedroom might be right under this one. His mood dipped slightly.
‘You do know that Lettie’s…’
‘Yes,’ Skye said quietly. ‘I worked that out too. But that doesn’t stop us from kissing.’
Pleased with her suggestion, he smiled. ‘No, it doesn’t.’ He took her into his arms. ‘You really are the most gorgeous woman,’ he murmured, kissing her mouth then her neck before gazing into her eyes. ‘In so many ways.’
‘I’m glad you think so.’ Skye slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Not caring about anything else, Joe lost himself in the sensation of kissing this woman he might never have met if it hadn’t been for Brodie speaking to Melody. She pressed her body tight against him and he wished they were alone in the house once more.
Eventually, Skye moved slightly back and looked up at him. ‘I wish we could have had longer by ourselves here.’
‘I was thinking the same thing,’ he admitted. ‘This isn’t over yet though.’
‘I’m glad.’
Hearing Brodie call for the dogs to take them walking, Joe thought they should probably go down and see if they were needed for anything. He went to speak, but Skye began kissing him again and, not wishing for the moment to end, he pushed everything else to the back of his mind.
The dogs began barking excitedly outside just as Joe heard a car coming down the drive.
‘Who can that be?’ Skye asked, hurrying over to the bedroom window. She gasped. ‘It’s a taxi. You don’t think…’
‘What?’Please don’t let it be Lindy and Gareth already, he thought. They must have caught an earlier flight than he and Skye had supposed, and this was their home.
‘It is. It’s Lettie’s parents.’ Skye turned to him, a slight frown on her face. He assumed she was thinking the same thing as him. ‘That means Lettie and Brodie won’t be needing our help any longer, doesn’t it?’
It did seem that way, Joe thought miserably. ‘They’re not going to expect us to leave straight away,’ he said, trying to make Skye feel a bit better. ‘Although I do have my bungalow to return to, if necessary.’ He thought of living with his mother and Roger again and withheld a groan of regret. ‘They won’t send you away early though, surely?’
She stared at him and sighed. ‘But it won’t be the same here without you.’
