Rita’s sore lip wobbled. ‘So,shedidn’t stay the night here, then?’
Jago’s eyes widened. ‘No! Of course she didn’t; she’s been with her dad in Penrose.’ He reached across the table for herhands. ‘Trust me. Cheating’s never been my style… definitely not after knowing what it’s like to be on the other end of it.’
Rita cocked her head and looked at him intently. ‘You looked like you were getting on well.’
Jago loosened his grip. ‘So, youwerespying on me, then?’
‘I was with Jilly. I happened to see you and… well.’
‘You put two and two together and made a hundred.’ Jago walked round to her side of the table and kissed the top of her head. ‘Look, I was with her a long time. If she hadn’t dropped by, I never would have instigated it and will probably never see her again.’
‘Probably?’ Rita’s face fell.
‘OK. OK. I definitely won’t be seeing her again!’
‘And what about your mate, will you be rekindling your friendship with him too?’
‘Rita, stop.’ Jago looked pained. ‘I’m not sure why he’s even in the equation here, but Ineverwant to seehimagain, either.’
He pulled her up from her seat and held her arm’s length. ‘And I promise, me wanting some time away from our relationship had nothing to do with me seeing Elodie.’
Trust her to have a beautiful name, Rita thought.
Jago smiled his one-dimpled smile. ‘Anyway, enough about her, let’s talk about us. About the elephant in the room. About Valentine’s Day.’
Rita blew out a noisy breath. ‘Forever known in my mind as the Valentine’s Day Cock-up.’
‘Or cock-down for me.’ Jago smirked. ‘Anyway, I’ve not been avoiding you for any other reason, but I wanted to giveyousome space, too. Time to see how you really feel about us. We got together so quickly after Archie passed; what if it is a rebound? What if it is because I do remind you of him? I need to know that we’re both here for the right reasons. I do love you, Rita, and of that I have no doubt.’
‘I love you, too,’ Rita said softly. ‘Can’t we just go back to how it was now, please?’
‘I have a question for you.’ Jago’s eyebrows rose. ‘If it had been an engagement ring in that box, and not a bracelet, what would you have said?’
‘I… um… I…’ Rita stuttered.
Jago raised an eyebrow again with a gentle shake of the head. ‘See? You’re not sure. I knew it.’
Rita squirmed. ‘We’re not talking about marriage here.’
Jago’s expression softened. ‘I don’t want to be mucking about now. I want the next woman in my life to be the one who I grow old with. It has to be right. We have to be right. So, hear me out here. I have a cunning plan that I hope you will agree to.’
‘Oh God.’ Rita put her hand to her head. ‘What now? The last time you had one of those you ended up seducing me in a yurt.’
He hesitated, a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘And I didn’t hear you complaining.’
Rita laughed. ‘Go on. Tell me.’
‘How about on June the fourth, your birthday – see I remembered’ – Jago grinned – ‘I arrange something special. It can be our “shall we get back together properly” evening or weekend.’
Rita thought back to last year. It had been the first after Archie’s passing and with all the madness of setting up the retreat, her birthday had been a complete non-event. She’d always loved celebrating it, no matter her age, and the idea of actually having it marked properly this time made her smile inside.
‘I’m not sure what’s going on at the retreat that week yet,’ Rita said.
‘OK. We don’t have to go anywhere. It can be here at the farm.’ Jago nodded. ‘On the fourth of June, we relight the fire,our fire. One cake, forty-seven candles, and enough lurve to set off the smoke alarms.’
Rita let out a laugh, despite herself. ‘You’re such a romantic old fool.’
‘Less of the old! I’m a few years younger than you and anyway, that’s why you love me,’ he said with a grin. ‘Well, I hope you do…’
