Page 136 of Escape to the Country

Tom would spend the evening writing his songs, scribbling lyrics on a notepad. The words were coming thick and fast now. He could barely keep up with them.

And when they weren’t working, they were talking. In the relaxed privacy of their special place, Eleanor finally began to open up about her dad. How he had left her mum for some twenty-one-year-old actress. And then a model.

‘He’s had a revolving door of relationships ever since,’ she told him one evening. ‘You know how fickle celebrities can be.’

As the silence stretched out, she glanced up at Tom who was smiling at her.

‘Not you, I didn’t mean you,’ she blustered.

His smile grew wider.

‘I was just talking about my dad,’ she said, beginning to look frantic.

‘You’re okay,’ he told her. ‘I was just having you on.’

She lobbed a ribbon at him before she relaxed and giggled.

In turn, he told her about growing up in foster homes. About sleeping rough and about his gran. He thought how much she would have liked Eleanor. Hopefully approved of her.

As the evening dusk came and the owls hooted in the trees, it became even more magical in their private idyll.

One night, Eleanor had brought a couple of cold bottles of lager with her for them to enjoy.

After watching her struggle to undo the screw top, Tom took the bottle from her and easily opened it.

‘Thanks,’ she said, as he handed it back to her. ‘You’re my hero.’

He shook his head. ‘I think we have to be our own heroes in this life.’ He stared into her soft green eyes. ‘But it helps to have friends too.’

‘Is that what we are?’ she asked, her voice suddenly soft. ‘Just friends?’

He couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward. ‘Good friends,’ he told her.

And then he reached out to stroke her cheek. Her skin was so smooth and her lips were so tempting that he couldn’t stop himself. So he leaned all the way in and kissed her. It was as good as it had been the first time.

When they finally drew apart, she smiled and told him, ‘I don’t normally kiss my friends like that.’

‘That’s because you’ve never had a friend like me before,’ he replied, leaning in once more.

But the sound of someone approaching made them both draw apart. Arthur and Mick appeared along the path.

‘I was just showing Mick here our favourite fishing spot,’ said Arthur.

‘Great,’ said Tom, taking a step away from her.

‘Super,’ said Eleanor, trying to look as casual as possible.

Mick flashed them a wicked grin as if he had correctly guessed what had just been interrupted.

As Arthur and Mick walked to the water’s edge, with Dylan suddenly waking up to show them the way, Tom grabbed Eleanor’s hand.

He pulled her close to whisper in her ear, ‘One of these days, there won’t be an audience or any interruption when I kiss you.’

She turned her head to look at him. ‘And then what?’ she asked, with a soft smile.

He didn’t need to reply but merely squeezed her hand before joining the others by the river.