Page 16 of Always Be My Pumpkin

I smile. ‘I’m only around the corner. I’ll be fine.’

‘And you’re sure you have everything? If you need any extra pots or pans—’

‘I’m sure. Oh, actually . . .’ My throat tightens around the words as I remember I don’t have everything. Jamie still has some of my belongings in London. ‘I left my books and some craft bits with Jamie. I couldn’t carry everything on the plane, and he’ll be driving back.’

I don’t add that I left in such a hurry, I forgot that most of my favourite books were still in a box under the bed. We did have a bookshelf, but that was crammed with Jamie’s books on sales, and marketing, and how to win friends and influence people. My ice cream-coloured covers didn’t fit. According to Jamie, at least.

‘He’d better bring them with him or he’s not setting foot inside this house.’

‘I’m sure he will,’ I say. And I mean it. Because it will look like he still cares. And maybe he does, just not enough to stay faithful, or stay in Oakwood, or ever put me first.

I’m about to walk away when Sarah’s eyes widen. She puckers her lips suggestively. ‘Oooh, verry nice.’ She points across the street to where Pat’s truck is parked, further down, outside his house, or what used to be his house, before he sold it to God knows who.

Flynn leans over the back, drops his toolbox into the truck bed, then he straightens and turns to face us. He’s wearing a navy plaid shirt over a white T-shirt, and faded blue jeans that hug his thighs, and his sandy hair is all messy and windswept. He looks like he should be chopping wood, or hiking up a mountain, or maybe even striding out of a lake. Wow.

Sarah arches her brows. ‘That’ll take your mind off Jamie.’

‘Stop.’ I grin as I nudge her arm with my elbow. ‘Don’t objectify my friend.’

As if I haven’t already spent way too much time drooling over him myself.

‘Me?’ She snorts. ‘I just saw you lick your lips.’

I’m about to protest when Flynn spots us and waves. ‘Hey, want a lift?’ he calls across to me. He strolls down the street towards us, and I feel like I’m watching in slow motion.

‘You’re a star,’ Sarah yells back. Then she smirks. ‘Gracie can give you a tour of her new lodgings.’ She presses her fingers to her lips like she might have spoken out of turn. She whips around and hisses in my ear. ‘You have told him, haven’t you?’

‘Yep,’ I say, as he starts to cross the road. ‘It’s okay, I’m coming,’ I call over, and he nods and doubles back. The last thing I need is Flynn and Sarah chatting before I’ve had a chance to explain to Flynn that I haven’t quite filled Sarah in yet.

‘See you later, honey,’ she calls after me. ‘Be good. And don’t worry, I’ll be over for lots of girlie nights.’ She yells louder, ‘I mean, it’s only fair. Now that you have that gorgeous, cosy cottage all to yourself, and I’m stuck here sharing with a boy.’

Flynn’s eyes flick to mine, but he doesn’t contradict her. He waves goodbye, then opens the passenger door and leans in close, his breath warm on my cheek as I climb in.

‘All to yourself, huh?’ He gives me a wry smile and my face heats.

Shit.

He climbs in the driver’s seat, rolls up his sleeves, and stretches his lean muscled arms across the steering wheel. And my whole body feels like it’s overheating now. I lower the window, lean out, and try to slow my racing breaths.

Flynn doesn’t say any more, just gives me a reassuring smile as we pull up outside Hazel Cottage.

‘I should have told her,’ I say quietly. ‘And I will. It’s just . . . Jamie.’

‘It’s okay.’ He grips the steering wheel tighter. ‘You don’t need to explain. It’s none of my business.’

My stomach hollows. There was a time we used to tell each other everything. Well, almost everything. But even if Flynn doesn’t care, I still feel the need to explain.

I stare down at my lap, at my hands clasped like I’m saying some sort of prayer. ‘The problem is Sarah will tell Scott, and Scott will tell Jamie, and I’m not sure when he’s coming back. But I need a few days to get my head together, to figure out how to deal with him when he does.’

Flynn leans across and tilts my face with his fingertips, angling me towards him as he says, ever so softly, like he’s worried his words might break me, ‘You two are finished, Gracie.’ His eyes are like lake water lapping my face. ‘So, you moving in here has nothing to do with him.’

I choke out a weak laugh. ‘You’ve obviously forgotten what Jamie’s like. As soon as he hears, my phone will be buzzing until I pick up.’

‘I haven’t forgotten.’ Flynn leans back again, still watching me closely. ‘But you could block his number. Unless you want to hear from him.’ He sighs, then he shakes his head ruefully as he adds, ‘I never understood what you saw in him. Why you stayed with him for so long.’

This again. My chest tightens and something bubbles inside me, embarrassment, anger, hurt . . . maybe a mix of all three. Reasons swirl through my mind. Because you left. Because he made me feel like he wanted to be with me. Stay with me. Because I needed something or someone to fill the gaping hole in my heart that you left me with.

‘He was good to me for a long time,’ I say as evenly as I can manage. ‘I mean, okay, he was always a bit possessive, and he likes to be the centre of attention, but we had a lot of fun, before London, at least.’