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“You’re looking for apartments? Why?”
“Because I can’t face going back to the old one even if he manages to fix it. Even without the water disaster, there wasn’t much to be excited about.” It was unsettling to realize how much she was enjoying living as part of his family. Even the situation with Izzy couldn’t tarnish the shiny feeling she had when she woke up in the mornings. “But I understand that I can’t stay in the house, so don’t worry. I’m already working on a solution.”
“You’re misunderstanding me. You can stay with us for as long as you like, but I don’t want to leave you when we’re away in the summer.”
“You’re worried I’m going to have a massive party and trash the place?”
He laughed. “No, I’m worried about missing you. And whatever happens, you are not moving into another crappy apartment, Flora.” He reached across and took her hand. “We can do better.”
She probably should have been nervous about how much she liked the “we” in that sentence.
“I’ll try to make sure the next one isn’t so crappy.”
“I wish I could move you from the spare room to my room. It’s starting to drive me crazy.” His thumb made a slow circle of her palm and her heart beat as fast as it had when she’d been running.
“Me, too, but we have to take things slowly, I understand that.”
“If this feels bad, I can’t even imagine how it will feel to be on different continents for three weeks during the summer.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Come with us to the Lake
District. I mean it.”
Excitement and euphoria mingled with trepidation.
He wanted her to join them on vacation. She was flattered. Excited. On the other hand, lakes? He was asking her to spend time in a place with lakes? She hated large bodies of water. The thought made her hyperventilate. She was a dry land person. She could tell him, but then he’d want to know the reason and she wasn’t ready to talk about that. Not even with Jack. She never talked about that.
But staying here meant three weeks with no Jack—and also no Molly—
Why couldn’t it have been the Caribbean? But then she would have had the sea to contend with. A nice city break? Paris? London? Anywhere but a place called the Lake District.
She shuddered.
“Do you think the girls would be okay with me coming?” She pushed her uneaten food to the side of her plate. “It’s the first time you’ve been on this holiday without Becca.”
“All the more reason to take you with us.”
“All the more reason to keep things as normal and familiar as possible.”
“It won’t be familiar.” He rubbed his fingers across his forehead. “Normal doesn’t look the same as it did. Whether you come or not, it’s going to be different. So come. Unless you don’t want this to be more than it already is.”
So far their relationship had drifted along. This was the first time either of them had made an attempt to define it.
“I…do want more.”
“Good. Because I do, too. So spend the summer with us.”
She thought about what it would mean. The Lake District. Lakes. On the other hand, there would also be Molly. Spending time with her would be so much fun. And Jack. And it would give her a chance to get to know Izzy a little better in a more informal atmosphere. Maybe it would be easier away from her own territory.
She’d just make sure to stay clear of all water activities.
“All right.” Decision made, she felt a rush of excitement. “I’ll talk to Celia.”
“Your boss didn’t strike me as the most sympathetic of people. Will she say yes?”
Flora thought about all the weekends she’d worked, all the holidays, and the number of times she’d slogged to the flower market when her colleagues were too hungover or too generally lazy to show up. “I think she’ll say yes.”
Surely Celia would be reasonable when Flora pointed out how flexible she’d been? The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to go with Jack and his girls. By the time she arrived back at work she was fired up and determined.
“Celia, could I please have a word?”
