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19
Hazel came downstairs to a wolf whistle from Arnold and told him to be quiet. ‘You’ve seen me out of my horsey clothes before,’ she said. She had on a floaty, pale-blue dress with tiny yellow flowers, her hair hung in loose waves, and she had a little bit of mascara on that made her blue eyes appear wide.
‘I have,’ he declared, ‘but there’s an air of something else about you…’ He put both of his hands, one on top of the other, against his heart and did double rhythmic beats.
‘Oh, stop it,’ she told him. ‘You’re such a loser.’
But no matter the teasing, it was good to see her brother more laid back. Hazel was healing and it had started with the lesson for Abigail. Her progress would be a slow build, she wouldn’t return to teaching youngsters and beginners right away, but she’d get there in the end. Baby steps, her brother had said to her after Abigail’s lesson, and she’d smiled and repeated the same words to him.
With a picnic blanket rolled into its holder that she hooked over her shoulder, Hazel walked from Heritage View all the way into the village. She and Gus had arranged to meet today on their first official date. Abigail was at the waffle shack with Peter and so it would be just the two of them. As Hazel made her way to The Street, she smiled to herself. Now she’d taken the first step to return to teaching youngsters and novices, it was as though her mind had switched gears and she was able to fit more into her life from a personal side too.
After the day Hazel had given Abigail a riding lesson as her eleventh birthday present, Hazel would never forget the little girl’s delight and the admiration from her dad. She’d tried to read Gus that day, wondered whether he’d be nervous of her teaching his daughter now he knew what had happened to make her shy away from teaching kids. But all she’d seen was what she hoped was happiness and adoration, and that had certainly been the case as they’d begun the lesson in the school. Abigail was a competent rider, but more than that, she didn’t assume she knew it all; she listened and she was respectful, qualities Hazel suspected were learnt almost by osmosis from her dad.
And that lesson had been a start. They’d only been down to the quieter bridleway, it would be some time before Hazel wanted to take anyone up towards the village and more traffic, but that time would come, she felt sure of it. She’d not taught another child yet, but she had three separate individual lessons to do so this week. Arnold, Sally, and Thomas all agreed that one-on-one lessons were probably best at this stage: focus on a single student and take it from there. And rather than dreading it, Hazel was nervous but felt able to cope. Finally, it felt as though she was getting back a piece of herself.
Hazel crossed over at the corner towards the Twist and Turn Bakery, where she spotted Gus holding a couple of paper bags.
‘You’ve already got the picnic for us?’ she asked, trying to detract from him looking at her so intently. She surreptitiously took in his appearance in dark green shorts, muscular forearms in a white T-shirt. He looked good, and when she caught a waft of spicy sensual shower gel or aftershave, it was as though her nerves switched to high alert.
‘I thought I’d go into the bakery alone so that we don’t become local gossip just yet.’ His fingertips grazed hers as he swapped the bakery bags to one hand and turned to walk around the bend as though heading out of the village.
Hazel almost began to laugh and said quietly, ‘Too late.’
As Barney and Lois walked towards them, Barney winked and boomed a hello. Lois had her arm linked through her husband’s and with a greeting of her own, she wouldn’t let him stop.
‘Do you think they know?’ Gus murmured against Hazel’s ear as they walked on.
She replied, ‘I expect Barney knew before either of us did.’ And this time, she slotted her hand beneath his, their fingers slipping between each other’s and staying that way until they’d gone around the bend, through the gates, and out to the countryside. They were headed for a small area perfect for a cosy picnic, just beyond the bridleways. Not many people knew about the area because it was difficult to see, unless you were on horseback and could spot it from a distance.
Before Hazel could unroll the blanket, she caught sight of a rabbit in the longer grass near an upturned log. ‘Did you see him?’ It hopped into sight again briefly and this time stopped momentarily, looked at them both, its long ears stretched tall before it turned and flashed them its fluffy tail and disappeared once again.
Gus took the picnic blanket from her shoulder, flicked the carrier open, and laid it out on the ground. He set the paper bags from the bakery down and took both of Hazel’s hands in his own. Hazel realised she was nervous. It had been easier to focus on the rabbit than Gus, as she’d never felt quite this jittery on a date before.
She gulped when Gus moved his hand beneath her chin, gently coaxing her to look up at him. ‘Is this moving too fast?’
She shook her head.
‘Tell me if it is. Although I suppose I have already put you to bed.’
With a grin, she replied, ‘And I’ve already seen you naked.’
He took a step even closer so that their bodies were pressed together in the warmth of the sunshine from up above. ‘No time to waste, then.’
‘Aren’t you hungry?’ she breathed as he dipped his head.
‘Not particularly.’
Her eyes fell to his mouth as she murmured, ‘Me neither.’
And when Hazel kissed Gus, she wondered how it had ever taken them so long to find one another.
Because somehow the pieces just fit.
