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And he isveryhandsome. And strapping. That’s the only way to describe his stature. A man of impressive proportions. I should be scared of his size, intimidated, but instead, I feel comforted.
I’m still holding his hand. “Ava,” I greet before pulling away. And because I realise I’ve already said that, I tack on, “And that’s Josie.”
Hearing her name, Josie strides towards us, the other man following. “Hi!”
“Hey,” Max replies, shaking Josie’s hand.
“Hello, I’m Laurence.”
Laurence is not as tall as the six foot three Max, but he’s a good six foot all the same. His hair is dark, his eyes hazel. Like Max, I immediately sense a good vibe about him. I wonder if subconsciously I’ve honed instinctual, decisive thoughts about men.
I hope so.
Because Josie is giving me an inquisitive look, I explain, “Um, Max and I have a similar running route which takes us along the Cam.”
“Oh, really? Wow. Talk about a small world. Where in Cambridge are you?” she asks.
“Near the Botanic Gardens, but it’s temporary. You?”
“North,” I say quickly, giving him vague details because he looked at me when he asked that question, not Josie.
“I’m in Newmarket,” Josie adds on as smoothly as possible, looking to Laurence. “Do you live together?”
He scoffs in amusement. “No, but for London, we live close by. Max is near Hampstead Heath.”
“Lucky Logan,” I say, watching the dog sniff every square inch of the property grounds. He makes me so happy. Smiling, I turn back to the other three to find Max studying me. His gaze drops to his feet, and it feels like the right moment to go our separate ways. “Well, if you need some sugar . . .” I say, cringing at my stupid joke. And I’m mortified that, in hindsight, it sounded like I was offering them something other than ingredients for their tea or coffee. For some reason, I feel scrutinised. I just want to go in the cabin and hide. I feel like I’ve pushed my limits as much as I want to and now it’s time to retreat.
Dave should be so fucking proud of me.
“Thanks,” Max replies. "If you need us for anything too, just holler.”
“How many of you are staying?” Josie asks as I begin to walk away.
“Four,” Laurence replies, looking to his cabin where presumably some of his mates are. I mean, their car is here. “Just a weekend get-together. What about you?”
I let Josie answer, wondering what she’ll reveal. “Four of us too. We’re all school friends, catching up for the weekend.”
There are nods and smiles of approval.
“Well, have a great time if we don’t see you,” Max ventures. “Though, maybe you want to come round for a drink one night.”
“Maybe,” Josie chirps, her eyes settling on Laurence. She’s definitely in a brighter mood than she was on the drive here.
“Bye,” I call, Max offering a friendly salute in farewell.
Josie tries to find the email printout in her bag. How much stuff is in there anyway? Whilst she searches, I watch Max and Laurence haul out their weekend bags from the car. Now I’ve recovered a little from the shock, I’m starting to feel uncomfortable about Max’s presence. Paranoias surface in my head. What if he’s following me? What if this isn’t some coincidence but part of something else? To be honest, I’ve no idea whatsomething elseit might be, and maybe I’ve been watching too many films where the heroine ends up accepting help from the man who’s all set out to destroy her.
I blow out a breath, determined to focus on other things. “I’m going to check the weather forecast every three hours. See if that snow that’s projected will actually come.”
“It’s definitely going to snow, we just don’t know how much yet.”
They’re predicting anything from two to ten centimetres. I wish they’d be more specific. Eyeing the Land Rover again, I consider how useful it would be if we get stuck, or stranded.
“Aha!” Josie says triumphantly before punching in the code for the key box.
Inside, there’s a small hallway for coats and shoes. Beyond, there’s a large, open-plan space. The kitchen comes first, with glossy grey cabinets and a white worktop. The wooden dining table seats eight and acts as a buffer between the kitchen and the main living area. Here, there are two slate-grey sofas and a raspberry loveseat. The fireplace sits in a brick surround, the hearth stacked with sticks and logs, ready to be lit.
“Ooh, nice. Just like the photos. Let’s check out the bedrooms.”
